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Westchester Community College Joins Campuses Nationwide in Effort to be Voter Friendly
Valhalla, NY – Today, Westchester Community College is one of over 231 campuses in 37 states and the District of Columbia designated as a “Voter Friendly Campus.” The initiative, led by national nonpartisan organizations Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project (CVP) and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, held participating institutions accountable for planning and implementing practices that encourage their students to register and vote in 2020 elections and in the coming years.
The mission of the Voter Friendly Campus designation is to bolster efforts that help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process. Our campus was evaluated based on a campus plan about how we would register, educate, and turnout student voters in 2020, how we facilitated voter engagement efforts on our campus, and a final analysis of our efforts- all in the face of the upheaval caused by a global pandemic. The designation is valid through December 2022.
As part of our effort to be designated a voter friendly campus, Westchester Community College was able to help 920 students register to vote in 2020. Due to the creative work of the campus coalition of faculty, staff and students, students were able to attend various virtual events aimed at informing voters on local, state, and federal issues.
Westchester Community College has made a strong statement about the civic mission of higher education to prepare students to be engaged participants in our democracy and is excited to continue engaging students through 2021, 2022, and beyond.
“WCC is dedicated to serving our diverse community,” said Tiago Machado, Director of Student Involvement at Westchester Community College. “Enabling and encouraging all eligible voters to participate in our democratic process is vital to achieving full equity and access across our society. We are proud of the efforts of our staff who worked hard to help us achieve this notable designation for the third year in a row.”
The institutions designated Voter Friendly Campuses represent a wide range of two-year, four-year, public, private, rural, and urban campuses. Notably, the list of designated institutions includes many Minority Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The program is ultimately serving millions of students.
About Westchester Community College
Westchester Community College provides over 31,000 full-time and part-time students with an education taught by award-winning faculty at one of the lowest tuition rates in New York State. The college offers over 60 degree and certificate programs, including innovative programs in such high-demand fields as cybersecurity, health information technology, respiratory therapy, and digital filmmaking. The college reflects the rich diversity of its region and was the first SUNY campus to be designated a Hispanic Serving Institution. NASPA is the leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession. Our work provides high-quality professional development, advocacy, and research for 15,000 members in all 50 states, 25 countries, and 8 U.S. territories.
Fair Elections Center is a national, nonpartisan voting rights and legal support organization that works to eliminate barriers to voting and improve election administration across the United States. Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project works with universities, community colleges, faculty, students and election officials to reduce barriers to student voting and helps campuses institutionalize reforms that empower students with the information they need to register and vote.
