Universities Play a Pivotal Role in Protecting 和 Advancing American Democracy
总统 Koppell joins College 总统s for Civic Preparedness to ensure 所有 students are well-equipped to be engaged citizens 和 encourages them to exercise their right to vote on Election Day.
By Jonathan Koppell, 总统 of Montclair State 大学
Universities are anchors of American democracy. They serve a unique role: bringing together people of 所有 backgrounds, 信仰, 文化, 和 political affiliations – sometimes for the first time – to engage in constructive discourse while respecting, 具有挑战性的, 和 collaborating with one another. College campuses are unique in that sense, a training ground for democracy different from any other institution in our society.
So it’s critical for us, as university leaders, to lead the way in restoring 和 maintaining the very roots of democracy on 和 off campus.
That’s why I’m excited to join the College 总统s for Civic Preparedness, a new initiative convened by The Institute for Citizens & Scholars to facilitate shared learning 和 greater impact through partnership toward the goal of developing college students who are ready to be empowered citizens. The group unites 20 college presidents, 下面列出的, representing a wide variety of institutions: public 和 private, large 和 sm所有, 和 across the political spectrum. I’m energized about the impact we’ll be able to make together, with projects focused on ensuring students are well-informed, productively engaged 和 committed to democracy.
The work starts now, right here at Montclair State 大学. Montclair tradition所有y has a strong voting rate, but I greatly encourage students to vote in 所有 选举, including tomorrow, November 7. Don’t discount the impact of state 和 local 选举 – what happens loc所有y has the power to deeply impact your daily lives, perhaps even more so than federal 选举. Join other Montclair students who have pledged to go “All In to Vote” on Tuesday at this link.
Exercising your right to vote now will lay the groundwork for a pivotal year ahead. 明年, we’ll be voting in a consequential presidential election, determining the balance of power in Congress, 和 electing a New Jersey senator. I look forward to working closely with College 总统s for Civic Preparedness, as well as our Office of Civic 和 Voter Engagement, to ensure 所有 of our students have the tools 和 resources they need to be informed, educated 和 prepared. The future of our democracy depends on it.
Learn more about College 总统s for Civic Preparedness by clicking this link, 和 see below the list of other participating college presidents.
- Benedict College: Roslyn Clark Artis
- Claremont McKenna College: Hiram Chodosh
- Colorado College: Song Richardson
- Cornell 大学: Martha Pollack
- Dartmouth: Sian Leah Beilock
- Denison 大学: Adam Weinberg
- DePauw 大学: Lori White
- Duke 大学: Vincent Price
- Georgetown 大学: Jack DeGioia
- Howard 大学: Ben Vinson
- James Madison 大学: Jonathan Alger
- Purdue 大学: Mung Chiang
- Rollins College: Grant Cornwell
- Rutgers 大学: Jonathan Holloway
- 大学 of Notre Dame: Father John Jenkins
- 大学 of Pittsburgh: Joan Gabel
- 大学 of Richmond: Kevin H所有ock
- Wellesley College: Paula Johnson
- Wesleyan 大学: Michael Roth