SLU Named 'Voter-Friendly' Campus

Saint Louis University has been designated a “Voter-Friendly Campus,” for the second time by two national non-partisan groups, the Campus Vote Project and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

SLU received the designation for the first time in 2017, for its efforts to promote voting and student's civic engagement during the 2016 election cycle. SLU photo

The goal of the Voter Friendly Campus designation is to bolster efforts that help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process and develop a culture of democratic engagement on campus.

“It has been great to see the increased enthusiasm our students are showing around voting,” Leah Sweetman, assistant director in the Center for Service and Community Engagement, said. "While they are at SLU, we want them to learn about ballot issues and candidates' platforms, engage in civil dialogue and then exercise their right to vote in every election. Through those things, it is possible for our campus to become more political and not more partisan."

The initiative held participating institutions accountable for planning and implementing practices that encourage their students to register and vote in the 2018 elections and in the coming years.

As part of the effort to be designated a voter friendly campus, SLU helped hundreds of students register for the first time, change their registration or vote absentee. On Election Day, SLU hosted a polling place in the Busch Student Center and an Election Night Watch Party in the Center for Global Citizenship.

“Motivating students to register and vote establishes habits that last well beyond the university experience,” Sweetman said. “Integrating civic engagement into campus life creates structure for students as they explore what their political beliefs are, and how they would like to participate in the electoral process.”

Institutions designated as Voter Friendly Campuses represent a wide range of two-year, four-year, public, private, rural and urban colleges and universities.

Learn More About SLU Efforts to Engage Student Voters

The designation is valid through December 2020.

Students, faculty, and staff who are interested in being involved in voter engagement efforts on campus, should contact Leah Sweetman or call 314-977-4214.

Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers nearly 13,000 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University’s diverse community of scholars is SLU’s service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place.