Ramapo College of New Jersey has been designated a Voter Friendly Campus by the Students Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) and Fair Election Center’s Campus Vote Project. Ramapo is one of only four institutions in New Jersey and among just 235 schools nationwide to receive this designation. The designation is valid through December 2022.
The goal of the Voter Friendly Campus designation program is to bolster efforts that help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process and develop a culture of democratic engagement on campus. Eligibility for designation required institutions of higher learning to engage their student bodies and promote voter registration and voting as part of their institutional missions.
“The designation of Ramapo College as a NASPA Voter Friendly Campus is a fantastic recognition of the work of students, faculty, staff, and administration to support the right to vote,” said Eddie Seavers, Associate Director of Student Involvement at Ramapo College. “The College remains committed to increasing access to voting for Ramapo students and all eligible voters in New Jersey.”
In 2016, Ramapo became a partner of the Andrew Goodman Foundation, a national organization that supports youth leadership development, voting accessibility, and social justice initiatives on campuses across the country. Currently, four Ramapo students serve as Andrew Goodman Foundation Ambassadors who lead on-campus voter engagement efforts. Ramapo students are also involved in programming related to voting among Native Americans, Black History Month, and women’s suffrage, in addition to educating students about voter registration and more in advance of state and national elections.
Campus Vote Project National Director Mike Burns said, “We saw the highest turnout ever for an election in this country in 2020, in spite of unprecedented obstacles from the global pandemic, a mix of remote and hybrid learning across campuses, along with the most election law changes across the country, all at a time of extreme political polarization and social unrest. Through the Voter Friendly Campus program, we know that hundreds of colleges and universities were crucial in making sure that millions of student voters had the nonpartisan information and support they need to navigate these changes and successfully have their voices heard up and down the ballot.”