By Cole Hatcher
The national ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge is recognizing Ohio Wesleyan University with a Silver Seal award for excellence in nonpartisan student voter engagement and campus turnout in the 2022 midterm elections.
Awarded on September 10, the Silver Seal reflects Ohio Wesleyan’s commitment to ensuring that nonpartisan democratic engagement is a defining feature of campus life. Ohio Wesleyan was recognized alongside more than 500 campuses using data from the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) out of Tufts University.
“ALL IN is proud to celebrate and honor top-performing campuses, like Ohio Wesleyan, who demonstrate that nonpartisan student voter engagement is possible and effective,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN).
In addition to Ohio Wesleyan, more than 1,060 institutions enrolling more than 10 million students participate in ALL IN. The challenge is a nonpartisan initiative of Civic Nation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to bringing together individuals, grassroots organizers, industry leaders, and influencers to tackle the nation’s most pressing social challenges.
“Ahead of the 2024 elections,” Domagal-Goldman said, “ALL IN campuses are ready to build on the momentum from 2022 to ensure their communities are ready to make an even bigger impact this fall.”
ALL IN and More
At Ohio Wesleyan, the university’s Arneson Institute for Practical Politics and Public Affairs is overseeing a “Get OWUt the Vote” initiative to maintain the ALL IN momentum and help ensure students are registered to vote and make their voices heard.
Professor Ben Arneson, who founded the institute in 1947, also required his students to sign the “Arneson Pledge,” promising that: “With a view to serving the public interest and regardless of the nature of my future vocation I pledge that, upon leaving college, I will devote a portion of my time to active and definite participation in public affairs.”
Today, Ashley Biser, Ph.D., and Brianna Mack, Ph.D., faculty members in Ohio Wesleyan’s Department of Politics and Government, serve as co-directors of the Arneson Institute.
“Ohio Wesleyan remains ALL IN with our commitment to support students and prepare them for active roles in our democracy,” the professors said. “We are grateful to the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for recognizing OWU for the university’s 2022 midterm participation, and we look forward to our students increasing their impact in 2024 and beyond. Informed participation is vital to the survival of our democratic experiment at the local, state, and national levels.”
Democracy and Dialogue
As part of their work, Biser and Mack also are overseeing Ohio Wesleyan’s 2024-2025 Sagan National Colloquium – an exploration of “Democracy Matters” with panel discussions, lectures, and other events to help prepare the campus for their participation in civic issues and service.
Finally, the university is “all in” with a new and ongoing collaboration with the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) to prepare the Ohio Wesleyan community for the difficult dialogues that often accompany civic participation.
Biser, who is overseeing the CDI collaboration, said it enables all OWU students, faculty, and staff to complete virtual, evidence-based “Perspectives” training to learn to navigate potentially divisive conversations more effectively.
“Perspectives uses insights from psychology to help students identify the emotional and physical responses that arise in moments of conflict,” Biser said. “It then provides students with tools to help them work past those instinctive reactions so that they can listen and engage more deeply with those with whom they might disagree.
“Combined with our work to Get OWUt the Vote, explore Democracy Matters through our Sagan National Colloquium, and show that we are ALL IN for democracy,” she said, “Ohio Wesleyan is working to prepare students to become active and informed citizens.”
President Matt vandenBerg, Ed.D., said he is excited by the efforts underway to prepare students to become leaders in civil discourse and civic engagement.
“Ohio Wesleyan is further cementing our status as a leading producer of students who become societal change makers and influencers,” he said. “We are working with intention and enthusiasm to prepare them to be effective communicators, strategic problem-solvers, and compassionate, collaborative leaders.
Source: OWU
