"Numerous American colleges and universities invoke a form of civic purpose in their mission statements. Harvard College seeks to "educate the citizens and citizen-leaders for our society." Princeton University is committed "to prepare students for lives of service, civic engagement and ethical leadership" in order to "serve the nation and the world." Stanford University prepares students for "leadership and engaged citizenship in the world.""
"Yet at this moment, one often feels what Martin Luther King, Jr. described in his 1957 " Give Us the Ballot" speech as a "high blood pressure of words and an anemia of deeds." Many institutions make only a passive attempt to register student voters and refuse to engage institutionally when students' rights are violated. For example, during the most recent midterm elections in 2022, students from an organization called Ivy League Votes complained"
Student voting poses a crucial test for American higher education amid an authoritarian assault comparable to the McCarthy era. Higher education has long been linked with service to the nation and democratic values, as affirmed by the Truman Commission in 1947. Prestigious universities publicly commit to civic education and leadership, yet many institutions take only passive steps to register voters and fail to defend students when rights are violated. Reports describe administrators rationalizing barriers to voting for students. Federal proposals like the SAVE Act, executive actions, and state legislative measures threaten to increase impediments to student electoral participation.
Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
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