JMU earns recognition for its commitment to democratic engagement

James Madison University recently earned the Highly Established Action Plan Seal for the 2024 election cycle from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge .  

JMU is one of only five public four-year universities in Virginia to receive this recognition; JMU also received the seal in 2022.  

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge recognizes higher education institutions that have developed strong action plans to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement by promoting civic learning, political engagement and college student voter participation, according to the organization.  

“Campuses have to meet a high threshold for this honor: making a sustained, year-round commitment to civic engagement; embedding engagement in curriculum; ensuring that every student is asked to register and prepared to vote; and that the institution and its leadership is committed to a culture of student voting and civic engagement,” said Dr. Kara Dillard, interim executive director for JMU’s Madison Center for Civic Engagement.  

JMU’s action plan received at least 31.5 out of 36 points based on the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge’s rubric.

“This recognition represents a campus-wide approach that works with student leaders, instructional faculty, student affairs and administration to create a campus culture where students are informed in conversations about important elections and societal issues,” said Dillard. 

JMU’s 2024 action plan goals include increasing voter registration and election turnout, engaging off-campus students, improving the quality of voter education, and building faculty relationships.