Rice Athletics Honored as 2021 Conference USA Voting Challenge Winner
11/10/2021 12:55:00 PM | General
ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge Honors Campuses and Coaches Who Worked to Increase Student Voter Engagement During the 2020 Elections Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
Houston, Texas: Rice Athletics has been honored by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) for its efforts to encourage student voter engagement during the 2020 presidential election. Rice received the 2021 Best Campus Action Plan, Highest Voter Registration and the Highest Voter Turnout Awards alongside Conference USA during the organizations third biennial awards ceremony on Wednesday.
This is the first year that ALL IN is honoring the work of their Athletic Conference Voting Challenges, in which schools compete against their athletic rivals to increase nonpartisan student voter participation and engagement. There are currently 12 athletic conferences participating in the ALL IN Athletic Conference Challenges, encompassing 125 institutions enrolling 2.6 million students.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and most students learning virtually, the honorees ensured students across the country could cast their ballots.
"I am proud to celebrate the successes of our student-athletes in earning the Best Campus Action Plan, Highest Voter Registration and the Highest Voter Turnout Awards among our conference as presented by ALL IN," noted Director of Athletics, Joe Karlgaard. "Receiving these awards underscores our department and University commitment to civic engagement and highlights the power our students have, no matter their political preference, to be conduits of change."
The 2020 election cycle saw unprecedented voter registration and turnout among college students according to the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE), a research study of the Institute for Democracy in Higher Education (IDHE) at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. NSLVE reported that 66 percent of college students voted in the 2020 elections, a 14 point increase from 2016.
As a campus, Rice won a Gold Seal (70-80% of all eligible students cast ballots) from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.
Karlgaard continued, "Rice student-athletes are leaders who have the opportunity to effect change in athletics, throughout campus, and beyond. In addition, I want to acknowledge the hard work of all of the students, faculty, and staff members of the RICEngaged voter coalition for their commitment to voter registration, education, and mobilization across the Rice community."
Key Rice University Athletics activities undertaken in the 2020 General Election Cycle:
"When colleges collaborate and compete within athletic conferences to engage students in the democratic process, everyone wins. The rise in voter participation and engagement for college students in last year's presidential election was unprecedented and it wouldn't have been possible without the efforts of the dedicated students, coaches, athletic directors, faculty, and administrators that are part of the ALL IN Challenge network," said Jen Domagal-Goldman, Executive Director of the ALL IN Challenge. "The hard work of these trailblazing honorees will help support many of the country's future leaders in fulfilling the equitable and engaged vision of democracy to which we aspire."
About the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) is a national, nonpartisan initiative of Civic Nation, a 501(c)(3) organization. ALL IN strives for a more inclusive democracy—one in which all voices are heard. We believe that higher education plays a role in graduating students into voters and in closing electoral participation gaps that persist by race and age. Through an intentionally designed program—which provides structure, support, and recognition—ALL IN strengthens college and university efforts to improve civic learning, political engagement, and voter participation. Ensuring that students are registered to vote and participate in all elections is a key component of our work.
Learn more and see a full list of winning campuses at https://allinchallenge.org/awards-ceremony
This is the first year that ALL IN is honoring the work of their Athletic Conference Voting Challenges, in which schools compete against their athletic rivals to increase nonpartisan student voter participation and engagement. There are currently 12 athletic conferences participating in the ALL IN Athletic Conference Challenges, encompassing 125 institutions enrolling 2.6 million students.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and most students learning virtually, the honorees ensured students across the country could cast their ballots.
"I am proud to celebrate the successes of our student-athletes in earning the Best Campus Action Plan, Highest Voter Registration and the Highest Voter Turnout Awards among our conference as presented by ALL IN," noted Director of Athletics, Joe Karlgaard. "Receiving these awards underscores our department and University commitment to civic engagement and highlights the power our students have, no matter their political preference, to be conduits of change."
The 2020 election cycle saw unprecedented voter registration and turnout among college students according to the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE), a research study of the Institute for Democracy in Higher Education (IDHE) at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. NSLVE reported that 66 percent of college students voted in the 2020 elections, a 14 point increase from 2016.
As a campus, Rice won a Gold Seal (70-80% of all eligible students cast ballots) from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.
Karlgaard continued, "Rice student-athletes are leaders who have the opportunity to effect change in athletics, throughout campus, and beyond. In addition, I want to acknowledge the hard work of all of the students, faculty, and staff members of the RICEngaged voter coalition for their commitment to voter registration, education, and mobilization across the Rice community."
Key Rice University Athletics activities undertaken in the 2020 General Election Cycle:
- The men's cross country team's partnership with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) to lead voter registration efforts across the department
- Owl In Task Force & SAAC engagement with campus and community voter education programs
- The football team's outreach to the Mayor's Office leading to the creation of the city's Early Vote College Challenge; Rice University won this challenge
- The student-led polling location hosted in historic Rice Stadium
"When colleges collaborate and compete within athletic conferences to engage students in the democratic process, everyone wins. The rise in voter participation and engagement for college students in last year's presidential election was unprecedented and it wouldn't have been possible without the efforts of the dedicated students, coaches, athletic directors, faculty, and administrators that are part of the ALL IN Challenge network," said Jen Domagal-Goldman, Executive Director of the ALL IN Challenge. "The hard work of these trailblazing honorees will help support many of the country's future leaders in fulfilling the equitable and engaged vision of democracy to which we aspire."
About the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) is a national, nonpartisan initiative of Civic Nation, a 501(c)(3) organization. ALL IN strives for a more inclusive democracy—one in which all voices are heard. We believe that higher education plays a role in graduating students into voters and in closing electoral participation gaps that persist by race and age. Through an intentionally designed program—which provides structure, support, and recognition—ALL IN strengthens college and university efforts to improve civic learning, political engagement, and voter participation. Ensuring that students are registered to vote and participate in all elections is a key component of our work.
Learn more and see a full list of winning campuses at https://allinchallenge.org/awards-ceremony
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