Towson University is one of 190 universities and colleges across the United States to receive the Highly Established Action Plan (HEAP) Seal from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for its Campus Democratic Action Plan. This plan, developed by the Office of Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility (CESR), aims to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement by promoting civic learning, political engagement and college student voter participation.

"This recognition attests to our continued work to cultivate informed and engaged citizens at TU and beyond,” says Vernon Hurte, senior vice president for student affairs and university life. “We will continue to empower students with the tools needed to participate in civic life and build a more inclusive and resilient democracy.”

TU received a perfect score on the 2024 Campus Democratic Action Plan. With contributions from several other campus partners, CESR established the following goals for the university to achieve by 2034:

  • Infuse civic learning and democratic engagement into the first-year experience
  • Infuse civic learning and democratic engagement into the general educational curriculum
  • Increase student voter registration rates to 95% and student voter turnout rates to 80%
  • Institutionalize communication practices that convey the importance of voting to students from all backgrounds
  • Infuse civic learning and democratic engagement with co-curricular diversity, equity, inclusion and justice campus efforts

"This plan is essential for fostering a culture at TU that values civic responsibility and active engagement,” says Romy Hübler, director of the Office of Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility. “The goals for our campus community are intended to equip students, faculty and staff with the knowledge and skills to be informed participants in democracy.”

Even though the plan wasn’t implemented until July 1, CESR has been continually working toward its goals.

The office coordinates the TU Votes Coalition, a group of cross-divisional staff and students, to help embed democratic values into everyday actions, cultural practices and structures. This group disseminates information to their peers to encourage engagement in the democratic process from all corners of the university.

Additionally, all students, faculty and staff are also invited to several programs throughout the academic year to strengthen connections among members of the community while also advancing participants’ civic agency, intercultural knowledge, systems knowledge, civic communication, civic action and civic professionalism. For example, the Civic Renewal Initiative fellows will lead a TU Community Conversation on Dec. 4, to discuss the impact of the 2024 election and explore ways to continue to engage in civic life.

About Towson University

Towson University is Maryland’s university of opportunities. With more than 150 years of experience pushing possibilities, TU is a nationally recognized leader in inclusive excellence, social mobility, research and discovery. As the largest university in greater Baltimore, TU’s momentum is always accelerating, with more than 20,000 students and 100 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in the liberal arts and sciences and applied professional fields. Located amid one of the East Coast’s cultural and economic epicenters, TU is a beacon and powerful catalyst in the Mid-Atlantic, partnering with hundreds of businesses and organizations, impacting communities and fueling change. TU meets the holistic needs of each student to achieve success, a result of a deeply inclusive culture with a focus on equity among all students, faculty and staff.