Vermont State University (VTSU) Recognizes Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
Announces Silver Seal from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
Castleton, VT – Along with institutions and officials across the United States, Vermont State University (VTSU) is recognizing Constitution Day and Citizenship Day today, Tuesday September 17th, a day within Constitution Week where the democratic rights and values outlined in our highest governing document are celebrated and recognized.
VTSU President Dave Bergh shares, “As we recognize and celebrate the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, I reflect on our role as an institution of higher learning to fulfill our core mission of ‘preparing all students for meaningful work and responsible citizenship by fostering their intellectual, personal, and creative growth in an accessible, caring, and inclusive community.’ We have a deep responsibility to encourage critical thinking and multifaceted growth, while strengthening an appreciation of community engagement and civic responsibility in all who pass through our doors. This is the foundation of our lasting legacy as an institution as the investments we make live on for generations to come in the contributions our alumni make to their families, communities, state, and world.”
All VTSU students are encouraged to exercise their democratic rights and uphold their responsibilities of citizenship. Among other responsibilities, students are encouraged to vote, engage in community service and volunteer activities, engage with elected officials and social institutions, and commit to leaving the university and their community better than they found it.
In that spirit, VTSU is pleased to announce that the Castleton campus has earned a Silver Seal from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, based on the campuses’ voting rate in the 2022 midterm elections. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement.
“It’s great that our campus is filled with students who are consistently participating in the civic engagement process,” shares VTSU Castleton Senior Class President and VTSU Castleton SGA Vice President, Zack Durr. “Students, Faculty, and Staff have been a part of numerous initiatives throughout the past few years to increase voter turnout on our campus, and I am grateful that those efforts have been recognized. It is an excellent acknowledgement for our student body and institution alike.”
Vermont State University was recognized alongside more than 500 campuses using data from the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) out of Tufts University, which found that colleges and universities had the second-highest voter turnout among students in a midterm election since NSLVE began measuring this data. The full list of campus award winners can be viewed here.
“I’m incredibly pleased the campus had such a strong voter turnout in the last midterm election,” adds President Bergh. “And I challenge our entire student body to engage and exercise their democratic rights this November. It is our shared responsibility and there is no better day than Constitution Day and Citizenship Day to register to vote and engage with our elected officials.”
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