USF Votes at the University of San Francisco recognized that their student faced system barriers to civic participation, particularly for first-generation, BIPOC, commuter, and out-of-state students. These students often lacked accessible information, faced confusing and shifting voting rules, and experienced time, trust, and resource constraints.
Recognizing these inequities, USFVotes implemented targeted, equity-centered strategies using the AES Playbook, focused on embedding voter participation as part of the campus culture and student experience.
USF has taken several steps to establish voter participation as part of its campus culture and student experience, beginning when incoming students first receive their acceptance package, which includes a pamphlet that educates them on how to vote and get civically engaged. USFVotes then works with the Orientation and Student Leadership and Engagement departments to embed online curriculum models on civic engagement that every new student participates in and completes. USFVotes also prepares summer activities for incoming students and has a table physically present where students receive their name badges right before they obtain their student ID cards and move into on-campus housing.
Once they’re situated on campus, students find additional opportunities to get further involved. USFVotes creates a student leadership pipeline starting when students are accepted into USF and continuing through the Summer of Action, during which they give students tools to register voters and talk to fellow students. As a result, USFVotes has great retention with student leaders, from when they first step foot on campus to when they graduate.
Next, students are reached in the classroom. The USFVotes Team works with departments in all USF schools, including department heads, and gets buy-in using the Faculty Champion model to make a Faculty Toolkit. They provide other elements including curriculum guides, shareable videos, canvas page elements, reading materials, media tools, and syllabi elements, making it as easy as possible for faculty and administrators to integrate democratic engagement into their work.
Finally, the USFVotes team engages students in peer-to-peer outreach, year-round nonpartisan education, tailored deadline reminders, and on-campus voting access. These tactics worked together to reduce barriers, close participation gaps, and foster a campus culture where every student has the knowledge, support, and opportunity to vote and engage as active members of their USF communities and beyond.