September 30, 2020
Dear Faculty Members:
Last week, President Jahanian sent a message to our campus community about our university’s commitment to civic engagement and exercising our right to vote.
I would like to underscore that message by encouraging you to create flexibility in your teaching and research schedules to provide an opportunity for our students to vote on Tuesday, November 3. This flexibility can be achieved through asynchronous teaching or reading assignments in place of remote class.
Participation from our student community is particularly crucial since young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 historically have the lowest voter turnout. And for many of our first-year students, this will be their first time at the polls. I’m also hopeful this additional flexibility will provide our students with the time to volunteer at the polls, if they desire.
Thank you for taking a few moments out of your teaching schedule to address voting and encourage the use of TurboVote, a toolkit designed to help guide voters through the voting process and remind them of important dates. Your collective engagement will go a long way toward helping students express their voices at the polls.
Sincerely,
Jim Garrett
Provost