American Democracy Project | AASCU
Focus Areas
Ways to Get Involved
Join the Network
Programs
Resources & Events
Impact
Partners & Awards
Policy Agenda
Contact
Civic & Global Engagement
American Democracy Project
State colleges and universities prepare tomorrow’s leaders. AASCU helps them graduate informed citizens actively engaged in our democracy.
Contact us.
Students at Towson University (MD) "Party to the Polls."
Where We’re Focused
For over 20 years, AASCU’s nonpartisan American Democracy Project has helped nearly 300 state colleges and universities prepare informed, active citizens who engage different viewpoints and perspectives to drive collective progress.
Bridge
Building
Cultivate empathy, respect, and deeper understanding across differences.
Learn more.
Civic Literacy
& Inquiry
Support students’ critical thinking and civic awareness.
Learn more.
Leadership
& Culture
Foster environments where democratic values shape student learning.
Learn more.
Stewardship
of Place
Deepen your institution’s role as a community anchor.
Learn more.
Student
Voices
Empower students as active participants in the democratic process.
Learn more.
Way to Get Involved
Join the Network
Gain access to resources alongside a committed community.
Join now.
Programs
Take action to develop informed and active citizens.
Learn more.
Research & Events
Find timely insights from the AASCU community.
View the latest.
Partners & Awards
Share insights and celebrate your peers’ contributions.
Share your expertise.
Policy & Advocacy
Advance policy priorities critical to student civic engagement.
Act now.
Join the Network
Who should participate?
AASCU members who uphold democratic values and know it takes commitment – and community – to graduate students who do the same.
How will you benefit?
Supportive and inclusive community
Professional development opportunities for all levels of leadership including national and regional meetings
National programs, institutes, and projects
Critical and relevant resources and webinars
Awards and visibility for your campus initiatives
Who do we ask of you?
Identify someone to serve as ADP coordinator for your campus
Participate in regular assessment of ADP impact
Share your insights, challenges, and bold ideas
Learn more about participating in ADP.
Current Programs
The structure, tools, and community AASCU members need to advance their commitment to quality civic education.
AASCU Pluralism Cohort
Equip students to serve as bridgebuilders in a divided world.
American Democracy Project
Read more.
American Democracy Project Civic Fellows
Support assessment, research, and programmatic efforts that further ADP’s mission.
American Democracy Project
Read more.
Engaged Civic Learning and Economic Mobility Project
A faculty cohort redesigning community-engaged courses to advance civic learning and economic mobility.
American Democracy Project
Read more.
Innovations in Democracy
Grant-funded cohort that strengthens civic learning about fair democratic representation.
American Democracy Project
Read more.
Stewardship of Public Lands
Explore issues of civic engagement and public lands at Glacier National Park.
American Democracy Project
Read more.
Explore past programs.
Events
AASCU 2026 Summer Meeting for Academic and Student Affairs Leaders
Jul. 13-16
, 2026
New Orleans
Conference
Communities & Convening
Register today.
Featured News & Resources
AASCU Announces Winners of the 2025 Civic Engagement Awards
July 14, 2025
American Democracy Project
Read more.
Leading for Democracy
AASCU, ©2025
Civic & Global Engagement
Read more.
Stewardship of Public Lands Compendium
Compiled by AASCU
Civic & Global Engagement
Read more.
See all
Impact
Civic-minded institutions. Democracy-ready leaders.
70% student voting rate
The youth voter rate has been steadily increasing and most college voting rates are hovering at 50%. ADP campuses generally average much higher, with some campuses seeing 70+% turnout.
300+ campuses
Our community extends throughout the U.S. and abroad; we believe in a global commitment to strengthening democracy.
Guam
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
Bahamas
Canada
Mexico
“ADP not only offers great resources for anyone in the field of civic learning and democratic engagement but also creates many intentional opportunities to connect meaningfully with faculty, practitioners, and students with a vested interest in the civic health of the United States and the world. I developed many powerful and lasting intra and cross-campus collaborations as a result of my participation in the ADP network.”
Romy Hübler
Director of the Office of Civic Engagement & Social Responsibility
Towson University
“ADP provides a national network of colleagues who want to explore, understand, and invest in democratic education. It’s a network that people participate in because they believe in the work. I appreciate the
á la carte
quality, where we are encouraged to find what interests us and what works in our contexts. Contrast this with groups that mandate initiatives, or demand reporting. ADP is a support, not an imposition.”
Sandy Pope
Director of the Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement
Salisbury University (MD)
“ADP offers faculty and administrators who are committed to democratic engagement the opportunity to grow together. The countless initiatives we have tackled over the years have provided a forward-thinking foundation for student engagement across the country. The connections I have made through my involvement in ADP are invaluable; we are truly a family of scholars!”
Molly Kerby
Assistant Provost for Institutional Effectiveness
Western Kentucky University
Partners & Awards
Coalition and Program Partners
Organizations who provide resources and expertise critical to making ADP possible.
Become an ADP partner.
ADP Steering Committee
A group of talented and thoughtful individuals who guide the design and development of ADP programs and practices.
Get involved.
Civic Engagement Awards
Awards presented annually at the ADP Summit recognizing leadership in civic engagement on AASCU member campuses.
Learn more.
Policy Agenda
AASCU’s commitment to civic engagement extends to the policy arena, where we champion the federal and state policies that expand civic learning and empower campuses to prepare students for informed, active participation in our democracy.
Protection and Promotion of Free Speech
Promote free exchange of ideas to the maximum extent possible in a manner that is consistent with constitutional principles.
Support efforts that address and prevent hate speech and other forms of harassment on campus.
Sponsor and support activities that educate the campus community about the value and central importance of academic freedom and open discourse.
Ensure, promote, and protect broad intellectual engagement.
Oppose micromanagement of constitutional campus operations through new “free speech” laws.
Support and promote difficult dialogues and civil debate.
Promoting Civic Engagement Is a Critical Educational Responsibility of Public Colleges and Universities
Highlight the role of education in restoring and promoting civil discourse, which is essential to the health of our democracy.
Sponsor and support civic learning and engagement initiatives.
Support programs that provide public service opportunities and learning for students and graduates.
Support programs that build student civic and information literacy in online spaces through broad, cross-institutional projects that enable students to fact-check, annotate, and provide context for emergent news stories promulgated by social media.
Educate students to critically analyze information and act as informed citizens.
Encourage regional public universities to facilitate their students’ participation in the election process to the maximum extent possible.
Oppose state legislative interventions that unnecessarily and inappropriately limit college students’ voting ability.
Campus Diversity
Defend the independence of university admissions, financial aid, and faculty appointment policies.
Support all minority-serving institutions.
Promote policies that maximize an inclusive campus environment for all students, faculty, and staff.
Support and promote policies that assist underserved students in fully participating in and continuing their postsecondary education.
Promote access to high-quality certificates and full-fledged academic credentials for all students seeking higher education.
“Ban the box” on admissions applications and engage in any preventative due diligence and threat assessment based on past criminal convictions only after an academic judgment about applicants has been made.
If preparing engaged citizens is a priority at your institution, contact us to learn how the American Democracy Project can help.
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