Office of Civic Engagement

News

Click here for the lastest news from the Office of Civic Engagement.


The Office of Civic Engagement will be recruiting students for CPL America Reads and Viking Corps jobs in August and September, 2023. The payrate for student jobs is$15 per hour. Job descriptions are available here. See below for recruitment meeting days/times (in person and virtual):

On-Campus Recruitment Tables
Monday, August 28th, 2:30pm - 4:00pm: 2nd floor Student Center Innerlink
Tuesday, August 29th, 11:00am - 1:00pm: 2nd floor Student Center Innerlink
Thursday, August 31st, 11:00am - 1:00pm: 1st floor Berkman Hall Lounge near Papa John's
Tuesday, September 5th, 11:00am - 1:00pm: 1st floor Student Center near Viking Outfitters and Welcome Center
Wednesday, September 6th, 10:00am - 12:30pm: Student Center Plaza near Berkman Hall entrance (outside)
Thursday, September 7th, 11:00am - 1:00pm: 2nd floor Student Center Innerlink
Monday, September 11th, 10:00am - 12:00pm: 2nd floor Student Center Innerlink
Tuesday, September 12th, 1:00pm - 3:00pm: 2nd floor Student Center Innerlink

Remote Zoom Interviews
Monday, August 14th, 10:00am - 11:30pm: https://csuohio.zoom.us/j/84577203728
Monday, August 14th, 2:30pm - 4:00pm: https://csuohio.zoom.us/j/87200907413
Tuesday, August 15th, 11:30am - 1:00pm: https://csuohio.zoom.us/j/87187538274
Monday, August 21st, 12:00pm - 1:30pm: https://csuohio.zoom.us/j/85843044618
Thursday, August 24th, 1:30pm - 3:00pm: https://csuohio.zoom.us/j/85259397915
Tuesday, August 29th, 1:30pm - 3:00pm: https://csuohio.zoom.us/j/82699096218
Thursday, August 31st, 1:30pm - 3:00pm: https://csuohio.zoom.us/j/89252072193
Tuesday, September 5th, 2:30pm - 4:00pm: https://csuohio.zoom.us/j/81546749859
Wednesday, September 6th, 1:00pm - 2:30pm: https://csuohio.zoom.us/j/83689625789


The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections will hire 110 Ballot Box Openers on Election Night Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Cuyahoga County Board of Elections (CCBOE) needs to hire 110 individuals to work as Election Night Ballot Box Openers for the August 8th Special Election for $20 per hour | 4 hours of work. This is a great opportunity for CSU students to see democracy in action. It is a behind the scenes look at the election process! It is a great way for students to be civically engaged, earn some extra money while building their resume, networking, and representing Cleveland State University. Learn more. »


The Office of Civic Engagement encourages Ohioans to vote on August 8, 2023. An important issue on the ballot is Ohio Issue 1

The Office of Civic Engagement (OCE) encourages active citizenship and advocates that ALL elections matter. Opportunities to get involved civically are numerous, but a unique opportunity for all Ohio residents to see democracy in action has presented itself for the Special Election on August 8, 2023, regarding Ohio Issue 1. To raise student awareness, OCE is providing information about Ohio Issue 1- what it is and why all Ohio Citizens should be aware of it.  Read more. » 


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The CSU Office of Civic Engagement was a proud Associate Sponsor of the 2023 Cleveland Asian Festival on May 20 and 21, 2023. The OCE hosted tables to get people registered to vote, update their voter registrations, and to help them apply to vote-by-mail for the August and November 2023 elections with their civic engagement partner NOVA. They successfully registered 23 community members to vote and 69 filled out vote-by-mail applications! It was a great opportunity to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage month while working to increase civic engagement in communities surrounding Cleveland State University! 

The OCE has worked hard over the past several years to increase Cleveland State student voter registration rates to 89%, but as stewards and advocates of youth civic engagement they were thrilled to be able to again attend the Cleveland Asian Festival and help promote and increase voter registration and vote-by-mail applications. Consider that the voter registration rate of 18 -year-olds in Cuyahoga County is around 21.1% and it is estimated that only 16.6% of 18-year-olds in the Cleveland Municipal School District are registered to vote so there is a lot of work to be done.


Dream Team: The OCE & CSU Men’s Basketball

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On Tuesday, January 24, 2023 The Office of Civic Engagement and the CSU Men’s Basketball Team teamed up to volunteer at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s new facility on Coit Road. Our day of service came at the request of Assistant Coach Travis Lewis, who approached OCE Director Anita Ruf-Young for assistance finding a volunteer opportunity for the team. Coach Lewis expressed this interest after our first successful activity with the team in October at our Civic Engagement: A Dialogue event with students and local leaders. Since that time, The OCE  provided the team with nonpartisan voting resources and walked to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections with the team. Some players even voted for the first time!

At the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, we participated in one of their repack shifts. This shift begins with assembling the boxes that will be filled through an assembly line where each teammate adds a particular food staple into the box. In the two hours we were there, we packed up 240 boxes of shelf stable foods filling 6 pallets that weighed 7,200 pounds. The OCE gives a HUGE shout out to the staff at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank! They made the work fun with their playlist of upbeat music, and we all appreciated their patience onboarding us as well as the efficiency with which they run these shifts.

Later that week, The OCE wanted to support this great team on their court next! We got to be their guests at the team’s game against Purdue Ft. Wayne on January 27th. The OCE was finally able to witness these young men and their coaches in their element and they did not disappoint. They played a fast paced game with an ultimate win of 79 to 74.

It was a great week to be a Vike!


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On Wednesday, November 2, four CSU students were interviewed by WEWS - News Channel 5 about the importance of youth voting in the Midterm Elections. Cole Middleton, who also plays on the Men's Basketball Team, shared how his parents impressed upon him and his sister their responsibility to vote by mail in this election while away at school. Reem Abumeri is a daughter of two immigrants who emphasize that voting is a privilege that everyone worldwide does not have so to not take it for granted. Jackie Bomgardner warned that the youth voice becomes a minority when they don't vote. Lastly, Justin Samsa emphasized that lots of students seem to have strong opinions and need to vote to voice them. Not only are Cole, Reem, Jackie, and Justin civically engaged, but three of them are also connected to the community. Reem, Jackie, and Justin work as tutors in nearby schools and libraries through America Reads and Viking Corps also run by Anita Ruf-Young in the Office of Civic Engagement. The OCE is thrilled that WEWS - News Channel 5 Reporter, Dalaun Dillard, reached out to connect with CSU students to amplify their voices around the 2022 Midterm Election.

The Office of Civic Engagement Director, Anita Ruf-Young shared, "My office provides many ways for students to get involved civically from registering students to vote, to showing how to research candidates and ballot issues, to working for the Board of Elections on Election Day as poll workers and election night ballot box openers. I was pleased to learn from the Center for Information & Research of Civic Learning at Tufts University that the estimated participation rate for 18 - 29-year-old age group in the 2022 Midterms is 27%. That participation level makes this midterm the second-highest youth voter turnout in almost three decades." If students, faculty, or staff are interested in supporting this work, please email me at a.rufyoung@csuohio.edu

Watch the WEWS - News Channel 5 interview: https://youtu.be/CxtCxXw0gzQ


Two CSU Winning Teams Joined Forces on Wednesday,  October 26th to Vote Early at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections!

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CSU's Office of Civic Engagement and the Men's Basketball Team walked to the polls together to vote early last Wednesday. The event began with the OCE providing voting logistic information such as what types of valid IDs can be used to vote, how to find the issues on their ballot, and nonpartisan election resources that would help the young men feel more prepared as they entered the voting booth. For those that were not registered locally, the OCE provided detailed information on how to request their vote by mail applications and find their sample ballots as well. 

Director Anita Ruf-Young explained, "It is difficult to put into words how much I loved seeing the guys on the team casting a ballot for the first time. They will never forget this event because they had the support of my office, their coaches, each other, and Magnus. What a cool way to start a lifelong habit of voting!" 

The partnership the OCE has developed with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections and the CSU's Men's Basketball Team is the definition of mutually beneficial! Assistant Coach Travis Lewis said, "Today was powerful. Thank you, Anita Ruf-Young and Connor (Director Basketball Operations) for making this event so special. A few of our players' lives are changed forever. You are awesome. The Men's Basketball program thanks you! Coach Robinson is grateful for your support and help with his vision to make our student athletes great leaders of the future." 

Next up! The OCE will be heading to the sidelines of the Wolstein to cheer this basketball team on to victory!


Fall Semester 2023 OCE Voter Information Tables The Office of Civic Engagement will be hosting Voter Information Tables in the Student Center to get CSU students vote ready by offering them the opportunity to apply to vote by mail, find their polling location, and learn about nonpartisan and reliable sources for information about candidates.

Fall 2023 OCE Voter Registration and Vote-by-Mail On Campus Tables

Thursday, August 24, 11:00am - 1:00pm @ 1st floor Student Center (South Lobby near Starbucks and Viking Outfitters)
Monday, August 28, 12:00pm - 2:00pm @ 1st floor Berkman Hall (near Barrio and computer lab)
Wednesday, August 30, 10:00am - 12:00pm @ Student Center Innerlink
Friday, September 1, 10:00am - 12:00pm @ Student Center Innerlink
Tuesday, September 5, 11:00pm - 1:00pm @ Student Center Plaza
Thursday, September 7, 11:00am - 1:00pm @ 1st floor Michael Schwartz Library lounge
Tuesday, September 12, 12:00pm - 2:00pm @ 1st floor Berkman Hall (near Barrio and computer lab)
Wednesday, September 13, 11:00am - 1:00pm @ 1st floor Michael Schwartz Library lounge
Thursday, September 14, 12:00pm - 2:00pm @ Student Center Plaza
Tuesday, September 19, NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY, 10:30am - 1:30pm @ Student Center Innerlink
Tuesday, September 19, NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY, 10:30am - 1:30pm @ 1st floor Michael Schwartz Library lounge
Thursday, September 21, 11:00am - 1:00pm @ 1st floor Berkman Hall (near Barrio and computer lab)
Monday, September 25, 12:00pm - 2:00pm @ 2nd floor Berkman Hall between lecture halls
Monday, September 25, 2:00pm - 4:00pm @ 1st floor Michael Schwartz Library lounge
Wednesday, September 27, 12:00pm - 2:00pm @ Student Center Innerlink
Wednesday, September 27, 1:00pm - 3:00pm @ 1st floor Michael Schwartz Library lounge
Monday, October 2, 12:00pm - 2:00pm @ 1st floor Michael Schwartz Library lounge
Tuesday, October 3, 12:00pm - 2:00pm @ Student Center Innerlink
Thursday, October 5, 10:00am - 12:00pm @ 2nd floor Berkman Hall between lecture halls

Fall 2023 OCE Vote-By-Mail Application Tables

Thursday, October 12, 10:00am - 12:00pm @ 1st floor Student Center (South Lobby near Starbucks and Viking Outfitters)
Tuesday, October 17, 11:00am - 1:00pm @ 1st floor Michael Schwartz Library lounge
Wednesday, October 25, 11:00am - 1:00pm @ Student Center Innerlink

OCE Vikes! Vote Curriculum Voter Registration and Vote-by-Mail Packet Preparation

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Each semester Anita Ruf-Young, director of the Office of Civic Engagement, updates Vikes! Vote, a nonpartisan civic engagement curriculum for all First Year Experience ASC 101 course sections that are taught to new incoming freshman and transfer students with less than 30 credit hours.

This course is part of the OCE's larger mission to institutionalize voter and civic engagement on CSU's campus and is a critical piece of the ALL IN Democracy Challenge Action Plan we write and implement each year. As part of this initiative, started in 2020, the Vikes! Vote lesson ends with a call to action for students to register to vote, update their voter registration, or apply to vote-by-mail.

Our civic partner, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, provided the Office of Civic Engagement with 2230 voter registration and vote-by-mail forms for our CSU students in ASC 101 sections. Thanks to our Campus Vote Democracy Fellows (CVP) Justin Samsa and Kaylee Gutierrez and members from the CSU Student Government Association (SGA), we were able to fold 1,115 voter registration and 1,115 vote-by-mail forms to create packets for 50 sections of FYE ASC 101 so students could answer the call to action if they chose to!

Being able to engage our newest CSU students civically through our Vikes! Vote curriculum and call to action is another step in ensuring ALL our students have the opportunity to have their voices heard when their VOTES ARE CAST AND COUNTED, stated Anita Ruf-Young.


Cleveland VOTES - Hiring a Summer Intern

Cleveland VotesCleveland VOTES, a young and rapidly growing organization, seeks an intern that is an entrepreneurial, resourceful, highly collaborative team player who possesses strong creative strategy skills and excels at managing a realistic balance among multiple priorities.

Responsibilities:

  • Engage and spend time with the organization’s Senior Strategist to understand Cleveland VOTES’ vision, mission and strategic priorities.
  • In collaboration with the Senior Strategist, the intern will learn and support implementation and planning tactics for our organization’s programming priorities as identified in our 2022-2026 Strategic Plan.
  • Execute research asks and uncover insights to fuel the strategy process and support the crafting of strategic deliverables, both creative and analytical, in regards to the strategic plan.
  • Partner with the Communications + Narrative Strategist to enhance digital marketing capabilities, create graphics and proofread writing.
  • Provide support to the Civic Engagement Strategist through assisting in the planning and execution of programs designed to increase community awareness and providing administrative and analytic support.

How to Apply:

Please submit your cover letter detailing why you are the ideal candidate for this position, a resume and (3) professional references that may describe how your credentials align for this employment opportunity to jobs@clevotes.com by Friday, April 14, 2023.

Status + Internship Period:

Part-Time Intern, maximum 30 hours per week (Hybrid; we work remote on Monday/Friday and in the office Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday). The internship term is June 6 - August 4, 2023.

Compensation:

Cleveland VOTES is fiscally sponsored by the Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association (GCNCA). The intern will receive $15 per hour, plus cell phone and wellness reimbursements. Please note, this is a part-time temporary position.

Learn more about the position here. »


Ways YOU Can Help the Citizens of Ukraine

More than 42,000 Ukrainians call Ohio home. More than 4,100 of them live in Parma, Ohio. If you are interested and able to help the citizens of Ukraine who are currently being impacted by the war, please check out the links in the PDF below. These organizations are assisting Ukrainians with food distribution, border reception and transportation, medical supplies, pet support, and the evacuation of children in this conflict area. There are Forty-four million citizens of Ukraine, to date, two million refugees have fled the country. One million of those refugees are children.

Learn more. » 


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We would like to help increase voter registration and turnout, especially in the Latino community. Join us on Monday, March 20, 2023 from 11:00am - 12:30pm on the 2nd floor of the Student Center to register to vote and learn about upcoming elections. Learn more. »

 

 

 


The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections (CCBOE) is one of Cleveland State University’s critical partners when it comes to civic engagement. The University’s Office of Civic Engagement on campus has been working with the CCBOE to better engage students and our campus community through supporting their work—particularly around the elections taking place each year.

To that end, the partnership is yielding another great opportunity for students. CCBOE needs Election Night Ballot Box Openers on Tuesday, August 2, 2022 for Election Night Processing. The four-hour guaranteed-pay job earns $15.00 per hour per student; 125 slots are available. 

Learn more. » 


We Are Hiring for the Spring 2023 Semester 

The Office of Civic Engagement (OCE) has several community service-learning job opportunities available for CSU students. The job opportunities are through OCE's America Reads and Viking Corps (Federal Work Study) programs, pay $15/hour, and are located around the Cleveland area.

To apply do one of the following:
- Email Anita Ruf-Young at a.rufyoung@csuohio.edu
- Fill out this Google form at https: bit.ly/3uGgX7q

Learn more. »  


The Office of Civic Engagement Will Host Several Voter Registration Tables for Fall Semester 2022

OCE will be hosting several Voter Registration Tables across campus on between August 31 and October 3, 2022. Be sure to stop by if you need to register to vote, update your registration, or register to vote by mail.

Learn more. »


We Are Hiring!

The Office of Civic Engagement will be hiring several CSU students to work in Community Service Learning jobs through America Reads, Viking Corps, and as Democracy Fellows.

Learn more. »


The Office of Civic Engagement Earns CSU recognition among Washington Monthly’s “America’s Best Colleges for Student Voting.”

To make Washington Monthly’s student voting honor roll this year, universities had to submit 2020 and 2022 action plans to the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. Schools also needed to have signed up to receive data from the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE), which calculates college-specific registration and voting rates. They must also have made their 2018 and 2020 NSLVE data available to the public. In short, schools need to have shown a repeated commitment to increasing student voting—and have been transparent about the results. 

Learn more. »


National Voter Registration Day was an Amazing Day for the CSU Community!

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Cleveland State University’s Office of Civic Engagement (OCE) held a successful National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) on Tuesday, September 20 in several campus locations—the Student Center on the second floor on the Inner Link; Ronald Berkman Hall Atrium on the first floor; and the outdoor plaza between the Student Center, Berkman Hall, and Michael Schwartz Library. 44 voters were registered and 14 vote-by-mail forms were collected. CSU’s commitment to voter registration was demonstrated by CSU President Dr. Laura Bloomberg and Magnus T. Viking who joined the OCE Director Anita Ruf-Young to encourage voter registration.

OCE collaborated on this event with partners at Northeast Ohio Voter Advocates, Campus Vote Project, Democracy Fellows, Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Cleveland NAACP, the Greater Cleveland League of Women Voters, Cleveland VOTES, and CSU’s Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement. 

Learn more. »


Paid Civic Engagement Opportunity for CSU Students

The Cleveland Branch of the NAACP has partnered with the Office of Civic Engagement to recruit 10 CSU students to help execute 2 events. A stipend of $50 per event is offered. ($100 total). Learn more. »


The Office of Civic Engagement and League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland Present Civic Engagement: A Dialogue - Knowledge + Action = Power

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On Wednesday, October 5, 2022 the CSU Office of Civic Engagement and League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland hosted A Dialogue - Knowledge + Action = Power. This nonpartisan event gave students and other attendees the opportunity to discuss issues that are important to them in a safe space and focuses on how they can take their passion for an issue and turn it into action with the guidance of our local government official facilitators. 45 students and facilitators attended the event and discussed topics including reproductive health, transportation, education, housing, and healthcare.

For more information about this event also see OCE, LWV Partner for Nonpartisan Democracy Engagement event.


Fall Semester 2022 OCE Voter Information Tables

The Office of Civic Engagement in partnership with NOVA will be hosting Voter Information Tables in the Washkewicz College of Engineering and College of Health to get CSU students vote ready by offering them the opportunity to apply to vote by mail, find their polling location, learn about nonpartisan and reliable sources for information about candidates and issues on your ballots, and a great Election Night Ballot Box Opener job for one-night that pays $15 per hour.

10-19, Wednesday, College of Health IM Atrium, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 

10-27, Thursday, College of Health IM Atrium, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 

10-31, Monday, College of Health IM Atrium, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 

10-31, Monday, Washkewicz College of Engineering, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m


Getting the CSU Community #VOTEREADY For Election Day

National Voter Registration DayThe Office of Civic Engagement is again a proud partner of National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) and plans to register students and community members on the CSU campus in celebration of the 10th annual National Voter Registration Day.

The event takes place Tuesday, September 20 (10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.) in several campus locations—the Student Center on the second floor on the Inner Link; Ronald Berkman Hall Atrium on the first floor, and the outdoor plaza between the Student Center, Berkman Hall, and Michael Schwartz Library. Additionally, a CSU Latinx Community-geared table will reside on Student Center's first floor.

Learn more. »


The Office of Civic Engagement Partners with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections to Help Fill a Critical Need for Election Night Ballot Box Openers

***CSU Vikings Needed - Several Positions Available for One Night - $15 Per Hour***

The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections is looking for assistance in unloading vans on their dock, transferring ballot boxes to carts for processing, and opening and organizing ballot boxes on election night Tuesday May 3, 2022. The Office of Civic Engagement is hopeful that CSU Vikings can help the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. They need a minimum of 125 individuals to assist them with this important democratic process! This opportunity provides a behind-the-scenes view of the election night processes, as well as supporting and safeguarding our county’s voting rights.   

Learn more. » 


The Cuyahoga County Public Library is hiring a Student Success Manager. Apply today!

The Student Success Manager provides oversight and supervision of structured educational programming; including academic support and grade level reading programming for youth. This includes, but is not limited to, the creation, selection, adaptation and evaluation of program content and outcomes through data analysis. 

Learn more. »


The Office of Civic Engagement Will Host Several Voter Registration Tables Spring Semester 2022

During Fall Semester 2021, the Office of Civic Engagement (OCE), with our civic engagement partner, NOVA, registered 192 CSU community members to vote, 112 filled out Vote By Mail forms, and 81 of the 304 that registered to vote or filled out a Vote By Mail form completed both forms.

This semester OCE will be hosting several Voter Registration Tables across campus on between March 9 and April 4, 2022. Be sure to stop by if you need to register to vote, update your registration, or register to vote by mail.

Learn more. » 


Cleveland State University Joins Campuses Nationwide in Receiving “Voter Friendly” Designation

Cleveland State University joins over 231 campuses across 37 states and the District of Columbia in receiving the “Voter Friendly Campus” designation, an initiative led by Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project (CVP) and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education to help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process.

CSU’s Office of Civic Engagement (OCE), housed in the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs, earned this designation based on a Democracy Action Plan submitted by OCE Director, Anita Ruf-Young, and OCE Graduate Assistant, Anthony Kukura. Due to COVID-19, the OCE had to modify its Democracy Action Plan and rethink how we could still engage with our campus community in a safe and meaningful way during a critical election year that required hybrid learning. The plan provided a roadmap on how they would register, educate and turnout student voters in 2020, along with a final analysis of their efforts.

Learn more. » 


September 28 is National Voter Registration Day 2021 

National Voter Registration Day

The Office of Civic Engagement (OCE) is a proud partner of National Voter Registration Day. The OCE, in collaboration with our partners, Northeast Ohio Voter Advocates, Campus Vote Project, Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, Alpha Kappa Alpha, CSU Student Government Officers, Cleveland NAACP, and the Greater Cleveland League of Women Voters, plans to register students and community members on Cleveland State University’s campus to celebrate NVRD.

WHEN: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 28, 2021, OCE will host voter registration tables as part of a massive cross-country effort to register hundreds of thousands of voters in person and online.

WHERE: Cleveland State University Campus, in the Student Center on the second floor of the Inner Link, Ronald Berkman Hall on the first floor, and the outdoor plaza between the Student Center, Ronald Berkman Hall, and the Michael Schwartz Library.

Learn more. »


Paid Student Voter Engagement Fellowship Opportunities through Campus Vote Project and the OCE
The Campus Vote Project (CVP) is a national nonpartisan project that helps America's colleges and universities to get as many of their 20 million students as possible to register, volunteer in campaigns, educate themselves and turn out at the polls. Fellows will lead their campus with voter registration, voter education, and voter engagement for the spring semester 2021. Fellows will work with the CSUOffice of Civic Engagement to help register and engage the CSU community in the election process, and work to institutionalize voter and civic engagement on campus. Fellows will receive orientation, training, support, and guidance from CVP. The application deadline is December 7, 2020. Learn more. »


Why You Should Vote in 2020
OCE Democracy Fellow Cara Robbins has written an article for the CSU Vindicator about why CSU students should vote in 2020. Learn more. »


Office of Civic Engagement Acknowledges 2020 National Voter Registration Day

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On September 22, 2020, OCE Interim Director, Anita Ruf-Young, and OCE Graduate Assistant, Anthony Kukura, along with Campus Vote Project, Campus Election Engagement Project, and WorkElections Democracy Fellows, engaged with over 100 CSU students by helping them register to vote, update their registration, apply to vote by mail, and educating them about how to apply to be an election day poll worker. 


Get Registered to Vote, Vikes!
The Office of Civic Engagement is hosting voter registration tables to ensure that every CSU student has the opportunity to register to vote for this critical election year. Stop by our voter registration tables to fill out and submit voter registration paperwork. While you are at the tables, sign up to volunteer to be a poll worker for the general election on Novermber 3, 2020Poll workers are essential to ensuring that our elections are fair, and in doing so, maintain the traditions of our past and our hope for the future.  Learn more. »


American Reads Tutoring Program Continues Virtually in Pandemic
Despite restrictions the COVID-19 pandemic has caused, Cleveland State University’s Office of Civic Engagement—in partnership with the Cleveland Public Library—innovates new avenues to connect with students, kindergarten through eighth grade. Learn more. »


America Reads and Viking Corps: A Year in Review, 2019-2020
CPL America Reads and Viking Corps student workers contributed 6,156 service hours while engaging and assisting a total of 8,302 Greater-Cleveland community members at a total of 22 Office of Civic Engagement partner organization sites. Learn more. »


CSU League of Women Voters Student Organization Update
The CSU League of Women Voters, in coordination with the CSU Office of Civic Engagement (OCE), has begun to plan for next year. Many students have expressed interest in this new CSU student organization and we are reaching out to you for help. If you have not had the opportunity to join the LWV, you can register online here. If you are interested in joining or promoting our organization, please contact vikesvote@csuohio.edu. Also, please feel free to pass along our CSU LWV informational flyer.


Paid Opportunity
Paid WorkElections Fellowship Opportunity: Help the OCE Recruit CSU Students to be Election Day Poll Workers

America is currently facing a shortage of poll workers for the upcoming 2020 Presidential Election. The OCE has a new partnership with WorkElections to recruit an on campus WorkElections Fellow at CSU. The WorkElections Student Fellows will earn a $1,000 stipend for their recruitment and engagement work on CSU's campus. The Fellowship will run from mid-September to November 3rd. To learn more about the requirements of the Fellowship visit: tinyurl.com/workelectionsfellows. If this Fellowship opportunity interests you please visit: tinyurl.com/workelections to apply. If you are interested in becoming an election day poll worker, but do not currently have the ability to commit to the WorkElections Fellowship, you can apply to be an election day poll worker here: www.powerthepolls.com/cvpm​​​​.​


Paid Opportunity
If you are interested in taking a more active role in CSU LWV or a broader role in civic engagement activities, the CSU OCE is currently accepting applications for 2020-2021 Democracy Fellows. Fellows are paid through either Campus Vote Project or Campus Election Engagement Project, and are supervised by Anita Ruf-Young, Program Coordinator and Interim Director of OCE. Campus Vote Project Fellows receive a $1,500 stipend and Campus Election Engagement Project Fellows receive a $1,000 stipend for their voter engagement work. Fellows will have the opportunity to work with many organizations in the Greater-Cleveland area including: The Greater-Cleveland League of Women Voters, Northeast Ohio Voter Advocates, Campus Vote Project, Campus Election Engagement Project, and the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. Some activities Fellows may participate in can include; staffing voter engagement events, social media outreach, running voter registration tables, and working to spread critical nonpartisan election related information throughout CSU's campus. If becoming a Democracy Fellow is an opportunity you are interested in, please submit copy of your current resume, along with, a brief summary explaining why you are interested in this type of work or any previous experience you have had with this kind of work to, vikesvote@csuohio.edu, by May 20, 2020. 


CSU's Office of Civic Engagement 2020 Democracy Action Plan Showcased by ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
The CSU Office of Civic Engagement's 2020 Democracy Action Plan to increase college student voter participation, civic and community engagement, and citizenship readiness was deemed to be one of the strongest submissions by ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. The plan was developed by Anita Ruf-Young, OCE Program Coordinator and Interim Director, and Nora Walsh, OCE Graduate Assistant. This plan was recognized by the national organization, ALL IN Democracy Challenge, as one of the top 10 strongest plans out of 170 submitted for 2020. The CSU Democracy Action Plan is featured on the All IN Democracy Challenges website for other universities to use as a reference. This Democracy Action Plan serves as CSU's roadmap for integrating and institutionalizing citizenship readiness into CSU’s campus culture. Learn more. »  


Vikes Vote Program will Spur Civic Engagement among CSU Students
Cleveland State University’s Office of Civic Engagement (OCE) is committed to teaching students about the importance of voting and providing them with non-partisan information to guide their decision making. To raise civic engagement, the OCE will introduce a new curriculum called Vikes Vote to Introduction to University Life (ASC 101) in the Fall 2020 semester. Learn more. » 


2020 Ohio Presidential Primary
Due to the ongoing public health crisis, in-person voting will not be available for the 2020 Ohio Presidential Primary. The Office of Civic Engagement encourages you to vote by mail by printing off this absentee ballot request form and mailing it to your county board of elections. Once you receive your ballot, fill it out and mail it back to your county board of elections. To make sure it is counted, your completed ballot must be received by your board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on April 28 OR be postmarked by April 27 and delivered by mail to your board of elections by May 8. Learn more. » 

If you do not have a printer, but still want to participate in the Primary- you can create your own vote-by-mail request. Learn more. » 


Get Registered to Vote, Vikes!
The Office of Civic Engagement with our partner Northeast Ohio Voter Advocates (NOVA) are hosting voter registration tables to ensure that every CSU student has the opportunity to register to vote for this critical election year. Stop by our voter registration tables to fill out and submit voter registration paperwork. People will be onhand to answer answer any questions you may have. Learn more. »


AllInGoldSeal.pngCleveland State University received a gold seal as part of the 2019 ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.
The initiative seeks to recognize colleges and universities committed to increasing voting participation among college student, and CSU was honored for achieving a student voting rate between 40% and 49%. “Cleveland State University is proud to receive this national recognition for our voter engagement efforts,” notes Anita Ruf-Young, program coordinator with the University’s Office of Civic Engagement. “We are firmly committed to assisting our students in becoming engaged citizens and active participants in the democratic process.” Learn more. »


September 2019:  September 24 is National Voter Registration Day 2019
Cleveland State University’s Office of Civic Engagement in partnership with Alpha Kappa Alpha, Cleveland Votes, The Board of Elections and The League of Women Voters, plans to register voters on Cleveland State University’s campus to celebrate National Voter Registration Day. Learn more. »


September 2019: The Office of Civic Engagement in partnership with Alpha Kappa Alpha, Cleveland Votes, The Board of Elections and League of Women Voters Will Hold a Voter Registration Drive on National Voter Registration Day 2019, in time for the upcoming Election. 
The Office of Civic Engagement at Cleveland State University Joins over 3,500 Partners Nationwide in Massive Push to Register Voters on September 24. Learn more. »


September 2019: National Voter Registration Day is Sept. 24
Cleveland State University’s Office of Civic Engagement (OCE) will join organizations from around the region in celebrating National Voter Registration Day on September 24. As part of the festivities, OCE will sponsor a voter registration and information table in the CSU student Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the 24th. Learn more. »


March 2019: CSU Earns Voter Friendly Campus Designation
Cleveland State University has earned the “Voter Friendly Campus” designation through a program sponsored by the Fair Election Center’s Campus Vote Project and NAPSA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. The “Voter Friendly Campus” program requires campuses to develop, implement, and submit a report analyzing the results on how they encouraged their students to register and vote. Learn more. »


March 2018: Addressing Community Needs: CSU Student Service Program Celebrates 20 Years
America Reads was created by the federal government in 1997 to enhance literacy and educational attainment in communities that are both economically and educationally distressed. In creating the initiative, President Bill Clinton asked colleges and universities to initially commit 50% of their Federal Work Study funds to support America Reads tutors serving in their communities. Cleveland State University joined the national initiative in 1998 and over the last two decades has built CSU America Reads into a highly effective, mutually beneficial, community-based partnership. Learn more. »


2015: Cleveland State University is awarded a Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation  
Carnegie CEC Cleveland State University has been selected to receive the 2015 Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. This prestigious national honor is highly sought-after by higher education institutions as an indicator of close connectivity to the public and private sectors in the region surrounding an institution.
Learn more. »