Dear Editor,
As part of its Mission Statement, Texas State University vows to “prepare its graduates to participate fully and freely as citizens of Texas, the nation and the world.” Unfortunately, one of its current policies works against this stated goal. In a democracy, to “participate fully and freely” one must vote. That means one must first register. In the state of Texas, the voter registration process is notoriously cumbersome. In Hays County, in particular, students must engage with the postal system, and many are unequipped to do so. A high percentage of undergraduates, for instance, do not know their mailing addresses. If the university is serious about encouraging students to fulfill their civic duties, faculty and administration should work together to facilitate voter registration.
This could be achieved through either positive or negative reinforcement. Eligible students could be required to submit proof of registration in order to, for instance, receive grades at the end of the semester. A more positive approach would be for professors to reward students by offering extra credit to those who show proof of registration. Unfortunately, both of these options are forbidden under UPPS 06.02.10, which reads in part: “No student will be identified, rewarded or penalized based on their participation in voter registration.” This is inconsistent with the university’s stated mission of “prepar[ing] its graduates to participate fully and freely as citizens.”
One might reasonably suggest that students should register to vote for altruistic reasons. Indeed, most students begin each election cycle intending to register. However, time for undergraduates is at a premium, and because the registration process is overly complicated, these good intentions often go by the wayside. Before they know it, the deadline has passed, and would-be citizens are shut out of the process. I know from personal experience that offering optional course credit can double voter registration numbers above the average for our student demographic. It would of course be wrong to reward students for voting for any particular party or individual. But there can be no reasonable objection to encouraging students to register. That is one of the best ways Texas State can prepare them “to participate fully and freely as citizens of Texas, the nation, and the world.” Thank you for your time and attention.
Respectfully yours,
Joe Falocco, Ph.D.
Professor
Dept. of English
The University Star welcomes Letters to the Editor from its readers. All submissions are reviewed and considered by the Editor-in-Chief and Opinion Editor for publication. Not all letters are guaranteed for publication.
