Enhancing Civic, Electoral, and Political Engagement Through International Student Inclusion

Abstract

International students are often overlooked in the typical civic engagement activities of colleges and universities. However, including international students in such activities adds significant value to an institution’s efforts to increase students’ civic, electoral, and political engagement. At New York Institute of Technology, international students make up 25% of the total student population, bringing a richness to the college’s civic culture. This article discusses how international students have created and strengthened institutional initiatives designed to serve the public good. These initiatives include community service centers, Consultants for the Public Good, employee citizenship, voter registration and education, and Campus Conversations. The author also explores how these initiatives connect with A Crucible Moment, the National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement’s 2012 call to action to “reclaim higher education’s civic mission” through its framework for developing 21st-century civic skills and civic agency.