While many other universities across the country have languished when attempting to promote political involvement, members of the ISU community have taken extra efforts to create a lasting climate of involvement on campus.

In July, an informal working group of students, faculty and administrators formed the Cultivating Democracy group to increase political involvement and curb the effects of apathy, a common charge against young voters.

David Holger, associate vice provost for academic programs, said the group is working for two main goals.

The first, Holger said, has been an ongoing effort to register people to vote. The ultimate goal is to create a stronger climate for political involvement.

“It would be good to take this as the beginning of what might be potentially be looking at how can we … can encourage students to be part of the democratic process,” he said.

The group would work to help students become educated on the issues, candidates and other elements of the process, he said. Such efforts aren’t on the horizon yet, but the group has a few things planned for the near future. Along with voter registration, the group is also attempting to arrange groups to watch the upcoming presidential debates.

Seth Landau, ISU coordinator for the New Voters Project, said Cultivating Democracy has also been working on compiling a survey for candidates in the 2004 election.

Landau said there has been support for the group and for improved political involvement from all parts of Iowa State.

“Generally speaking, the campus community and the campus environment is very encouraging for students to get involved,” Landau said. “There’s a lot more that can be done and will be done.”

Registrar Kathy Jones said Iowa State has had information available throughout the semester for students looking to either register to vote or to learn more about the election. The group’s main focus came in an e-mail sent out at the beginning of the semester detailing how students would go about registering to vote in Ames Jones said.

“We do that every year to make sure students know how to register,” she said.

Earlier this month, Harvard University’s Institute of Politics released a survey concerning the amount of effort universities and colleges have put into educating students about their role in the political process. The study was done in conjunction with The Chronicle of Higher Education, a leading national higher education journal.

According to the survey, more than one-third of colleges haven’t made an effort to encourage students to participate in the political process. Under the Higher Education Act of 1998, universities receiving public funding are required to make an attempt at encouraging students to vote.

Most universities, the survey revealed, have only adhered to a “good-faith effort” provided by the law. Such efforts include doing as little as placing a stack of voter registration forms in a university library.

“Students and administrators on many campuses are effectively helping to increase civic participation,” Institute of Politics president Philip Sharp said in a release about the survey.

“However, not all colleges and universities are fulfilling their obligations under the Higher Education Act to facilitate voter registration. There is still time for all to meet the spirit of the law, and more importantly, to help a new generation of Americans fulfill their civic responsibility.”