For Campus Leaders, Election Preparedness is Crucial
By Lisa Lapin
After one of the most intense and fraught periods in recent history for higher education, more campus tensions are forecast for the 2024 Presidential Election and beyond into 2025. And once again, a tremendous responsibility falls upon campus leaders to leverage the moment to advance their educational missions, and help their communities navigate a potentially disruptive season productively, safely and smoothly.
Colleges and universities are filled with undergraduate student cohorts of first-time presidential voters, many also excited by hot issues such as abortion and climate change and international policy. They are eager to participate, but potentially also anxious and confused by the mass amounts of information and disinformation before them. America’s youth are not just choosing between two presidential candidates, but facing unprecedented national political divisions, an inescapable onslaught of conflicting digital content, and numerous external movements seeking to mobilize them, leverage their influence, and garner their votes. It is an opportune time to foster dialogue and customize academic programming for the moment.
Colleges and universities themselves are already under intense scrutiny, and the actions of administrators during the fall election will be examined closely. Battered by spring protests, and conversations about college value and high costs, higher education institutions have much to gain or lose by their performance around the Presidential Election. At the most recent annual meeting of NACUBO, the National Association of College and University Business Officers, concerns about election-related tensions, protests and possible violence dominated the conference conversation. Worries included whether campuses still reeling from raucous protests over the war in Gaza will have the resources and wherewithal to also address unrest and disruption that could emerge over a divisive presidential race.
But with the wisdom of that recent experience, strong leadership and effective communication strategies, campus leaders can harness student energy to maximize learning and effectively prepare to minimize election-related reputational risks. It is critical for campus leaders to plan immediately for the fall election cycle and potentially an aftermath of tensions extending into the new year. Key to a successful fall and winter will be clear communication from leadership, including pre-emptive internal awareness about policies, well in advance of any escalation. Some key strategies to revisit and consider now:
Leverage the teaching moment to support your mission. A presidential election is a tremendous educational opportunity, first and foremost. With large populations of young people who will be voting for the first time, and their interest and engagement running high, campus leaders have pedagogical opportunity that plays to their strengths. Identify pockets of faculty expertise that can be tapped to plan and contribute to academic programming: panel discussions, invited speakers, teach-ins and teach-outs. It may be worth convening academic leaders, student leaders and trusted faculty to brainstorm ways to bring scholarship and academic expertise to bear on the important aspects of the election, in a manner that is factual, informative and a-political. What does history tell us about past presidential elections? How does the Electoral College system work? How did political parties evolve? Wherever possible, the institution can rely on and activate existing programs and infrastructure: “Dialogues Across Difference,” “Community and Values,” and other programs can help foster open dialogue.
Help students actively participate in the democratic process. Workshops and seminars on the democratic process could be helpful, as would instruction on how to determine whether information is accurate and which credible sources to trust. The American Council on Education has an extensive issue brief on “Student Voting and Political Campaign Activities for 2024” with practical advice on managing the moment. You have just a matter of weeks to focus on voter registration: How have you helped students to register and do they know where or how to vote? Will you encourage or provide assistance to students who want to help get-out-the-vote, or participate in one of many existing federal programs designed to encourage student voting? How do you help students inform themselves with accurate information with which to make decisions?
Maintain institutional neutrality while supporting respectful discourse. As with the war in Gaza, students, alumni and other stakeholders will push university leaders and administrators to take political positions and support or criticize presidential candidates. It will be critical this fall to communicate the educational mission and role of colleges and universities, to facilitate discourse and debate and conversation. For example, Harvard University announced that it will no longer take official positions on any policy issue unless it directly impacts its educational mission. Campuses can establish programs to be a vehicle for the political speech of others, while refraining from actively participating as an institution. Do organizations on all sides of the political spectrum have equal access to resources?
Delineate what constitutes personal political expression and institutional or official statements. With hundreds and thousands of faculty and staff who want to use their voices to influence voters, confusion could ensue if their political statements are conflated with a campus taking a neutral position. Members of the senior leadership team, including deans, will need supportive messaging and FAQs to help them respond to inquiries from their faculty, staff, students, alumni, and parents. They will also need guidance on when they can issue their own statements and when they should forward or amplify official university communications. Providing a template for communications is even more important for topics where tensions are high. It is important to communicate clearly to members of the campus community that during the election season, they are free to speak as individuals, not representatives of the institution. This would be particularly important for social media accounts that are related to specific academic programs or departments. Does your campus have a social media policy that makes it clear now social accounts with direct institutional affiliations and identities should be used? Do you have policies around how students and faculty can use institutional email groups and channels? And what about political signage in dormitories and elsewhere on campus property?
Assure that institutional policies regarding rallies and protests are updated and communicated. Many colleges retooled and strengthened their policies regarding freedom of speech and expression in the aftermath of pro-Palestinian encampments this past spring. Many adopted clearer standards that allow for speech but draw the line at any disruptions to the campus’ educational mission, such as noise, or whether students can safely travel to and from class. Do your policies make it very clear what types of protest actions are acceptable? And what will not be tolerated? As well as what punishments could ensue for specific policy violations?
Be clear about how external, non-affiliated organizations can access your campus and students. Many colleges and universities have open campuses and broad public access. During the Gaza protests, it was sometimes difficult to tell whether protesters were students or external members of the public. Outside political organizations highly value access to students with election-related information. Some student organizations may be approached to represent larger external organizations. Are you prepared to handle the influence of outside organizations that seek to leverage students and student groups? Do you have clearly communicated policies about who can use campus spaces? Or for soliciting on campus? Do your student organizations know the rules for holding events and inviting outside speakers, including controversial speakers? And what will you allow with respect to signage?
Keep your campuses safe and prepare for the potential of violence in the aftermath of the election. As with Gaza protests, campuses could be targets for violent acts by people impassioned by any possible election outcome, given the strong divisions among political parties. Violence and rioting could also emerge in the immediate vicinity of a campus. Some universities in Washington D.C. are bracing for violence, and even have parents declining to send students to the city over the election months for fear of unrest. While everyone hopes that unity and calm will prevail regardless of the election outcome, it behooves campus leaders to make sure they are in close contact with local law enforcement jurisdictions. Is the collaboration between local law enforcement and campus security solid? Does each know when they would be called upon? Do students know what to do to assure their own personal safety if protests emerge? And if you have established parent programs, communicate to concerned parents about your campus safety plans.
Establish a culture of openness and set expectations for respectful conduct. Above all else, campus leaders can set a tone at the outset of the academic year for the type of conduct and conversation they expect of the campus community in the coming months. Be open about the challenges ahead, acknowledge the divisions, and be empathetic about anxiety and confusion about the state of the world. Encourage students to be active learners, to respect and try to understand all sides, and to approach each other with open minds. Ask them whether escalating conflicts resolves issues, or would they rather be part of solutions? Some campuses are incorporating lessons on active listening and civil discourse into freshman orientation programs or offering workshops. Do you have a general campus conduct policy? If so, it would be a good time to remind your community of its content. Encourage openness, curiosity, dignity and respect.
There is no doubt that the issues that will face university leaders throughout the President Election this fall with be increasingly complex. There will be a need to acknowledge and confront both international and domestic tensions, and the reverberating impact of world and national events on sensitive campus communities. But with some advance planning and effective, pre-emptive communication strategies, conflicts can be reduced, reputational risks averted, and the educational mission can remain your primary focus.
Lisa Lapin is the founder of Lapin Strategy and a Senior Associate with the Peterson Rudgers Group, serving as an advisor to higher education and non-profit organizations on strategic planning, public affairs, communications and marketing. Previously, she was Vice President for Communications at Stanford University and the J. Paul Getty Trust.