UMBC Earns ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge’s Highly Established Action Plan Seal

UMBC has once again earned the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge's Highly Established Action Plan seal of recognition for its latest voter engagement plan. Highly Established is the highest possible rating, which the university has received for each of its plans (submitted every two years) since the recognition was established in 2022.

ALL IN has developed this seal of recognition for higher education institutions with strong action plans to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement by promoting civic learning, political engagement, and college student voter participation. 

Congratulations to Ricky Blissett, Ph.D. ‘11, associate director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, and Trentqual Rhone, coordinator for political engagement, who have been driving the work on which the plan is based, and to Dr. Blissett for organizing and drafting the plan. 

“This recognition belongs to the people working to create opportunities for students to better understand, navigate, challenge, and reimagine the systems of power shaping the world around us. I want to honor the slow, steady work that often goes unnoticed until moments like this make it visible,” says Rhone. “I’m thankful to our students, faculty, and staff whose time, ideas, commitment, and care made this recognition possible, and to all those who’ll continue showing up semester after semester because this work will always matter. And I challenge us to keep working to ensure students are empowered to build the world they want to see, during election seasons and beyond.” 

Blissett adds, “We have so much good work that happens across the university, and this recognition reminds us of the opportunities we have to do this work as a connected campus community.”