Mesa Community College joins national group encouraging student voter registration

Published Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Two photos next to each other. The first of a smiling woman with short dark silver hair wearing thin rimmed eye glasses and a red jacket, Danette Turner; and a photo of a woman with straight shoulder-length light brown hair with bangs wearing a black and grey collarless shirt standing outdoors with the MCC clock tower in the background. MCC Center for Community and Civic Engagement representatives Danette Turner and Debra Ohlinger

MESA, Arizona – March 29, 2022 – Mesa Community College joins the 2022 Codesigner Cohort for Ask Every Student, the national joint initiative promoting collaboration between campus leaders and nonprofit partners to help campuses ask every student to participate in the democratic process and achieve full student voter registration.

MCC Center for Community & Civic Engagement staff members, Debra Ohlinger and Danette Turner, join students, faculty and peers from 20 campuses across the country, including four other community colleges, and seven Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions, to develop innovative strategies and resources to increase student participation on college campuses using the Ask Every Student Framework.

“It is an honor to have the opportunity to work with colleagues and students on other campuses to identify new ways of heightening student participation in the democratic process,” said Ohlinger. “We want all of our students, everyone in our community, to be educated and motivated to exercise their right to vote whenever possible.”

The MCC Center for Community & Civic Engagement regularly hosts nonpartisan events which are free and open to the public. Many events have virtual components, providing the flexibility necessary for individuals who are not on campus to participate.

Turner shares, “We’ve hosted 19 events this academic year and have more planned. Ideally our community will join us to get answers to questions and feel confident when casting their vote on election days.

Important election dates and links to informational voting resources are available at mesacc.edu/vote.


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Media contact: Dawn Zimmer, 480-461-7892, dawn.zimmer@mesacc.edu

Ask Every Student is a national joint initiative of the SLSV Coalition, the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, the Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project, and NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, that facilitates collaboration between campus leaders and nonprofit partners to help campuses ask every student to participate in the democratic process and achieve full student voter registration.

Mesa Community College is nationally recognized for university transfer, career and technical programs, civic engagement, service-learning and innovative approaches to education. On average MCC students provide 23,000 hours of community service annually. For more than 50 years, the college has served as a resource for education, workforce development and lifelong learning. Host to more than 25,400 students annually, MCC offers degree and certificate programs at its two campuses and additional locations through a combination of modalities. MCC is transforming how it champions student success through Guided Pathways with Integrated Support Services and a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. MCC is a Hispanic Serving Institution with nearly 50% of its students being the first in their families to attend college. MCC has the largest indigenous student population of all the Maricopa Community Colleges; its American Indian Institute serves students from the 22 federally recognized Arizona tribes as well as out-of-state tribes. The diverse student body includes hundreds of international students from around the world. Award-winning faculty are dedicated to student success, providing the education and training that empowers MCC students to attain their goals. Located in the East Valley of Phoenix, Arizona, on the traditional territories of the O'odham, Piipaash and Yavapai Peoples, MCC is one of 10 colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District. Visit mesacc.edu to learn more.

Mesa Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) -- hlcommission.org.

The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is an EEO/AA institution and an equal opportunity employer of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or national origin. A lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in the career and technical education programs of the District. MCCCD does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs or activities. For Title IX/504 concerns, call the following number to reach the appointed coordinator: (480) 731-8499. For additional information, as well as a listing of all coordinators within the Maricopa College system, visit maricopa.edu/non-discrimination.