Raritan Valley Community College President Michael J. McDonough and Montclair State University President Jonathan Koppell are serving on the Presidents’ Council of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge in 2024.
They are part of a group of 13 college and university presidents across the country tasked with supporting senior higher education leaders in fostering nonpartisan democratic engagement on their campuses.
The Presidents’ Council leads over 625 college and university presidents, provosts, and chancellors who have committed to full student voter registration and participation in the 2024 elections through the ALL IN Presidents’ Commitment.
The council is chaired by Brad L. Mortensen, president of Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. A full list of Presidents’ Council members is available here.
“I am honored to serve on the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge Presidents’ Council,” McDonough said Thursday. “It’s important to encourage students to be active members of the electoral process. At RVCC, we are dedicated to educating our students not only in the classroom, but also preparing them for a lifetime of good citizenship as engaged members in their communities.”
McDonough has served as president of Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg since 2014. Koppell became the president of Montclair State University in Montclair in 2021.
In November, McDonough was recognized nationally as the “Standout President” by the 2023 ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. He was one of two recipients in the country honored as a Standout President or Chancellor of a college or university.
An estimated 8 million young people will be newly eligible to vote in 2024, according to Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.
While youth voter turnout has risen in recent years, there is still work to be done to encourage young people to register and vote. Only 23% percent of youth under 30 voted in the 2022 midterm elections. ALL IN has continuously grown the number of college and university presidents committed to full student voter participation on their campuses. Since the 2022 midterms, the number of Presidents’ Commitment signatories has nearly doubled.
The members have committed to supporting all institutions with nonpartisan full student voter participation efforts. The full list of signatories can be found here.
