SUNY Oswego political science professor Allison Rank’s work on civic engagement recently earned the Barbara Burch Award from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ American Democracy Project (ADP).

The selection committee was impressed with “her work in deepening democratic ideals and civic engagement into the SUNY Oswego campus structure,” wrote Cathy Copeland, director of the American Democracy Project. “Her personal drive to serve the greater good and to create avenues of opportunity for students is admirably displayed through her efforts to …  create and sustain Vote Oswego, and advance the scholarship on political engagement, among her many other impressive contributions.”

The award recognizes exemplary faculty leadership in advancing the civic learning of undergraduates. ADP has seen Rank’s skills and continued professional development first-hand, as she serves on its steering committee and as an ADP Civic Fellow, and previously on its Civic Engagement Assessment Working Group.

In nearly a decade on SUNY Oswego’s campus, Rank “has reinvigorated the American politics curriculum and civic engagement on this campus,” Scott Furlong, SUNY Oswego’s provost and vice president for academic affairs, wrote in nominating Rank. “Allison is deeply committed to preparing civic leaders and has been successful because of how she brings together scholarship, teaching, and practice.” 

Rank said she was very flattered by this award, given its level of prestige.

“I think of the Burch award going to faculty on campus who have established something quite substantial,” Rank said. “I think we’re working toward it. There’s so much more that I want to do and can do to support SUNY Oswego.”

She had previously won the organization’s John Saltmarsh Award for Emerging Leaders in Civic Engagement in 2019. “For them to see that I’m not only continuing the work but having more of a presence in this work is very gratifying,” Rank said.

“She is recognized throughout the higher education community as an expert in this space and willing to share her insights with all,” Furlong said. In addition to the ADP involvements, Rank serves and works with many civic-based organizations, including as a board member for the Day on Democracy nonprofit and as a representative to the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition, and previously with the New York State Voter Engagement Working Group and Democracy Works, he noted.

Building civic engagement

For the signature Vote Oswego project, Rank has established partnerships and learning outcomes related to this non-partisan voter registration and turnout initiative.

”I’ve been fortunate with the ADP and off-campus national partners really committed to this work,” Rank said. “Just looking at the voter turnout rate is underselling what students can learn from civic engagement work.”

This kind of civic engagement work can represent “transformative experiences,” Rank said. “Like with study abroad, participants can add something into the classroom that isn’t otherwise there through their experience. It’s not just working a table but planning and driving a voter engagement project.”

With another hotly contested 2024 election on the national, state and local levels, Rank is exploring ways to ingrain civic engagement and the idea of being a good citizen more deeply into the campus culture.

“I’m doing more reaching out to faculty, seeing if there’s a way they can incorporate civic engagement into their lesson plans,” Rank said. A new civic lesson plan faculty mini-grant program is among the ways the campus is working toward this goal.

A notable new initiative is a “Tiny Voting Stories” project, partnering with Sari Fordham’s creative writing class as a centerpiece for a publicity campaign. Collaboration will continue with graphic design students to create materials, as well as the Office of Communications and Marketing. Rank continues to work on building a campuswide coalition with a message that everybody plays a role in producing a civically minded society.

For example, voter turnout rates are lower among STEM majors, but they play a large role beyond the ballot box. “We need the expertise of engineers to solve problems,” Rank said. “We need the expertise of scientists to solve problems. We want students in these fields to be aware of how their expertise can contribute to the public good.”

About the award

Presented to Rank on June 4 at the ADP’s annual meeting at the annual Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement meeting in Detroit, the award was established in 2014 to honor Barbara Burch, provost emerita at Western Kentucky University. 

During her time as provost, Burch strongly supported faculty in the development of civic programming at Western Kentucky University. She actively sought out talented faculty members to offer positions of leadership and program development, and provided substantial financial support for professional development. As a result of Burch’s support for faculty, Western Kentucky University was seen as one of the leading universities in the country in civic engagement.

Established in 2003 as a nonpartisan initiative of American Association of State Colleges and Universities in partnership with The New York Times, the American Democracy Project is a network of nearly 300 state colleges and universities collaborating to deepen the impact public higher education institutions have on empowering students to engage and lead in the future of democracy.