The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) recognized UMBC for its nonpartisan democratic engagement efforts that fostered high levels of student voter engagement in the 2022 midterm elections. UMBC received the 2022 America East Campus Votes Highest Registration Rate and  a Silver Seal from ALL IN based on the university’s 2022 campus voting rate from its National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) report, reflecting its commitment to ensuring that engagement with democracy is a defining feature of campus life.

UMBC was recognized alongside more than 500 campuses using data from the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) out of Tufts University, which found that colleges and universities had the second-highest voter turnout among students in a midterm election since NSLVE began measuring this data. 

"UMBC students are highly engaged in their communities, and our strong voter registration and turnout rates are important ways in which that engagement shows up,” says David Hoffman, Ph.D. ‘13, director of UMBC’s Center for Democracy and Civic Life. “I’m especially proud that so many student organizations and campus departments are working together to support and expand that culture of engagement. Not everyone is eligible to register to vote, but all of us can help build communities and a society in which everyone can thrive.”

Dr. Hoffman adds, “This is timely news, as we are in the midst of working with campus partners to provide resources and events to encourage turnout in Election 2024. The stakes are high, so register and vote if you are eligible!” 

“The ALL IN Awards were created to celebrate nonpartisan democratic engagement and the outstanding campus voter registration and turnout rates achieved by our ALL IN campuses. Ahead of the 2024 elections, ALL IN campuses are ready to build on the momentum from 2022 to ensure their communities are ready to make an even bigger impact this fall,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, Executive Director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “ALL IN is proud to celebrate and honor top-performing campuses like UMBC, who demonstrate that nonpartisan student voter engagement is possible and effective.”

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) is a national nonpartisan initiative of Civic Nation, a 501(c)(3) organization. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge strives to change civic culture and institutionalize democratic engagement activities and programs on college campuses, making voter participation a defining feature of campus life. More than 1,060 institutions enrolling more than 10 million students participate in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, which supports colleges and universities in achieving excellence in nonpartisan student voter engagement. The Center for Democracy and Civic Life hosted ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge leaders at UMBC on August 29 so they could pilot a voter registration workshop directed at staff and student leaders.

David Hoffman, Ph.D. '13, language, literacy, and culture, director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, has been named 2024 UMBC Outstanding Staff member and will be recognized at the Alumni Awards Ceremony on Thursday, October 10. Extraordinary UMBC alumni, faculty, and staff are making a difference in the world, and the UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors hosts this annual celebration of their accomplishments. Five types of awards are given: Outstanding Graduate, Distinguished Service, Rising Star, Outstanding Faculty, and Outstanding Staff. 

The Center's Associate Director, Ricky Blissett ’11, and Coordinator for Civic Design Tess McRae ’22, nominated Dr. Hoffman for the award: "We're thrilled that the Alumni Association has recognized David with the Outstanding Staff Award. His two decades of contributions to UMBC exemplify what it means to unlock potential and transform lives as a leader in the Division of Student Affairs. His impact on thousands of UMBC students and alums, including the two of us, has been immense. And much of what we see today on UMBC's campus, ranging from the way co-creation is embedded in so many UMBC practices to the many collaborative initiatives that have empowered UMBC community members to create lasting change, can be traced to David's influence. We're so grateful to work with him and to benefit from his deep care and commitment to helping people at UMBC and beyond thrive together."

Dr. Hoffman has worked in UMBC’s Division of Student Affairs for 21 years, developing and leading collaborative initiatives and programs through which participants develop the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and relationships needed to help their communities thrive. Among the products of his work are BreakingGround, a grant program funded by the Provost’s Office which has supported the design or redesign of more than 40 courses; the STRiVE leadership for public purpose program for undergraduate students develop skills in community building and social change; and the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, established in 2018 as a hub of innovation for educational practices that enable and inspire people to shape their world together. Dr. Hoffman is the Center’s founding director.

He develops and teaches courses about civic communication and culture as a faculty fellow in UMBC’s Honors College, and was the 2024 Honors College Faculty Fellow of the Year, having been selected by students to receive the award.

He serves as a member (and past chair) of the Steering Committee for AASCU’s American Democracy Project, and previously served as a member of the National Advisory Board for Imagining America. As a member of the inaugural cohort of American Democracy Project Civic Fellows, he led the development of the Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement Theory of Change, and works with Center for Democracy and Civic Life colleagues and national partners to amplify and implement it. 

At UMBC Dr. Hoffman has contributed to many campus initiatives as a board or committee member, including Retriever Essentials, the Grand Challenges Scholars Program, the Neighbor Relations Committee, and Student Affairs working groups that addressed challenges relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Dr. Hoffman has published more than a dozen articles and book chapters relating to his work at UMBC, exploring civic agency, civic pedagogy, democratic communication styles and techniques, and culture change within institutions. He is an alum of UCLA, where he served as student body president and University of California student regent, and of the Harvard Kennedy School (M.P.P.) and Harvard Law School He is especially proud to be an alum of UMBC, having earned his Ph.D. here in Language, Literacy, and Culture.

In-person attendance for this year’s Alumni Awards ceremony is by invitation only; however, the ceremony will be livestreamed for those who wish to attend virtually. The Alumni Awards landing page will be updated in the coming weeks with awardee bios, registration information, and the livestream link. 

Do you want to have an influence at Retriever Integrated Health (RIH), your campus medical and counseling center? 

Apply now to join the Retriever Integrated Health Student Advisory Council (RIHSAC).  In addition to being the voice of students’ needs and concerns, RIHSAC will have the opportunity to develop ideas and programs, facilitate communication with students, and participate in outreach events.  We hope to have a council of students who reflect the diversity of UMBC's community.  Undergraduate and graduate students majoring in any discipline are eligible.  RIHSAC will meet with RIH staff every other month during the academic year.  

The Center for Democracy and Civic Life's David Hoffman, Ph.D. ’13, director, and Tess McRae ’22, coordinator for civic design, co-authored “Together Beyond: Fostering Agency and Connection within Campus Communities” with former UMBC colleagues. The chapter is part of a new book, Civic Pedagogies: Teaching Civic Engagement in an Era of Divisive Politics.

The chapter describes the Together Beyond program the Center developed with Division of Student Affairs colleagues: guided conversations facilitated by UMBC stakeholders trained in advance of the 2020 election, knowing that there would be tension and anxiety in the election’s immediate aftermath.