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Journalism 122/Communication Studies 122

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Higher Education Act

Copyright 2004 Associated Press 
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These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press
September 13, 2004 Monday

BYLINE: EMILY FREDRIX; Associated Press Writer

The semester just started at most schools, but the grade is in for more than one-third of the nation's colleges on the assignment of helping register young voters - a C or worse
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Harvard University's Institute of Politics and The Chronicle of Higher Education sent surveys to 815 colleges and universities last month to determine whether they met the spirit of the Higher Education Act. The law requires schools that accept federal funds to request enough voter registration forms for their campuses four months before registration deadlines.

Some 249 schools responded to the survey, which was released Monday. Seventeen percent met the requirement and 37 percent said they graded their effectiveness at registering young voters at C or worse.

"It was pretty clear that not all knew what the requirements were under the Higher Education Act," said Philip Sharp, director of the Harvard Institute.
Other findings from the survey, sent to presidents of two and four-year colleges, show that about one-third of schools have had rallies or protests on campus, and voter registration drives are held at seven in 10 schools. About half of the schools thought they were effectively registering young voters.

Responses might have been different had people other than college presidents been surveyed, and had the survey not taken place when most college presidents are not at their schools, said Terry Hartle, senior vice president for the American Council on Education, a trade group that represents 2,0000 colleges and universities.

Some schools were singled out for their efforts. Purdue University includes voter registration information with fee statements, while the University of New Hampshire sends similar letters and has a student committee that encourages student voting. San Francisco State University has a polling place on campus.

Four years ago this month, Ralph Nader unveiled a list of 113 prominent social activists and celebrities who backed his 2000 presidential campaign as proof of his broad-based appeal. This year, more than half have defected to sign a lukewarm endorsement of Democratic nominee John Kerry and his running mate, John Edwards.

"We urge support for Kerry/Edwards in all swing states, even while we strongly disagree with Kerry's policies on Iraq and other issues," said the statement being released Tuesday. "For people seeking progressive social change in the United States, removing George W. Bush from office should be the top priority in the 2004 presidential election."

Liberal luminaries largely have deserted Nader this year, but the statement marks the first effort to line them up as a group. So far, 74 former members of Nader's Citizen's Committee have signed on, including actors Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, former talk show host Phil Donahue, Ben and Jerry's ice cream founder Ben Cohen and author Noam Chomsky.

"I love Ralph," Cohen told The Associated Press in an interview Monday. "I agree with his policies and with his agenda. But I feel the horror of the Bush administration is just so overwhelming, it's more important to get Bush out than to vote for what would be the best possible agenda."

The list will be circulated on the Internet and appear as a paid ad in progressive magazines, according to Jeff Cohen, a former spokesman for Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, who is helping gather signatures.

Nader spokesman Kevin Zeese dismissed the petition.

"We recognize the Democrats are united and a lot of the left is very afraid of Bush and a lot of them will do everything to beat Bush even if it means putting in place a militarist, corporatist Democrat," Zeese said.

A Bush administration lawyer on Monday urged the Supreme Court to reject a Wisconsin anti-abortion group's effort to run ads that criticize Democrats.
A 2002 campaign finance law restricts election-time commercials. Wisconsin Right to Life contends that its radio and television ads that mention Sen. Russell Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat up for re-election, are not political campaigning. The ads complain about "gridlock" in the Senate in confirming President Bush's choice of judges
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The group has asked Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist to let the ads air.
Paul Clement, the acting solicitor general, said in a filing on behalf of the Federal Election Commission that many groups would want to get around the law's restrictions.

"Granting the injunction would invite an enforcement nightmare in the immediate run up to a national election and undermine the effectiveness of Congress's carefully considered and recently upheld restrictions on corporate electioneering," he wrote.

The Supreme Court has upheld the law, which bans certain interest group ads 30 days before the primary and 60 days before the general election. Feingold helped write the law.

Associated Press writers Sam Hananel and Gina Holland contributed to this report.