Washington State University is a public institution. As such, institutional activities, including those of departments such as the Center for Civic Engagement, must serve a secular and non-partisan purpose.
A comprehensive definition of civic engagement includes all the ways that citizens contribute to the quality of life in the communities in which we live, including political action as well as service to faith-based communities. Participation in partisan politics and/or religious activity can be a critical part of the civic identity of WSU students.
However, the mandate of the public institution requires that the CCE not engage in the promotion of specific political parties or religions. Therefore, the CCE cannot affiliate with political groups and religious institutions for those purposes, for example, a political campaign for public office. The CCE can affiliate with groups that provide a secular or non-partisan service to the general public, for example, a church that hosts a community food bank or a government/community group promoting voter registration.
All civic engagement activity by WSU students who hope to track their experiences in GivePulse must be approved by the CCE in advance. Students who wish to engage with a faith-based group or political party may need to find an alternate way to track those experiences if documentation is required. Students are encouraged to bring their questions to a CCE peer mentor (CUB L45, 509-335-1661 or cce.peermentor@wsu.edu).