Every semester, the campus becomes a living democracy.
Faculty do not grade who wins. They grade the quality of planning, ethical conduct, evidence-based argument, organization, and reflection.
What is graded is the craft — not the outcome.
The Lab is nonpartisan by design. Students form coalitions on real issues and stand for real internal offices; where local law permits, they conduct genuine voter registration and civic education.
All Lab activity is bound by the College's Code of Civic Conduct: evidence-based argument, honest attribution, ethical fundraising, respectful debate, and full public transparency of methods.
- 01Form political parties or issue coalitions
- 02Organize campaigns
- 03Recruit and train volunteers
- 04Register voters where legally appropriate
- 05Host debates
- 06Produce campaign advertising
- 07Conduct polling
- 08Publish endorsements
- 09Fact-check opponents
- 10Organize rallies
- 11Administer elections
- 12Count ballots
- 13Analyze results
"We do not evaluate students on who wins. We evaluate them on the quality of their planning, the honesty of their evidence, the ethics of their conduct, the discipline of their organization, and the depth of their reflection."