In an attempt to increase voter turnout among students, some professors at Penn State are requiring students to participate in the election process.

While there is no specific university policy that regulates professors' authority to enforce voter participation, some say such a requirement is improper.

"I have never heard of anyone at Penn State trying to require students to vote as part of a class assignment and can't imagine that a professor would do anything along these lines," Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig said. "We certainly want to encourage students to exercise their right to vote as part of a civic responsibility -- not as homework."

Marites Mendoza (graduate-English), who teaches English 015 (Rhetoric and Composition), said she will require her students to register to vote.

Mendoza said she plans to invite P.S.U Vote, a student-led organization that encourages voter turnout among Penn State students, to her class to hand out voter registration forms.

However, she won't make her students physically go to the voting booths.

"It's as far as I can go as a teacher," she said. "I can't walk them to the polls."

Not all professors agree with Mendoza's belief that students should be required to participate in the voting process.

Melinda Wilkins, an American studies lecturer, said she would never require students to vote as a class requirement.

"It's not my job," she said. "By the time you're 18, you're old enough to make up your own mind."

Wilkins added that her job, as a professor, is to educate students about the elections, not to make them vote.

Sociology lecturer Sam Richards said that in most cases, professors should not require students to vote because most professors do not keep their personal biases out of the classroom.

However, Richards does think that if professors can maintain a political balance, they do have the authority to make voting a requirement.

"It's no different than having my students write a paper or do any other thing," he said.

Richards said political participation is important to academia and said Penn State has made efforts to promote civic engagement, such as taking a civic and community engagement minor.

"It strikes me that voting is a cornerstone of civic engagement, so if Penn State can say it's okay to promote civic and community engagement, then it must be acceptable," he said.

Some students, like Alyssa McMann (junior-human development and family studies), don't believe in required voting.

"I don't think that it's right," she said. "I think voting is something you choose to do."

Nate Stiger (junior-crime, law and justice) said voting should be a choice for students.

"I don't believe they [professors] should force anyone to do anything that's not academically related," he said.

Some students said required voting is a positive way to encourage people to vote.

"I think it should definitely be encouraged," Matt LaBrecque (senior-integrative arts) said.