CPE is a non-partisan College Government Committee with the task of raising awareness about politics and government on campus, and encouraging political engagement.

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CPE's name was originally CPLA. The name was changed April 20th, 2021. CPLA was originally the "Chair of Political and Legislative Action," an elected student tasked with bringing off-campus politics to the Wellesley College Government Cabinet and Senate. Their first action was a protest calling for the college to divest from Apartheid South Africa.

 

It was then expanded from a single person to a Core Committee that promoted political awareness and engaged in student activism. When the Community Action Network, now the Community Organizing Resources Collective (CORC), was established, it took on the responsibility of facilitating student activism, and CPLA became the "Committee for Political and Legislative Awareness."

 

Then we expanded again, to include general membership. And in 2020, CPLA changed its Core Committee to an Executive Board, elected by CPLA's general members, and its general members now vote on committee decisions. And then in 2021, changed its name to the Committee for Political Engagement.