Be the advocate-in-chief

With Congress on recess for much of August and legislators back in their home districts, it’s a perfect time for community college leadership to extend an invitation for a campus visit.

Despite having tight schedules, members of Congress are usually eager to visit their local community college if they can.

“If you plan ahead and arrange for a campus tour or event, you can showcase certain programs and/or partnerships of interest to your legislator and engage him or her in a discussion about your college’s importance to the community,” according to the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) Advocacy Toolkit.

This article comes from the current issue of Community College Journal, the flagship publication of the American Association of Community Colleges.

The toolkit offers several tips for hosting a successful campus visit. Here are a few.

Determine the goals for the visit. Is there a specific program that should be showcased — perhaps a federally funded program been exceptionally effective in addressing the needs of special student populations? Or maybe a program that addresses workforce needs in the district? That could be of special interest to a congressional delegation. Or is there a new initiative that is showing signs of success but could use some support? These are some of the questions that should be asked before an invitation is extended.

Extend the invitation. Draft a brief letter or email inviting the member of Congress at a least a few weeks prior to the event. Describe the event, who will be present and explain why the member should visit the campus. Also make sure to send the invitation to the appropriate staffers. Generally, invitations go to the scheduler in the member’s Washington, D.C., office. If there already are established contacts in the office, such as with the education staff, send the invitation to the copy the staffer on the invite, too. If there’s no response after the invitation is sent, don’t be afraid to follow up.

Plan for the meeting/event. Be prepared to provide a brief overview of the college’s mission, programs, economic impact on the community and student demographics. Also, identify what federal programs may have helped support specific programs or initiatives on campus. Providing a one- or two-page fact sheet about the college can help. It’s also useful to include the community in the event. Invite students, parents, business partners and other stakeholders to participate.

Involve the press. In the invitation, offer to coordinate with the legislator’s press office if he or she would like to promote the event. Develop a media advisory to send out in advance of an event. Provide them with a college fact sheet, and perhaps a series of one-pagers on key programs and college initiatives. Take many photos and disseminate widely, including on the college website and through social media.

Hosting a campus event with legislators can be a lot of work, but it can pay off by ensuring that they recognize the importance of community colleges and champion measures that will benefit them and their students.

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