It is no secret that the past year has presented challenges for higher education at the federal level. Colleges have had to deal with a slew of executive orders, cuts or freezes to key grant programs, shifting priorities and new leadership at the Education Department, a government shutdown and potentially devastating budget cuts in the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget.
State and federal decisions directly shape the future of community colleges and the students they serve, which means advocacy is more critical than ever.
“If we’re not at the table helping inform those decisions, we risk having choices made for us that don’t reflect the needs of our students, our institutions, or our communities,” said Brett Rowlett, executive director of external affairs at Lane Community College in Oregon.
It’s a vial time for college leaders to keep their teams nimble, informed and prepared to make the case for community colleges to elected officials. Here are ways marketing/communication leaders can achieve that.
Relationships and communication are key
Building and sustaining strong relationships with elected officials and their teams form the primary building blocks for successful advocacy efforts. Having presidents and trustees engage with elected officials regularly shows both respect to elected officials and the highest level of concern regarding the issues at hand, said Stephanie Stuart, vice president for strategic partnerships and workforce innovation, and chief communications officer at Parkland College in Illinois.
“We must communicate in a manner that speaks to core values on both sides of the aisle,” she said. “Today, this means emphasizing the critical role that community colleges play in workforce and economic development within our respective communities.”
Previous NCMPR article: How community colleges can strategically engage with lawmakers
The key to forming those relationships is to cultivate college champions who can help ensure elected officials understand the gravity of the challenges facing community colleges, said Fiona Lytle, chief government and external affairs officer for the Colorado Community College System. Public funding cuts or shifts have an immediate, profound impact on college operations, which are often already lean, especially at rural institutions.
Because it carries a different weight when presidents and trustees engage directly, Rowlett said, it’s vital for government affairs staff to have those peer-to-peer interactions with staffers on Capitol Hill.
“Policymakers know they’re hearing from the people ultimately responsible for the institution’s mission and for the communities it serves,” he said.
Personal stories make a difference
Colorado has 13 community colleges, which touch 93 of 100 legislative districts.
“When our presidents and trustees tell their stories and articulate their local needs,” Lytle said, “it carries a weight that no single government affairs officer — no matter how experienced — can match. (That’s the power of) strategic, authentic and relevant storytelling.”
While presidents and trustees can deliver an important leadership lens, students and their stories are also important, providing a window into the experiences of their constituents for an elected official.
“When we share the lived experiences of our students and the transformative impact of our colleges, we turn data into action and create allies who will advocate alongside us,” Lytle said. “Their stories move hearts and minds in ways statistics alone cannot.”
Student voices achieve this by bringing color, clarity and credibility, whether testifying in support of legislation or furthering an elected official’s understanding of federal financial aid.
Rowlett has seen this firsthand, and he recounts how a student parent’s interaction with a state budget committee chair made a substantial difference.
“She shared her personal story about how the program made it possible for her to stay in school and support her young daughter,” he said. “That conversation not only saved the program from elimination — it actually led to increased state funding.”
Amplify on-campus voices
Working collaboratively with organizations like the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) and their state-level counterparts is a critical part of amplifying community college issues. Lytle and her small team learn the specifics of what is happening in Washington thanks to the expertise of AACC and ACCT.
“Their teams track and interpret federal policy developments and coordinate advocacy strategies,” she said. “By connecting directly with their experts, we can align our outreach and ensure that our federal engagement complements the broader national agenda.”
Rowlett also noted the importance of thought leadership provided by national organizations, who provide critical intelligence about Washington goings-on and connecting colleges with one another across the country.
“These relationships are vital for staying focused and positive,” Stuart said. “After all, the work of community college advocacy is a marathon, not a sprint.”
