Part 1: Government Relations at Your Institution or Business

Regardless of size, every school and business should have a working knowledge of government relations in order to establish two-way communication with its elected representatives. The following are steps in establishing an effective government relations practice:

1. Designate a "point" person.
   Assign a staffer (quite possibly you!) with responsibility for monitoring communications received from higher education associations and other sources regarding Congressional action on issues that affect you—for example, initiatives that alter the Federal Direct Student Loan Program or the Federal Family Education Loan Program, legislation altering the tax status of college tuition or appropriations for campus-based programs (including Perkins). This person should be charged with flagging issues of significance and recommending a course of action.
   
   
2. Develop a government relations plan.
   Your office, in conjunction with other institution administrators and business entities, should design an annual government relations plan. Such a plan may include arranging for a visit with at least one member of Congress, sending informational literature to each member of your congressional delegation, an individual letter-writing campaign (not form letters) by students and presidents of schools or businesses regarding an issue of importance, or other activities. (Such activities are considered in Section II: Making Your Views Known.)
   
   
3. Carry out the plan.
   The government relations plan should contain a number of varied elements designed to make your institution or business a part of the political process that produces policies affecting your community. As a part of this plan (when conducting phone or letter writing campaigns), be clear about who will cover the cost of phone calls and postage. However, even the best plan is insignificant unless it is intelligently carried out in a timely manner.
   
   
4. Involve your students and their parents.
   Because most proposed changes in higher education policy will directly affect your students, your college, university or business, you should encourage students to communicate with their own members of Congress. Students may be briefed on the content and significance of impending legislation through school newspapers and word of mouth. Past experience proves that such letters are extremely effective in persuading Congress to avoid changes to current law that would harm students.
   
   
5. Involve each paid staffer in the effort.
   Although the government relations function will primarily be handled by one individual, it is appropriate to encourage others—professionals and support staff—to remain informed and active regarding governmental matters. In addition to correspondence sent on institutional and company letterhead representing the official views of your school or business, each staffer should also call or write their legislator to praise or register concern over specific initiatives. This grassroots effort helps to persuade Congress that support or opposition on a particular matter is widespread. The number of communications received by a member of Congress is almost as important as the content of those communications.
   
   
6. Support members of Congress financially.
   Given the high cost of running for Congress, financial support of Congressional representatives—in the form of campaign contributions—is increasingly important. Individuals who are active participants and supporters of your college, university, private career school or business should consider making donations to appropriate legislators who support initiatives to promote and expand programs that benefit your institution or business.
   
   
7. Conduct an annual review of your government relations effort.
   At the close of the calendar year, an assessment should be made comparing activities conducted in the government relations area with those outlined in the beginning of the year. This review should serve as the basis for the modification and writing of next year’s plan.
   

This guide to the components of a government relations effort by your school or business is, by no means, exhaustive. Businesses with personnel, institutions with administrators or faculty who have preexisting contacts or friendships with members of Congress or other key policy makers should utilize such advantages to both monitor the process and encourage progressive legislation. In addition, a government relations plan should be carefully tailored to emphasize the strengths of the individual charged with the responsibility of implementing it. Thus, some schools or businesses may emphasize telephone communications with a local or district office while others may encourage writing letters to the national office.

All told, becoming active in the policy making process is a good idea that will help to preserve current federal support for higher education programs throughout the country and encourage changes to such programs to benefit the American people.

Next --> Part 2 - Making Your Views Known on Capitol Hill