sunycuad legislative plans – building a 12 month outreach effort

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SUNYCUADLegislative Plans –

Building a 12 Month Outreach Effort


Presentation Goals

• Review the national perspective in legislative support

• How to effectively communicate with lawmakers

• What works well and not so well

• Develop a 12-month legislative strategy; brainstorm strategies and tactics

• Next steps in your legislative outreach effort


National Perspective in State Funding

• Historically, strong support in return for low tuition and high state enrollment/access

• Since 2000, tuition caps removed and out-of-state enrollment rising in many states

• 39 states current face ongoing imbalance between revenue and spending

• State’s general fund budgets for Medicaid have doubled in 20 years

• Share of the population age 65 and older will grow from 12 to 20 percent by 2030



• In 1980, states contributed 50 percent of public universities’ operating funds

• Today, it is 33 percent and declining• Only the most optimistic believe this trend will reverse• Must be more effective in communications with lawmakers• Must better tell the higher ed success story• Develop long-term partnerships with the state



• AASCU “Renewing the Promise” recommendations:– 1) States and higher ed must develop and sustain a long-

term vision– 2) Campuses and systems must ensure broad access– 3) Higher ed and states must forge new relationships


State Relations Plans – strengths and weaknesses

• Terry Hartle, Senior VP, ACE, federal relations• David Zook, Managing Partner, Sagamore Associates• Tanya Kelly Bowry, government relations, University of

Colorado• Doug Wasitis, government relations, Indiana University• Cathy Connover, university relations, Montana State

University• Travis Rendl, AASCU, state relations • Michael Trunzo, SUNY


Strategic Legislative Plan Strengths

• 1) Capitalize on geographic representation of the campus with different legislators

• 2) One stop shopping; no duplication of efforts• 3) Someone able to answer questions quickly• 4) Someone who can identify opportunities • 5) Frequent contact with elected officials• 6) Strategic plan, measurable goals

• Well coordinated• Shared by all internally• Staff held accountable

• 7) Accuracy of information and innovating packaging• 8) Honesty...straightforwardness…know what you are

talking about


Strategic Legislative Plan Weaknesses

• 1) The more you succeed, the more they want• 2) Sometimes campuses feel like they are not getting their fair

share of representation or another campus is getting more attention than others3) Unstructured, no written plan, no clear goals

• 4) Old fashion glad handing; good ole buddy approach• 5) Not synergistic and inclusive• 6) Focus only during session; not year round• 7) Legislators do sometimes prefer one campus over another• 8) Not keeping elected officials informed• 9) Bunker mentality…not sharing information…hiding when things

are not going well• 10) Making up answers


Strategic Legislative Plan: What would it look like:

• 1) Written by a team, with clear weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual goals

• 2) Clear chain of command and authority of who is responsible for what

• 3) Overall buy in of all campuses of merits of a consolidated system

• 4) Include audience segmentation and empower each group

• 5) A well developed legislative agenda…packaged with data of interest to the elected officials

• 6) One person responsible• 7) Grassroots or grass tops advocacy groups• 8) Continued education of elected officials


Strategic Legislative Strategy for 2006

1) Goal and objectives

2) Key audiences

3) Research

4) Key messages

5) Strategies and tactics

6) Evaluation


Strategic Legislative Strategyfor 2006

1) Goal: To better explain the value of XYY colleges/university to lawmakers and other key constituents

1) Objective: Increase capital funding by XYZ percent

2) Objective: To procure funding for a new science building

3) Objective: To head off efforts to impose tuition caps

4) Objective: To ensure XYZ legislation does not get out of committee

5) Objective: To build closer, long term relationships with key lawmakers, staff and supporters in XYZ district



2) Key audiences1) Elected officials, segmented

2) Key staff

3) Supporters/constituents

4) Grassroots organizations you manage

5) Faculty, staff, students, parents, boards and other member of the institution’s family



3) Research 1) Qualitative on hand?

2) Quantitative on hand?

3) Conduct qualitative?

4) Conduct quantitative?

5) Secondary research

6) Other



4) Key messages 1) Economic develop/workforce development

2) Contributing to the tax base

3) State’s future movers and shakers

4) Improving lives of our citizens

5) Partnering with state to build a prosperous future

6) Other



5) Strategies and tactics to send key messages: • One on ones

• Small group discussions

• Letter writing to members

• Constituent visits

• Media coverage you generate

• Publications

• Other



6) Evaluation: How to measure the effectiveness of the legislative effort at the end of the session?

1) Report card to key internal constituents

2) Report card to key constituent groups

3) Reports to faculty, staff and students

4) Reports to alumni and donors

5) Reports to key business and opinion leaders

6) Feedback from key legislators, qualitative

7) Other?


SUNYCUADLegislative Plans –

Building a 12 Month Outreach Effort

sunycuad legislative plans – building a 12 month outreach effort

Documents

state fundinghistorically

state fundingaascu

state fundingin

legislative supporthow

university relations

government relations

state relations michael

written plan