Advocacy Guidelines: Interacting with Federal, State, and Local Government Officials

Faculty, staff and students across the University of Illinois System interact with federal, state, and local government officials in many ways, including:

• Inviting officials to campus
• Testifying at legislative hearings
• Visiting legislators in their offices

These engagements can be more effective and coordinated if you consult ahead of time with the Office of External Relations and Communications (ERC).

ERC serves as the system's liaison to members of the U.S. Congress and executive branch, the Illinois General Assembly, the Office of the Governor, agency leadership, and key local and community officials. ERC also leads the Council on Governmental and External Relations (COGER), which includes government relations leads from each of the three universities in the system.

Please let ERC and your university government relations lead know about university-related interactions with elected officials. We can work together to ensure that you are effective in your communication, that you are well briefed on pertinent issues, and that your interactions are in compliance with legal and ethical requirements.

More information to assist leaders, faculty and staff in any university-related engagement with government representatives at the local, state or federal level can be found in these guidelines and this fact sheet on effective advocacy.