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CCA Grassroots Workshop

Join experts Chip Bergstrom from Bay State College and Carl Spatocco from Education Affiliates in an insightful workshop focused on cultivating meaningful relationships with legislators. Learn strategic techniques to identify and prioritize key individuals on relevant committees, understand their interests, and effectively communicate the importance of career colleges in higher education. Through research, outreach, and collaboration, you will build credibility and champion innovative policies that support students and educators. Discover the art of engagement and follow-up to strengthen these vital connections.

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CCA Grassroots Workshop

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  1. CCA Grassroots Workshop Sustaining Relationships Building Credibility and Developing Legislative Champions Chip Bergstrom, Bay State College, VP of Marketing Carl Spatocco, Education Affiliates, VP Regional Manager

  2. Targeting Legislators • Use your time wisely – identify individuals on relevant committees and prioritize in terms of leadership • Remember which political party is in control • You have some strategic decisions to make in terms of who you target • Research – bio, archived articles, religion, political party, postsecondary education, previous employment and any alliances you should be aware of • Be prepared and cautious of what you say • Figure out what’s important to them – they will probably listen better to you and you will be better prepared to make remarks

  3. Identify Legislators on Relevant Committees • Education Committee • Appropriations Committee • Veterans Committee • Financial/Banking Committee • Chairmen and Ranking Minority Members

  4. Focus on Leadership, Committee Chairmen, and Ranking Minority Members • Senate • President, Majority Leader, Majority Whip, Minority Leader, Minority Whip • House • Speaker, Majority Leader, Majority Whip, Minority Leader, Minority Whip • Chairmen and Ranking Minority Members control the agenda/issues for their respective political caucuses

  5. Cultivating Relationships • Reach out – target key members to meet with • Be thorough in your research to find out what is important to them, their causes, read any articles referencing them, and gather information about what they’ve championed in the past • Support your friends and their causes • Support financially for political campaigns • Support their friends’ campaigns (especially if they are in leadership) • Support their charities, causes, etc. • Follow-up – always send thank you letters and remember to provide more detail about issues covered or any requests from the meeting

  6. Educating Members • Build credibility by educating members through coalitions and third parties • Student Groups • Local Businesses and Employers • Policy Foundations • Educate - Arm them with statistics, data, success stories and allow them time to meet your students • Give our Legislative Champions the tools to explain why Career Colleges are such an important part of higher education

  7. Student Groups • Students for Academic Choice • Developed a leadership team, created by-laws, collected 32,000 signatures opposing Gainful Employment, and now building database of positive student experiences • The power of this group speaks for itself!!

  8. Business and Economic Organizations • Coalition Building • Make sure that CEO knows that employees are our students • Recognize employers through scholarship funds • Create partnerships with economic development organizations • Chambers of Commerce • Point out employers during Chamber Meetings • Coordinate with Workforce Boards • New York Workforce Investment Board • Coordinate charitable efforts with local, community businesses

  9. Profiles: In-depth view of who they are • The Hon. Tim Bishop (D-1st, NY) • From Southampton, NY • Former College Provost • Married (Kathryn) • Two daughters (Megan/Molly) • Catholic • First elected in 2002

  10. Profiles: In-depth view of who they are • Glenn W. Thompson, Jr (R-5th, PA) • From Bellefonte, PA • Penn State Graduate • Married (Penny) • Protestant • First elected in 2008 • Former career as a Rehabilitation Therapist

  11. Treat Legislative Staff as you do the Member • Staff are the key to the Members – be courteous, helpful and respectful • Staff will likely have a deeper knowledge of issues or legislation • Invite the staff to your campus; provide them with school “give-aways”, provided the law says you can • Follow-up with thank you notes and any other information or details requested • Remember names of staff and build a database with contact information to help you remember

  12. Meet with Congressional District Staff • Many relationships formed with the district staff are long-term and will help you access the DC office • Educate them about your students, the local community, local workforce needs, and the number of career students and employees in the District • Invite them to tour your campus • Example: Art Kennedy • District COS for Cong. Alcee Hastings • Best friends with Cong. Elijah Cummings

  13. Cultivating Champions for our Students • Champions must trust you • Be honest, provide factual data and always be student-centered • Educate and listen to them, and know what is important • Get to know and become a good resource for staff • Full commitment • Campus tours and broad-based support (employers, physicians, advisory board members, veterans) • Fundraising • Be respectful and have professional courtesy even when you disagree • Follow-up with thank you notes and other information requested • Recognition – provide exposure in venues they care about

  14. Develop Tools and Resources • Take a student-focused approach in your public comments and any communication • When you meet have a one-page document which covers your issues and any specific action needed or requested by you • You can leave other types of documents which will help in your advocacy: white-papers, brochures, data pieces, and any media clippings or newspaper articles • Use letters of support from employers, community leaders, or other businesses to show broad-based support • Power of data – Guryan Study

  15. How to Duplicate your Success • State vs. Federal • Use student-centered approach • Identify key legislators on relevant committees • Build relationships and leverage those relationships • Remain on message: be clear and concise • Be courteous to all Members and their staff • Coalition building: become a main-stream player so other groups will defend you • Conduct fundraisers, host Members to your campus and visit them in DC • Know state rules and federal rules and what differences there are • Continue to build credibility of our sector through articles, letters from employers, and demonstrate accountability and performance • Differences • Legislative tracking (Knowlegis, Roll Call, CQ) • Politics • Enlarged universe – if you are meeting a Member not from your state, you need to know about the career college sector in their state and which schools are located there • Legislative staff vs. Committee staff, longevity, and # of staffers and issues vastly increases in Washington DC • Culture between your state capital and Washington DC

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