Dear colleagues,
I am writing to remind you of the University of Illinois System’s Guidelines for Faculty and Staff on University Advocacy and Interactions with Government Officials. Support from state, federal, and local elected officials is essential to our efforts to provide a high-quality education, promote economic growth and opportunity, and produce cutting-edge research and scholarship. These guidelines are in place to preserve and bolster that support by ensuring engagement with government officials is coordinated and consistent with legal and ethical requirements.
There are many ways in which U of I System employees engage with government officials and staff in the course of their work, such as inviting officials to a campus, testifying at legislative hearings, or visiting legislators in their offices. These guidelines do not restrict those beneficial interactions or limit the ability of faculty and staff to engage in constitutionally protected activities.
Rather, the guidelines encourage collaboration with the U of I System’s Office of External Relations and Communications (ERC) and with the Council on Governmental and External Relations (COGER). COGER consists of people from across the system whose portfolios include government relations and advocacy, and it works to enhance coordination of such activities across the system.
The guidelines also make clear that faculty and staff must seek ERC and/or COGER approval if they wish to lobby government officials (i) on behalf of the system or its universities, (ii) on behalf of funding requests for system or individual-university programs or buildings, or (iii) on behalf of congressional appropriations earmarks.
As 2026 is an election year, I also want to highlight the system’s policy restricting engagements with elected officials and candidates within 30 days of an upcoming primary or general election.
I encourage you to share these guidelines with your faculty and staff and to ask them to work with ERC staff and COGER members as they engage with government officials.
Please feel free to contact me if you have questions.
Adrienne Nazon
Vice President External Relations and Communications