By Maria T. Iacullo-Bird, Ph.D.
Advocacy supports a cause you believe is important. It can be pursued in a variety of ways and address a range of constituencies. It is rooted in face-to-face engagement, but digital correspondence, social media and online access have exponentially expanded our reach. Advocacy is an extension of the educator’s role to inform and make a case for best practices and innovative ideas. As in good teaching, a holistic approach makes for more effective advocacy.
If you are new to advocacy, you might want to consider how to become involved. I advocate for undergraduate research in the arts and humanities in a variety of interconnected ways both with and for the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR).
Beginning Advocacy at the Federal and State Levels
CUR has a long-standing commitment to informing Congressional leaders and their legislative staffs about how federally funded agencies, endowments and programs impact undergraduate research and student achievement. As the national voice for undergraduate research, CUR focuses its advocacy efforts at the federal level. When working with elected representatives, it is essential to learn the difference between lobbying and advocacy. Lobbying is distinguished by its emphasis on targeting specific legislation by name with elected officials and their staffs. An example would be explicitly referencing the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Advocacy, by contrast within the context of CUR and its membership, addresses the value of undergraduate research. Also included in advocacy are related educational initiatives such as those that advance access, diversity and inclusion in higher education.
You should first consult with your university about advocating at the state or federal level. Once informed, government relations offices usually support advocacy efforts. In my case, these conversations have advanced university partnering on behalf of undergraduate research. Government relations colleagues coordinate bringing legislators to campus for research events and the sending of students to the state capital to present research.
An essential resource available to the CUR membership is its advocacy toolkit. In the toolkit under “Additional Resources” CUR defines advocacy as:
- organized action in support of an idea or cause;
- as constituents educating elected officials on important issues, and
- as establishing ongoing and trusting relationships.
When visiting Capitol Hill, CUR encourages members to coordinate with the National Office and its public policy firm, the Bose Public Affairs Group, to arrange visits on Capitol Hill. As professional lobbyists, Bose will arrange meetings for CUR members with their congressional representatives and accompany them on these visits.
A valuable source of information for advocacy efforts is the Bose weekly report titled “This Week in Washington” to which all CUR members can subscribe. Additionally, Bose is working with the CUR National Office to provide “advocacy bites accompanied by action steps.” Bose recommends knowing who represents you on Capitol Hill and you can determine that here. You can visit congressional websites and follow them on Twitter or other social media platforms. By getting to know your representatives you can assess what they support and how this might connect to undergraduate research. Also, remember to complete your census form! The information collected affects the distribution of federal dollars and the composition of Congress.
How to Advocate
Since being introduced to advocacy in 2013, I visit Capitol Hill when I attend the CUR Dialogues Conference in mid-February. Timing advocacy meetings to coincide with a CUR conference trip in D.C. or disciplinary association events is an effective and economical way to maximize proximity and couple advocacy with another professional activity.
When we advocate for undergraduate research we advocate for all students. Therefore, we should reference related educational initiatives that support student success. Simultaneously, our presence highlights the achievements of our home institution and its students as constituents of a legislative office.
When I meet with legislators and their staffers, I highlight undergraduate research as a recognized “best practice” pedagogy. I argue that it directly correlates to higher rates of retention, timely graduation, clarified career choices and advanced graduate degrees. Another effective advocacy technique is to illustrate the transformative impact of undergraduate research by telling stories detailing student experiences. Including students on these congressional visits provides powerful testimony for the impact of undergraduate research.
In advocating for undergraduate research in the arts and humanities, I describe how participation in research and creative inquiry changes student lives. These experiences lead to deeper engagement with their majors, increasing self-confidence, successful post-graduation job placement, and graduate school enrollment. Connecting study in fields of the arts and humanities to the 21st Century workplace regularly resonates with policymakers.
In keeping with a holistic approach to advocacy, make the connection between undergraduate research and other federal programs that benefit students. Pell grants, federal work-study and TRIO grants such as McNair that provide access to research opportunities become part of the advocacy conversation. Similarly, address the importance of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Both are integral to the research agenda that benefits our students and the educational mission of higher education.
Connecting to the college experiences of legislative staff members also is an effective way to underscore the value of undergraduate research. Perhaps most surprisingly, even very receptive legislative offices benefit from reminders about the importance of research at the undergraduate level. The Humanities Indicators Project conducted by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences has been the most consistently appreciated informational resource I have delivered to both sides of the aisle.
Agencies, Endowments, and Applying for Grants
Building relationships with federal agencies and endowments is an essential part of CUR advocacy. CUR’s origins began in federal grants advocacy for the sciences at primarily undergraduate institutions. The annual CUR Dialogues Conference illustrates the importance of the ongoing CUR voice with federal agencies, endowments and foundations. Research administrators and faculty attending CUR Dialogues to explore grant opportunities also learn how to include funding for undergraduate students in those same grant applications. Dialogues also illustrates another aspect of advocacy by providing opportunities for faculty to learn from program officers about grants, and, in turn, program officers learn about new projects and educational priorities.
In one instance, interest expressed at an ABM meeting by Arts and Humanities Division councilors for a federal opportunity to support undergraduate research led to the start of a notable CUR-advocacy initiative with the NEH. An informal conversation with an NEH program officer at CUR Dialogues led to a formal meeting to discuss how the NEH might support undergraduate research. CUR’s advocacy continued through follow-up correspondence and resulted in the 2016 establishment of the NEH Connections grant that funds undergraduate research as experiential learning through innovative interdisciplinary curriculum development.
On campus, faculty should be encouraged to contact program officers. They can discuss their proposed projects and raise the possibility of including undergraduate research support in applications. NEH program officers over the years have made clear that a strong, well-written grant application which includes support for undergraduate research will be considered—even if such student support is not made explicit in the RFP. NEH awareness of the importance of undergraduate research has evolved through steady CUR advocacy.
Submitting grant applications also is a form of advocacy. If there are fewer submissions, then those seeking to defund can claim the NEH and NEA are of less value. Advocate by communicating to colleagues that the endowments are open for business despite the negative news. Keep applying for grants!
Professional Disciplinary Associations and Coalition Organizations
Advocacy should address undergraduate research comprehensively across the professional disciplinary associations of the arts and humanities. In the Arts and Humanities, there still is work to be done to include undergraduate research sessions at annual conferences and in disciplinary pedagogical position statements. Faculty whose disciplinary associations do not feature undergraduate research should advocate for its inclusion.
Progress is being made as more associations respond to both faculty and student interest in undergraduate research. For example, two years ago at its Annual Meeting the American Historical Association began to offer both an undergraduate research poster session and lightning round. At its 2020 Annual Meeting, the AHA modeled an inexpensive registration fee of $15 per student to promote student participation at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. For the first time in 2019 the College Art Association featured an undergraduate research poster session.
The coalition organizations that bring together the humanities community and the arts community are at the forefront of national advocacy. The National Humanities Alliance and Americans for the Arts sponsor annual spring advocacy events that consist of a day of advocacy training followed by congressional visits. Through its Arts and Humanities Division, CUR has become a national sponsor for both.
Home Institutions
Institutional advocacy begins with a CUR membership as the nationally recognized voice in undergraduate research. I advocate at my university for the enhanced level of membership to enable all students, faculty and staff to access CUR communities and resources. In coping with the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19, CUR access has offered online models and tools as we shifted quickly to virtual learning and research presentations.
Institutional advocacy can take many forms. Advocate for funding of mentoring awards and student showcases. Develop tenure and promotion guidelines that address recognition for undergraduate research. Update scaffolding in curriculum, and revise core requirements to include undergraduate research.
Social Media and Our Virtual Moment
Social media advocacy has become even more important in our current, virtual circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This past April Posters on the Hill for the first time in its history was a wholly virtual event. Although Twitter, Linked-in, Facebook and the CUR Community have been used before for promotion and advocacy, these social media platforms assumed an even greater significance. They served as critically important channels for pushing out POH undergraduate research news and highlighting student achievement.
Virtual conference presentations such as this year’s CUR ABM and the CUR Biennial, though lacking the fellowship and comradery of in-person sessions, will offer the opportunity for more inclusive participation through the elimination of travel expenses. The ABM is free to councilors, and the CUR Biennial is accessible for the cost of a registration fee with a discounted rate for students. Registering to attend the virtual Biennial and future virtual CUR conferences is member advocacy in support of CUR and the undergraduate research community!
