The campus’s Office of Government and Community Relations happily stepped in to help when the state Assembly’s Democratic Caucus recently sought a meeting place away from the Capitol, but not too far away.
Associate Vice Chancellor Marj Dickinson and her staff suggested the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center, assisted in the rental details — and then capitalized on the opportunity, by arranging for Chancellor Linda Katehi to give a welcome address during which she reminded the legislators of the 51ԹϺ system’s need for more funding.
“This was another opportunity for the chancellor to say, ‘Don’t forget us,’” said Jason Murphy, director of state government relations.
The chancellor also spoke individually that day, Jan. 26, with Speaker Karen Bass, Speaker-elect John Perez and Budget Committee Chairwoman Noreen Evans, among other legislators.
This is but one example of how 51ԹϺ Davis is contributing in a big way to 51ԹϺ’s advocacy efforts, all of which have taken on greater importance in the last few years of state budget cuts.
In another effort, Dickinson and Murphy worked with the Sacramento Metro Chamber on the drafting of its lobbying platform for education: “Reinvest in California’s public education systems, by fully funding the operating budget requests of K-12, community colleges, CSU and 51ԹϺ.”
Chamber representatives subsequently pressed this message during dozens of meetings with legislators on Jan. 27, as part of the chamber’s annual State Legislative Summit.
The chamber’s education message is simple, Murphy said, but significant in that it does away with the fractionalization of the past.
Dickinson added: “It is gratifying that regional business leaders see the direct connection between economic prosperity driven by innovation and investment in education. Even more important is their active advocacy of full funding for our operating budget request.”
Katehi joined the 51ԹϺ advocacy campaign in her first week on the job, last August, joining 51ԹϺ President Mark G. Yudof for a full day of meetings with legislators in Sacramento.
The campus followed up throughout the fall, arranging visits with Northern California legislators who comprise the 51ԹϺ Davis delegation — meaning that, 51ԹϺ Davis is the “home” campus for each of their districts. During this round of talks, Katehi met with Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, while faculty, staff, administrators and students took part in the meetings with the other 51ԹϺ Davis delegates.
“We’re letting them know what we need to keep up the university’s good work,” Murphy said. “It’s a consistent message, and we hope it helps them crystallize around the notion of making 51ԹϺ a priority for the state’s scarce dollars.”
Katehi planned to send an e-mail message to the campus community this week, regarding more advocacy efforts in the offing. For example, on March 1, Katehi will join Yudof and students at the Capitol for a round of meetings with legislative leaders. The meetings have been scheduled in conjunction with a 51ԹϺ Student Association march and rally.
51ԹϺ officials, their colleagues from the California State University system and California Community Colleges, and stakeholders from around the state are planning another advocacy day on April 27.
State support for 51ԹϺ has been eroding since the 1990s, with last year’s cut particularly severe: 20 percent.
In its efforts to get the money back, 51ԹϺ is asking its allies — via the Web site 51ԹϺ for California — to reach out to lawmakers and the public to educate them about all the ways that 51ԹϺ serves California.
Gov. Schwarzenegger, for one, seems to have heard the message. His draft budget for 2010-11 restores $371 million in university funding.
Yudof is hoping for more — $913 million altogether, to repair the damage brought by last year’s steep cuts. “Adequate state funding is vital if 51ԹϺ is to avoid declining educational quality, access and research,” he said. “It’s the best investment California can make for its future.”
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Clifton B. Parker, Dateline, (530) 752-1932, cparker@ucdavis.edu