With the Nebraska Legislature now in session, the opportunity for civic engagement may interest you. The graduate community—including faculty, staff, and students—are encouraged to review the guiding principles for communication and engagement with state-elected and agency officials.
The university’s Executive Memorandum No. 2 names the vice president for external relations as the official representative for the entire University of Nebraska system to the governor’s office, the Nebraska Legislature, agencies of the state, and to Congress and federal agencies.
However, graduate students and university employees can make their personal opinions known publicly with these considerations in mind:
- Written or public testimony are ways in which you can exercise your rights as a citizen to express your views to state-elected and agency officials.
- For university personnel, it is best to start your testimony with the following disclaimer:
"The views I am sharing today are my own and do not represent an official position of the University of Nebraska System or the University of Nebraska-Lincoln."
Note: Unless directed by the University of Nebraska senior leadership team to engage policymakers on a specific matter, UNL employees must explicitly state that they are acting as an individual, not representing the official position of the University of Nebraska, and not engaging with state officials while in an official capacity. - University personnel who wish to give their credentials to demonstrate expertise in a subject area relevant to a bill may use the following disclaimer:
"My name is _____ and I am a professor in the College of _____ at UNL. My testimony today presents neutral information on ______ that is relevant to LB ####. I am acting in my own personal capacity as an expert on this topic and not representing the University of Nebraska System or the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.” - While full time students generally don't need a disclaimer, this is a bit more nuanced depending on whether you are also employed at UNL in a research/teaching or other capacity. For further clarification, please contact Director of Government Relations, Jessie Herrmann.
- All campus members should refrain from using university services and resources to advocate (e.g., university email, cloud storage, letterhead, etc.) and should advocate on personal time.
- University personnel should inform and coordinate with the Director of Government Relations, Jessie Herrmann, on requests to visit with the governor, state senators, and members of their staffs if engaging in public policy or advocacy.