Guidelines for engaging with elected officials

The university’s Office of Government Relations leads all government relations activities for KU at the state, federal and local levels. Specifically, our Government Relations team advances KU’s interests by:

  • serving as KU’s liaison with government officials
  • advocating for policies and resources that benefit KU
  • connecting KU faculty and staff like you with elected officials, agencies and policymakers to help you achieve your goals

Coordination through Government Relations ensures that the university speaks with a consistent voice and complies with state and federal lobbying laws while enabling us to help you have the best possible interaction with government officials.

Working with Government Relations

As a general rule, all KU faculty and staff should contact Government Relations before engaging with government officials. This includes situations in which a government official contacts you to discuss a university matter or seeks your subject-matter expertise to help inform policy discussions in Topeka or Washington. It also includes situations in which you are interested in initiating contact with a lawmaker on a matter related to KU or your academic field.

Again, by working with our office first, you help us ensure KU has a consistent message while also enabling us to position you for productive engagement with government officials. For example, our staff can help you schedule appointments with lawmakers, prepare legislative testimony, and access bills and legislative agendas.

For assistance, depending on the area of government you are engaging, please contact:

  • Julie Murray, chief of staff and associate vice chancellor for strategic initiatives
  • Kyle Christian, associate vice chancellor for federal relations
  • Robert McCormack, director of government relations at KU Medical Center
  • Kelly Whitten, associate vice chancellor for state relations

Engaging with lawmakers as a private citizen

The policies and procedures outlined above apply to your role as a KU employee. However, they do not in any way apply to you as a private citizen. In your capacity as a private citizen, you are encouraged to contribute actively to our democracy, provided you do so on your personal time, using personal (non-KU) resources – including email – and in a way that makes clear you are not speaking on behalf of the university.

Additional information can be found in the university’s Policy Library. In particular, please review the Acceptable Use of Electronic Information Resources policy for guidance on incidental personal use of KU email and campus technologies, including for political communications.

Thank you for helping KU be part of the policymaking process and ensure government officials have the information they need to serve society.

Sincerely,

The Office of Government Relations