We Need Your Voice – Get Involved!
Joining WashU Advocates allows members to effectively engage in advocacy efforts and support legislative initiatives that benefit the university and broader communities.
Sign Up
All interested students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the University can join our community of WashU Advocates. There are several ways different members of the WashU community can engage in advocacy efforts, which is also described in Advocacy Resources and Best Practices.
- Students: Register to vote with WashU Votes and connect with your elected officials.
- Faculty and Staff: Prepare expert testimony and comments, newspaper articles, op-eds, media interviews, and other communications with government officials.
- Alumni and Friends: Email, call, and meet with your elected officials in Washington D.C., Jefferson City, St. Louis, or in-district.
Our team will provide resources and training for any engagement to help you feel empowered to strengthen the future of WashU.
WashU Advocates can volunteer any amount of time with the program – from quickly emailing your elected officials to in-person meetings with legislators.
- If you receive an advocacy action alert, then simply click to send a message to your elected officials.
- Call your elected officials or schedule a virtual meeting.
- Attend an in-district visit with your legislator, meeting in the state capitol, on convening in Washington D.C. to personally share your story and WashU’s impact with elected officials.
- Simply stay “in the know” and share the good news of WashU with your friends, family members, and neighbors.
Become a WashU Advocates Cornerstone Captain
You can also volunteer as a WashU Advocates Cornerstone Captain to help recruit, educate, and engage fellow supporters in your local community. Just as the cornerstone for Brookings Hall was laid in 1900, you can contribute to building a strong foundation at WashU for years to come.
Our team is looking for new volunteers in each Missouri legislative district who possess the following qualities and interests:
- An interest in engaging in alumni-student advocacy mentorship programs.
- Enthusiasm for identifying and organizing fellow WashU supporters around advocacy and engagement.
- Deep connections within your local community.
- Established relationships with key officials and decision-makers.
- Background in political activism and a desire to further support WashU.
- Interest in authoring op-ed articles in local newspapers on pressing issues facing WashU’s mission.
For additional information on becoming a WashU Advocates Champion for your local area, please email advocates@wustl.edu.
Washington University is frequently approached to take a formal institutional position on issues of public policy (often presented as ballot initiatives, legislation, resolutions, regulations, ordinances, and executive orders to direct governmental/quasi-governmental action). Approval for such an official position is made only by the Chancellor and/or the Vice Chancellor for Government & Community Relations, following consultation with appropriate University leadership. For additional information, see the Protocol for Washington University Positions on Issues of Public Policy.
Yes. WashU’s impact is local, national, and global. All interested students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends are welcome to sign up with WashU Advocates. It is easy to join, and you will start receiving regular communications on key legislative issues important to the University, calls to action, and invitations to special events.
No. WashU Advocates is a nonpartisan program in the Office of Government and Community Relations. Washington University enjoys tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and thus is prohibited from engaging in the campaign of any candidate or political party. University services, resources, or funds cannot be used in any way to suggest University endorsement of – or support for – a political candidate, political party, or political action committee, or be used to engage in unapproved lobbying activities.
Washington University encourages all members of the University community to be informed, actively engaged citizens. However, Washington University itself may not advocate for the election or defeat of a particular candidate or political party or promote or encourage such advocacy by members of the audience at an event. For additional information, see the Guidance on Political, Campaign, and Lobbying Activity.