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Home UMass Advocates Current Action The Volunteer Archives Resources for Advocacy		Resources for Advocacy Message from the Coordinator Thank you for your interest in UMass Amherst advocacy. We know that advocacy takes time and we appreciate your dedication and commitment to building a stronger UMass. Taking the time to make the case -- to communicate with legislators, the Governor, your friends, neighbors, business associates and other key opinion leaders demonstrates the value and commitment UMass Amherst supporters make for their University. Your personal experiences, dedication, and passion makes the case for UMass more eloquently than any form letter or template we could ever design for you. Although prefabricated postcards or letters are convenient, legislators and other key opinion leaders are neither swayed nor impressed by mailbags filled with a form letter. There are nuances to a point of view, even in consensus. For many years, UMass Amherst Advocates have articulated compelling messages to their legislators and community leaders. You can too. As you scroll through this page, you will note various tools to assist you with your advocacy efforts. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call or email. Advocates' questions have generated many of the resources on this page, and we look forward to hearing from you. Please share your advocacy experiences with us and "close the loop." Your experience and feedback assists other UMass advocates and broadens the impact UMass makes on the Commonwealth. Thank you for building a stronger UMass Amherst. UMass Amherst Legislative Advocacy Why are legislators important to UMass? In fiscal year 2006, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts provided more than $100 million in income to the University of Massachusetts Amherst -- more than any other single source. State funding provides the same level of support each year that the University would earn from an endowment of $4 billion, and is the major source of support for campus facilities. How is UMass funded by the legislature? Each year the legislature votes to fund all of state government, including the the University through a "budget appropriation." The budget process incorporates input from the Executive area -- the Governor -- and from both chambers -- the House and the Senate. Advocates can tell the Governor and legislators why the University should be supported at the levels requested. Budget Timetable State legislators vote on hundreds of bills every year. They listen to their constituents' views in order to represent them, and to form opinions and positions on the issues before them. Registered voters must tell their legislators how important UMass is them, and to the Commonwealth at large. Do legislators really listen to individual citizens? Yes, they do. Your visits, telephone calls, and letters to elected officials are effective. Registered voters are very important people to state legislators. They listen and respond to the letters and calls of people who live and vote in their districts. While they may not always share your opinions, they will usually find a way to respond to your concerns. Legislators are public servants -- they work for you. Tips For Effective UMass Amherst Advocacy Prevent Pitfalls Keep the Message Positive Write a Letter to Your Legislator Visit Your MA State Legislators Letters-to-the-Editor The Massachusetts State Budget Timetable The Budget Process Every top manager in state government is involved in the budget-making process, through which the state decides its spending priorities. After the governor proposes a budget, the Legislature passes its own version of the plan. The governor then has the opportunity to veto any funding item in the budget, and the Legislature can override any veto by a two-thirds vote. FY08 Budget Resources Governor Patrick's Budget Recommendations The House Ways and Means Committee Budget Recommendations The Senate Ways and Means Budget Recommendations The Budget Context for UMass Amherst Money is the essential element for university success. No university succeeds without adequate financial resources to pay people, build and maintain facilities, acquire materials, support student activities, and sustain service activities for its larger community. Universities have an obligation to spend money effectively, but no university succeeds without adequate resources. -- John V. Lombardi, Chancellor UMass Amherst Make the Case for UMass The state of Massachusetts has a primary obligation to provide the baseline funding that sustains its state university. This baseline funding does not come close to providing the resources necessary to sustain a first rank public research campus like UMass Amherst, but state support does make possible quality instruction for Massachusetts resident students at rates well below the equivalent private sector cost. The state’s contribution to UMass Amherst has been in decline for some years as the fiscal circumstances of the Commonwealth have deteriorated. At the present time, state funding does not cover the full cost of staff and instructional employee salaries, let alone the budget for operations and maintenance of the campus.-- John V. Lombardi, Chancellor UMass Amherst Here's a sampling of UMass Amherst/business connections: College of Engineering: Professional Education in Engineering and Applied Science Career Services Isenberg School of Manangement The Family Business Center Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Massachusetts Water Resources Research Center Office Arts Extension Service Office of Technology Transfer Robotics, Computer Vision, and Wearable Computing UMass Extension UMass Industry Liaison and Economic Development Western Massachusetts Writing Project Executive Branch MA Governor Deval Patrick MA State Legislative Information Who Is My Legislator? Massachusetts Legislative Directory MA City and Town Clerk Directory Your MA Legislative District UMass Alumni Legislators   Amherst Campus Senators President Pro Tempore Stanley Rosenberg '77 [D-Amherst] Stephen Brewer '71 [D-Barre] Richard Moore '76 [D-Uxbridge] Michael Morrissey '76 [D-Quincy] Marc Pacheco '73 [D-Taunton] Representatives Speaker Pro Tempore Thomas Petrolati attended [D-Ludlow] Jennifer Callahan [D-Sutton] Lewis Evangelidis '84 [R-Holden] Paul Frost '93 [R-Auburn] Stephen Kulik - attending [D-Worthington] Jim Marzilli, Jr. attended [D-Arlington] George Peterson attended [R-Grafton] Kathi-Anne Reinstein '93 [D-Revere] Marie St. Fleur '84 [D-Boston] Benjamin Swan '77 [D-Springfield] Joseph Wagner attended [D-Chicopee] Ellen Story honorary alumna '98 [D-Amherst] Boston Campus Senators Senate President Robert E. Travaglini [D-Boston] Robert L. Hedlund [R-Weymouth] Patricia D. Jehlen [D-Somerville] Therese Murray [D-Plymouth] Chair, Senate Ways and Means Steven A. Tolman [D-Brighton] Representatives Corey Atkins [D-Concord] Daniel E. Bosley [D-North Adams] Christine E. Canavan [D-Brockton] Paul Donato [D-Medford] Jennifer Flanagan [D-Leominster] Ronald Mariano [D-Quincy] Michael J. Moran [D-Brighton] Anne M. Paulsen [D-Belmont] John F. Quinn [D-Dartmouth] Jeffrey Sanchez attending [D-Methuen] Brian Wallace [D-Boston] Dartmouth Campus Senators Mark C. Montigny [D-New Bedford] Steven A. Baddour [D-Boston] Representatives Antonio F.D. Cabral [D-New Bedford] Robert Correira [D-Fall River] Robert Koczera [D-New Bedford] John F. Quinn [D-Dartmouth] Michael J. Rodrigues [D-Westport] David B. Sullivan [D-Fall River] Philip Travis [D-Rehoboth] Lowell Representatives Brian S. Dempsey [D-Haverhill] Christopher G. Fallon [D-Malden] Colleen M. Garry [D-Dracut] Thomas A. Golden, Jr. [D-Lowell] Geoffrey D. Hall [D-Westford] Legislative Committees MA House of Representatives House Committee on Ways and Means   MA Senate Senate Committee on Ways and Means Joint Committees Joint Committee on Ways and Means Educational Resources MA Board of Higher Education   Additional Advocacy Opportunities Give to UMass -- Donors are Advocates! Join the Alumni Association -- Parents and friends can join! Join a Regional Alumni Club -- Parents are welcome! UMass Amherst News UMass News Office -- press releases and breaking news In the Loop -- the campus' online information resource @UMass: The Electronic Alumni Newsletter The Daily Collegian -- the student newspaper UMassAmherst Magazine -- the alumni magazine
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