Cards guide students to direct contact with legislators

Introducing Advocacy Cards  . . . to help stack the deck for higher education.

Titan Advocates brings together alumni, parents and friends of Cal State Fullerton to raise public awareness of and rally public support for the university’s commitment to providing degree programs characterized by their quality, affordability and accessibility. Titan Advocates play a critical role in Cal State Fullerton’s government relations efforts by staying informed about important issues affecting the university and periodically calling, writing or meeting with elected and appointed officials.

For the 2011-2012 academic year, Titan Advocates will be focusing on the nuts and bolts of legislative advocacy, including the development of an advocacy toolkit.

To help stack the deck for higher education, Titan Advocates have a created a set of Advocacy Cards. Modeled on the old school packages of trading cards sold in the 50s

and 60s, the new Advocacy Deck features one card for each of the eight legislators representing California State University Fullerton. In addition to a color photo of the legislative representative, the front of each card lists the contact information for both the legislator’s capitol office as well as the legislative district office. The reverse of each card lists the legislator’s electoral history, education, business/professional accomplishments, place of residence, legislative assignments and interests. Each card also includes a “Titans in the District” box score, listing the number of students, faculty/staff and alumni residing in the district and the number of alumni registered to vote in the district.

In a light-hearted homage to the Bazooka Joe comic strip that was included in the bubble-gum laden packs of trading cards in the 50s and 60s, the Advocacy Cards also include an updated comic strip featuring Sacramento Joe, a CSUF student who urges his fellow students to “Make Your Voice Count”.

When we first meet Sacramento Joe in the first panel of the comic, he is poised in front of a campus demonstration, exclaiming “I love the sound of free speech on campus!!”

“But your voice must be heard by our elected officials to make an impact,” he warns.

“121 elected officials vote on the state budget for public higher education,” Sacramento Joe explains. “None of them work on campus.”

“Get to know the state officials,” Sacramento Joe urges students. “Know the issues and use your voice wisely to advocate for reinvestment in higher education.”

The new Advocacy Cards will be initially distributed at “The Nuts and Bolts of Legislative Advocacy,” a training session for student and parent groups on Wednesday, November 2, from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. in the Titan Student Union.