Guidelines for Communication with Elected Officials and Political Activity on Campus

One of the most powerful ways we can influence policies that directly impact our institution and higher education is by engaging with elected officials. Your voices—shaped by your expertise, experience, and perspective—are essential in advocating for the values and priorities that matter most to our academic community.

While anyone may engage with their representatives on personal matters in their individual capacities, the University has resources to help those who wish to participate in advocacy efforts aimed at advancing higher education, research funding, and the well-being of our university and academic health system. Specifically, to the extent that you are planning to advocate in your capacity as a Stony Brook employee, please work closely with our Office of Government Relations before reaching out to legislators. SBU’s Office of Government Relations team is well-positioned to provide guidance on best practices, ensure alignment with the university’s overall advocacy strategy, and help amplify your efforts in a way that maximizes impact. In addition, the Office of Government Relations will ensure your efforts comply with federal and state lobbying laws.

If you are planning to engage with federal elected officials in your capacity as a Stony Brook employee, please contact:

Lauren Brookmeyer
Associate Vice President for Federal Relations & Head of the DC Office
P: 631-632-3225 E: lauren.brookmeyer@stonybrook.edu

If you are planning to engage with New York State or local elected officials in your capacity as a Stony Brook employee, please contact:

Carl Mills
Associate Vice President for Government Relations
P: 631-632-6624 E: carl.mills@stonybrook.edu

They will assist in connecting you with the right resources, talking points, and opportunities to make your advocacy as effective as possible. Thank you for your continued commitment to making meaningful changes and ensuring the continued success of Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Medicine. The most effective path forward is one forged together.

Below is an overview of some of the rules applicable to the Stony Brook University community:

• Permissible Activities

  Employees may:

  • Participate in the political campaign process on their own time and in their personal capacity, without reference to their Stony Brook University affiliation. There must be a clear separation between campaign-related activities and university employment.
  • Make political contributions and engage in political activity during non-working hours.
• Prohibited Activities

  Employees may not:

  • Use their university positions to gain political favor. Encouraging or discouraging others to engage in political campaigns—including soliciting political contributions or participation in campaign activities—is prohibited.
  • Use university or state resources for partisan political purposes. This includes, but is not limited to, university letterhead, computers, offices, phones, email accounts, and listservs.

  Because Stony Brook University email addresses are public, employees may receive unsolicited political messages. Use of a university email address for non-university-related activity increases the likelihood of receiving such communications. Employees are therefore reminded to use their work email solely for university-related business, consistent with the University’s Responsible Use of Information Technology Resources policy and the Division of Information Technology’s Use of Email policy.

• Campus-Related Political Activities

  The University recognizes the educational value of exposing students to political debate and information, including partisan political speech, and of making campus facilities available—consistent with University policies—to a wide range of speakers and expressive activities.

  Additional guidance, including information on hosting political candidates on campus and other matters related to political activity and freedom of expression, is available through the University’s Freedom of Speech and Expression resources.

   

• Additional Resources
  • New York State Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government
  • Fundraising and Solicitation on Campus Policy