The governor visited my university the other day. He's a nice man. Very popular. Frequently travels around the state. As vice president for government relations at my university, I've probably shaken hands and exchanged a few words with him a dozen times or so. Once I even managed to get myself and five of our student leaders invited to his office, where we heard stories about how Lincoln had once signed a letter at the table the governor now used as a desk.
The governor visited a technology incubator on our campus. Technology start-up businesses have the opportunity in the incubator building to establish themselves with minimal overhead expenses. A couple of the ventures that began there are now multimillion-dollar corporations. The governor likes the concept, and my university likes to promote its successes.
So why was I dreading the governor's visit? Why did I stand at the back of the conference room in abject fear? Why did I want to grab each of the television crews that trooped by me and say, "God help you, if you screw this up for us …"?
Despite my worries, everything went smoothly. The university president introduced the vice president for research who explained the incubator and introduced one of the incubator's current occupants, who spoke succinctly about his company. Then the governor smiled, praised the university, and answered a couple of softball questions. Finally, thankfully, the governor shook hands all around and left.
"So," my wife said to me that night as we shared a bottle of Chianti, "why were you so uptight?"
She was right. My paranoia was out of place. Nevertheless, a politician visiting the campus is a situation fraught with potential disasters. Why? Because politicians function best in controlled situations. They prefer to be surrounded by their staffs, their colleagues (of both parties), and their most faithful, money-donating constituents.
Universities, on the other hand, are traditionally uncontrolled environments. Students. Professors. Staff unions. Student newspapers and TV stations. Nightmares, all of them.
Not really, of course. They're all nice people and generally polite. Governors and other politicians enjoy shaking hands with students and faculty members. After all, they take voting seriously.
However, everyone from the university president on down usually has the wrong idea of why a politician is visiting campus. Everyone thinks that a politician is visiting because we're something special or we do something special. Like our engineering incubator. It's somewhat unique and we want to brag about it.
The truth of the matter is that politicians see something special and unique just about every day (especially the governor). The real reason politicians come to campus — no matter if they are members of the city council or candidates hoping to be president of the United States — is to promote themselves.
Sure, maybe a member of Congress presents university officials with a check for a new building. But that check would have arrived by mail anyway. The congress member is really visiting for the photo op. If you understand that politicians come to campuses to promote themselves, it changes how you should prepare for and manage their visits.
Here are some rules about politicians' visits that should be widely disseminated throughout your campus.
Keep us in the loop. No politician at any level of government should visit without the university's government-relations office, or its equivalent, and the university president knowing about the visit.
There are always some administrators, faculty members, and students who are politically active and have developed relationships with politicians. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, your workplace is neither your home nor party headquarters. If a politician comes on the campus, the administrators in charge have to know.
In addition, the campus communications people have to know about the visit so that they can publicize it for the university's benefit and also act as a conduit to the local media for the politician.
Let us handle the details. If you as an administrator, faculty member, or student want to have a politician on the campus, let the government-relations office do the work of scheduling a visit.
For example, the recipient of a Congressional earmark (or "directed funding," as Congress likes to call it) may want to demonstrate the results of the money to the generous member of Congress who made it possible. Or the student-government president may want a state senator to speak about the high cost of textbooks.
Those are perfectly good reasons to have a politician on the campus. But let us do the work of getting the politician here. Most politicians generally do not "schedule out" — arrange a meeting well in advance — unless it's for a rare special event like being awarded an honorary degree. Even governors seldom schedule more than four weeks in advance.
The quickest way to get turned down by a politician's scheduler is to say: "Any day the governor is free in the fall is fine with us." That strategy doesn't work because if something comes up more important than you, which often happens, the governor doesn't want to be blamed for canceling.
I know it's hard to believe, but scheduling is tricky. Let the professionals handle it. In addition, the politicians' schedulers prefer to work with the same person on campus over and over again. The trust that is established helps for repeat visits.
The event has to be short and simple. I recently arranged a Congressional visit. The campus committee overseeing the event insisted that the Congress member be treated to an elaborate lunch and stay for most of the afternoon to be sure to "see everything."
Because of ethics laws at all levels of government, no politicians want anything more than a cup of coffee or bottle of water. (There are exceptions to that rule: for example, if the event is a dinner honoring someone or raising money for the Congress member's favorite charity.)
Politicians do not want to say no to anyone. But none of them have the time for a leisurely stroll through a science lab. They want to get in and get out, so don't put obstacles in their way.
Let the politician do the talking. Politicians are interested in hearing themselves talk. If a limited number of other speakers are involved (and I do mean limited), the politician should always be introduced or acknowledged first and should speak last. When the politician is finished speaking, the event is over!
Be willing to say no if a politician requests a visit. For example, I am no fan of presidential candidates visiting my university. Such visits are a tremendous hassle and expense. Usually people get upset — like trustees who don't have special seating or a private audience with the candidate. Visitors get mad at the university because parking isn't available. (Hello? Parking is for students and faculty members.)
A day later, no one, including the candidate, even remembers he or she was ever on your campus. Of course, people get excited, and there's always the photo in the alumni magazine of the candidate being hugged by the university mascot. But, believe me, it's not worth it.
By the time my wife and I finished our bottle of Chianti, and she had become really sorry she asked me the question, I summed up the issue for her: "I would much rather have visited the governor in his office and heard his stories again than have him visit our scientists in their labs."
