Phi Beta Kappa began with a student-driven idea that the arts and sciences could serve as a grounding and elevating force in turbulent times. Today, times are indeed turbulent for the arts and sciences themselves as policymakers propose cuts to critical funding for higher education accessibility, scientific research, and the nation’s cultural endowments. Amid uncertainty, here are some productive ways to champion the arts and sciences from campus to Capitol.
ROLES:
Each of us has time, talent, and experience to draw upon as an advocate. If you welcome periodic updates from the Society, can you commit to acting at critical moments that Phi Beta Kappa shares through our State of the Arts & Sciences e-alert? Feel comfortable writing letters and making phone calls to policymakers? Then, visit our Arts & Sciences Toolkit (toolkit.pbk.org) for sample emails and phone scripts. Faculty can also play additional roles as story collectors, data purveyors, and people connectors. Students, alumni, employers, donors, and community leaders can serve as effective co-messengers by amplifying the reach of higher education news and demonstrating its benefits off campus with wider audiences.
RELATIONSHIPS:
Tap into existing opportunities around the country to build relationships with decision makers and opinion shapers. Sign up to receive news from your state legislator or member of Congress. Many public higher education institutions have expanded alumni advocacy groups to include other state supporters. Follow these alumni advocacy accounts for higher institutions in your state or even volunteer to support campus State Capitol Advocacy days. The Society also partners and shares opportunities to connect with national organizations that offer virtual advocacy opportunities like the National Humanities Alliance, the Science Coalition, and Americans for the Arts.
REQUESTS:
Thanks to these partnerships, the Society has many resources to help you shape effective asks for local policymakers and other decision makers. Visit toolkit.pbk.org/resources for the most pressing and timely requests from the Society and its national partners.
Now is the time to commit to the values that animated the Society’s beginning: pursuit of personal freedom, scientific inquiry, liberty of conscience, and creative endeavor through fellowship in arts and sciences education. Can our campuses and communities afford for us to do nothing? Let us be good for something.