Developing a Campaign to Promote Federal Service
The Partnership for Public Service worked closely with the five pilot campuses on the Call to Serve Recruitment Initiative during the 2005-2006 academic year to learn how best to approach students and faculty with information about federal service – and how to do so in a way that would be cost effective and sustainable. The pilot institutions took a long-term approach to promoting federal service and focused on how best to make the Call to Serve initiative sustainable this year and in years to come.
Each institution may be ready for different levels of commitment – and so we want to emphasize that the suggestions and tools, while greater than the sum of the parts when taken all together, can also be utilized separately. After reviewing the possibilities, assess what is realistic and what is likely to have the greatest impact on your campus.
Below are the areas we have learned are key lessons for promoting federal service on your campus. Each topic links to examples from the pilot schools to provide context.
- Define Your Goals
- Set Up a Cross-Campus Advisory Committee
- Determine Roles and Responsibilities
- Involve the Campus Community
- Conduct Outreach to Students
- Develop Communications Plans and Strategies
Pilot School Case Studies
Even if your institution is not ready to take on a long-term planning effort, the examples of the pilot institutions are instructive and can help narrow the focus on your campus. Recognizing that every institution of higher education is unique – size, geography, culture, demographics, academic and administrative structures – the Partnership selected a diverse set of institutions:
- Clark Atlanta University
- Louisiana State University
- Stanford University
- The George Washington University
- The Ohio State University
These five universities produced a range of approaches and different experiences to address the common goal of promoting federal service. Nonetheless, several shared themes emerged and serve as the basis for the tips, tools and resources in this section. We believe that all of the Call to Serve member institutions will find some lessons that are relevant.
Download Case Studies PDF
The Partnership for Public Service works to revitalize our federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve and by transforming the way government works.
