The UConn Advocates is a coalition of UConn alumni, faculty, staff, parents, students and friends dedicated to working together to build greater support for our University.

The UConn Advocates program is designed to strengthen relationships between legislators and the University of Connecticut through the action of trained advocates. Advocates will communicate to their legislators issues of importance to the University and to higher education in the state of Connecticut.

Advocacy efforts include numerous letter-writing campaigns, e-mails, and constituent phone calling to legislators and town officials and an overall show of force and support to the legislature and the governor.

UConn Advocates work closely with one another, their respective elected officials and the local media to further improve the University and its programs and schools. This important work includes grassroots lobbying in Hartford, writing letters to local newspapers, organizing meetings with neighbors and friends to discuss UConn and its future, letter campaigns and attending meetings with faculty, staff, students and alumni of the University and its various programs and schools.

Citizen advocacy has already made a profound difference for UConn. Our coalition rallied public support for the historic UConn 2000 legislation, a landmark program that is providing the University with renewed, rebuilt and enhanced campuses. After that initial success, the UConn Advocates launched informational campaigns on behalf of current services budgeting, the addition of faculty and staff to support dramatic increases in student population, appropriate funding for the UConn Health Center, and promoting private-sector donations with a Matching Grant program that attracted millions in philanthropic support for excellence at UConn. In addition, the Advocates developed wide-ranging public support for the Rentschler Field project and the 21st Century UConn initiative, which were approved at the General Assembly with strong bi-partisan majorities.

Because of the Advocates, 21st Century UConn was passed by a strong bi-partisan majority and signed into law.

With this success, UConn Advocates has had the opportunity to grow and take on projects such as Rentschler Field and legislative action on behalf of the UConn Health Center.

After major success as a grassroots campaign organization, UConn Advocates is now moving into another phase. The Advocates need to continue being proactive regarding upcoming opportunities for the University of Connecticut. In order to make this goal a reality UConn Advocates needs more members who are willing to be leaders in their districts. We’re looking for friends of the University who are willing to contact legislators and local media outlets to let the voice of those who are concerned about the institution be heard. Over the next few years UConn Advocates will become a driving force concerning numerous issues relating to the University of Connecticut and its programs and schools.