Dive Brief:
- Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine brings a record of support for higher education to Hillary Clinton's campaign, according to Inside Higher Ed.
- The Virginia senator and former governor has advocated for stronger technical education and preparation, beginning in the secondary sector, and has called for income-based qualifying for free higher education.
- Kaine helped bolster campus safety at Virginia institutions with bills aimed at increasing student counseling resources and parent access to student mental health records and assessment results.
Dive Insight:
Most politicians are advocates for higher education at some level, mainly because of the industrial and economic impact they bring to respective states and cities.
One way to develop this support is engaging current legislators and burgeoning civil servants in campus activities and lectures, extending invitations to board membership, and solicitating support for fundraising. These connections allow schools to share examples of their best output in student development and research and community outreach, and to yield long-term investments from victorious candidates along the way.