Dive Brief:
- A new study from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business found states with a high number of public college graduates in the legislature see higher public college funding levels.
- The study calculated a $3.5 million increase in higher ed funding for each additional graduate of an in-state public institution.
- Other findings included greater support among legislators representing their alma mater's districts, stronger support among women legislators, and stronger support in smaller and more liberal states.
Dive Insight:
It should come as a surprise to no one that having friends of the institution in the legislature translates to better institutional support, either by way of funding or programs awarded to the college. But for institutions that could do a better job of tracking alumni after graduation, the study serves as a reminder to update alumni databases and keep in contact with graduates. Regardless of whether the graduate ends up in the state house after college, alumni can potentially leverage their positions and networks to drive funding, programmatic partnerships, internships and potential employment pipelines, all of which benefit the institution.
This study also serves as a reminder for institutions to be engaged with the legislature, whether alumni are in its halls or not. Institutional storytelling is the best way to garner additional support for the campus, and officials should be actively engaged in visiting legislators on district days, inviting them to campus to speak or presenting them with awards, and constantly conveying the impact of the institution on the district and its residents.