Higher education in the United States is at a crossroads. Will our federal and state governments commit to supporting a strong, high-quality system of higher education? Will college in the next decades be financially accessible for all students? Will the various reforms and consolidations that are being proposed or implemented be based on ideology or on substantial evidence and planning? Will faculty unions (along with others) survive the serious attacks under way in many states? Will the proportion of faculty positions that are part-time and nontenured continue to swell?
If you care about the answers to these questions, your participation in shaping the public debate is vital.
Please take action today and regularly by commenting on online news articles, writing letters to the editor or an op-ed, or speaking to your friends and neighbors about the issues. Below are some tips on how to do so.
Depending on what is going on in your state, you may also want to contact your legislators directly.
Commenting on online news articles
Offering readers the chance to post their own comments on online news stories is now common. This can be a quick and easy way to rebut an inaccurate point or add information that the article omitted. Some tips:
- Depending on the Web site, you may need to create a login in order to post comments. Give a little thought to the user name which will appear with your comments.
- Try to post early--the first comments will be read more often than the fifty-seventh.
- Keep it brief and coherent. Make one main point per comment.
- Keep a professional, respectful tone. Avoid getting into an angry, extended back-and-forth with other commenters.
Writing letters to the editor
If you have a specific point to make or want to rebut an inaccurate news report or column, you might also consider writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper or magazine. Because letters are short, they are easy to write, and since they appear as part of the official publication, they are read more than comments. Some tips:
- Keep it short: 100-200 words maximum.
- Keep it direct. Use simple language and emphasize one point.
- When possible, frame your letter as a response to the newspaper’s coverage of the story.
- Aim low. While national papers will print letters from around the country, your letter is much more likely to be printed in a smaller paper that receives fewer submissions.
- Make it local. Readers will give your ideas more attention if you are able to explain how your argument affects the area. For example, rather than saying “Cuts to higher education will mean that students will have fewer opportunities,” try saying “Cuts to Springfield State University in our own town will mean fewer class sections and dramatically larger classes for our children here in Springfield.”
- Include contact information. Most papers will verify before they publish.
See letter guidelines for the 100 biggest U.S. papers (scroll down on page).
Keep in mind that when news outlets receive many letters on a topic, they will typically run one or two. Even if your letter is not the one printed, it helps convince editors that the topic is worth covering. The same may apply to their topic assignments to reporters.
Recommendations for writing an op-ed
If you have more time and more to say, consider writing an op-ed. Most newspapers accept submissions for op-eds (also called opinion columns) of about 600-800 words. Newspapers are only able to print a handful of op-eds each day. Here are some tips to help yours get published and be as effective as possible.
- Make sure you have a clear argument and you state it explicitly in one sentence. Remember that readers may not be giving their newspaper full attention–they may be reading over breakfast or just skimming the op-ed page.
- Try not to use field-specific words or ideas. Most readers will not be familiar with your area of study, or even with concepts such as "shared governance' and "academic freedom." Make sure what you are talking about is clearly defined.
- Explain why your argument is relevant to the reader. You could write, for example, that the quality of a local university affects the reputation and the economy of the whole city, which benefits everyone.
- Include contact information. Most papers will verify before they publish.
Read guidelines for submitting an op-ed at the 100 largest newspaper in the country here (scroll down on page)..
Recommendations for speaking with friends, family, and neighbors
Social science research has shown again and again that the people are most apt to change their minds about an issue is when a friend, family member, or neighbor speaks with them directly. Though you may only be able to speak with a small number of people at any one time, you can personalize your message (and you don’t have to worry about an editor deciding not to print it!). Still, there are a few tips that will make your message more memorable and effective.
- Don’t force the conversation. If the topic of higher education comes up, take the opportunity to talk about it. But if the other person has no interest in the subject, bringing it up time and again will only annoy them.
- Don’t be argumentative. If you are speaking with someone who feels strongly that your opinion is wrong, you may not be able to change their mind. Allowing the conversation to become contentious will only strengthen their feelings. On the other hand, if they see that they are able to have a pleasant discussion with you despite a difference of opinion, they may be inclined to think more favorably of your side in the debate later on.
- Explain to people how issues in higher ed affect them. This will vary based on the person–maybe they were the first in their family to go to college, or maybe they have a child in college now. Maybe they own a business in town, and a well paid, financially secure faculty will mean better business for them.
- Simply explain why the issue is so important to you. This kind of message, because it is so genuine, can also be very effective. Many people will be interested even if the issue doesn’t affect them directly, if you explain how it affects their friend (i.e., you) directly.
Examples of op-eds and letters to the editor:
Op-eds and letters do not have to be elaborate or published in major news outlets to be helpful. Instead, it is important to get them in quickly when an opportunity presents itself. Here are a range of pieces on topics relating to collective bargaining, contingent faculty rights, and public higher education.
Letter to the Editor. BG News. By Karen Craigo, writing instructor, Bowling Green State University, and communications director for the BGSU Faculty Association (an AAUP chapter).
Attacks on Unions Misguided. By Michelle Haberland, associate professor of history at Georgia Southern University and officer of the Georgia State University AAUP.
Labor's Ground Zero: Fighting for the American Dream. NorthJersey.com. Op-ed by James Gray Pope, law, Rutgers Law School in Newark, and executive council member of the Rutgers Council of AAUP/AFT Chapters.
The battle over public employee unions. CapeCodOnline.com Op-ed by Betsy Smith, adjunct professor of ESL, Cape Cod Community College.
Go to college to learn what Senate Bill 5 will do. Cleveland Plain Dealer. Op-ed by Maria Maisto, adjunct professor, Cuyahoga Community College, and president of New Faculty Majority, a national, nonprofit advocacy group for adjunct faculty. Matthew Williams, Summit County Republican Party Executive Committee and vice president of NFM.
How Unions Help Higher Ed. Guest blog post on WashingtonPost.com. Gwendolyn Bradley, AAUP staff.