Here are some reasons why you should ask elected officials in the U.S. and state legislatures as well as your governor’s office to issue a proclamation in support of naming April Community College Month.
- A proclamation is an official declaration that serves as a voice of public support from a reputable and influential entity. They bring attention to your college in a way that carries weight with the public and the media, which can be leveraged for further public appreciation.
- Once your legislators and governor declare public support for the value and importance of community colleges, the proclamation can serve as substantiation to request adequate resources to deliver on the institution’s potential and promises.
- A well-written proclamation also will tie community colleges to your state’s goals, such as filling labor shortages, workforce training, AI readiness, economic mobility, regional growth, retaining young people within your community, and creating a vital infrastructure to maintain talent pipelines for industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, and public service.
- Proclamations serve as a great impetus for college leaders to promote high-level support of their college within their community, including built-in talking points that detail return on investment, workforce outcomes, affordability, and more.
- When governors and legislators issue proclamations, college leaders can ask them to continue to do so year after year, which serves as formal ongoing appreciation for the college’s contributions as well as an ongoing record of public support. Securing a proclamation each April helps to institutionalize April as Community College Month, and the consistency supports an appreciation-based relationship between the college and public officials.
Sample Proclamations from Governors & State Senate
Sample Board Resolutions
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