Guidelines on advocacy, political campaign activity and lobbying at our public institution

Advocacy and political engagement are important undertakings. As SMPH students, staff and faculty, our work can offer a unique vantage point on the impact of societal and governmental action or inaction on health, public health, and scientific progress. This page provides a brief overview of frequently asked questions on political or legislative activity and issue-focused advocacy within the context of our status as a public, state-affiliated institution.

What is the difference between advocacy, lobbying, and political campaign activity?

Each of these terms refer to distinct concepts:

Advocacy involves taking a stance on a matter, in favor or against a concept, person, place, or thing. Advocacy may or may not involve political or legislative activity. For example, one could advocate for the health of survivors of domestic violence by identifying ways that health systems can optimize their clinical operations to meet the needs of this population and publishing recommendations for the health care industry. In that example, advocacy does not involve legislative or political actions. In contrast, writing to a legislator using university time, role or resources to urge passage of draft legislation that impacts survivors of domestic violence is an example of lobbying (see below).

Lobbying has both state and federal definitions. 
At the state level, lobbyingis defined by Stat. §13.62(10) as the practice of attempting to influence legislative or administrative action by oral or written communication with any elected state official, agency official or legislative employee, and includes time spent in preparation for such communication and appearances at public hearings or meetings or service on a committee in which such preparation or communication occurs.  

At the federal level, lobbying is defined by the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, 2 U.S.C. 1602. The term “lobbying contact” means any oral or written communication (including an electronic communication) to a covered executive branch official or a covered legislative branch official that is made on behalf of a client with regard to—
(i) the formulation, modification, or adoption of Federal legislation (including legislative proposals);
(ii) the formulation, modification, or adoption of a Federal rule, regulation, Executive order, or any other program, policy, or position of the United States Government;
(iii) the administration or execution of a Federal program or policy (including the negotiation, award, or administration of a Federal contract, grant, loan, permit, or license); or
(iv) the nomination or confirmation of a person for a position subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Note that providing responses to requests for information from legislators or legislative staff is not considered to be lobbying, though you should consult Director of Government Affairs for SMPH and UW Health Connie Schulze (cschulze@uwhealth.org) before responding directly to a request.

Political campaign activityis defined by the UW System as actions such as soliciting campaign contributions; advocating, volunteering, or working for candidates for elected office or for political parties or political action committees; or advocating a particular position on a referendum. See Stat. § 11.1207.

Lobbying and political campaign activity by UW–Madison employees are regulated activities under state law and Board of Regents policy, meaning that there are specific things that can and can’t be done within the scope of one’s employment.

What are the requirements and restrictions for lobbying?

In general, lobbying activities must be done separately from work time or work locations, and employees must use only personal resources unless authorized by the University.

Under state and federal law, the university is required to report the names of those employees whose duties include attempting to influence legislation on behalf of the university. This includes, for example, government affairs professionals as well as leaders of UW–Madison (e.g., the chancellor and deans of schools and colleges within the university).

Prior to contacting any government officials during university work time and / or using university resources for the purposes of influencing legislation, SMPH employees must contact Connie Schulze (cschulze@uwhealth.org), Director of Government Affairs for SMPH and UW Health. Connie will coordinate with UW–Madison’s Office of University Relations, as needed.

In some scenarios, the school may take an official stance on legislation that relates to topics such as health professions education, health care, public health, or biomedical research. Any official SMPH position is managed by the Dean’s Office and the UW–Madison Office of Strategic Communication. If your professional area of expertise is within scope of the issue, you may be asked by the Office of Government Affairs to support the effort by testifying at a committee hearing, reviewing a briefing paper, attending a meeting, or otherwise applying your expertise to proposed legislation. Please note, however, that our organization does not take a position on every one of the hundreds to thousands of proposed state and federal bills that arise each year and any statement made by an employee in their capacity as faculty or staff of UW–Madison must follow the Institutional and Public Position Statements Policy (UW-206).

What are the regulations and restrictions for political campaign activities?

Regulations about political campaign activities by state employees are very specific. UW–Madison employees cannot engage in political campaign activities during work time, use state resources to engage in political campaign activities at any time (this includes not having institutional logos appear in campaign materials or wearing work clothing, etc. with institutional logos), or solicit contributions or services for a political purpose from other university employees or members of the public while they are engaged in their official duties.

Employees who wish to run in a primary election or who become a candidate in a general election should consult with their supervisor, the Office of Human Resources, and the appropriate divisional dean or director to determine whether their campaign activity will interfere with performance of their university duties. A reduced appointment or a leave of absence may be necessary for the duration of the campaign if the activity produces adverse effects on performance of job duties.

There are also restrictions or guidelines on hosting political fundraisers, soliciting campaign donations, and displaying partisan political signs in the workplace that promote a candidate, political party, or referendum outcome in a current election. See details and examples from UW–Madison and UW System.

What other “Dos and Don’ts” should SMPH employees be aware of?

Please do the following:

  • See links to resources below.
  • Respond as an individual to requests for information from policymakers. Consult Government Affairs before you respond by contacting cschulze@uwhealth.org
  • Work as an individual to support or oppose public policies that are important to you.You are also free to work with professional societies on such efforts on your own time and using your own resources. Note that it is best practice to avoid wearing work clothing with institutional logos (on work attire, departmental jacket, white coat, etc.) if participating in advocacy events such as a protest. Doing so might be construed as representing an institutional stance instead of individual expression.
  • If you choose to use your personal social media accounts to express your opinion on public policy, please indicate that your views are your own and not those of SMPH, UW–Madison or (if dually employed) UW Health. See the school’s policy on Personal Social Media Use (SMPH-1005).
  • Contact Government Affairs about issues that matter to you. There may be opportunity to collaborate.

Please don’t do the following:

  • Do not present your views to a policymaker on behalf of SMPH or UW Health unless asked to do so by Government Affairs or the Dean.
  • Do not invite public officials to visit or tour a university or UW Health facility without first consulting Government Affairs.
  • Do not use SMPH or UW Health resources for lobbying or political campaign activity. Examples of state-owned resources include institutional letterhead and logos, office space and other facilities, office supplies, photocopiers, phones, fax machines, electronic resources such as email, websites, social media accounts that represent a unit of the school or university, etc. 
  • Do not use work time for lobbying or political campaign activity.

Resources and further reading:

Originally posted Nov. 8, 2021. Last revised Sept. 3, 2025. This article will be reviewed/revised and circulated annually.