This spring, the Partnership for Public Service will launch A Call to Serve: Leaders in Education Allied for Public Service. This worthwhile initiative is designed to build ongoing relationships between institutions of higher education and Federal agencies. I urge you to take advantage of this new tool in your campus recruitment efforts.
As agencies prepare for the impending retirements of a significant portion of the Federal workforce, it is incumbent on all of us to reestablish strong relationships with campuses across the country. A Call to Serve provides a ready network of schools that have agreed to undertake various activities to inform their students about Federal service. More than 300 schools have already enlisted as founding members of A Call to Serve and we expect that number to grow substantially over the next several months. I see A Call to Serve as a great resource that will help provide students with the knowledge they need to pursue Federal employment opportunities upon graduation or indeed at any point in their careers.
Even as we educate students about Federal employment opportunities, we must also undertake much needed improvements to the hiring process. Everyone loses if enthusiastic applicants turn away in frustration because vacancy announcements are off-putting, or the process is too long and cumbersome, or if they never hear anything about their application. OPM, working with the Human Resources Management Council, is making improving the hiring process a top priority.
Agencies that establish recruiting relationships with the schools participating in A Call to Serve can expect to realize gains in the value of their ongoing campus recruitment programs. A first step in that process is the establishment of a staff liaison. You can let Dave Herman of my staff know who your staff liaison is and how to contact that person by getting in touch with Dave by phone at (202) 606-3736, fax at 202-606-1674 or e-mail at daherman@opm.gov. If we receive this information by April 17, we will be able to announce your agency as a supporting partner when this initiative is officially unveiled this spring.
We have a terrific opportunity over the next several years to convey our message of public service to younger Americans who are looking for meaningful ways to contribute to their country. I hope you will join OPM, the Partnership for Public Service and our campus partners as we work together to ensure that our country has the talented Federal workforce it needs.
Attached for your information is background information on A Call to Serve and the list of schools that have signed on to date.
"A Call to Serve: Leaders in Education Allied for Public Service" Goals of the Initiative: The fundamental aims of the Initiative are to highlight the importance of a strong civil service, strengthen the relationships between agencies and campuses, provide students with a clearer understanding of the opportunities in the federal government, and ensure that students have the tools they need to pursue those opportunities.
Building a Network of Participating Schools: The Partnership is in the process of building the founding group of participating universities. The college presidents that sit on the Partnership's Board of Governors signed a joint letter of support that accompanied a statement of purpose that was sent to hundreds of college presidents to enlist them in the initiative in February. Schools that participate in the network will agree to undertake a variety of activities to better inform their students of federal opportunities, such as highlighting alumni who have made contributions in federal service as well as organizing campus events focused on public and governmental service. The schools will benefit from the ideas they share with each other as well as from the resources and tools that the Partnership, the OPM, and other agencies provide. To date, over 330 schools have signed on.
Launching the Initiative: We are planning the official launch of the "Call to Serve" Initiative this spring.
Who: For the program, we envision OPM Director James, Partnership CEO Stier, participating college presidents, and at least one dynamic young federal employee. We also hope to have someone that young people associate with federal service, e.g., Secretary Powell or Director Ridge. In the audience we would like to have a number of agency representatives, heads of higher education associations, and college students.
When: The latter half of April.
Where: An auditorium on the campus of The George Washington University.
What: At the launch event participants will share their unique perspectives on the pressing issue of attracting talented young people to federal government. Participants can also take the opportunity to announce any specific events or programs they have underway or are planning in line with the Initiative, as described further below.
The Partnership's Plans: In addition to describing the liaison function that the Partnership will undertake to assist campuses in carrying out a variety of events, the Partnership will announce several specific elements:
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The list of the "founding members" of the network, as well as information for these participating universities on accessing network-specific resources;
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A colleges and universities-oriented portal through the Partnership website, which will include tips on landing a job with the federal government, profiles of agencies that are hiring as well as profiles of young workers, and a "one-stop shop" for information on internships and jobs with the federal government;
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The Partnership's Speakers Bureau, which is a growing database of federal employees around the country in various agencies who are willing to speak about their positive experiences working for the federal government;
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A tool kit for career service offices that provides both background information on the issue as well as creative ideas for events to inform students about and interest them in federal service; and
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Occupation-specific events, coordinated in conjunction with appropriate schools and associations and beamed out to other schools around the country (panels could range from the engineering and physical sciences, law, business and finance, international affairs, to the medical and biological sciences).
OPM's Plans: The Partnership is pleased that the OPM is participating in the Initiative, and we think there are many areas for fruitful partnership. In addition to highlighting promising new initiatives that the OPM has underway, other items that might resonate at the launch include:
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A "customer service agreement" or "Gen Y Bill of Rights" drawn up with the Partnership for agencies to sign that would outline the kinds of things that will facilitate recruitment and retention, such as a timely application process, a clear description of job duties, and information on development and promotion opportunities;
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A call to agencies to create at least one designated campus contact and coordinator for college recruitment efforts;
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A request to the OPM service centers to establish a hotline for young people to use that would answer questions and provide guidance on how to find information about and pursue jobs in federal service;
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An initiative to work with the Partnership and other groups such as the National Association of Colleges and Employers to train agency staff on effective ways to recruit and retain younger members of the workforce;
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A reiteration of the appeal to the Federal Executive Boards and all agencies to participate in the Speakers Bureau; and
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A commitment to continue the push for job openings written in plain language.
A Call to Serve: Leaders in Education Allied for Public Service
331 Founding Member Schools as of 4/4/2002
Abilene Christian University
Adelphi University
Agnes Scott College
Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University
Alabama State University
Albany State University
Albertus Magnus College
Albright College
Alfred University
Alliant International University--Scripps Ranch Campus
American University
Amherst College
Auburn University System
Ball State University
Bard College
Barnard College
Barton College
Belmont Abbey College
Benedict College
Birmingham-Southern College
Bloomfield College
Boise State University
Bowie State University
Brandeis University
Brenau University
Brewton-Parker College
Bridgewater College
Bridgewater State College
Brigham Young University
Brookhaven College
Brown University
Bryn Mawr College
California Institute of Technology
California Maritime Academy
California Polytechnic State University--San Luis Obispo
California State Polytechnic University--Pomona
California State University System
California State University--Bakersfield
California State University--Channel Islands
California State University--Chico
California State University--Dominguez Hills
California State University--Fresno
California State University--Fullerton
California State University--Long Beach
California State University--Monterey Bay
California State University--Sacramento
California State University--San Marcos
California State University--Stanislaus
Cambridge College
Castleton State College
Central College
Central Missouri State University
Centre College
City University of New York City College
City University of New York Graduate Center
Claremont Graduate University
Clemson University
Cleveland State University
Coastal Carolina University
Colgate University
College of Charleston
College of Eastern Utah
College of Notre Dame of Maryland
Colorado Mountain College
Colorado School of Mines
Concordia University
Converse College
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
Cornell University
Dean College
Denison University
DeVry Institutes
Dickinson College
Dillard University
Drew University
Duke University
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
East Texas Baptist University
Eastern Connecticut State University
Eastern Michigan University
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Elon University
Emory University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairmont State College
Florida International University
Florida State University
Foothill College
Gainesville College
Gannon University
George Mason University
Georgetown College
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Perimeter College
Georgia State University
Goucher College
Hamilton College
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampton University
Harvard University
Haverford College
Henderson State University
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Hofstra University
Hood College
Humboldt State University
Huntingdon College
Illinois Wesleyan University
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University System
Iowa State University
Iowa Wesleyan College
Ithaca College
Jarvis Christian College
Juniata College
Kennesaw State University
Lafayette College
Lambuth University
Lawrence University
Lees-McRae College
Lehigh University
Lesley University
Los Angeles Mission College
Louisiana State University in Shreveport
Louisiana Tech University
Loyola University of Chicago
Macalester College
Manchester College
Manhattan College
Marshall University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
McKendree College
Medgar Evers College
Medical University of South Carolina
Meredith College
Michigan State University
Midwestern University
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Monmouth University
Montana State University--Bozeman
Montclair State University
Montgomery College
Morehouse College
Morgan State University
Mount Aloysius College
Mount Marty College
National Defense University
National University
Nazareth College of Rochester
Neumann College
New Jersey City University
New Mexico State University
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina State University
Northern Arizona University
Northern Kentucky University
Northern Michigan University
Northwestern Oklahoma State University
Northwestern University
Notre Dame de Namur University
Oglethorpe University
Ohio Dominican College
Ohio Northern University
Ohio State University
Ohio University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Oklahoma Baptist University
Oklahoma Baptist University
Old Dominion University
Our Lady of the Lake University
Pace University
Paine College
Palo Alto College
Pennsylvania State University
Pepperdine University
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Polytechnic University
Presbyterian College
Princeton University
Purdue University
Purdue University Calumet
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhode Island School of Design
Rhodes College
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rose State College
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Camden Campus
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Central Office
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Newark Campus
Salem College
Salve Regina University
Samford University
San Diego State University
San Francisco State University
Santa Clara University
Santa Monica College
Schreiner University
Seattle Pacific University
Seton Hill College
Shenandoah University
Skidmore College
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Sonoma State University
Southeastern Louisiana University
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Southern Illinois University System
Southern Oregon University
Southern Polytechnic State University
Southwest Missouri State University
Southwestern University
Springfield College
St. Augustine's College
St. Edward's University
St. John's University--Queens Campus
St. Joseph College
St. Joseph's College
St. Lawrence University
St. Thomas Aquinas College
Stanford University
State University of New York at Binghamton
State University of New York College at Geneseo
State University of New York College at Old Westbury
State University of New York College at Plattsburgh
State University of New York College of Technology at Alfred
State University of West Georgia
Stephens College
Susquehanna University
Syracuse University
Talladega College
Temple University
The George Washington University
The New England Institute of Art and Communication
Trinity College
Troy State University
Tufts University
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Union University--Albany Law School
Universidad Metropolitana
University at Albany, State University of New York
University of Akron
University of Alabama
University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Alaska System
University of Arizona
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
University of Arkansas at Monticello
University of Baltimore
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Riverside
University of California, San Diego
University of Chicago
University of Colorado at Denver
University of Dayton
University of Delaware
University of Florida
University of Houston System
University of Houston--Downtown
University of Houston--Victoria
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Iowa
University of Kentucky
University of Maryland Baltimore County
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
University of Miami
University of Michigan--Flint
University of Missouri System
University of Missouri--Columbia
University of Missouri--Kansas City
University of Montana--Missoula
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of New Hampshire
University of North Alabama
University of North Carolina at Asheville
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
University of North Carolina System
University of North Dakota
University of Northern Iowa
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of South Dakota
University of Southern Mississippi
University of St. Thomas
University of Texas at Arlington
University of Texas at El Paso
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
University of Texas--Pan American
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
University of the South
University of Toledo
University of Tulsa
University of Utah
University of Vermont
University of Virginia's College at Wise
University of Washington
University of West Florida
University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire
University of Wisconsin--Oshkosh
University of Wisconsin--Whitewater
Ursinus College
Ursuline College
Utah State University
Vanderbilt University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Military Institute
Washington College
Washington State University
Wayne State College
Webster University
Wesleyan College
Wesleyan University
West Virginia State College
West Virginia University
Western Illinois University
Western New England College
Westminster College
Westmont College
Wheaton College
Wilkes University
William Marsh Rice University
Williams College
Winston-Salem State University
Winthrop University
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Xavier University of Louisiana
Yale University