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.

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"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:

• The list of the "founding members" of the network, as well as information for these participating universities on accessing network-specific resources;

• 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;

• 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;

• 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

• 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:

• 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;

• A call to agencies to create at least one designated campus contact and coordinator for college recruitment efforts;

• 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;

• 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;

• A reiteration of the appeal to the Federal Executive Boards and all agencies to participate in the Speakers Bureau; and

• A commitment to continue the push for job openings written in plain language.

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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