Editorial: Five Insights For Successful Policy Reform

(Source: DS Bigham via Flickr)

In my last article, I illustrated how policy change happens within a university due to student advocacy. I told the story of how Molly, a fictional undergraduate student, wanted the University to adopt a policy change and I illustrated the steps she had to take to realize the change. I also illustrated some obstacles she might encounter in the process. 

Through the story, the reader should note five insights about student advocacy and the policy change process:

First, a student advocate’s voice is only so strong by itself. Molly engaged in direct advocacy with an administrator, which can sometimes work, but she was unsuccessful until she won student government’s support. An advocate’s voice by itself is only so strong. 

Second, each person in the governance environment has what we will call a “political agenda”. This is not a bad word, but each person has a set of priorities he must serve, usually a list of responsibilities that demand his immediate attention. Molly did not succeed at getting Director Smith’s support for her red-blue trash separation policy at first because it did not serve Smith’s agenda (his list of priorities). It is important to realize that each person has a political agenda, a set of priorities that demand his attention. 

Third, the way to win another party’s support is by either changing or serving his political agenda. For example, when student government successfully lobbied senior leadership to adopt Molly’s red-blue separation policy, the Board instructed the University to adopt the policy. This directive from senior leadership changed Director Smith’s political agenda. He now had to follow leadership’s instruction, which meant he had to implement Molly’s policy. It changed his political agenda. The way to win a counterpart’s support is either by changing or serving his political agenda. 

Fourth, getting student government to adopt one’s cause is the most effective way to achieve a policy change. Student government leverages its access to The UT-System Board of Regents, the university’s governing board, to support student causes. This is what happened for Molly. SGA successfully championed Molly’s red-blue trash separation with the governing board. This led to the Board’s support and to the policy change. Student government can offer leverage for one’s cause and its support is the most effective way to achieve policy outcomes given its favored status with senior university leadership.

Finally, policy change across constituencies is a negotiation. While students get a say in university policy, they do not always get what they want. There are other interests, such as administrative and faculty considerations, at play. Knowing what is on the other party’s agenda (priority list) is an important part of making a mutually beneficial arrangement. This is because while both student government and individual student advocates have power, all efforts at policy change are a negotiation. 

These five insights can help any student advocate understand the advocacy process. A single student’s voice is only so strong by itself, everyone has an agenda (a set of priorities), changing or serving their priorities is the key to winning cooperation, student government’s support is often paramount to achieving a policy change and finally, winning a policy change is a negotiation. These insights can help any student advocate be as successful as Molly in their advocacy goals. 

Feature Image:  DS Bigham via Flickr

 

*Editor's Note: Updated at 10:08 A.M. on September 15, 2025 for flow.