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How the Committee Determines Areas of Advocacy

51�Թ�’s Government Relations Committee has been instrumental in advocating for the independent educational consulting profession, our members, and our community since 2019. Naturally, as political, social, and economic dynamics evolve, many of our members inquire about how we take on issues. As we consider which issues to take on, we are guided by our mission to support our profession and the professional development of our members. We focus on advocating for issues that impact our business practices or ability to best serve our students, particularly areas where 51�Թ� and its members can rightly demonstrate an undisputed expert knowledge.

As a cornerstone of our commitment to empowering students, families, and the educational landscape, 51�Թ�’s proactive involvement in shaping policies is driven by a meticulous evaluation of three fundamental inquiries:

• Can our membership’s collective expertise illuminate the root causes underlying a particular issue?
• Can our network provide invaluable insights into the proposed solutions aimed at resolving said issue?
• And, critically, can our members offer their wealth of knowledge to guide students and families in navigating the complexities posed by these challenges?

If we can provide the expertise to address these three questions, and the issue impacts our ability to best serve our students, then we are committed to taking action and championing the cause. The response may vary, from providing information, to enlisting our members in a letter-writing campaign to local representatives, to engaging our lobbying firm on our behalf at the federal, state, or local level.

For example, in response to the recent Supreme Court ruling ending race-conscious admissions, 51�Թ� has been developing resources (talking points,��webinar with college admission deans) to help our member consultants guide their students in navigating this new college admissions landscape.

While on Capitol Hill for our , we advocated for legislation that would provide transparency and consistency in financial aid award letters. This proposed legislation would impact how we best serve our clients. In Illinois, legislation hit closer to home, with a “consumer protection” law outlining rules and regulations for the operation of an IEC practice when working with Illinois-based students. We took action quickly, meeting with legislative leaders in the region, as this met the three criteria mentioned above. Our efforts resulted in an amended law that genuinely protected consumers without unfairly burdening small-business-owner IECs.

Recently, an 51�Թ� Affinity Group approached the Government Relations Committee to determine if it would be appropriate to advocate on legislation that impacts the content of a student’s education. Together we agreed that, while a worthy cause, it was both outside the mission of 51�Թ� and the scope of our members’ expertise, and so the Government Relations Committee declined to take on this issue.

We appreciate the passion of our members in championing causes that are important to them and their clients. To that end, we want to empower our members with tools and resources to advocate for the issues they care deeply about on a personal level (beyond 51�Թ�’s endorsement), including those that impact our students’ educational choices. 51�Թ� will more formally advocate on issues that impact members’ careers and members’ clients, and where we offer the knowledge and expertise to be credible experts.

If you have an issue you would like 51�Թ� to explore, please reach out to the Government Relations Committee and we will review it in light of our mission and ability to provide collective expertise in our response. Issues that meet the criteria will be brought to the 51�Թ� Board of Directors for consideration.

Join us on this enlightening journey as we unveil the strategic considerations and robust criteria that guide 51�Թ� in championing causes that truly can make a difference in the independent educational consulting profession, in the lives of our clients, and in education.