John D. Simon
Executive Vice President & Provost
Contact Us
P.O. Box 400226
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4226
- Phone:
- 434-982-2362
- Fax:
- 434-924-1497
- Email:
- jwt5z@virginia.edu
Governmental Relations
Any faculty member is free to communicate with members of the General Assembly or Congress, or other elected officials, but in doing so must be careful to distinguish personal opinion from the position or policy of the University. In particular, a faculty member should avoid expressing such an opinion on University letterhead.
State law and directives from the Office of the Governor require the University to designate official spokesmen to represent its positions to the General Assembly and to coordinate its legislative proposals through the governor's secretaries.
The president of the University and the vice presidents are the designated spokespersons. The Office of State Governmental Relations coordinates state legislative relations. Any positions or presentations to legislative committees on behalf of the University, or any letters to elected officials, must be coordinated by that office.
The Office of State Governmental Relations coordinates relations with state agencies and with the federal government and works closely with the vice presidents. Such activity often involves deans, departmental chairs, and faculty members whenever an issue is of direct concern to them. Relations with local communities and governments are coordinated primarily by the director of community relations.
For more information about the Office of State Governmental Relations, consult the office's Web site. Information regarding the Office of Community Relations may be found on their Web site.