Policy, Advocacy, & External Relations Committee

The Policy, Advocacy, and External Relations (PAER) Committee serves as NASUP’s primary working body for advancing the Association’s policy, advocacy, and external engagement efforts in alignment with its mission and the Nine Essentials. 

The committee is responsible for identifying policy issues impacting school-university partnerships, developing advocacy resources (e.g., briefs, toolkits), creating member engagement opportunities, and building relationships with external organizations. 

 The PAER Committee functions as a working and producing committee with a focus on generating tangible outputs that support the field. 

Leadership 

The committee is co-chaired by two NASUP members who guide its direction and coordinate its work. 

 Membership 

Members represent PK–12 and higher education and actively participate in meetings and subcommittee work. 

Subcommittee Structure 

The committee operates through three subcommittees: 

• Policy Subcommittee: Develops policy briefs, monitors policy, creates outreach materials, and provides updates. 

• Advocacy Subcommittee: Elevates SUP work through stories, data, and resources such as podcasts and publications. 

• External Relations Subcommittee: Builds partnerships with national and state organizations and advances collaboration. 

The PAER Committee is intentionally structured as a working committee, with meetings designed to prioritize active collaboration and progress. 

 Full Committee Meetings 

Meetings serve as the primary venue for advancing work and include: 

- Brief whole-group updates 

- Structured subcommittee working time 

- Report-outs and next steps 

A significant portion of each meeting is dedicated to subcommittee work such as drafting materials and identifying priorities. 

 Subcommittee Work 

Work between meetings is limited and occurs only as needed. The committee prioritizes productivity during meetings to minimize additional demands on members. 

 Conference Engagement 

The committee meets at the annual NASUP conference for member engagement, recruitment, and strategic planning. 

Subcommittees develop materials and recommendations, which are reviewed by the full committee. Final approval follows NASUP governance processes and formal vetting procedures. 

PAER serves as a structured vetting space for policy and advocacy work. It develops and refines drafts for alignment with NASUP’s mission and advances them through formal approval processes. It does not independently issue public statements. 

Internal Engagement 

PAER contributes to NASUP conference sessions, forums, and policy updates for members. 

 External Engagement 

The committee builds relationships with organizations and engages in partnerships that strengthen advocacy and visibility. 

 Outputs may include policy briefs, toolkits, podcasts, and stories from the field.