LMU Develops First of its Kind Government Relations and Advocacy Certificate Program
Knoxville, Tennessee (PRWEB) June 16, 2014 -- Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) will roll out a new program aimed at preparing students for entry-level and advanced positions as lobbyists and government relations professionals in August. The Government Relations and Advocacy (GRA) Program will provide early stage lobbyists and government relations professionals with critical skills to advance and succeed with their firms and clients at the federal, state and local levels.
“There is no other program like this in the country,” said LMU President B. James Dawson. “Currently, there is no one place to give a prospective lobbyist all the skills he or she will need to be successful. This program can also be a compliment to a law degree, public administration program or it can be a precursor to legal studies.”
The GRA Program was developed by noted attorney and lobbyist Mark Cushing, of Tonkon Torp LLP, who has offices in Washington, DC and Portland, Oregon. It will be part of LMU’s Institute for Collaborative Leadership, located at the LMU-Duncan School of Law (LMU-DSOL) in Knoxville, Tennessee. The blended 14-credit hour GRA Program will be delivered through a combination of 3-4 day intensive classroom workshops and online classes. Focusing on critical skills, the program will address:
• the analytical approach to winning strategies and tactics
• government relations project management
• communications
• one-on-one lobbying techniques and hearings advocacy
• campaign finance, political action committees, ethics and compliance
The part-time certificate program can be completed in one or two years depending on pace and includes an intensive three-and-a-half day lobbying boot camp, three online courses and simulated advocacy clinical workshops with real-world lobbying situations. The program will kick-off in August with the inaugural Lobbying Boot Camp, pending accreditation. During the Lobby Boot Camp students will meet their fellow GRA Program cohort at LMU-DSOL (601 Summit Hill Drive) for hands-on, innovative and intensive training sessions, while enjoying social and team building activities.
“LMU has been very successful training osteopathic physicians through the use of model patients and simulated interactions. We’ve taken that concept and applied it to government relations,” Cushing said. “One of the most exciting parts of developing this program has been the integration of all the didactic learning methods with which LMU has found such success.”
A baccalaureate degree is a prerequisite to the program. Complete program information is available at http://www.lmunet.edu/academics/institute/gra.shtml. For more information contact Randy Mathews, LMU-DSOL associate dean for enrollment services, at 865.545.5303 or by email at randall(dot)mathews(at)lmunet(dot)edu
About LMU
Lincoln Memorial University is a values-based learning community dedicated to providing educational experiences in the liberal arts and professional studies. The main campus is located in Harrogate, Tennessee. For more information about the undergraduate and graduate programs available at LMU, contact the Office of Admissions at 423-869-6280 or e-mail at [email protected].
Kate Reagan, Lincoln Memorial University, +1 (423) 869-6389, [email protected]
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