2011 Course!: http://appliedpolicyanalysis2011.pbworks.com

Policy briefs and presentations

Photo highlights

Media clips (us!)

Syllabus

Project description

Calendar and all photos (by event)

Video Archive

Student roster, email list, group designation

Class notes, agendas, and other documents

Course Description:

Crafting Public Policy is an introductory course that explores policy-making as both a problem-solving and political process.  Through this course, students will get a first-hand experience with a participatory public policy process. After engaging briefly at the theoretical level, students will form groups to focus on the regional implications of four current national issues: charter schools, homelessness, food security, and biomass.

These groups will work with community-based organizations ("clients") to:

·      Conduct a participatory needs assessments

·      Develop policy recommendations

·      Plan for implementation and sustained engagement

In this process, students will understand, record, and organize the perspectives of a diverse range of stakeholders, with an emphasis on underrepresented groups. The final product will be policy recommendations that reflect these perspectives, and incorporate additional data and perspectives from your team. These recommendations will be disseminated to a broad range of stakeholders and the larger Pioneer Valley community using a variety of formats and media. This class aims to create meaningful, ongoing, and mutually beneficial relationships between Amherst College students and community-based organizations.

Social Contract:

We are going to have fun! We are going to make some amazing connections between “the big ideas” and the people who are making it happen. We are going to work and learn collaboratively and creatively, and come away with some very compelling stuff.

We also have some serious responsibilities. We have made commitments to our clieånt organizations, and they have agreed to take a chance on us. We have tried to anticipate how much work (and time) our projects will require. But field work is demanding and unpredictable. Nonetheless, the priority must be to do a great job for the client. Be prepared to finish what you start, and to be proud of your contribution.

Class Times and Meeting Location:

Class: Mon/Wed, 9:30-11:30AM (first week Tues/Thurs); Class Location Chapin 203

Field Work: Tues/Thurs (first week Wed/Fri), mornings and as needed; locations and logistics arranged in class.