• Course Meetings 5%
• Participation 5%
• Weekly Reading Responses and Quizzes 20%
• Policy Analysis Section 20%
• Personal Policy Framework 20%
• Policy Proposal 25%
• Grade Application 5%

NOTES:

Course Meetings (5%): We will meet each week for up to an hour. We will use the first meeting to establish ground rules, confirm our schedule and policies. Meetings run two hours: hour 1-2: Class engagement, discussion, and touch base; hour 3: as needed—personal coaching, questions and answers, and advising regarding course content or program requirements. Attendance in hour three is generally offered as interests dictate and is not required (although there may be times our work from the first two hours bleeds into this space).

Participation (5%): You are expected to complete the required readings prior to each class session. Think critically about what you read and consider the connections between the readings. Your active and thoughtful participation in discussions will be part of your grade. You are expected to maintain a public presence on the course Web site, and post a short reflection or query on the readings through the discussion board. These are intended to be short informal posts that I can use to create discussion points for our meetings. Due weekly.

Weekly Reading Responses and Quizzes (20%): Each week one chapter is assigned for reading. There are three ways you can engage in this content:
a) Weekly engagement: You are asked to come to the weekly meetings with any questions you have about the readings. The goal is to ensure that you are best able to access the content of the reading, so questions are not required, but invited to clarify points in the readings. See the Gutenberg Method of Teaching for details.
b) Chapter responses: Each chapter includes a set of questions for consideration. You are invited to complete two or more items within each chapter to demonstrate engagement with the reading content. Reponses are due any time before the end of the course.
or
c) Chapter quizzes: Each week I will release a “quiz” that you can take to assess your understanding of the reading. You can use the results of the quiz to demonstrate your engagement with the reading content, use the results formatively for your own self-assessment, or ignore the quiz altogether and submit the Chapter responses. The quizzes are ungraded and open book, and can be taken as many times as you like until you get a score you are happy with. Reponses are due any time before the end of the course.

Policy Analysis Section (20%): In this paper you’ll examine a particular policy issue you find interesting (see Chapter 4 in text and Writing policy briefs). You will explore its origin, intent, and effects on the system (intended and/or unintended consequences, as appropriate) using published research and/or data.  You are asked to critically reflect on how the policy and research connects (or disconnects), and your own experiences and context, as well as how the policy plays out (and whether or to what extent it accomplishes its purpose). Due the 4^th class or any time before the end of the course. 

Personal Policy Framework (20%): Policy designers work in political cultures expressing both overt and convert values (see Chapter 1 in the text). These political cultures consist of core beliefs we have regarding how society works, and therefore how policy functions. Frequently we may not even be aware of the assumptions we bring to policy development. Exploring your own dispositions and beliefs, as advanced through readings in this class, identify and critique your own policy framework and beliefs, including the strengths and weaknesses embedded within your belief system, and implications for you as a policy activist. Due the sixth class or any time before the end of the course.

Policy Proposal (25%): Identify a problem that exists in your context for which a policy solution could be applied. Choosing an appropriate policy framework, create a policy designed to address that problem. Walk your proposal through the policy cycle to explore its creation, potential application and implementation, through to evaluation and a timeline for review.  Due the last class meeting.

Grade Application (5%) Each student will be asked to meet with me and “apply” for a grade. Be prepared to present evidence in support of that application, based on your work in the online community, small group projects, individual writings, and other relevant artifacts.  Due any time before the end of the course.

Notes on deliverables: Papers are intended to be research-informed focused presentations. While there are no specific page requirements, papers will generally range between 1500 and 4500 words (approximately 3-8 single-spaced pages). That said, as authors of these papers you should tailor their length and content to best meet your desires as an author. Your target audience is policymakers, and as such the papers should be engaging and narrowly focused to accomplish your purpose, be that education or advocacy. See Food Security Communications Toolkit for more details and guidance. You can turn in papers at any time and revise in response to my comments as many times as you like, until you get a paper you are happy with. If you would rather demonstrate your learning in another way (such as through a web cast, presentation, or other format) please reach out to me and we can work out details for an alternative deliverable.