Public Affairs 7503: Higher Education Policy for Public Leaders

Upon completion of this course, students will:

1. Have a better understanding of the public policy process and various public policy models.
2. Be able to articulate various challenges confronting higher education today in the United States.
3. Understand actual policy issues facing Ohio State, Columbus, and Ohio.
4. Further develop their critical thinking and reading skills. 
5. Further develop their oral and written communication skills through face-to-face and online discussions and written assignments.

Students are expected to complete the following items in this graduate level seminar to demonstrate a commitment to learning and engagement in the class:

• Attend each Zoom session or watch the session recording.
• Complete reading assignments prior to the class for which they are assigned.
• Contribute to class discussions, including participation in class/discussion board activities.
• Subscribe to Inside Higher Education newsletter by going to insidehighered.com and clicking on “sign up for a free account” at the bottom of that page. Once you have done that, go to “My Dashboard” in the upper right corner and choose your preferences on email delivery. I choose to receive the daily update.

In this hybrid course, students will fulfill the course content in Zoom sessions, policy webinars, recorded lectures, and online readings. Throughout the course, 5 reflection papers are assigned. The reflection papers are to be 2 pages (double spaced) in length (500 words).

• The reflection papers will have set due dates to keep students on track for successful completion. 
• Twenty-five points will be awarded by submission of thorough and thoughtful two page (double spaced) reflection papers (or 500 words), five papers at five points each.

Scenario: You are a policy analyst in the Provost’s office at Ohio State. The chief of staff just called you and said, “The Provost is sorting through Ohio Senate Bill 83, titled the “Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act. Please provide an outline of the key issues in this bill that a provost should consider, your perspective about why this bill has evolved into its current form, and then offer three predictions about what will happen on Ohio State’s campus if the bill is passed and signed into law in its current state.” 

The article is on the Carmen assignment link, along with supporting readings. After reviewing the readings, complete a letter that will:

• outline key points of Ohio Senate Bill 83 (1 page)
• discuss your perspective about why this bill has evolved into its current form (1 page)
• provide 3 predictions for what will happen if the bill is passed – along what a rationale for why outlining these predictions (2 pages)

The ideas for recommendations should come from assigned readings and your own additional research. These recommendations should be rooted in research that you have conducted that shows evidence to support your assertions.

The letter should be addressed to “Dear Provost” and should be written in an accessible tone relevant for policymakers. Please do not include a cover page and do include a reference page at the end of the letter. The letter should be no longer than four pages in length (double spaced). Note: your assignment will not be presented to or read by anyone other than this course instructor and/or teaching assistant.

For this series of assignments, students will read an assigned article and complete the following tools to practice public policy analysis.

• Official and Unofficial Actors
• Stakeholder Analysis & Power Interest Grid

The assignments will include completion of a tool, available on Carmen, along with a reflection paper of what the student learned in completing the policy tool. The reflection paper will be accompanied by structured questions that are linked to that specific policy tool.

The reflection papers are to be 2 pages (double spaced) in length (500 words).

• The reflection papers will have set due dates to keep students on track for successful completion.
• Thirty points will be awarded by submission of two thorough and thoughtful two page (double spaced) reflection papers (or 500 words).

For this assignment, students will consider the questions “Should government continue to support higher education and students who attend college? What are the arguments for and against such government support?”

Students will submit a 5 page (double spaced) paper responding to the questions above, using content from the class. The perspective of government support should include state level (state share of instruction; capital project support) and federal level (student loans, federal research dollars) and should be framed about public colleges or universities only. Students can use this outline as a guide – 1 page to answer your response to “should/shouldn’t” and why; 3 pages to discuss considerations “for and against” government support; 1 page to detail what you have learned about the policy process that informs your “for and against” government support. The paper should be double spaced, follow APA format, and use 5-6 sources (from class and/or outside of class).