Academic Components and Schedule for the Faculty Leaders Program
Program alumni return to speak with faculty leaders
Photo by Diane Baldwin/RAND
The Faculty Leaders Program is intended to offer participants a practical overview of policy research and analysis, an introduction to current RAND research, and an opportunity to engage with RAND researchers. Participants will
- receive graduate-level instruction in the tools of policy research and analysis
- Introduction to Policy Analysis
- Phases of Public Policymaking
- hear first-hand from Faculty Leader alumni about how to integrate these tools into their classroom
- work on a policy analysis project of their choice with the support of a Pardee RAND faculty mentor
- have opportunities to interact with RAND research staff, Faculty Leader alumni, and current participating faculty through one-on-one meetings, presentations, and other networking activities.
Workshop Agenda (Draft)
Schedule is subject to change; all times are Pacific (Santa Monica)
| Monday, July 19 | Tuesday, July 20 | Wednesday, July 21 |
|---|---|---|
| 9:30-10:30 am Welcome and Introductions Dean Susan Marquis, Assistant Dean Stefanie Howard, Prof. Cynthia Gonzalez |
9:30-noon Module II: Phases of Public Policymaking Prof. Gery Ryan |
9:30-12:30 pm Activity: Bringing Policy Research into Your Classroom Faculty Leaders alumni |
| 10:30-12:30 pm Module I: Introduction to Policy Analysis Prof. Jeffrey Wasserman |
||
| noon-1 pm Lunch | ||
| 12:30-1:30 pm Lunch |
12:30-1:30 pm Lunch |
|
| 1-2:00 pm Intro to Pardee RAND/Understanding the Profession and Discipline of Public Policy Analysis Associate Dean Rachel Swanger, Assistant Dean Stefanie Howard |
||
| 1:30-2:30 pm Working Session I: Policy Matrix Prof. Jeffrey Wasserman |
1:30-2:30 pm Initial Check-in Meeting Prof. Cynthia Gonzalez |
|
| 2-2:30 pm Intro to PPIA and APPAM |
Subsequent Sessions
| Date and Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| TBD | Individual Mentor Meeting 1* |
| Wednesday, July 28 10:00-11:30 am | Group Check-in Meeting, led by Prof. Cynthia Gonzalez |
| TBD | Individual Mentor Meeting 2* |
| TBD | Individual Mentor Meeting 3* |
| Friday, August 6 10:00-11:30 am | Final Group Meeting, led by Prof. Cynthia Gonzalez |
*Each Faculty Leader will meet with their mentor three times between July 21 and August 6, for one hour per meeting, to discuss progress on their self-selected project. Faculty Leaders will schedule these meetings at a mutually convenient time.
Academic Content
“Applying public policy analysis is a process, practice, and art and I learned from people who were doing different projects and made me think differently.”
The Program contains challenging academic content that participants are able to apply to their own research throughout the workshop, as well as in their communities. Each morning consists of a module which introduces concepts based on Pardee RAND’s core doctoral curriculum.
In addition, participants will apply course concepts to a policy issue of their choice, working on a final product as described below.
Course Modules
Modules on the uses and techniques of policy analysis, based on the School's core doctoral curriculum:
Introduction to Policy Analysis
Instructor: Jeffrey Wasserman, Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School
The purpose of this module is to introduce an overview of the tools of the trade of policy analysis. This includes describing the general framework, methods, ethics, and professional standards used by policy analysts, as well as techniques for communicating with clients.
Phases of Public Policymaking
Instructor: Gery Ryan, Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School; Senior Behavioral Scientist
In this module participants will learn how to conduct evaluations, assess intervention options, and design implementation strategies. They will also gain an understanding of how to determine the impact of a program and advise on whether it should be continued or adjusted.
Project Check-Ins
Facilitator: Cynthia Gonzalez, Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School; Alumna, Faculty Leaders Program
Participants will work with their assigned mentors on a policy project of their choosing. Dr. Gonzalez, who directs Pardee RAND's Community-Partnered Policy and Action research stream, will lead and facilitate the initial, interim, and final check-in meetings.
Individual Policy Research Projects
Each Faculty Leader will have a specific policy topic and project on which they will work with their mentor, applying the tools of policy analysis they learned during the initial part of the workshop. Faculty Leaders are strongly encouraged to use their projects as the basis for further work on issues critical to their communities as they return to their home institutions.
Final products may include:
- Op-Ed/Commentary
- Grant proposal/research aims
- Developing new course or modifing existing course to bring in policy elements (learning objectives, readings, classroom discussions & activities)
- Manuscript (e.g., journal article, book chapter)
- Research plan (e.g., methodology, policy framework)
- Community engagement effort (e.g., community presentation; community based participatory research methodology, stakeholder engagement plan)
Other Activities
Faculty Leaders will also have opportunities to hear about current research on hot-button policy issues from RAND researchers during virtual presentations both before and after the three-day workshop. Past sessions have included talks on the obesity epidemic, decision-making among leaders under uncertain conditions, leadership in public service and disparities in opportunities and outcomes for underrepresented minorities.