The Evergreen State College

Graduate Program in Public Administration

Crn:  CRN:  20199 (Grad), 20200 (UG)

Winter 2007:  4 credits

Friday Jan 19^th  1 PM to 5 PM         Seminar II, A2109

Saturday Jan 20^th  9AM to 5 PM      Seminar II, C2109

Saturday Feb 17^th  9AM to 5 PM      Seminar II, C2109 (break out to Seminar II C1107 9:45 am to 11:30 am)

Saturday Mar 10^th 9AM to 5 PM     Seminar II, C2109

(and a Distance Learning Component)

Joan Bantz:  Faculty Contact Information  

eMail                                        Phone              Office              Office hours

bantzj@evergreen.edu       867-5095         Lab 1, 3011     WED: 3-5p.m. or by appt.

Course Homepage: http://academic.evergreen.edu/curricular/mpapovertypolicy/home.htm

Moodle Posting Site (accessible first night of class):http://www2.evergreen.edu/moodle/

 

I.        Course Overview and Learning Objectives

Despite America's great wealth, society as a whole has abnegated its responsibility to ease the burdens of the nation's poor even while creating an economic system that structurally ensures that a great portion of its citizens will live in poverty. We are drifting towards a Third-World-like distribution of our riches, where for tens of millions of Americans the alternative to unemployment has become a dead-end job that doesn't necessarily pay enough to cover basic living expenses. Particularly striking is the heavy concentration of wealth in a small percentage of Americans and the widening gap between the rich and the poor in the United States, particularly when compared to other industrialized nations. Individuals must pay more than lip service to the principles of liberty, justice, equality, and democracy so that the promise of the Pledge of Allegiance will not be "liberty and justice for some" -  but for all.

This public policy course will connect the dots by linking the galaxy of what is known about poverty.  We will first  examine how society understands poverty -  its causes, trends, and distribution; second the consequences impacting different segments of society, especially the connections of race, ethnicity, gender; and Third those programs designed to eliminate poverty or ameliorate its harmful effects.   Although our study will remain rooted in poverty literature, students will select areas that afford focus on the interrelationships between poverty and policy, e.g., education, health status, welfare reform, food insecurity, youth, crime and prisons, mental health, drugs and alcohol, homelessness, environment, ageism, racism, ableism, economic development, job creation, job training, etc. within our community. This selected area will be your focus for distance learning posting and demonstrating theory to practice. 

II.         Learning Objectives:

1. Develop expertise on the broad area of inequality and poverty (its history, data, economic relationships, politics, programs and impact).
2. Explore mobility, opportunity, liberty, growth, education, efficiency and fairness as related to poverty.
3. Examine political decisions that create inequity, how they can be mitigated and ultimately reversed.
4. Engage strategies for positive change.
5. Think creatively and learn collaboratively
6. Enhance communication skills. 

 

III.        Book List

1.      Rank, Mark Robert  (2005). One Nation Underprivileged: Why American Poverty Affects Us All . Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (July 28, 2005). ISBN: 0195189728

2.       Ward, Deborah E (2005). The White Welfare State: The Radicalization of U.S. Welfare Policy. Publisher: University of Michigan Press (November 16, 2005). ISBN: 0472030957

3.      Hansen, Susan B. (2006). Globalization And the Politics of Pay: Policy Choices in the American States: American Governance and Public Policy. Publisher: Georgetown University Press ISBN: 1589010884

4.      Select only one text below:

 

IV.        Learning Assignments:  This intensive format is an opportunity to co-create participatory processes moving theory to practice.  This will include:

 

A.         Team participation and projects connected to community. We will form 2  teams to work on course-project(s). 
The goals of the course-projects are:

 

1.      To gather information about poverty in our community

2.      To understand what it means to live in poverty in our community, and

3.      Develop a communication strategy to increase community awareness and understanding about poverty in our community.
 

This class will produce a handbook and workshop material that can be used to facilitate discussions about poverty in our community.  This may include:  data, description of various key programs, a list of service providers, a poverty map, and interviews/focus group results.  It might also include related areas:  poverty and education, poverty and transportation, poverty and childcare, poverty and health, poverty and housing, poverty and food, etc.  It might also include workshop resources, including recommended videos, community speakers, case studies, workshop exercises, and books/articles of interest.  We will discuss in the first class the shape of the team projects.  The teams will generate a list of questions that the public might be interested in.  No doubt, teams will develop more questions than they can answer.  We will spend time narrowing the focus and work on team skills.  Then teams will develop a project plan and team charter (tasks, due dates, responsibility charter).   The Team Charter and Project Actio Plan should be posted on the team Moodle site by Saturday, February 10th.

B.        Paper Postings will keep us connected to poverty issues, provide learning opportunities and  peer support off site.  (See schedule for dates)

1.    Reflection papers posting.
You will prepare short academic reflective papers for posting.  These personal reflections are short papers (not more than 3 pages) to serve as cognitive maps for your intellectual journey. The intent of the reflection papers is to synthesize your thoughts about one or more ideas, facts, or issues to elevate the overall dialogue. You will summarize these concepts and theories, and reflect upon their meaning in terms of your experience. The papers should demonstrate your mastery of course material and its application in your work life in a thoughtful, clear and well written narrative. Proper citations should be used. You will post your papers to Moodle.  Post by due dates (by 7 pm) to allow others to have an opportunity to read them thoughtfully.  The due dates are a deadline and you are encouraged to post your papers before this time.
                    Learning Objective: Mastery of material, writing skills, critical thinking and reflective practice.

2.    Response postings
There is a form of poetic writings where one author starts by writing a poem, the reader then writes a paragraph of reflection in poetic form responding to the poem, then writes their own poem and this circle goes on until they call it complete. We ask that you follow this format somewhat (this circle will complete with one exchange) in your response to one of your peer’s Reflection paper. You will read at least six (6) of the Reflection papers posted  and select one to respond to. Read your peer's reflection, then respond with first a paragraph that is directly related to their topics, and next move forward with what their writing may have inspired in your intellectual understanding. You will select a different peer each time for the response. You are encouraged to respond to more than one paper, however please refrain from doing so until the primary responder has posted their response. Please respond by the date due (by 7pm) so that others who wish to add comments may do so.
                Learning Objective: reflective thinking and shared responsibility for co-learning community success. 

V.        Evaluation and Credit

Students will receive credit based upon satisfactory and on-time completion of all course requirements and assignments.  Plagiarism, failing to complete one or more assignments, completing one or more assignments late (without having made special arrangements in advance of the due date), or missing classes without making prior arrangements to make up the work, will result in denial of credit.
 

At the end of the quarter, students will prepare 3 copies of their self evaluation and 1 copy of your evaluation of the faculty using Evergreen’s forms. The faculty eval and one copy of your self-evaluation must be provided when we meet on the last day of class.  I will prepare an evaluation of each student. Each student will meet with me to discuss performance unless you are already scheduled for an MPA Core evaluation, then it is optional. If you are not meeting with me for a conference then the faculty eval and one copy of your self-evaluation must be provided when we meet on the last day of class.

           

Kudos:  You will learn more from each other than you will from me.  I would like to capture that in the evaluations so I would like you write kudos for your classmates who have significantly contributed to your learning.  Please send 3 kudos during the quarter.  Please email them to me and put Kudos in the subject line.  These should be short - no more than 100 words.

VII.      Schedule

 

DATe	Topics	Seminar	Assignments
Friday, Jan 19 1-5 PM Course Development: Defining our Work	What is poverty? Why does it matter? Your Values and Beliefs Theory to Practice - HOW Distance Learning: Moodle  Training
Saturday, Jan 20 9 AM to 5 PM Understanding Poverty	Poverty in America Speaker: Cathy  Cochran, DSHS, Homelessness, Housing & Services Coordinator: Multifaceted and Complex issues of Poverty	Rank Article Link: Hoyes, Page and Stevens Article Link:  Eberstadt	Self Study Posting dates: Jan 27th; Jan 31st; Feb. 3rd; Feb. 7th; Feb. 10th; and Feb. 14th (2/3 or/and 2/10 are opportunities to integrate your self selected text "on putting a face on the issues" into your postings on project research or other text topics) (By Saturday, Feb. 10th posting on Moodle team site: Team Charter and Project/Event Action Plan
Saturday Feb. 17th  9 AM to 5 PM   The Face of Poverty	Workshop: Maria Peña,  SafePlace  Speaker:  Aiko Schaefer, Director,  Statewide Poverty Action Network  organizng for change	Ward Articles on Moodle: Anderson-Connolly; Wray Your Selected Text	Posting dates: Feb. 24th; Feb. 28th
Saturday Mar 10th 9 AM to 5 PM   Positive Options for Moving out of Poverty	10 am Visit Camp (Lunch in Teams) 1 PM Speaker: Andrew McLeod: Cooperative Development Specialist Northwest Cooperative Development Center Course Wrap Up	Hansen Articles on Moodle: Smeeding	DUE: All community materials
Taking Action	Camp Quixote Event March 17th
	Evaluation

On Line PAPER POSTING SCHEDULE:

1^st Papers   – Saturday, Jan 27^th (Authors: Hoyes, Page and Stevens; Rank and individual efforts) Critical Analysis/Synthesis of Text, Research and Class.

                        Wednesday, January 31st  Peer Response Paper

2^nd Papers  – Saturday, Feb. 3^rd  Reflection on Community Efforts, and (self-selected text interface here or in 3rd paper or both dates)

            Wednesday, Feb. 7^th  Peer Response Paper

3^rd Papers  – Saturday, Feb. 10^th  Critical Analysis/Synthesis of Text Authors: Ward; Anderson-Connolly; Wray, self-selected text interface, Research and Class.

    

            Wednesday, Feb. 14^th Peer Response Paper

4^th Papers   – Saturday, Feb. 24^th  Critical Analysis/Synthesis of Text Authors: Hansen; Smeeding, Research and Course synthesis.

   

            Wednesday, Feb. 28^th  Peer Response Paper

 AGREEMENTS

(we will develop on our own the first day of class)

We show up on time.

We are prepared, listen, and share our views.

We respect others.

We disagree with ideas, not people.

We do no harm as we engage in the learning process.

What is said in this room, stays in this room.

We are honest.

We do our best work.

We turn work in on time.

We actively and enthusiastically engage in learning.

We invest in ourselves.

We have fun.