The CEDA Meta-Profession Project
ITEM:

Policy Analysis and Development Skills

and SoTL

 

Definition or Description:

Policy analysis is concerned with policies both as things to be studied and things to be proposed and is thus, both a positive and a normative discipline. A policy may be defined as a course of action or inaction chosen by public authorities to address a given problem or interrelated set of problems. A policy is a theoretical construct and a course of action anchored both in a set of values regarding (public) goals and a set of beliefs about the best way of achieving those goals. Thus policy analysis and development skills are those necessary for understanding the political constraints faced by policy makers, assessing the performance of alternative approaches to policy implementation, evaluating the effectiveness of policies, and the role conflicts in values have on the development of policies.

Comment:

Policy issues are beyond the usual schope of classroom teaching, and with the exception of content areas that deal with policy issues, they are not addressed as part of most curricula. Faculty must have certain knowledge and skills that can be applied in roles on committees or other institutional groups, but SoTL studies would not ordinarily consider these issues.
Faculty Evaluation Implications:
 
Faculty Development Implications:
 
Research Implications:
 
Policy Implications:
 

References and/or Links:

Publications

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