Edgar Dyer Institute for Leadership and Public Policy

Jacqueline Kurlowski, MPA

Office: Brittain Hall, Room 113

Email address:

Office Hours: MWF 10 a.m. - Noon

POLI-397-Q1

Edgar Dyer Institute for Leadership and Public Policy

Fellowship Program

Course information

Meeting Time and Location:Wednesdays, 10:00-11:00 a.m., Brittain 113

Catalog Description:POLI 397-Q Dyer Institute Fellowship (03)(permission of the instructor). The Edgar Dyer Institute for Leadership and Public Policy’s mission is to engage students in active learning opportunities where they may gain knowledge in various areas of policy research. The institute wishes to bring together a group of Coastal Carolina University students from all colleges and varying degree fields to participate in the Policy Fellowship Program. The goal of the program is to provide students with experience that will connect academic theory to practice, as well as foster the importance of civic-minded citizens. Over the course of the semester, Dyer Fellows enrolled in POLI-397-Qwill develop a fully formed research paper on a public policy topic of their interest. Additionally, students will receive specific training on how to craft supplemental resources, including a policy brief, survey tool and a press release. F,S.

Course Objectives: (1) Provide an overview of the research process. (2) Identify and delineate outputs and outcomes of specific policies and generate new, innovative policy ideas. (3) Improve critical thinking and analytical skills. (4) Students participate in experiential learning activities that complement and build on the knowledge and skills relevant to their academic program and/or career goals.[1] (5) Students critically reflect on the relationship between and among experiential learning, their academic experience and the world in which they live.[2]

Student Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students are expected to be able to: (1) explain the scope, significance and relevance of research area and make relevant to the context of American public policy. (2) Understand and analyze the substance of policies in specific policy/issue areas. (3) Analyze, think and write critically about theories and current practices in American government and the public policymaking process. (4) Students will demonstrate the knowledge and skills obtained through participation in experiential learning activities that are relevant/pertinent to their academic programs and/or career goals.[3] (5) Students will demonstrate a high level of comprehension and skill in connecting theory with practice which is correlated to their level of participation in experiential learning activities.[4]

Textbook: none

Course Tools: Moodle and email

Grading: This is a zero-credit course. In lieu of a stipend, a three credits may be awarded. Student’s academic advisor must approve this process and provide documentation to Professor Kurlowski prior to the start of Dyer Fellowship.

Letter Grade
90-100 / A
87-89 / B+
80-86 / B
77-79 / C+
70-76 / C
67-69 / D+
60-66 / D
Less than 60 / F

Attendance: Attendance will be tracked at weekly meetings and at all workshops. Poor attendance will reflect negatively on the student’s work and demonstrates weak commitment to the fellowship program. Chronic attendance matters will be left to the discretion of Professor Kurlowski and may result in the termination of the fellowship and stipend.

Conduct: Fellows’ conduct on and off campus is a reflection of the Dyer Fellowship Program and the CCU university at-large. Student conduct should always be professional and respectful. Conduct violations will be examined by Professor Kurlowski and may result in the termination of the fellowship and stipend.

Disabilities: Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with appropriate verified disabilities.

Academic Integrity: The Dyer Fellows is a prestigious cohort of students drawn from across Coastal Carolina University’s campus and therefore operates under a Code of Student Conduct, which governs both academic and social conduct. The Code of Student Conduct may be reviewed here: The Academic Integrity statement and Honor Pledge that govern the Code of Student Conduct is as follows: Coastal Carolina University is an academic community that expects the highest standards of honesty, integrity and personal responsibility. As members of this community, we are accountable for our actions and are committed to creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust. On my honor, I pledge: That I will take responsibility for my personal behavior; and that I will actively oppose every instance of academic dishonesty as defined in the Code of Student Conduct. From this day forward, my signature on any University document, including tests, papers and other work submitted for a grade is a confirmation of this honor pledge.

Late Work: The Dyer Fellows is a prestigious cohort of students drawn from across Coastal Carolina University’s campus. Failure to comply with deadlines is inexcusable. Such cases will be examined by Professor Kurlowski and may result in the termination of the fellowship and stipend.

Stipends: A total of $2,000 (less appropriate federal, state, and local taxes) will be awarded to each fellow. In order to pay students, they must be classified as employees of CCU. Employees must enter time on their web-based time sheet found on WebAdvisor.

Employment at CCU: As employees of CCU, it is the responsibility of each student to ensure they are in and remain in good standing with the department of Human Resources. This is particularly important for: (1) setting up necessary hiring paperwork (W4, social security card, direct deport paperwork, etc.), (2) participating in the mandatory web-based training modules, and (3) inputting 10 hours on the WebAdvisor time sheet for every week of the semester.

• IMPORTANT Item #1 Hire Paperwork: Students must visit the office of Human Resources to sign the necessary hire paper work. In addition to your proof of U.S. Citizenship, please bring your Banking Institution’s routing number and account number. The Office of Human Resources is located across Highway 501 at: Prudential Building, 95 University Blvd, Conway, SC. Phone: 843-349-2036 and Email:

• IMPORTANT Item #2 Modular Trainings: Students must complete a series of training modules for employment with the University. The required training modules will cover: Active Shooter, Compliance & Ethics, General Safety, Protection of Minors, Sexual Harassment, Title IX, Title IX Update and Information Security Awareness. Please go to this linktrain.coastal.edu and login with your CCU credentials.
• IMPORTANT Item #3 Time Sheets: Students will enter 10 hours per week on their timesheets (located in web advisor). Students must approve/finalize their time in order to get paid. By the end of the semester, students will have received $2,000.

Research Guidelines

Students must have a weekly scheduled appointment with their Fellowship advisor. This meeting is non-negotiable and should take seriously. Faculty will guide the student’s academic work and must sign off on each section of the paper and the final copy of the paper. The student’s work must be academic in nature, conducted ethically, and properly cited. Students’ fellowship papers must follow this outline:

Executive Summary

Intro

-Explain problem

-Importance of the problem

-Why is a public, i.e. governmental, solution necessary?

-Craft thesis statement. For example, “I will discuss the scope of the X problem, make policy recommendation(s) and suggest a course of actions to solve this problem that has lasting and measurable impacts.”

Define Problem

-Background of problem/evolution of the issue

-Size/scope of problem

-Current efforts

Define/Establish Goals

-What do you see as being a success? How do you “define” success?

-What do you see as being a failure?

-How is the measurement of goal(s) related to the public problem?

-What is the relationship between the goal(s) and the problem?

Critique of Alternative Policies

-Suggested possible policies (as described in literature, in practice, etc.)

-What has been suggested to solve your issue thus far?

-Rejected Alternatives: Why do you reject these alternatives? Are the alternatives they irrational, were they political, were they feasible, or were they too costly?

Make Policy Recommendation

-Make suggested course of action

-Connect course of action to established goals

-Implementation: Describe the specifics, needs, costs, hurdles, time table, and stake holders

-Tradeoffs: What tradeoffs must be acknowledged to make this policy successful?

Evaluation

-How do can follow up on progress be tracked?

-What agencies/body should be the evaluator of the success of the policy?

-Does the policy sun-set?

-Explain measurement(s) of the problem and measurement(s) of success

-What data is/needs to be tracked?

Conclusion

-Summary up/wrap up

References

-APA style

Appendices

-Appendix #1: Press Release (Developed in workshop - approved by coordinator)

-Appendix #2: Policy Brief (Developed inworkshop - approved by coordinator)

-Appendix #3: Survey/Polling Tool (Developed in workshop - approved by coordinator)

Dyer Fellowship Workshops

The following list workshops are mandatory and will often take place during the established the fellowship meeting time. The purpose of these workshops is to facilitate the various elements of the fellowship: the policy brief, the survey tool, and press release.

Session #1: South Carolina State Capitol visit

Session #2: How to craft a survey tool, polling or otherwise, with Dr. Drew Kurlowski. Contact: or Tel: 843-349-4110

Drew Kurlowski joined the Coastal faculty in 2015, having earned his M.A. in government from the University of Virginia and his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri. He was previously the senior research fellow at a D.C. polling firm. His research interests include American campaigns and elections, election law, party organizations, political behavior and public opinion. Drew is a frequent contributor to local television media outlets covering political matters from Conway to Washington, D.C., providing local, regional, and national election analysis. He also enjoys reaching out to the community, providing lectures to the OLLI program and talking with civic organizations and other groups in the Grand Strand area. Kurlowski is currently working on his upcoming book, Rules Matter: Election Law Revealed, which will be published by West Academic in 2018. Kurlowski is an integral part of the Dyer Fellowship program, organizing and conducting a fellowship workshop on survey design and polling. He provides one-on-one mentorship as the Fellows craft primary data collections tools.

Session #3: APA Style Guide with Caroline Smith. Contact: r Tel: 843-349-6524

Caroline P. Smith graduated from Coastal Carolina University in 2008 with a degree in English and a minor in journalism. She was the editor of CCU’s student newspaper, The Chanticleer, for two years, and during her senior year completed a copy editing internship at The Sun News daily newspaper in Myrtle Beach. Upon completion of the internship, she was offered a full-time position at the newspaper, which she accepted in her final semester at CCU. She worked at The Sun News for eight years as a copy editor, designer, features editor, specialty publications editor and online editor. She started working at Coastal in October 2015 as the university editor in the Office of University Communication. Her family is originally from Texas, and she loves the Dallas Cowboys and her daughter, Lilly, who is named after the first Dallas Cowboy ever drafted in 1960, Bob Lilly. (True story.) Her passions are her faith, football and, of course, proper grammar.

Session #4: “Bringing your research to life for non-academic audiences.” How to craft a policy brief, with Dr. Holley Tankersley. Contact: or Tel: 843-349-2949

Holley Tankersley, ‌a political scientist with research and teaching expertise in public policy and political institutions, is associate dean of the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts. Prior to serving as associate dean, Tankersley served as chair of the Department of Politics and founded the Edgar Dyer Institute for Leadership and Public Policy. She is currently developing a structured dialogue program that unites students from diverse backgrounds to discuss how their experiences can create a strong, interconnected, and inspired campus community. Tankersley’s work has been published in Political Research Quarterly; the Journal of Women, Politics, and Policy; and the Journal of Political Science Education. She also teaches courses in public policy and American politics. A native of Alabama, Tankersley earned her master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University and her Ph.D. in political science from the University of Georgia. Tankersley is an integral part of the Dyer Fellowship program. She organizes and conducts a fellowship workshop on how to write policy briefs where she provides one-on-one mentorship of the Fellows' work.

Session #5: Washington, DC visit

Session #6: “Hook, line, and sinker… Getting people to want to know more.” How to craft a press release, with Ms. Martha Hunn. Contact: or Tel: 843-349-2962

Martha Hunn serves as associate vice president of University Communication at Coastal Carolina University. In this role, Martha leads a team including media relations professionals, writers/editors, videographers and digital news journalists. She joined CCU as director of news and public affairs on April 13, 2009. Prior to joining the University, Martha served as evening news anchor for WBTW News 13 in Myrtle Beach. Hunn served as CEO of the Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association from 1995 to 2005. She also served as a faculty member for the United States Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organization Management, teaching crisis communication strategies to trade association leaders from across the U.S.

Session #7: Presentation of research at Dyer Research Symposium

Mandatory Student Deliverables

The following is a list of mandatory deliverables. Each fellow will submit one finalized research paper with three constituent appendices.

Deliverable #1: Fully formed research paper on a topic of the fellows’ choice. The research is primarily independent research in collaboration with the faculty mentor. See the Research Guidelines section of this document. Please send your final document (containing all appendices) to Ms. Caroline Smith at . She will review your work and must sign off on your paper.

Deliverable #2: A fully formed data collection tool (polling/survey) will be developed by the Fellows during the workshop series. Dr. Drew Kurlowski is the polling/survey workshop coordinator and is available for one-on-one assistance in the development of this deliverable. Please reach out to Dr. Kurlowski at . He must approve/sign off on your completed survey tool. The survey tool will be labeled and placed Appendix 3 of the completed research paper.

Deliverable #3:A fully formed policy brief will be developed by the Fellows during the workshop series. Dr. Holley Tankersleyis the policy brief workshop coordinator and is available for one-on-one assistance in the development of this deliverable. Please reach out to Dr. Tankersley . She must approve/sign off on your completed policy brief. The policy brief will be labeled and placed Appendix 1of the completed research paper.

Deliverable #4:A fully formed press release will be developed by the Fellows during the workshop series. Ms. Martha Hunnis the press release workshop coordinator and is available for one-on-one assistance in the development of this deliverable. Please reach out to Ms. Hunn at . She must approve/sign off on your completed press release. The press release will be labeled and placed Appendix 2of the completed research paper.

Week of… / Event / Speaker / Time / Location
1/9/2017 / Wednesday, 11th: Daytrip to Columbia, SC. Depart early, return late. / TBD / TBD / TBD
1/16/2017 / Wed, 18th: Survey Tool Workshop / Dr. Drew Kurlowski / TBD / TBD
1/23/2017 / Monday, 23rd: APA style guide Workshop / Ms. Caroline Smith / TBD / TBD
1/30/2017
2/6/2017
2/13/2017
2/20/2017 / Monday, 20th: Policy Brief Workshop / Dr. Holley Tankersley / TBD / TBD
2/27/2017
3/6/2017 / SPRING BREAK (be sure to enter 16 hours this week and every week!)
3/13/2017 / Group Trip to DC (March 15-19)
3/20/2017 / Monday 20th: Press Release Workshop / Ms. Martha Hunn / TBD / TBD
3/27/2017
4/3/2017 / Monday, 3rd: Paper Due – Final Edits Complete / Due at Noon / via email
4/10/2017 / Begin to work on Power Point Presentation (10 min long)
4/17/2017 / Monday, 17th: Group Rehearsal / 9-11:30 a.m. / TBD
4/24/2017 / Monday, 24th: Dyer Symposium / 9-11:30 a.m. / TBD

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[1] This course objective aligns with Goal 1 of the QEP instructions for designation as Experiential Learning Course.

[2] This course objective aligns with Goal 2 of the QEP instructions for designation as Experiential Learning Course.

[3] This student learning objective aligns with SOL 1 of the QEP instructions for designation as Experiential Learning Course.

[4] This student learning objective aligns with SOL 2.1 of the QEP instructions for designation as Experiential Learning Course.