Thread by @rebeccakreitzer

My @UNC undergrads have crafted amazing policy briefs for years. This NEW guide covers everything: what's a policy brief; why assign this project; picking a topic; grading briefs & more. #Pedagogy #PoliSciTwitter #PolicyBrief #PublicPolicy @UNCPublicPolicy dropbox.com/s/8ff4teij4wa5…

https://twitter.com/rebeccakreitzer/status/1070833465883590656

I made the guide to help my students and TAs. I also know there are a lot of profs looking for "tried and true" assignments that can be easily integrated into their class. Policy briefs are used in different disciplines: poli sci, soci, criminology, public health, economics, etc.

Short, advocacy oriented policy briefs are ubiquitous in the policy world. They make great assignmente bc they prod students to make critical connections & develop practical skills replicating a "real world" task. They also empower students to advocate for things they care about.

Policy briefs are everywhere - but a lot of students of policy don't know what makes for a *good* one. And, frankly, neither do many professors! No worries. I got you. Here is what a 2-pager should entail, and what makes for a good brief.

To maximize success, I help guide students through the process with scaffolded assignments and a series of workshops. I provide a lot of detail about my expectations, how to approach the assignments, and how the assignments will be evaluated.

In the end, I offer to post briefs on my website (which needs dire updating) & extra credit to submit an opinion piece. Each semester several students publish in local, state & national news outlets. Here were 2 from last semester: stltoday.com/opinion/column…
newsobserver.com/opinion/articl…

I tried to preempt FAQs in the guide but questions are welcome. Feel free to adapt the assignment to your heart's content. I have another project in which small groups create larger policy reports. A (not updated) version of that prompt is on my website. rebeccakreitzer.com/briefs/