EDU 682: Public Policy and Higher Education

Overview

Students study how social movements in history have influenced the way policy has been developed for higher education. Students read and discuss higher education as it has been shaped in the United States and other countries through comparative study and analysis. Policy-decision making systems are considered at both organizational/institutional levels as well as in local, state, federal, and international education contexts. Students look at intersections between the history of higher education and the policies that have arisen in response. History as an iterative force that shapes decision-making is considered.

This course will specifically address:

• History of higher education within a context of how history and policy shape each other.
• Comparative study of international higher education and higher education in the United States.
• Social forces and how they shape higher education policy and institutional decision-making.
• How policy becomes policy at institutional, local, state, federal and international levels.
• State and federal planning and its impact on higher education in the United States.
• Current trends in policy-making and their relationship to social change

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Critically analyze how changes in society have impacted both the history and policy of higher education institutions.
• Critically analyze the history of higher education in both the United States and international settings.
• Use information and concepts about higher education history and policy making to explain decision making processes within the field of study.
• Build a meaningful, professional-quality, course project that demonstrates an understanding of how policy issues impact higher education.
• Explain the impact of local, state, federal and international policy decisions on higher education institutions.
• Identify and describe social movements that have impacted higher education in university, college, community, and corporate settings.

Required Texts
EDU 682 texts are available from the JIU/MBS bookstore