Fellowship on Women & Public Policy - Academic Coursework

RPAD 675 - Topics in Women’s Leadership
What does it mean to be an effective leader? Are there particular skills/competencies one needs to be an effective leader? What does empirical research say about differences between women’s and men’s leadership, e.g., are there areas where women have greater strengths, are there areas where women have greater difficulty? Do people evaluate women’s and men’s leadership using different criteria? What challenges do women face in attempting to achieve leadership positions? How do these challenges differ across women with different backgrounds and/or in different leadership positions (e.g., across levels of organizational hierarchy, different types of organizations, etc.)? This course addresses each of these questions, and is designed to enable participants to gain a better understanding of issues and controversies associated with women as public service leaders. The course will examine non-gendered theories of leadership as well as theories and research related to women’s leadership and why women’s leadership matters. In addition to learning about women and leadership, there will also be an opportunity for participants to link theory and practice, and to develop their own leadership competencies. Over the course of the semester, we will focus on a variety of leadership competencies and, through case studies, role plays, and other experiential exercises, supplemented by small and large group discussions, participants will be able to practice their leadership skills in the safe environment of the classroom.

RPAD 677 – NYS Public Policy Process
This course is designed to provide a practical understanding of New York State government and the public policy process. The major topics will include an overview of the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches, the State budget process, the role of advocacy and interest groups as well as the media in the public policy process. The course objectives are for each student to develop an understanding of New York’s political and governmental institutions and processes and those factors that influence and impact the development of public policies. The readings and course lectures will be supplemented by guest speakers who will provide a real-world illustration of how these pieces fit together and are designed to offer an overview of the inner workings of state government. The guest speakers will also give an understanding of how leadership influences the development and implementation of public policy in New York State.

RPAD 678 - Advocacy For Social Change
The purpose of the course is to deepen understanding of the theoretical and applied dimension of nonprofit advocacy, and to strengthen your skills of influencing public policy, as nonprofit actor. Learning Objectives are to deepen understanding of the critical role that nonprofit advocacy organizations play in democratic governance; frameworks, models, and theories of the policy process and policy change; application of theories to real life contexts; community mobilization and community organizing tools; how boundaries of the policy agenda are set, and how groups elevate a policy issue and strive to place it on the agenda; how groups use traditional and social media to engage the public and influence public opinion; how policy advocacy coalitions coalesce and how advocacy networks collaborate to influence legislative outcomes; the tools of public policy advocacy; and how to evaluate public policy advocacy campaigns.

  If you have questions, please call: 518.442.3900. or Email CWGCS!