This page is no longer being updated and remains online for informational and historical purposes only. The information is accurate as of the last page update.
For questions about page contents, contact the Communications Division.
At its May meeting, the Lafayette faculty approved a new degree program in policy studies. Mark Crain, Simon Professor of Political Economy, worked closely with a steering committee comprised of alumni who have extensive experience in policy to develop the program.
First recommended by an external review of the economics and business department in March 2002, the policy studies major is entirely interdisciplinary. There are currently 18 faculty affiliates, and Crain expects that number to grow as the major becomes established.
“The policy studies major gives students the skills and institutional knowledge necessary for understanding policy processes, and provides a multidisciplinary course of study in the design, management, and evaluation of public sector programs and institutions,” explains Crain. “The faculty affiliates represent all divisions of the college, and the program encourages students to combine coursework in engineering, natural sciences, humanities, and the social sciences.”
The faculty affiliates are Susan Averett, professor and head of economics and business; Paul Barclay, assistant professor of history; Rose Marie Bukics, Jones Professor of Economics and Business; Nicole Crain, visiting professor of economics and business; Katalin Fabian, assistant professor of government and law; Dru Germanoski, VanArtsdalen Professor and head of geology and environmental geoscience; David Husic, Larkin Professor and head of chemistry; William Jemison, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering; Sharon Jones, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering; Rebecca Kissane, assistant professor of anthropology and sociology; John Kincaid, Meyner Professor of Government and Law; Margarete Lamb-Faffelberger, associate professor and head of foreign languages and literature; Stephen Lammers, Manson Professor of Religious Studies; David Shulman, associate professor of anthropology and sociology; Helena Silverstein, associate professor of government and law; Michael Stark, assistant professor of physics; Lorenzo Traldi, Metzgar Professor and head of mathematics; and Andrew Vinchur, associate professor and head of psychology.
“I am especially excited about the connections among policy studies, engineering, and the sciences,” says Crain. “So many of the critical global challenges require the combination of technical scientific knowledge and knowledge of policy processes – energy, the environment, homeland security, intellectual property rights, health care, telecommunications, just to name a few.”
The policy studies curriculum will train students to apply rigorous quantitative methods to the study of policy issues and debates. Emphasis on collaborative projects between faculty and students will be a staple of the program. Small student groups will work with faculty mentors to devise solutions to real-world problems posed by government, nonprofit, and corporate sponsors that encompass political, economic, and technical elements. A principal requirement of the major is an internship experience in which the student actively participates in policy analysis and the workings of political systems.
Students also will work closely with their faculty advisers to develop a theme of concentration and a coherent plan for their undergraduate course of study. Examples of concentrations include arts and media policy, economic policy and homeland security, science policy, and social policy. The program emphasizes a global perspective for all concentrations.
“The degree program exposes students to the ideological diversity that underlies policy debates and shapes policy alternatives, producing sometimes radically different approaches to the same policy issue,” says Crain. “Exposure to this ideological diversity fosters creativity, tolerance, and innovation. The program provides students with the opportunity to experience comparative perspectives on issues in at least two respects: the variety of policy approaches found in the 50 U.S. state laboratories of democracy and the diversity of policy approaches found across different countries and cultures.”
The alumni members of the steering committee enthusiastically agreed to help develop the program. Several also were guest speakers in Crain’s Industry, Strategy & Policy course offered in the fall as a prototype for the major. Committee chairman Fred Benson ’59 of Benson Capitol Commentary believes the new degree program will help students gain a greater understanding of what it means to be part of a global community.
“Given the many domestic and international challenges facing the United States today, gaining a knowledge of, and respect for, public policy is an extremely important part of the Lafayette experience,” he says. “Regardless of the careers chosen, our graduates must understand that everything they will do is bound by a complex web of federal, state, and local laws and regulations, and by treaties among nations. The new policy studies major is a perfect approach to insuring that our students are fully prepared to work – and thrive – in that demanding environment.”
Chris Caine ’78, vice president of governmental programs at IBM, hosted the initial brainstorming session in Washington, D.C. where the basic design of the major took shape. Caine is pleased with the end result and emphasized the marketability of a student who majors in policy studies when he spoke to Crain’s class.
“Globalization is integrating economics and societies,” he says. “Students need to possess integrated skills, not segmented skills for whatever they choose to do. The marketplace is looking for individuals who possess multidisciplinary skills and insights. This program supports and typifies this new reality and marketplace demand.
“Lafayette, Mark, and the core group of alumni who have given support to this effort deserve a great deal of credit for their contemporary leadership. Now the students have the primary opportunity and responsibility to demonstrate its value.”
Pam Holran ’88, member of Lafayette’s Board of Trustees and an attorney; Peter Holran ’87, vice president, Dittus Communications; Bill Kirby ’59, former executive director of Search for Common Ground in the Middle East and former president of the American Foreign Service Association;Arthur Rothkopf ’55, president emeritus of Lafayette and senior vice president and counselor to the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and Riley Temple ’71, secretary of Lafayette’s Board of Trustees and partner in the law firm Halprin and Temple; rounded out the committee.
A major in policy studies will prepare students for a variety of careers in business, government, and non-governmental organizations. It also can be used as a foundation for postgraduate study in public policy, public administration, law, and business and for graduate study in the social sciences.
“The underlying principle is that effective decision-making and strategic planning are improved by the study of geo-politics and the processes that generate policy outcomes,” says Crain.