by Dr. David Stoesz, Professor
Think of it as earning 3-credits for taking a field trip everyday for a week....well, not quite, there were readings and papers to do....but the DC In-Residence Course was an opportunity to move from the traditional classroom-based instructional model to one that immersed students in the real-world of policy research and advocacy. Taking its lead from international courses in which students spend 1-2 weeks examining social work and experiencing the culture of another country, this course exposed individuals to the work and culture of "policy-wonks" in our nation's capital.
In the first week of June seven graduate students toured ten think tanks and advocacy organizations as the inauguration of the first Washington, DC In-Residence Course. The course, taught by Dr. David Stoesz, acquainted social work students from both VCU campuses as well as the University of Maryland with some of the most prominent policy institutions in the nation's capital. Each day began with a seminar followed by a de-briefing over lunch at venues such as the National Gallery of Art and Union Station, followed by an afternoon seminar and a subsequent de-briefing.
The seminars included such luminaries as,
Alan Houseman, Executive Director of the Center of Law and Social Policy and member of the Obama transition team,
Sarina Fogel, head lobbyist for Families USA who took time off from working Congressional Offices during the debate
on health reform,
MaryLee Allen, long-time analyst and advocate at the Children's Defense Fund,
Sheila Crowley, VCU School of Social Work PhD alumna and recent honoree for her work as chief of the National Low-Income Housing Coalition,
Michele Derr, a researcher at Mathematica Research and a NoVA adjunct instructor,
Ariane Hegewisch, a researcher at the Institute for Women's Policy Research,
Bob Moffitt, lead health care analyst at the Heritage Foundation,
Bob Woodson, social worker and recipient of a MacArthur "genius award" for his work in gang prevention,
Erik Assadourian, analyst at the Worldwatch Institute, and,
Michael Stoop, director of the National Coalition of the Homeless.
During the week's seminars, students reviewed web-sites and read policy monographs in order to dialogue with seminar leaders. Subsequently, students prepared policy logs about specific legislation that animated discussion during the seminars. Students were enthusiastic about this learning opportunity, making such comments as, "informative and mind expanding;" and, "this was an excellent opportunity and it exposed me to another avenue for future employment as a social worker."
As a trial, the course was a decided success and may be offered in the future. If you have questions or suggestions about the course contact David Stoesz at dstoesz@vcu.edu.