COLLEGE OF PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY SERVICE — COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION

The CPCS educational program is organized around a competency-based, outcome-oriented curriculum. Students progress through the curriculum by demonstrating their competence in a variety of skill and knowledge areas. A CPCS student who demonstrates a competency is showing the ability “to do” something—to put knowledge and principles into practice.

The competency is the basic unit of academic credit at CPCS. Competencies are defined in competency statements. Each competency statement specifies the particular learning outcomes required. Students may demonstrate a competency through a number of learning options.

Sample Competency Statement

Participation in Government

Rationale: Whether through passage of a new regulation at an agency, a new bill passed by the legislature, a budget allocation, or a court decision—nearly every day government institutions make decisions on issues that impact our lives, our communities, and the well-being of others. Sometimes the decisions are made amid a great deal of publicity and public debate; other times issues are decided with little or no notice. If you are not directly part of the decision-making process, it may be hard to know how or where you can weigh in on issues that are important to you, how you can push an issue forward, or what power you and others who are concerned about the issue may have to impact the decision-making process.

To be active and effective participants in a democracy it is necessary to understand how an issue makes its way to—and through—a decision-making process, to understand the extent and limitations of authority the different branches of our government may have on an issue, and, most importantly, to understand the ways in which you and others can impact the process.

This competency enables students to develop the tools to map out a decision-making process for a particular policy issue or question, the roles and influences of stakeholders and decision-makers, and the ways in which they could or would be able to influence the outcome of the process. They will do so through researching and answering questions like: How do issues move from the background to the forefront of political discussion? Who has a say in how a decision is made? Who has a stake in the decision? What kinds of power do people have in the process and how can they exercise it?

By focusing on a particular issue currently going through a decision-making process, students working on this competency will apply concepts and answer critical questions about democratic decision-making that can be applied to other issues and that will help them become more effective political participants and advocates.
Competency: Can identify and explain the decision-making process for a particular policy issue or question, the roles and influences of stakeholders, interest groups, and decision-makers, and some ways in which one could influence the outcome of the process. Can reflect back on the process and discuss pros and cons of participating in government decision-making.

Criteria:

1. Identify a policy issue currently before a decision-making body in the state or federal system. Summarize the key points of the issue in question and the alternative outcomes being considered.
2. Identify the people and groups who you think have a major stake or interest in the outcome of the decision-making process; for each, describe which position they support, what their interests are, and how you think they will be impacted by the alternative outcomes.
3. Identify all the formal bodies, groups, and strategies at the state or federal level that could influence a decision on this issue. Describe their decision-making authority and how you would influence them.
4. Trace the history of this issue on the policy agenda and give your assessment of why this issue has emerged on this particular decision-making agenda at this point in time. (What is happening on the state and federal levels to influence its emergence?)
5. Identify and describe the body or group that is currently charged with making a decision on this issue and outline the formal steps of the decision-making process.
6. Give your assessment of the decision-making process in terms of what you observed and how you think the democratic process worked in this instance. Include what you found encouraging or discouraging about the process and where you could see yourself engaging as an active participant.

Standards:

1. The policy must be one currently being decided upon or just recently implemented. It should affect large numbers of people and generate controversy. It must be approved by an evaluator. You should present your summary in three to five well-developed paragraphs.
2. For Criterion 2, your discussion should include at least five stakeholders. For each stakeholder describe:
   • its power;
   • its structure;
   • its relationship to the public and other branches of government
   • the qualifications of its members; and
   • how you would access or work with it (if it is not accessible, please discuss).

Present your discussion in two to three well-developed paragraphs on each stakeholder.

3. For Criterion 3, explain what strategies could be used in working with these branches/bodies. These could include:
   • working on an electoral campaign
   • initiating a ballot initiative
   • lobbying, sponsoring a bill
   • taking legal action
   • engaging tactics to influence an administrative office
   • serving as an expert witness or testifying before a legislative committee.

Explain the strategies in a 3- to 5-page essay.

4. For Criterion 4, explain the specific events/factors that brought this issue to the place it is currently at in the decision-making process. Refer to political, social, or economic factors and any related policy issues also being discussed at other levels and branches that provide a context for understanding the emergence of this policy at this time. Present the issue’s history in a 5- to 8-page essay. Describe the decision-making body, its function, structure, and backgrounds of its members. How will it (or did it) actually reach its decision? What was the process? What internal or external factors may (have) influence(d) this? Did all stakeholders have their voices heard? Did the process represent each stakeholder equally?
5. Criteria 2-5 should be addressed together in a 5- to 8-page essay. This essay may be used to demonstrate Criterion 1a of the Writing portion of the Level II Communications Portfolio competency.
6. For Criterion 6, write a 3- to 5-page essay describing your reactions to the process and discussing your feelings about getting involved in decision-making. Were all stakeholders equally represented in the process? What are your thoughts about some of the systemic dilemmas and debates such as those over states rights vs. federal uniformity, whether elected or appointed officials are more accountable to the public, universal entitlements, the pros and cons of interest groups, the role of money, and the power of corporations vs. grassroots individuals or groups. After having looked at the process of policy-making, where could you envision yourself getting involved?

Examples of Demonstration:

1. A student takes a course and completes all the assignments.
2. A student becomes involved with a policy decision that has recently been implemented or is about to be acted upon in the formal decision-making arena. S/he reflects on the issue, the process, and the outcome and, based on readings on formal decision-making, review of media coverage, and personal research (including Internet searches), writes papers that address all the criteria and standards.
3. A student who has worked on legislation for health care coverage in Massachusetts reflects on the issue, the process, and the outcome, refers to relevant readings, and writes papers and delivers oral presentations addressing all the criteria and standards.

A Learning Process That Works for Students

CPCS is committed to meeting students where they are, and helping them get where they want to be. Because the competency systems offers students different options for demonstrating competencies, students have more control in designing an educational plan that works for them within the curricular framework. As part of the entry process, students assess their accomplishments and learning needs to determine the support or leeway they need to get the education they want. Students at a certain level of accomplishment in their fields can build on what they already know to improve their effectiveness. Students who come to the College needing to bolster some of their foundational skills will find the support they need to do so through the competency-based curriculum.