CCRE Presents on PolicyLab at 2023 ASPA Conference - Seton Hall University

On March 20, the Center for Community Research and Engagement (CCRE) joined colleges and universities from around the world for the American Society for Public Administration's (ASPA) 2023 Annual Conference. The conference theme this year was "Protecting Democracy for the Next Generation: The Role and Responsibility of Public Administration" and it featured workshops, panel discussions, and roundtable sessions with faculty members and public administration practitioners. ASPA requested workshop proposals that drew on seven key public administration focus areas: good governance and democratic norms; social equity; public service; global challenges; emergency management and public health; environmental sustainability; and technology, infrastructure, and finance, calling attention to the persistent threats confronting democracy. The CCRE took this opportunity to showcase PolicyLab, a research-based entity that was developed to address the misinformation and disinformation surrounding public policy and social justice issues in New Jersey. Throughout the workshop we provided a candid overview of how PolicyLab was developed, the reasons behind its development, explained the strategies we utilized to jumpstart the concept, and shared our vision for PolicyLab's future.

We began by providing background information with respect to PolicyLab's inception, discussing how the pervasive distrust of government, lack of political participation in state and local politics, and the absence of robust civics education programs all contribute to the spread of misinformation and disinformation. The discussion also focused on the role of colleges and universities and the increased demand for experiential learning opportunities – for example, internships/externships, student employment, and research assistantships – that will equip students with marketable job skills. After discussing the factors that pushed the creation of PolicyLab, we transitioned to examining our implementation strategies.

We explained how the CCRE's resourcefulness was, and continues to be, the backbone of our implementation strategy. We emphasized the importance of securing faculty support, offering countless examples of how faculty continue to drive PolicyLab forward by initiating pilot projects, sharing their external resources and subject matter expertise, and infusing PolicyLab projects into their syllabi. We further opined on the importance of building strong community partnerships, holding guest lectures with seasoned practitioners, and creating projects that lead to tangible outcomes and make students feel valued. As the conversation progressed, we expanded upon our decision to focus PolicyLab's efforts on legislation that impacts the greater Newark area, arguing that students will derive optimal value by witnessing change in local communities. Finally, we underscored the significance of working with our Digital Humanities program, which serves as a valuable tool in the fight against misinformation and disinformation. To illustrate the benefit of collaborating with our Digital Humanities program, we introduced the audience to Green Power, PolicyLab's signature project that launched in 2022 in response to the misinformation surrounding food deserts and food insecurity in Newark, New Jersey. The presentation concluded with a conversation about PolicyLab's upcoming projects, anticipated outcomes, and our plan of action for the coming years.

Our workshop was titled "PolicyLab: Countering Misinformation through Experiential Learning" and was moderated by Timothy Hoffman and presented by Joseph Pastino.

For more information about CCRE, contact Timothy Hoffman at [email protected]

For more information about PolicyLab, contact Joseph Pastino at [email protected]

For more information about Digital Humanities, contact Dr. Mary Balkun at [email protected]

Categories: Research