PLAN 120 Public Engagement: Practice, Theory and Design
Public Engagement: Practice, Theory and Design teaches students to become active agents in civic affairs and effective designers of public engagement processes. This course is concerned with how to analyze and design decision-making processes in local governments, non-profits and businesses that are seeking to receive input from the public. Examples include public hearing processes in local government, priority setting in public and private organizations, or door-knocking advocacy campaigns. The course may be interesting for students considering majors in disciplines in which understanding effective collective decision making is important, including urban planning, journalism, political science, social work, public health and public administration and business. The course also sets the stage for any student to pursue purposeful and meaningful life activities during and after college. In a democracy, each person is endowed with the freedom and responsibility to maintain the good functioning of society, government and the natural and built environments. The purpose of Public Engagement: Practice, Theory and Design is to enable and encourage students to effectively engage with democratic practice.