Policy Analysis - Roger Williams University - Essay Example

Policy Analysis Introduction The Roger Williams universally condensed as RWU, is a reserved, coeducational American liberal arts institution of higher learning located on 140 acres (0.57 km2) in Bristol, Rhode Island, right above Mt. Hope Bay. Initiated in 1956, it was christen for theologian and Rhode Island cofounder Roger Williams. The campus has no religious attachment (Gebo and Brend, 2012). The university’s setup dates to 1919, when Northeastern University opened a division campus in the YMCA office block in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1940, the YMCA stakeholders took over the institute and the YMCA Institute approved its first collaboration’s degrees in 1948. In 1956, the Institute established a state charter to become a two-year, degree-granting foundation under the name of Roger Williams Junior College. In the recent days, the University has had plans to implement a rule that targets to eliminate majors with fewer than 25 students. Nevertheless, as a consultant tasked to look in to the issue, there is no need to rush the implementation of its plans. There must be a policy analysis in this case to unfold the idea of solving the problem and provide an evaluation to the decision-making process. Policy analysis involves the determination of a variety of optional policies to attain a given set of objectives in light of the dealings flanked by the objectives or goals and policies. Policy Analysis is normally deploy in the public sector, and to other categories of organizations. Policy examination draws its roots from the analyses, which were introduce by the United States of America Defense Secretary, Robert McNamara during the time of the Vietnam War. In getting the appropriate solutions to the plans of the institution, policy analysis has to follow the guidelines and theories of the Eightfold Path which is a scheme of policy analysis brought together by Eugene Bardach, a lecturer for Public Policy at the Goldman School, the University of California. Bardach’s eight steps process are analyzed below step by step to find the effectiveness and validity of the proposed decision by the top management of Rodger Williams university to scrap it major course programs on grounds of low student enrolment which below the expected number. Defining the Problem Defining the problem entails identifying the obstacles that make it difficult for an individual or an organization attaining his/its goals. To help one define the problem, he must state the challenges, goals together with opportunities that are inherent in the given situation. The tricky part comes in when one confuses symptoms with underlying causes (Bardach, 2012). In the case of Roger Williams University, the problem is the elimination of those majors that do not reach the minimum enrolment levels of more than 25 students. This problem ought to be investigated to establish why the problem occurred, what brought this problem, is it an actual problem or a warning sign, whose problem is it, is the problem worth resolving and will the problem bring further risk if ignored? Some of the examples of the causes of the problem involve, people, resources, the general environment, processes, procedures and rules. Rodger Williams University’s prime objective should be distinct to get the real problem and why the decision elimination of causes with enrolment below 25 students was proposed as the optimal solution to the problem. What was the university trying to achieve by making this particular problem. What if they reverse their decision, what will happen to the University, or what had triggered to the deliberation of this decision (Bardach, 2012)? Assembling Some Information This step involves getting facts right and ascertaining whether the problem defined causes the discomfort envisaged in the organization. The stakeholders who include: individuals, groups, organizations that are affected by the discomfort or its decision are very imperative to get facts and data. The facts and data involve research that will be conduct to get information on the prime problem, results from experimentation and studies are the next factor to assemble the required information (Bardach, 2012). Interviews of skilled persons as well as trusted sources are other areas to assemble data to solve the problem defined in the first step. Assembling of information was done within and outside the university and persons involved in giving out the information about the institution included students, parents of students studying in the college, lecturers and the board of directors subscribed to the institution. The real facts were that students benefited more on the disciplines the university was offering and that scrapping them could be a major bottleneck to other students who could have that passion to start a particular course but because the number of students in that course does not exceed the minimum number required, then his/her dream would be shuttered. The Roger Williams University ought to get all the assembled information to help it deliberate on the final appropriate decision that will be fair and balanced to all parties. For instance, the University offers a variety of majors and a 12 to 1 student per faculty quotient and an average class of 19 sustains the curriculum. Constructing the Alternatives There are many alternatives to solving this problem facing the institution. One of the alternatives is to lower the minimum average number of students required to qualify to pursue major programs in the institution. If this is accomplished then any problem facing the current students as well as the new entrants will be solve amicably. Lowering the entry requirements is another option to avoid the problem defined above. Many students will flood in the college due to average entry requirements, hence helping to eliminate the problem of low student enrolment in the major programs. Therefore, it is evident that, there lies a solution to the current problem other than the proposed management decision (Gaustad, 2005). Either with the recent introduction of the online study program there are chances of increased student enrolment in the major courses. Either the university can engage in rigorous advertising of the majors in the media articulating the various advantages of taking the courses at Rodger Williams University and the like cost benefit advantages to enable all students to who qualify for the majors to have a chance to study the courses of their dreams. The university can also introduce scholarships to qualifiers to help it attract more students who would wish to take up their courses from the university. Selecting the Criteria Selecting the criteria involves the way to go about to achieve the constructed alternatives and this must be done based on the information available in the institution. The information here implies the collected information about the University. The criteria to be select involve many choices that may calm down or eradicate the real problems facing the Rogers Williams University (Bardach, 2012). The University should introduce other means of offering education services. For instance, recently the university introduced the online study program, which we believe will help the institution to reduce the costs of accommodation within the school. Online learning will reduce the costs incurred by the University and at the same time capture a wider catchment area to offer its services. this thus implies higher enrolments can be achieved even in the majors. Either the online system will help the institution reduce the inconveniences faced by outside students who travel from their homes to school by making the university resources available to them at the comfort of their homes hence helping them cut down on their travel expenses. This will thus encourage student enrolment even in the majors (Guess and Paul, 2011). Projecting the Outcomes This step entails what the results will be like if one decision or the other was made. The Roger Williams University should assess what might ensue in the future because of current developments. This is important, as it will enable the top management of the university to define or evaluate the likely ultimate outcomes of their decisions. The projection of the future trends comprises of experts of from the college who can help deliberate and forecast what the college will be like in future. For instance, the introduction of online learning will result to high enrolment of students from different parts of the world hence making the institution a global site in terms of academics. Therefore, elimination of the majors would provide the optimal solution for the Rodger Williams University. By looking at the overall market demand in terms of enrolment into the majors the university wants to scrap, management would be in position to make effective and sound decisions regarding the future of the majors in the market. For instance, if the trend of scraping the majors is being replicated by other universities, then this would present an opportunity to the Rodger Williams University to increase its student enrolment into the majors hence finding an optimal solution to the problem (Gebo and Brend, 2012). Confronting the Trade-offs These refer to the limits or restraints, which are hard to change. They consist of lack of treasuries or other resources. If a solution is delimited by too many restrictions, the constraints themselves may be the tricky. Confronting the trade-offs here implies that the organization is privy to all the bottlenecks that may arise in the process of decision-making. The Roger Williams University is located in the Bristol area and hence it is assumed that all the stakeholders are aware of the minor problems the institutions may be facing concerning the management and operations of the university both at the present and in the future (Gebo and Brend, 2012). For instance, the top management will be required to make decisions while considering the trade-offs while taking into account how they can be control. Endurance through this trade-offs is an imperative factor to be considered as far as decision-making is concerned. Some of the trade-offs that would crop in the University include the elimination of the major faculties offered by the University at the present and the layoff of university lecturers whose faculties will be dispensed with (Byrd, 2002). Deciding This refers to the point where one has to make a decision and deliberate on one choice of option, from the available many alternatives. At this point, one has to choose the most appropriate option. He should speculate or project how this decision will affect him or the organization concerned. In this context, the Roger Williams University has to decide whether it should eliminate those majors that have less than 25 students. However, while making the decision, the management should consider the impact that this decision will have on the entire university, the eternal aspects, and other parties that are privy to the school who can be affected either directly or indirectly by the decisions. Either before making the final decision the top management should consider the future repercussion of eliminating the majors by observing the emerging trends in the field of those majors (Böhm & Anja, 2009). The top management should explore into the available alternatives to find a long lasting solution, which would be suitable to both the lecturers and students who fall victims to the decision. Given the decision is unwelcome and is inappropriate to give an optimal solution to the problem, then management should identify and implement the recommended alternative solutions like vigorous implementation of the online learning platform to increase the number of student enrolment in the major programs. Telling Your Story This refers to how the interested parties will react to the decision that has been made. The reaction may be positive implying that most of those affected are supporting it or it can be negative, which implies that most of the people affected are not supporting the changes resulting from the decision made. In the case of the Roger Williams University, many students were not happy with the decision with plans of eliminating the majors that would have less than 25 students since it would affect their careers and education. This from broad perspective would make university education difficult and expensive because the affected students will have to go looking for other universities elsewhere to complete their education before they join the corporate world (Bell, Howard and Amos, 1988). Either the affected lectures would not be happy with decision of the top management because this decision would make them loose their lifetime careers. Therefore, just like the affected students, they would be force to go elsewhere to find employment. This would further affect their personal developments just like the students. Therefore, top management should consider other alternatives to find a solution to the problem to avoid huge public outcry, which would to some degree result to industrial action from the affected lecturers and intensive demonstrations from the students and other sympathizers. Recommendations The University ought to look at all the available options that will not affect it in a negative way. Sentiments of decision makers, boards or groups, or other powerful sets will be imperative to the accomplishment of the University’s decision. It is important to distinguish the truth, bias, or prejudgment in the opinions. Conventions can be used because they can help save on time in decision-making. Conventions will help provide a wide consulting team on what is best to be done which is in the interest of the management and the students since some things are acknowledge on faith. However, it is worth noting that because of the nature of conventions and their inability to provide a platform for making prediction, the can be risky to be relied upon. In such cases, it is advisable to discard when they are wrong. The Roger Williams University would make a wrong decision to eliminate the majors that have below twenty-five students. If the reactions and data gathered is anything to go by, then it would be impractical since it would be disadvantageous to the students pursuing those majors and also to those lecturers who are teaching those majors. Therefore, all the stakeholders need ought to get back to the drawing board and decide on other alternatives that will have a positive effect the on those parties to be affected. Either elimination of the university’s majors is not the optimal solution to the university’s challenges. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities together with threats facing the university should be looked so that a rational and flexible decision would be made which ultimately will enable the institution make to attain its set goals and objectives in terms of education and other curriculum activities (Abramson, 2004). Conclusion Therefore, from the policy analysis above it is evident that there lie other solutions to finding an answer to the problem rather than the proposed decision by management to eliminate those major programs with less than 25 student enrolments. The introduction of the online platform system for both distant and other regular students for instance seems to shed some light to management of the likely prospects of the system and the chances of it providing a solution to the management dilemma of scraping the major programs with low enrolments. Thus, the either elimination of the university’s majors is not the optimal solution to the university’s challenges. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities together with threats facing the university should be looked so that a rational and flexible decision would be made which ultimately will enable the institution make to attain its set goals and objectives in terms of education and other curriculum activities. Works Cited Abramson, Harold I. Mediation Representation: Advocating in a Problem-Solving Process. South Bend, Ind: National Institute for Trial Advocacy, 2004. Print. Bardach, Eugene. A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem Solving. Los Angeles: Sage, 2012. Print. Bell, David E, Howard Raiffa, and Amos Tversky. Decision Making: Descriptive, Normative, and Prescriptive Interactions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988. Print. Byrd, James P. The Challenges of Roger Williams: Religious Liberty, Violent Persecution, and the Bible. Macon, Ga: Mercer University Press, 2002. Print. Böhm, Anja. The Swot Analysis. München: GRIN Verlag, 2009.Pdf. Gaustad, Edwin S. Roger Williams. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. Internet resource. Gebo, Erika, and Brenda J. Bond. Looking Beyond Suppression: Community Strategies to Reduce Gang Violence. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books, 2012. Print. Guess, George M, and Paul G. Cases in Public Policy Analysis. Washington, D.C: Georgetown University Press, 2011. Pdf. Read More