FRANK BATTEN SCHOOL of LEADERSHIP AND PUBLIC POLICY
3 New Hires & Core Faculty 5 Psychology for Leadership 6 Morality and Politics 9 Growing by Degrees
Batten Reports August 2012
“to define and articulate
Leadership is the ability
a viable strategic vision for an organization, and then mobilize the various resources needed to attain, or at least
Dean’s Message
Faculty Focus
The Challenge of Change
New Hires
Now, more than ever, the world needs a new kind of policy leader
Starting Fall 2012
At the Batten School, we focus on how leadership works and what actions lead to tangible results, offering an extensive set of analysis, advocacy, and coalition building skills. Students engage in experiential learning through field experiences, capstone projects for real-world clients, rapid turn-around assignments, and simulations created by the policy experts who lead our faculty
This upcoming academic year, four new faculty members will join the Batten School: they will be teaching in economics, one in education policy, and one in organizational leadership. Their research examines a broad range of topics including early childhood education, the political economy of pollution in developing countries, the effectiveness of criminal justice measures, and the intricacies of hierarchical organizations.
Policy is everywhere
Leading from anywhere
The range of issues that public policy encompasses is growing ever larger, to include problems such as climate change and terrorism that were not even on the agenda when the first public policy schools were created in the 1960s. We expect our students to seek out emerging policy challenges that may not be in the headlines, or even in our curriculum, and to pursue them using the analytic tools that we teach at the Batten School.
As our students explore the opportunities for leadership in different kinds of organizations, we seek to help them understand that, although they can lead from anywhere, they may have to do so in very different ways. Courses rooted in social psychology and practical experiences train our students that leadership is inherently contextual. Leadership is not a “one size fits all” concept. Rather, it must be tailored to the specific context in which it is being exercised.
The channels through which policymakers address 21st century issues vary. We task our students with critically examining which issues will benefit from government intervention, and which issues are better advanced by other actors, including non-governmental organizations and private sector leaders.
At the Batten School, our joint focus on policy and leadership permeates our curriculum and shapes our purpose. We’re reinventing the Master of Public Policy degree, pioneering undergraduate policy and leadership studies, and creating a new school that makes the most of the realities and possibilities of transformative challenges. ■
advance, the objectives
”
contained in that vision.
BATTEN REPORTS . AUGUST 2012 F R A N K B AT T E N S C H O O L
First three years of recruitment yield impressive faculty
EILEEN CHOU
JENNIFER DOLEAC
Assistant Professor of Public Policy PhD, Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Business
Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics PhD, Stanford University
Chou’s teaching and research focuses on conflicts and cooperation at the intrapersonal (such as emotional experiences and self-control), interpersonal (such as trust and signaling), and intergroup (such as functional hierarchy) levels. She is especially interested in how formal control systems, such as contracts, drive and regulate mental, social, and organizational life.
MOLLY LIPSCOMB Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics PhD, University of Colorado, Boulder
Lipscomb has previously taught at Notre Dame, and prior to her PhD studies, served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mauritania. Her research expertise is in environmental and development economics. In one project on the political economy of water pollution in Brazil, she found that decentralization policies promoted by governments and NGOs can have negative externalities for residents, in that upstream jurisdictions have little interest in controlling pollution that primarily affects their neighbors downstream.
Harry Harding joined the Batten School in 2009 as its founding dean. His previous positions include faculty appointments at Swarthmore College, Stanford University, Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy Studies Program at the Brookings Institution, Dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University, and Director of Research and Analysis at Eurasia Group.
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Batten Builds Core Faculty
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Doleac is particular interested in the economic analysis of crime. She has researched how the use of DNA databases affects criminal behavior, demonstrating that DNA databases lead to extremely cost-effective reductions in crime. Her dissertation used highly original data from Craigslist to examine whether there was measurable discrimination against blacks in online transactions, showing that blacks receive fewer purchase offers and are less trusted than whites. Before completing her PhD, she worked as a research analyst at the Brookings Institution and the Congressional Budget Office.
CHLOE GIBBS Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Education PhD, University of Chicago, Harris School of Public Policy
Effective leaders do not simply make persuasive arguments. They frame the debate. —Eric Patashnik,
Professor of Public Policy and Politics
In its first three years of faculty recruitment, the Batten School has successfully attracted some of the brightest scholars of public policy and leadership, including 12 tenure-track faculty members in politics, economics, and psychology— seven assistant professors and three full professors. Their research agendas range from “issue framing” in the U.S. and the European Union to the effectiveness of Head Start. Batten’s first faculty not only have stellar academic records, they have a keen interest in translating their research into policy action. In addition to the tenure-line faculty, the School recruited three faculty members focusing on the practice of public policymaking, who bring decades of experience in policy organizations to the classroom. Batten’s faculty make-up celebrates the intersection of academia and action. Their backgrounds are diverse, but they share a passion for educating enlightened and ethical leaders who can emerge as well-equipped policy advocates. ■
Gibbs’ research interests are in the economics of education and child and family policy. Her research is providing insights into what early childhood investments are most likely to improve the life chances of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. In her dissertation research, she used innovative experimental and quasiexperimental methods to study the impact of full-day kindergarten.
FRANK BATTEN SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP AND PUBLIC POLICY
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BATTEN FACULTY
Faculty Profiles
Richard Bonnie Professor of Law and Public Policy LLB, University of Virginia School of Law
Jeanine Braithwaite
HARRY HARDING
Professor of Public Policy PhD (economics), Duke University
What are the prospects for U.S.-China relations? How can the two countries best promote the stable and cooperative relationship they both say they want?
David Breneman
U.S.-China relations have become increasingly resilient in recent years but are still characterized by a blend of competition, and occasional confrontation. Moreover, each aspect of the relationship is troubled. The two sides have not developed effective rules to govern their economic and security competition. Cooperation appears limited and unenthusiastic, rather than active, wide-ranging, and productive. Differences on small issues tend to escalate into a broader confrontation, without adequate crisismanagement mechanisms. Harding suggests ways in which the two governments can reduce mistrust and increase the stability and predictability of their relationship, even while acknowledging that it will remain complex and unsettled.
CHRISTINE MAHONEY
Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, University Professor and Professor of Education and Public Policy PhD (economics), University of California, Berkeley
James Childress University Professor and Professor of Religious Studies and Public Policy PhD (religious studies), Yale University
Eileen Chou Assistant Professor of Public Policy PhD (management and organizations), Northwestern University Kellogg School of Business
Benjamin Converse Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Psychology PhD (managerial and organizational behavior), University of Chicago Booth School of Business
With no votes, no money, and almost no power, how can international advocates get the plight of people on the frontlines into the headlines?
Jennifer Doleac
Mahoney is currently focusing on two large projects. The first looks at global advocacy on behalf of the displaced, studying how organizations at multiple levels of governance attempt to fight for the right of those forced to flee their homelands due to ethnic and political violence. The second is a National Science Foundation funded project using computer-automated content analysis to better understand what types of political frames are successful in shifting public policy debates. How did the evocative term “death panels” impact the health care reform debate? Does it make any difference in public opinion if we talk about the “estate tax” versus the “death tax”? The two-year NSF grant is the first major research grant awarded to a Batten School faculty member.
Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics PhD (economics), Stanford University
Leora Friedberg Associate Professor of Economics and Public Policy PhD (economics), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Chloe Gibbs Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Education PhD (public policy), University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy
Harry Harding CHRISTOPHER RUHM
Dean and Professor of Public Policy and Politics PhD (political science), Stanford University
How do governments choose policies that promote good health while maintaining freedom of choice and financial viability?
Frederick Hitz
Good health does not just happen. It is “produced” by a combination of genetics, lifestyle and medical care. What’s the magical combination? That’s what Ruhm’s research looks at. His recent research has focused on examining how various aspects of health are produced—including the rise in obesity and relationship between macroeconomic conditions and health—and on the role of government policies in helping parents with young children balance the competing needs of work and family life. His earlier research includes studies of the determinants of health and risky behaviors, effects of job displacements and mandated employment benefits, transitions into retirement, and the causes and consequences of alcohol and illegal drug policies. Ruhm is affiliated with the newly formed Center for Health Policy, a joint program of Batten with U.Va.’s Department of Public Health Services and School of Medicine.
Adjunct Professor of Public Policy JD, Harvard Law School
Charles Holt Professor of Economics and Public Policy PhD (economics), Carnegie Mellon University
Mark Kleiman Visiting Professor of Public Policy PhD (public policy), Harvard Kennedy School
David Leblang Professor of Politics and Public Policy PhD (political science), Vanderbilt University
Molly Lipscomb Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics PhD (economics), University of Colorado, Boulder
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BATTEN REPORTS . AUGUST 2012 F R A N K B AT T E N S C H O O L
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Psychology for Leadership
Christine Mahoney Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Politics PhD (political science), The Pennsylvania State University
Guian McKee Associate Professor, Miller Center of Public Affairs, and Associate Professor of Public Policy PhD (American history), University of California, Berkeley
Edgar Olsen Professor of Economics and Public Policy PhD (economics), Rice University
Eric Patashnik Professor of Public Policy and Politics PhD (political science), University of California, Berkeley
Margaret Foster Riley Professor of Law and Public Policy JD, Columbia University School of Law
Christopher Ruhm Professor of Public Policy and Economics PhD (economics), University of California, Berkeley
Raymond Scheppach Professor of the Practice of Public Policy PhD (economics), University of Connecticut
Herman Schwartz Professor of Politics and Public Policy PhD (political science), Cornell University
William Shobe Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Studies and Professor of Public Policy PhD (economics), University of Minnesota
Sophie Trawalter Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Psychology PhD (psychological and brain sciences), Dartmouth College
Craig Volden Professor of Public Policy and Politics PhD (political economy), Stanford University
Gerald Warburg Assistant Dean for External Affairs and Professor of Public Policy MA (political science), Stanford University
Andrew Wicks Professor of Business Administration and Public Policy PhD (religious ethics), University of Virginia
Jim Wyckoff Professor of Education and Public Policy and Director of the Center for Education Policy and Workforce Competitiveness PhD (economics), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
W
hile relatively few public policy schools emphasize psychological analysis in their curricula, the Batten School uses psychology to explain the behavioral foundations of effective leadership and the requirements of sound public policy. “Social psychology is at the core of the Batten School approach,” says Ben Converse, assistant professor of public policy and psychology, “It drives us to ask scientifically rigorous questions about decision-making, leadership, motivation, and organizational dynamics.” Indeed, courses focused on psychology at the Batten School have quickly become some of the School’s most popular. “Psychology for Leadership” is a required course that provides students with a toolkit of conceptual knowledge and gives them a better understanding of what determines behavior and decision-making. Electives include “Wise Interventions: Social Psychology for Public Policy,” and “Leading and Managing Diverse Groups.” In “Wise Interventions,” students organize a poster fair at the conclusion of the semester to display their final projects—research proposals based on the prompt: “use insights from social psychology to improve human welfare.”
We choose, initiate, and pursue goals in a social world—how and when do social relationships facilitate, or hinder, our pursuit of important goals? — Ben Converse
“They tackled important challenges: social disparities in the health care, education, justice and political systems, coal use and clean air—the list goes on,” said instructor Sophie Trawalter, assistant professor of public policy and psychology. “Social psychology can provide a useful perspective for understanding, predicting, and even changing—and improving—behavior.” Trawalter studies how people navigate social diversity, including racial, ethnic, and class diversity. Building on previous research that social interactions among members of different ethnic and racial groups are often stressful, she studies the strategies people use to cope with this stress, how some people thrive in such situations, and how to best help people reduce stress and develop competency. Converse’s research focus is the psychology of judgment and decision-making. His research investigates basic psychological processes—such as motivation and social judgment—that have critical implications for management, leadership, and policy. His research aims to contribute to a better “choice architecture” that can help people to make beneficial decisions. ■
FRANK BATTEN SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP AND PUBLIC POLICY
How can we reduce racial disparities when so many Americans profess not to notice or even see race? — Sophie Trawalter
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CONFERENCE ON LEADERSHIP AND PUBLIC POLICY
Morality and Politics
October 20 – 21, 2011
The Challenge of Public Policymaking in Righteous Times
Around Grounds
Keynote Address On Leadership U.S. Senator Jim Webb (VA)
U
David Brooks & Jonathan Haidt
The book outlines Haidt’s groundbreaking research into the foundations of moral psychology, much of which is based on research done through his team’s YourMorals.org website. As a result, Haidt has categorized moral intuitions into six broad categories— each of which, he theorizes, has evolved to serve a specific purpose vital to human life. Toward the end of the book, Haidt explains how humans evolved a dual nature that includes selfish striving and a nobler “groupishness.” “Morality binds us into ideological teams that fight each other…. It blinds us to the fact that each team is composed of good people who have something to say,” he said.
“Bottom line: leadership makes a difference,” Webb said. “Calling out places that our society needs improvement, and sticking with it, can have an impact. You adapt, you persist, and over time—not always, but in general— over time you will find a way to succeed.”
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Partnering for the Future: How Innovative Leadership Can Bring About Transformative Change in Global Development Nicole Bates
The Limitations and Possibilities of Transformational Leadership
in Citizen Leadership to Jessica Tuchman Mathews, president
architecture, and law. They are presented jointly on April 13— Jefferson’s birthday—by the relevant University schools and the Foundation. “The medal honors private citizens who have exercised leadership in the public arena in a non-governmental capacity,”
Bruce Miroff SUNY Albany
is through America’s vibrant network of organizations that engage
Stephen Skowronek
in research and advocacy on various areas of public policy.” Mathews
Yale University Moderated by Batten Professor
detailed her experiences leading the Carnegie Endowment at a
Eric Patashnik
public address at the Batten School on “Think Tanks and NGOs:
The New Science of Leadership: Judgment, Negotiation, and Decision-Making
Best Practices for International Policy Advocates.” “The medal honors private citizens who have exercised leadership
Hannah Riley Bowles
in the public arena in a non-governmental capacity,” Harry
Harvard Kennedy School of Government
Harding said. In 2011, the first year the Batten School co-awarded
Francesca Gino
the citizen leadership medal, the Foundation award went to
UCLA Anderson School of Management Moderated by Batten Assistant Professor
Benjamin Converse
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he Batten School welcomed the 2012 Thomas Jefferson Medal
Dean Harding said. “One of the most important ways they can do so
Noah Goldstein
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Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Citizen Leadership
Jefferson Foundation awards medals annually in citizen leadership,
President, InterAction
PUBLIC POLICY
Pete Peterson founder of his eponymous foundation, and former U.S. secretary of commerce.
“Balancing State and National Agendas” with Paul Reagan, Chief of Staff to Senator Jim Webb (VA)
Eric Cantor
Sam Worthington
Harvard Business School
OF
Jessica Tuchman Mathews
of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The Thomas
Christine Mahoney
He ended his remarks on a lighthearted, but cautionary, note. “What you believe is less important than how you believe it. If you enter any belief with a sense of contingency, no matter what foundation you believe in, you will probably be a good player in the public space.” ■
“Congressional Rulemaking” with Kevin Kayes, formerly Chief Counsel to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
Senior Program Officer, Global Health Policy and Advocacy, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Moderated by Batten Assistant Professor
“As a conservative, it makes you feel understood,” Brooks said, “and feeling understood is the greatest pleasure in the world.” He praised how the book reinforces the importance of emotion, social connections and moral sentiments, and brings moral sentiments to the center of how we think about public policy and politics. Brooks also had a few criticisms, suggesting Haidt takes too narrow a view of religion. Brooks explained that his skepticism about the limits of human knowledge made him wary of Haidt’s efforts to define a universal system of moral foundations.
BATTEN REPORTS . AUGUST 2012 F R A N K B AT T E N S C H O O L
Congress 101 Speaker Series
“It’s a very, very difficult time right now” for political leaders, he said. “We really need to have clear, honest discussions about where things are broken and how to fix them.
Haidt’s book provides “a proper perspective to see the foundational things that shape politics, and shafts of insight into what’s going on, how our moral drives are dividing us,” said Brooks.
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SPRING 2012 EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Senator Jim Webb gave the keynote address to the conference, on Friday, October 21, 2011. He spoke about leadership in the current U.S. political climate.
niversity of Virginia professor Jonathan Haidt recently returned to Grounds from a visiting professorship in New York to discuss his new book, “The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion,” in a friendly debate with New York Times op-ed columnist David Brooks, moderated by Batten professor of public policy and politics, Eric Patashnik.
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Class of 2012 Batten Council Speaker House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (VA) U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Eric Cantor was the Class of 2012 Batten Council Speaker, the third speaker in the series which brings to Grounds “individuals whose life or career showcases leadership in the public policy arena.” The series has previously hosted the late Ted Sorensen, President John F. Kennedy’s speechwriter and counselor; and retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Cantor emphasized strong leadership, innovation and creating new businesses as three keys to getting the American economy into better shape, and to America competing successfully in a world economy with fast-rising economic forces such as China and India. America needs strong leadership now as much as ever, he said. Cantor applauded the Batten School’s focus on transformational change. “When we’re involved in policy discussion, it can be very difficult to even imagine the type of transformational change necessary to lead us out of what seems to be an insurmountable problem.” ■
FRANK BATTEN SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP AND PUBLIC POLICY
“National Security Oversight” with Thomas Fingar, first deputy director of national intelligence for analysis and former chairman of the National Intelligence Council
Virginia Policy Review Energy Policy Forum Opening Keynote
“Energy Policy: One Grand Challenge” Linda Stuntz, Principal Partner, Stuntz, Davis & Staffier, P.C.
Point, Counterpoint: Uranium Mining in Virginia Cale Jaffe, Senior Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center
Patrick Wales, Project Manager, Virginia Uranium
Nuclear Energy in America: A Prospective from a Practitioner & Policy Maker Chad Boyer, American Nuclear Society Congressional Fellow
Taxonomy and Policy of Unconventional Oil Deborah Gordon, Nonresident Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Global Trends in Renewable Energy Innovation Mike Lenox, Associate Dean & Director, Batten Institute at the Darden School of Business
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BA Offers Co-Curricular Opportunities
They Practice What They Teach At the Batten School several faculty bring rich, professional experiences to the classroom. These “professors of practice” teach applied elective courses and supervise student groups in the two-part policy analysis sequence. The sequence consists of a first-year, team-based analysis and a second-year individual capstone project which both ask students to work with real-world clients to analyze a public policy problem and craft implementable solutions.
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n fall 2012, the Batten School will welcome its first cohort of BA candidates in public policy and leadership. This new degree is rooted in the liberal arts tradition, and includes a pre-professional curriculum designed for students interested in further careers in policy, law, business, medicine, or just in being engaged and informed citizens. The curriculum includes courses on the foundations of public policy and leadership, the economic tools of policy analysis, the political, psychological, and historical contexts of policy, and a team-based capstone seminar in which students will prepare a professional quality report assessing a timely issue in public policy or leadership. The curriculum also includes a one-credit writing lab for students to develop their skills in effective written communication, and special topics credits for students to explore areas of interest. “This is a multi-disciplinary degree. Students will consider important problems from multiple perspectives and angles,” said Eric Patashnik, professor of public policy and politics. In addition to a strong curriculum, students will participate in co-curricular seminar series, leadership and policy retreats, and benefit from first-rate career and student services. “The Batten School’s bachelor of arts in public policy and leadership will appeal to the many undergraduates at U.Va. who are passionate about public service, who enjoy hands-on research and multidisciplinary learning, and who would like to gain a better understanding of the major public policy challenges facing the nation and the world today,” said John Simon, U.Va.’s executive vice-president and provost.
Growing by degrees Inaugural class of post-graduate MPP candidates completes first year at Batten; Batten launches five new dual degree programs
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his spring, students in the inaugural cohort of Batten’s post-graduate MPP program completed their first-year coursework and began summer internships across the globe. Until the 2011–12 academic year, all Batten MPP candidates were accelerated students from the University undergraduates; however last fall 22 students joined the program, representing 10 states with undergraduate degrees from 17 schools and an average of four years of post-graduate work experience.
Practitioners’ elective courses are rooted in experience—in Gerry Warburg’s course “Congress 101: Leadership Strategies,” students spend a day on Capitol Hill, meeting with Congressional representatives and staffers, gaining insight into the tactics, insider lingo, and legislative procedures. Ray Scheppach brought his “Federal and State Budgeting” class to Washington, D.C. for meetings at the Congressional Budget Office, discussing policy in real-time in relation to students’ class studies. Outside of the formal classroom, faculty members engage with students in a multitude of professional development experiences. Jeanine Braithwaite regularly takes students on research visits to developing nations in Africa—recent sites include Swaziland, South Africa, and Botswana. She also leads a weekly research group on development, working with her colleagues at the World Bank. ■
The program has enrolled 50 students for its first year; eventually the program will enroll up to 75 students per graduating year. ■
“As you can imagine, the people who were attracted to this inaugural class shared a bit of a pioneering spirit,” said Howard Hoege, Batten’s director of admissions. “I genuinely believe that much of the class chose Batten because they believe in the vision of this school and wanted to play a role in building its growing legacy.” With the launch of the first post-graduate MPP class, the Batten School simultaneously
We have entered a new era in history—a global era shaped by closer connections between business and government. It’s critical that the future generation of leaders be able to analyze issues from the perspective of both. —Robert F. Bruner Dean, Darden School of Business, discussing the MPP/MBA dual degree program
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established five new dual degree programs with other University schools: an MPP/JD with the School of Law, an MPP/MBA with the Darden School of Business, an MPP/MPH with the Department of Public Health Sciences in the School of Medicine, an MPP/Master of Urban and Environmental Planning with the School of Architecture, and an MPP/PhD in Education Policy with the Curry School of Education. These partnerships will provide students the oportunity to pursue two degrees together in less time than it would take them to complete each degree seperately. Generally, students spend their first two years completing the first-year curriculum of each school, and in the subsequent years complete the course requirements for both schools. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of public policy, often required classes in the partner school qualify for elective credits toward the MPP. ■
FRANK BATTEN SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP AND PUBLIC POLICY
Student Profiles Max West Batten class of 2013, post-graduate MPP candidate Undergraduate institution: Yale University
Before joining Batten, Max spent two years in China, where he taught English as a Yale-China teaching fellow. He then returned to Washington, D.C., working on Chinese human rights issues for an international human rights NGO for two and a half years. Max is interested in studying the development and implementation of U.S. foreign policy, particularly with regard to China.
Why I chose Batten: “There aren’t many opportunities in life to get in on the ground floor of a program like the Batten School. The chance to play an active role in the growth and development of this school has made the MPP program much more than a set of courses and requirements.”
Addie Bryant Batten class of 2013, post-graduate MPP candidate Undergraduate institution: University of Texas at Austin
Prior to joining Batten, Addie served in the Peace Corps in El Salvador and as an Americorps VISTA volunteer in East Los Angeles public housing. She is interested in U.S. immigration policy, and is a recipient of the Bocock and Hitz Public Service Fellowship, which provides need-based scholarships for students pursuing studies leading to careers in public service. At Batten, she is the editorin-chief of the Virginia Policy Review (VPR), and organized the first VPR forum this spring on energy policy issues.
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Prepared for Public Life Class of 2012 Profiles
A New Kind of Leader THE UNIVERSITY OF
PUBLISHED BY THE U.VA. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
MAGAZINE
Lilly Frost Batten class of 2012, accelerated BA/MPP program U.Va. undergraduate majors Political and Social Thought, Foreign Affairs
Lilly is nearly fluent in Arabic after five years of study and spending a total of 16 weeks during her five years at U.Va. in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and Turkey. Her study abroad and scholarship-funded research formed the basis of her undergraduate and MPP thesis projects. As chair of the Week in Review group—based in the Batten School, but open to all students—Lilly convened weekly student discussions of current international events. Starting this winter, she will serve as a consultant to the World Bank division focused on the Middle East, assessing the social safety nets in seven Persian Gulf Countries.
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he MPP curriculum instills four distinctive elements into the traditional study of policy analysis: a focus on leadership skills; a multidisciplinary perspective on the evolving context of public policy; attention to the role of psychological and non-rational factors in decision-making and group behavior; and a fully realized commitment to experiential learning through hands–on projects, policy simulations, and field experiences. As a result, the Batten School produces leaders who can do more than draft analyses. Batten students learn to lead wherever their talents and passions take them: in domestic and international arenas, in nonprofit organizations and business, and in every branch of government. The core curriculum consists of 12 required Batten School courses on the concepts and tools of problem-solving and policy analysis, on leadership, on the context of public policy, and on applied, experiential learning. In addition to core courses, students are required to take four electives, which give students an opportunity to gain substantive expertise in their areas of policy interest. The Batten School is proud of the many accomplishments of its first graduating classes. Their post-graduate employment records indicate diverse interests, and affirm the fact that the Batten School truly trains students to lead from anywhere.
Batten School takes hands-on approach to develop ‘challengers of the status quo’
Spring 2012
WRAPPED IN MYSTERY STUDENT SOCIETIES AT U.VA.
JEFFERSON’S SECRET BIBLE PLUS How the Batten School Builds Leaders Seven Billion People: Exploring the Boom
Reprinted by permission
University of Virginia Magazine Spring 2012 by Emma Rathbone photography by Stephanie Gross and Don Hamerman
The offices on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., are eerily quiet on this Friday in April. The deadline for a deal that would dismantle a budget stalemate and avert a federal government shutdown is fast approaching, and 15 University of Virginia graduate students are getting a rare view into the inner workings of government. “You could feel the tension,” says Anna Mohan (Col ’11, Batten ’12). “All the congressmen were sort of milling about, and you could tell they didn’t really know what to do.” The students, all degree candidates in U.Va.’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, were there on a field trip for their “Congress 101: Leadership Strategies” class. Immersion into the “real world” is an integral part of the school’s philosophy, and they originally were scheduled to meet with U.S. senators and representatives. Instead of cramped congressional offices, they found themselves with an expansive view of the Mall as they stood in the conference room of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., while the congressman’s chief of staff, between phone calls, fielded their questions and explained what was going on. “The whole country was watching what was happening in the Capitol Building,” says Gerald Warburg, the class’s professor. “And we were in the Capitol Building.” A deal would be reached later that day, and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, would announce it that night. But for Mohan, the trip was illuminating in an unexpected way. “When it came down to a situation where the government was really in a bind, it was just a bunch of people in a room trying to figure things out,” she says. “It occurred to me just how powerful leadership is.”
Breanna Gray Batten class of 2012, accelerated BA/MPP program U.Va. undergraduate majors: Foreign Affairs; French
As an undergraduate, Breanna studied abroad in Morocco and served as a Federal Service Student Ambassador. In spring 2011, Breanna collaborated with Batten and the Partnership for Public Service to organize the first “’Hoos for Public Service Week.” She currently works at the Department of Homeland Security where she previously interned.
What public service means to me: “U.Va. is all about building people of character to make a concrete difference in the world. Many students at prestigious universities are drawn to jobs in the private sector, but...perhaps we can inspire the right people to pursue leadership positions with wide reaching impact in public service.”
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New! Formation of Batten Alumni Advisory Council The inaugural Batten Alumni Advisory Council, or BAAC, will hold its first meeting in conjunction with Homecoming 2012, October 12–13. Jill Rockwell, assistant dean for student and career services, will be collaborating with the Council, the purpose of which she says is twofold: to promote alumni engagement and participation in Batten School student and alumni events, and to serve as a sounding board for the Batten School administration. BAAC members will be responsible for such initiatives as career and social networking, alumni awards and recognition, fundraising, and reunions. Earlier this year, Brenan Richards, MPP ’09, approached the Batten School administration about ways in which she and her classmates could stay better connected with the school, and she has agreed to serve as the inaugural chair of the Council before elections can be held this fall. All alumni were sent an online application in July; if you are interested in learning more about the BAAC, contact Assistant Dean Rockwell at jill.rockwell@virginia.edu.
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Savvy, skills and experience The Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, established in 2007 and the first new school to be created at U.Va. since the 1950s, was formed at the intersection of two trends—a public policy field largely stuck in the Great Society model of the 1960s, and a country beset by political brinkmanship, shutdown threats and partisan acrimony. “We’re forward-looking,” says Warburg, professor of public policy. “We’re facing the problems of the 21st century. We’re teaching people to be change agents, challengers of the status quo dedicated to making their communities better.” So the Batten School was created with an ambitious goal: to create a new kind of leader. The Batten School offers the policy analysis education found at typical public policy schools, but two key factors set the school apart—developing the tools students will need to effectively advocate their positions, combined with insight into how effective leadership works. Batten courses on leadership draw on cutting-edge research into persuasion, motivation and team-building. It’s all about “psychological savvy, analytical skills, and experience,” according to Benjamin Converse. He’s an assistant professor of public policy and psychology and teaches a class on the psychology of leadership, as well as one on negotiation strategies. In both, he helps students build intuition about the underlying processes of leadership. “It’s not necessarily about standing on a soapbox and giving a rousing speech,” says Converse. “Rather, how can you set the environment so you influence people in one way or another?” Students examine case studies and psychology theory to determine what about a situation might affect someone’s behavior. He gives the
example of a poorly performing General Motors plant. As an experiment, the employees, who up until that point were focused only on their one particular task on the assembly line, were shown the whole operation of building an automobile. “They gained information about the entire process, and people started to feel more ownership about the project,” says Converse. “It provided meaning to their jobs.” The plant went from being one of the worst performing to one of the best in the country. “It was a simple situational kind of change.” In Converse’s “Strategies and Processes of Negotiations” class, participants learn to navigate the subtleties of negotiation through simulation. The students pair up, and each receives background information on a particular role. One is a buyer, for instance, and one is a seller. Or one plays the part of a union representative, the other of management. The students then go through the process of learning how to hold their own, to ask for more and to learn where they can compromise, as well as what biases may be affecting the proceedings. “Lots of people are squeamish,” says Converse. “This can help them get over that. Students learn how to be more comfortable with the situation, control their emotions and think systematically.” This experience, along with feedback from the negotiator across the table in the simulation, allows participants to parse what worked and what fell short. “You realize that not all negotiations are the same,” says Converse. “Sometimes it pays to be tough, and sometimes it destroys value if you’re not willing to make trade-offs.” They cover conflict resolution and joint problem-solving. Converse talks about the “myth of the fixed pie,” where the mentality of one side might be to take as much as they want or can. However, there are ways, asserts Converse, to build the value of the deal so
Gerald Warburg
Benjamin Converse
there’s more to go around for everyone. “It takes a sophisticated negotiator,” he says, “to recognize what’s possible.”
Inspire and educate “The thing I focus on is training the next generation of civic leaders, and that could mean many different things,” says Christine Mahoney, assistant professor of public policy and politics. She touches on one of the main goals of the Batten School—to prepare students to lead from any sector, public or private. “We don’t necessarily see ourselves as training public officials,” says Harry Harding, dean of the Batten School and professor of public policy and politics. “The mission is to inspire and educate men and women to be active civic leaders in their communities, large or small— from the neighborhood to the world as a whole. We are very explicitly agnostic on the question of where we are training students to work.” Mahoney teaches a number of classes at the Batten School, from “Global Advocacy and Activism” to “Leadership in the Public Arena.” She instills the principle that to be effective agents of change, students must learn how to navigate the evolving landscape of public policy and find innovative approaches to the complex issues of our time. “There are many scholars writing books about environmental and economic collapse,” she says. “It seems like a ripe time to come up with better solutions.” Students study examples of pioneering approaches to old problems, including those in which public and private organizations work together. “There are so many large problems we need to tackle, that government-only solutions are no longer sufficient,” she says. “I emphasize how all policy-making requires a partnership among
the government, non-profits and for-profits. In my seminar, students are teaming up with some of the most innovative antipoverty initiatives in Charlottesville.” Bank On, for instance, is a partner seeking to reduce the number of people without bank accounts, who are therefore susceptible to loan sharks and the exorbitant fees charged by some check-cashing and payday loan businesses. Local governments provide community outreach while banks relax minimum balance requirements and offer small loans at reasonable interest rates, all creating an easier entry point for citizens seeking to start accounts and build financial stability. The Orange Dot project, started in Charlottesville, is another Batten School partner exemplifying collaboration of public and private organizations. It seeks to reduce the number of families living near the poverty line by creating hubs that connect underrepresented local businesses to economic giants like the University of Virginia, and reaching out to potential workers from lower-income families. “It’s exciting for students to see that there are ways around problems that seem intractable,” says Mahoney.
Getting hands dirty Warburg invokes a Latin phrase—non satis scire—in his leadership strategies class. It translates to, “It’s not enough to know.” It’s not enough, in other words, to simply have an education. One of the
fundamental goals of the Batten School is to give the students what Jefferson called “useful knowledge,” hands-on experience they can use later in their own work. “We teach our students how to roll up their sleeves, get their hands dirty, crack open the problems and come up with feasible
Christine Mahoney
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The Batten School launches its bachelor of arts degree in public policy and leadership this fall. Up to 50 students have enrolled in the first class of the program, which will eventually expand to 75 per graduating class. This liberal arts degree within a professional school environment is an excellent choice for students who seek a broad introduction to the identification and management of contemporary societal problems and to the challenges and opportunities of civic leadership.
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solutions,” says Eric Patashnik (Col ’87), associate dean and professor of public policy and politics, who teaches classes on leadership in the public arena and on policy analysis. “Policy analysis is all about solving problems,” he says. “It’s about figuring out why an organization is underperforming or why social objectives are not being met or how we can do better as a society.” Students put their knowledge into practice in a major undertaking during the second year of the two-year program called the Applied Policy Project, or A.P.P. It’s an individual endeavor, where candidates seek out real-world organizations and offer to work as consultants. They analyze a challenge that an organization or community is facing and offer solutions. “It’s a phenomenal opportunity for the students,” says Patashnik. “It really prepares them for future leadership careers.” “It was very useful,” says Chloe Bowser (Col ’10, Batten ’11), who now works as a legislative aide for Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa. She set up her project through an internship at the State Department the previous summer, and she ended up working with someone at the Pakistan desk on expanding economic engagement between that country and the U.S. “Being able to do that deeply analytical work,” she says, “you realize it’s not enough to know the history of the Middle East. You have to be able to write about it in the correct way and think about it in the correct way.” Bowser, who came to the school because of her interest in foreign policy, found herself taking a different track than the one she expected after taking a class on Congress. “When I went to an interview [in D.C.], I knew the lingo, knew what they were looking
for and what I was going to have to know,” she says. “That one class completely changed my path and expectations and career.” Max West (Batten ’13) says he’s looking forward to the A.P.P. “I’m interested in how policy gets made and implemented. The idea that we’re going to be involved in that process in a meaningful way is very exciting to me.” Interested in relations between the U.S. and China after graduating from Yale and working in the People’s Republic of China, West feels like he’s come to the right place to learn how to tackle the complex issues facing the two countries.“There are so many global issues that in our generation are going to hinge on how the U.S. and China handle them,” he says.“Most of us came here because we’re interested in really fundamental problems.”
Shades and subtleties It’s a cold and rainy Tuesday night, and the classroom is lively with chatter. Students in Converse’s “Strategies and Processes of Negotiation” class have just come back from a simulated negotiation in which they were paired off, with one person taking the role of a buyer, one of a seller. Now it’s time for the debriefing, where they reveal how it all unfolded. “Who feels like they did pretty well?” asks Converse. Most students raise their hands. They then discuss the parameters of what makes a good deal. They talk about the “reservation price”—the price a negotiator will not cross and the area within which a deal can be reached— as well as what justifications students used for throwing out a certain number.
“Now that we’ve done some analysis and you know what you could have received, who’s still feeling good about their deal?” Fewer students raise their hands. On a different night, Warburg is assigning roles in his Congress 101 class. He gives House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to a young woman, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to someone else, President Barack Obama to a young man in the back. The scenario involves a congressional conference committee that must pass a spending package by midnight. Warburg asks West, playing the part of Boehner, what his main agenda items would be. “It would be to reclaim our position as defenders of the American people on the issue of lower tax rates,” he says. “I would want the payroll tax extended for a year, the Bush tax cuts extended for as long as feasible. Ultimately, I’m concerned with maintaining my own position.” The student playing House Majority Leader Cantor says, “I think I’m going to try to represent some of the freshman Republicans close to the Tea Party. I think I want the Speaker to feel those pressures.” Warburg then calls on others for their comments. “Remember,” he says, “if those of you playing Democrats criticize the ‘do nothing’ Congress, you’re also criticizing Pelosi [and Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid.” It’s one of many of the shades and subtleties he brings up throughout the class, encouraging students to be aware of all the dynamics at play. “We’re not training you to sit back and be quiet. This is a class to teach you how to be advocates, to understand the power characteristics of Congress,” says Warburg, listing tactical options on the chalkboard while the students take notes. “In 100 days,” he says, “you should be able to go up against the most formidable opponents, and sometimes prevail.”
Frank Batten Sr. A 1950 graduate of the College of Arts & Sciences, Frank Batten Sr. was best known to many as the founder of the Weather Channel and head of Landmark Communications, which he started after acquiring two Virginia newspapers. It was there that he took a stand against segregation through a series of editorials. “He used his newspapers to take a very progressive position on civil rights,” says Dean Harry Harding. As the head of a private corporation, he was “simply revered,” says Harding. He took the time to get to know the people who worked for him and sought their input into firm decisions. Toward the end of his life, he became interested in the idea of a school
Gerry Warburg
benefactor,” says Harding, “but a model of a private sector leader and a public leader.”
gfw2f@virginia.edu, 434.243.1173
of Leadership and Public Policy. It was the largest single gift in the history of U.Va. Batten died Sept. 10, 2009, at the age of 82.
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For more information about Batten, contact our external affairs office:
that taught not just public policy but promoted civic leadership. “He was not only our In 2007, Batten gave the University $100 million to create the Frank Batten School
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he Batten School is housed in the recently renovated Garrett Hall. It was originally designed in 1906 by McKim, Mead & White, the same firm that oversaw the rebuilding of the Rotunda after the 1895 fire along with Old Cabell, Cocke and Rouss halls. The building was originally meant to be a student dining hall. As the University expanded, Newcomb Hall came to house the main dining room and Garrett was renovated to contain the bursar’s office. It has also housed the Office of Career Planning and Placement and staff of the College of Arts & Sciences. The recent renovation restored some of its old grandeur by opening up a second story vestibule to fill the entrance with natural light. The building’s great hall also has been restored to make a large fireplace visible once again. It has retained its original oak paneling and ceiling and is now adorned with five chandeliers, three original and two recent copies. Fitted with audiovisual equipment, it is used as a student lounge and study area as well as an event hall. “The Great Hall is a spectacular interior space that will be used for a variety of public events, both large and small, for the U.Va. community,” says Dean Harry Harding.
Katharine Meyer katharine.meyer@virginia.edu, 434.982.6761
www.batten.virginia.edu
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FRANK BATTEN SCHOOL of LEADERSHIP AND PUBLIC POLICY Garrett Hall 235 McCormick Road Charlottesville, VA 22904
434.982.6761 TEL 434.243.6858 FAX
Gift opportunities As the first new school at the University of Virginia in more than five decades, the Batten School’s remarkable trajectory began with Frank Batten Sr.’s historic founding gift. We invite you to help to build upon that momentum, and help ensure we realize the full potential of Mr. Batten’s vision. There are multiple opportunities to support the Batten School. ......
Student experience Provide scholarship support and internship opportunities. To ensure the most inquisitive and diverse student body, we seek an endowed capacity to support future leaders. Batten seeks resources for paid internship opportunities and for capstone projects—professional-quality studies conducted under faculty supervision by second-year students for real-world clients.
Faculty support Recruit world-class professors, create endowed professorships, and support faculty research. Batten faculty are committed to teaching rigorous analytical skills, understanding of political, social and economic context, and application of leadership best practices to initiate change.
Public Programs and Conferences Support ongoing public speaker series and future academic conferences. Policy is everywhere, and so are leaders. Our students benefit from an impressive public speaker series that invites practitioners to Grounds to share their experiences and ideas.
www.batten.virginia.edu
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