Engaging in Public Policy

As the pace of change quickens and the need for informed, responsive policy-making grows, there is a need for faculty to play a more direct and effective role in informed decision-making.  State and local policymakers often find themselves without access to timely, relevant and informed analyses on complex policy issues from an unbiased point of view.

The faculty of North Carolina's institutions of higher education can fill this role by expanding their work beyond the classroom. Who better to inform our leaders than those who have conducted extensive research, understand the challenges of our state and thought about how best to address them?

IEI encourages faculty to utilize their expertise in informing the public policy debate and supports those efforts by offering this guide to engaging in public policy. This section offers guidance on everything from understanding the role faculty can play in public policy to tips on getting a letter to the editor published.

Our state is growing and changing at an unprecedented rate. Now is the time to get involved and make a difference.