Course Syllabus

Class Meeting: 2:20 – 3:35 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays BH203

Course Description:

An introduction to urban policy issues. Topics include political, social, and economic foundations and development of cities and suburbs; urban planning; poverty; and other selected urban problems

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the semester, students should be able to:

1. Understand facts about cities and concepts of problems within cities and suburbs.
2. Identify one or more urban problems from the given data and explain why they happened from economic, social, political, and cultural backgrounds.
3. Examine how historical federal, state, local, public sector, and private-sector policies and practices have contributed to present-day differences in urban economic and social outcomes.
4. Grasp the nuances and differences between urban and rural problems, as well as understand how these problems are interlinked.
5. Explain how the urban problems would impact society and specify how public policy can solve the issues.
6. Recognize and distinguish formal and reliable sources of data and information.
7. Acknowledge the importance and limitations of data, problem definition, and evidence
8. Learn the most effective way to present data and findings.
9. Identify the information and documents necessary for professional communications for program/project suggestions.

Course Philosophy and Goals

This is an introductory course. Therefore, the goal of the course is not to become a fully informed expert in urban issues. This course aims to open the opportunity to peek into the complexity of urban issues and learn where to start earning knowledge and tools necessary to navigate and find solutions for urban problems.

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Think more like scientists. Scientists, especially social scientists, are people who observe and analyze real-world phenomena and apply academic theories to explain diverse layers, causal relationships, correlations, and patterns behind diverse challenges facing society. Through discussions, readings, case studies, and presentations, students will be able to think about the root causes of urban problems, the social, economic, political, and international factors that contribute to them, and how we might solve them.
• Work more like professionals who work in the real world. Through a mix of lectures, discussions, and interactive activities, we will explore different policy approaches and the role of government and public officials in addressing urban challenges. In doing so, we will work individually and in groups to gather information, calculate the situation, make choices, and evaluate choices made by others.
• Talk more like engaged citizens. Simply attending the lectures should not be the end product. This course aims to provide you with knowledge, skills, and inspiration to become informed and engaged citizens committed to creating more just and equitable communities and making the world a better place.
• Complete a Food pantry assessment to assist the Indy Hunger Network in addressing gaps in the food pantry ecosystem.

Community Engaged Learning - Objectives, Outputs and Outcomes

During the semester, students will work in teams of 4-5 to explore specific census tracts and neighborhoods within the 11-county Indianapolis MSA. Each group of students will individually research the food pantries in their areas. Then, they will analyze how well each food pantry aligns or misaligns with the needs of the community. They can then develop recommendations to make these food pantries more effective at serving the people.

Using a logic model to design this project, the learning objectives, outputs, and outcomes are listed below:

Learning Objectives:

• Students will gain an understanding of civic values, achieve personal growth, and improve their critical thinking skills through community-engaged learning exercises, volunteering, and self-reflection. Students will explain how and why food insecurity is a complex problem by understanding how lack of access to nutritious and healthy foods can lead to health, mental health, and other social issues; they will also articulate responses to address the problem.
• Students will learn how to effectively conduct primary research by interviewing community leaders to discover what solutions exist to combat food insecurity in the Indy area.
• Students will learn how to effectively conduct secondary research by analyzing the various food pantries and their services within the Indianapolis MSA.
• Students will apply critical thinking skills by evaluating different food pantries to identify areas of alignment or misalignment within the communities they serve.

Outputs:

• Students, in teams, will create a (max 12 slides) PPT report, a 2–4-page summary report, and a 1-page profile with any data changes for the Indy Network’s Community Compass.
• In the PPT report, a 2–4-page summary report, and a 1-page profile, students are asked to:
  • Develop a profile of different geographic areas within the 11-county Indianapolis MSA, highlighting varying gaps and addressing various solutions to food insecurity. This will help the Indiana Hunger Network identify the regions within the 11-county Indianapolis MSA with the highest food insecurity.
  • Provide an updated listing of information on food pantries in the Indianapolis and/or Uplands area, including (but not limited to) hours of operation, eligible recipients, visit frequency, and services offered. This will assist the Indiana Hunger Network in updating the Community Compass.
  • Prepare a separate report recommending how local policymakers and government units can collaborate to address food insecurity issues identified through the research.
  • Students will regularly reflect on their active learning and volunteer experiences during the course.

Outcomes:

• Food pantries can better serve and benefit those in greatest need, potentially reducing costs by increasing efficiency and effectiveness.
• This will lead to increased self-usage of food and the development of programs tailored to meet the needs of individuals using the food pantries by engaging with them directly. 

Please note that there is no textbook required for this class. 

However, there is a workbook for the community-engaged learning project, and that can be found here.

Updated: 8/16/2026