UMass iCons Expands Horizons with New Policy Option: Making a Difference via Policies and Strategies for Social Change

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In fall 2023, the UMass iCons Program introduced a new policy option for the 3rd-year “laboratory” requirement. In collaboration with the School of Public Policy (SPP), iCons students were eligible to take SPP 312 – Making a Difference: Policies and Strategies for Social Change. This course provided an opportunity for iCons students to explore policy and societal impact on problems related to the two iCons tracks of Biomedicine/Biosystems or Renewable Energy. This collaboration emphasizes the intersection of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) with policy, paving the way for a diverse generation of change-makers.

In general, the iCons 3 requirement challenges students to prototype solutions in a “lab”-type setting to address real world problems. The new iCons 3 option offered by the School of Public Policy augments other iCons 3 options: ICONS 390BH Integrated Discovery Lab in Biomedicine, ICONS 389H Team-Oriented Lab Discovery in Renewable Energy, and SCHMGMT 508 Alternative Investments.

Dr. Christine Hatch, Associate Director of Academics for iCons, reaffirms the significance of integrating policy studies into the iCons curriculum. "The world's challenges are multifaceted and demand interdisciplinary solutions," she states. "Studying policy equips iCons students with one more critical problem-solving lens to help them make meaningful societal change."

Anna Biondo, a senior iCons student studying Building & Construction Technology who embraced the inaugural run of iCons 3 Policy, echoes the sentiment. "I valued my experience in this [policy] course as it's different from my typical major courses and in true iCons fashion, I worked with non-STEM students and heard their distinct perspectives," said Anna.

Betsy Schmidt, the instructor of SPP 312, emphasizes the benefits for iCons students to engage in policy studies. "iCons students often bring a highly quantitative perspective, which can add value to policy discussions. On the flip side, policy discussions often involve significant gray areas, and this experience can be quite enriching for many iCons students. This collaboration highlights the integral role of policy in driving meaningful societal change."

iCons student teams argued for and against policies such as:

  • Colorado’s market-based approach to reducing climate change—tax credits for electric vehicle purchase and use, industrial facility emissions reduction measures, building energy efficiency improvements, geothermal energy projects, and other electric product usage.
  • A temporary housing project in Portland, Oregon that explored whether it could be adopted or adapted in Boston, MA.
  • A project in Barcelona called “superblocking, which is reclaiming more than half the streets now devoted to cars for mixed-use public spaces, or “superblocks.”
  • A rideshare program at UMass Amherst promoted by the UMass Clean Energy Extension. Students advocated adopting a program similar to Green Raiteros, a rideshare program offered in Huron, CA, where low-income and elderly citizens lack adequate transportation.

The pilot collaboration with the School of Public Policy marks a pivotal moment in the UMass iCons Program, positioning the program to begin accepting SPP majors alongside STEM and business majors to iCons.