HSE 330 Short Paper Guidelines and Rubric
You will submit a short paper after choosing a human services issue that you think needs more advocacy (either from your researched information or a new issue). Make sure you define the issue and discuss how you would begin to advocate for the issue. Be certain to discuss the importance of the issue and include background history.
You will identify a new advocacy issue that defines and discusses the importance of the issue, while including pertinent historical background. Explore how this issue may positively impact your community or society as a whole, and explain how the issue might negatively be interpreted if education and proper communication is not conveyed in a timely manner. Identify communication strategies that could mitigate negative consequences.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
• Has this new advocacy issue been identified before? If so, why was it unsuccessful? If not identified before, provide an analysis of why this new advocacy
issue should be recommended for legislative action. What common factors might interfere with implementation of a new legislative policy? Describe the challenges of enacting policy that might impede the desired social change. How might social and political factors impact the newly identified legislation? What economic matters need to be considered before submitting this advocacy issue for legislation? Provide examples to support your assertions.
• What legal or ethical issues might impact this newly identified legislation? How might beneficiaries be affected by the implementation of this legislation? Explain your answer and provide examples.
• What communication strategies might be effective in educating beneficiaries who are impacted by the legislation? What political challenges might you experience when utilizing these communication strategies?
Guidelines for Submission: Your short paper must be submitted as a one- to two-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and at least three sources cited in APA format.
Critical Elements
Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Desired Social Change
Meets “Proficient” criteria and supports explanation with clear and relevant examples using scholarly research when appropriate
Describes challenges that might impede desired social change after identifying a new advocacy issue and supports claims with evidence
Describes challenges that might impede desired social change after identifying a new advocacy issue, but challenges are not connected to the issue or are not supported with evidence
Does not describe challenges related to identified advocacy issue and desired social change
22
Social, Political, and Economic
Factors
Meets “Proficient” criteria and supports explanation with clear and relevant examples using scholarly research when appropriate
Examines social, political, and economic factors considered before submission to legislators and explains answer and provides examples
Examines social, political, and economic factors considered before submission to legislators but factors and matters are incorrect or lack supporting examples
Does not examine social, political, and economic factors and does not explain answer or provide examples
22
Legal and Ethical Issues
Meets “Proficient” criteria and supports explanation with clear and relevant examples using scholarly research when appropriate
Identifies legal and ethical issues that impact the newly identified legislation, indicating how beneficiaries are affected, with explanations and examples
Identifies legal and ethical issues that impact the newly identified legislation, indicating how beneficiaries are affected, but with no explanations or examples
Does not identify legal and ethical issues
22
Communication Strategies
Meets “Proficient” criteria and supports explanation with clear and relevant examples using scholarly research when appropriate
Identifies effective communication strategies for educating beneficiaries of the newly identified legislation and identifies political challenges
Identifies effective communication strategies for educating beneficiaries of the newly identified legislation but provides no political challenges
Does not identify communication strategies
22
Articulation of Response
Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy-to-read format
Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization
Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas
Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas
12
Earned Total 100%
