Public Policy Initiative Endorsements

“The idea of working with Wikimedia Foundation to integrate wiki page development into my policy analysis course is novel and potentially powerful. The approach has the advantages of helping students produce, not just passively consume, knowledge and gives then valuable experience working within the framework of new media. Policy-making is becoming an increasingly collaborative and participative process. Technologies enabling broader, informed participation in policy-making and agenda-setting play a crucial role. The Public Policy Initiative seems to have strong potential for enabling the application of technology for improved participation in policy."”

Barry Bozeman, Professor of Public Policy, School of Public and International Affairs, University of Georgia

“The project to integrate the Wikimedia approach into the teaching of public policy analysis to undergraduates is promising. Students can learn both the methodology of Wikipedia and develop a stronger knowledge base about the facts relevant to public policy issues. I am excited about its potential.”

William D. Coplin, Professor of Public Affairs and Director of the Public Affairs Program of the Maxwell School in Syracuse University

“We in the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration very much enjoyed meeting with you about possible ways in which public policy and public administration programs could work with Wikipedia to update and to expand public policy content on Wikipedia. As was evident from the reaction not only of faculty, but also the student representative who attended the meeting, we see a number of ways in which active participation in developing Wikipedia content could be integrated into graduate level course in the MPA, MPP, and PhD programs offered in the Trachtenberg School.”

Joseph Cordes, Associate Director, Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, George Washington University

“The Wikimedia Foundation and Wikipedia provide the kinds of resources that should be valued by educators and their students. What most people in higher education don't realize is that Wikipedia is also a teaching tool. It can be used inside the classroom to engage students and draw from their collective expertise in analytical activities that impact more than just the classroom.”

Julie Barko Germany, Director, Institute for Politics, Democracy & the Internet, George Washington University

“Wikipedia operates as a community of practice, and one of the goals of higher education is to train and educate students to the point where they can participate in communities of practice. Wikipedia collects and presents an incredible volume of knowledge, which is consistent with the goals of higher education. I’m excited to participate in the beginning of this collaboration between Wikipedia and higher education, something that could continue for decades.”

Robert Cummings, Assistant Professor of English and Director of the Center for Writing and Rhetoric at the University of Mississippi; author of the book “Lazy Virtues: Teaching Writing in the Age of Wikipedia”

“Wikipedians share with those of us in the academic community a passion for building the world’s knowledge and a commitment to fairness and verification in our writing. Our work on the promise of transparency, based at the Harvard’s Kennedy School, has re-enforced our belief that an informed citizenry is our greatest hope for a more just and humane world. It has also led us to be deeply concerned about misinformation and deception, even in this our Information Age. Students all over the world have long formed a core of Wikipedia’s strength. It is a privilege to participate in a small way in helping to expand that core.”

Mary Graham, Co-director of the Taubman Center for State and Local Government at Harvard University; co-author of “Full Disclosure: The Perils and Promise of Transparency.”

“Wikipedia is one of the most amazing and historic projects of our time. I am delighted to be part of an effort that can aid in its development. The Public Policy Initiative is one area where I can contribute directly in improving the quality of information that Wikipedia makes available in a global context.”

Barry Rubin, Professor and Public Finance and Policy Analysis faculty chair in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University

“The Public Policy Initiative is a great opportunity for Consumers Union to understand and help guide how content on Wikipedia is developed. As a fellow nonprofit with a public policy mission, we are excited to find ways to help create a wealth of unbiased information.”

Rob Schneider, Director of External Relations for Consumers Union

“By far, learning how to interpret texts and write clearly and concisely with their own words, with references, was the most positive aspect of the activity. Wikipedia helped students understand how hard and important it is to process information as clear and objective text, correctly referenced and presented.”

— Juliana Bastos Marques, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro State (UNIRIO)