Planning, Public Policy, and Management

dmason@uoregon.edu | 541-346-2324

Courses: Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector, Public Sector Theory, Managing Nonprofit Organizations, NGOs of SE Asia (study abroad), Nonprofits and Social Change (study abroad), Nonprofit Consultancy

In my courses you will:

• Make connections to lived experiences and real-world challenges.
• Explore new perspectives.

I was invited into the Teaching Academy because:

• I was a Fellow in the Teaching Difference, Inequality, Agency CAIT Group.

What ways are you working to make your teaching inclusive?

As part of my teaching, I work to make my classrooms a place where students are encouraged to challenge and consider diverse perspectives and literatures. I aim to make my courses ones where voices from traditionally under-represented students are empowered. For example, in one class I encourage students to discover critical approaches to public policy and public administration, and share those perspectives with their classmates through online blog posts and discussions.

What do you do in terms of professional engagement with the teaching and learning culture on campus or nationally?

I participated in the 2017-2018 CAIT faculty workshop on difference, inequality and agency. I am currently participating in a Research Interest Group on inclusive pedagogies. I regularly attend workshops organized by my department, as well as those offered on campus by TEP and the Division of Equity and Inclusion. These workshops help to support my own knowledge about UO’s student population, and provide tools I can use to better support an inclusive learning environment.

In what ways was your teaching in this course research-led—informed by research on how students learn and inflected by UO's research mission?

My coursework makes use of a variety of different pedagogies to encourage student participation and engagement. I make use of readings, case studies, lectures and structured small-group discussions and assignments. Students participate in a set of exercises designed to help them engage in the material in different ways, and develop professional skills (such as presentations and public speaking). These methods are designed to encourage student to develop evidence-based best practices in nonprofit and public management, and stimulate reflection of their own perspectives.

Who or what led you to this discipline?

I entered academia after fifteen years of being a professional in the nonprofit sector, primarily working for advocacy organizations on the west and east coasts, and in the south. I find teaching to be similar to my professional experience as a community organizer and activist. That is, a good day of teaching feels a lot like a good day organizing, where I help others get excited about ideas and opportunities for change. My home here at the University of Oregon, the School of Planning, Public Policy and Management, provides me opportunities to engage students both in and outside the classroom.