Carly Speranza, EdD
                                                     Candace Bloomquist, Ph.D.
                                                                                              Marymount University College of BILT
                                                              Creighton University
                                                                                                              Kerry K. Fierke, EdD
         JULY 2022                                              Daneen Bergland
                                                                                       University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy
         RESEARCH SECTION                                 Portland State University
         A LETTER WRITING ASSIGNMENT FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT:
         Creating Stakeholder Connection For Policy Advocacy
         Abstract
         The purpose of this article is to share with leadership educators a writing exercise designed to provide doctoral students
         enrolled in an Administrative and Policy Leadership course an opportunity to gain experience with building collective will
         for policy advocacy on a social justice issue. This article describes the use of a letter writing assignment including the
         background and justification for using letter writing rather than other forms of writing across the curriculum, instructions for
         students to complete the assignment, and examples and ideas for grading and providing constructive and instructive
         feedback to leadership students. The article concludes with recommendations and potential assignment modifications for
         leadership educators that choose to adopt this type of writing assignment within their leadership training curriculum.
         Keywords: leadership training, writing across the curriculum, letter writing, policy analysis and discourse
                                                                           prepared to make greater improvements on these
             Introduction
                                                                           social issues. Therefore, this application paper is
             Today,   the  study   and practice of leadership              aimed at helping today’s leadership educators
             continues to expand across the globe. Yet, while it           prepare students for more than brief exposures to
             expands, it also appears more complex, and more               social issues, they need to help students understand
             than ever, the effective practice of leadership is            and embody their role as an advocate for social
             critical to solving difficult and “wicked” problems.          change (London, 2008).
             Subsequently, leadership educators are compelled              To make changes on difficult and wicked problems
             to   incorporate   learning   exercises    into  their        requires innovative solutions that engage multiple
             curriculum that expose students to difficult and              stakeholder perspectives, values, and aspirations.
             wicked problems, such as issues of justice, equity,           Where top-down solutions may have worked
             and social change (McKee & Bruce, 2021).                      previously;  today,   leadership  practitioners  must
             Organizations today seek employees dedicated and              engage in what Shields (2020) refers to as the
   1       Journal of Leadership Education         DOI: 10.12806/V21/I3/R1              JULY 2022                  RESEARCH
              “struggle” and engage in moral courage by working                    arguments      unbridgeable     (Shields,    2020),    thus
              together across differences to transform society.                    preparing    students    to   communicate and solve
              This engagement can take on many forms; however,                     problems as educated citizens and leaders.
              one of the greatest challenges in this struggle is to
                                                                                   This assignment, originally designed by Daneen
              persuade decision makers to engage in collective
                                                                                   Bergland 15 years ago, for an undergraduate
              change (Wilson, 2016).
                                                                                   English Composition course, was later redeveloped
              Yet, how does a leadership educator prepare future                   with a backward course design process (Wiggins &
              leadership practitioners to engage in collective                     McTighe,       1998)      for     an     interdisciplinary,
              change? The purpose of this paper is to describe                     undergraduate      general     education    course.    The
              how one Interdisciplinary          Leadership     program            assignment started with learning goals – specifically,
              adapted      an    existing    undergraduate       English           what students should be able to do upon completion,
              Composition      assignment,     originally   created    by          then considered how this knowledge or skill might be
              Daneen Bergland (2019), into a doctoral-level                        best demonstrated. An overarching question for the
              learning experience designed to engage students in                   course design was “What does a well-educated
              writing an eloquent letter to stakeholders. This                     person in the 21st century need to know how to do?”
              assignment, as described in this paper, is an                        Inspired by the framework and findings of The
              experiential learning exercise in which students                     National     Taskforce     on    Civic    Learning     and
              enrolled in a required Administrative and Policy                     Democratic Engagement (2012), the Eloquent Letter
              Leadership Issues course grow as leadership                          assignment served as both a process and product to
              practitioners and gain experience with social justice                practice some of the knowledge, skills, and values
              policy advocacy.                                                     outlined in their report. More specifically, the values
                                                                                   of empathy and responsibility to a larger good, the
                                                                                   skill  of  “deliberation and bridge-building across
                                                                                   differences,” and knowledge of political systems.
              Origins of the Assignment
                                                                                   Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from a Birmingham
              Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from a               Jail (1963) is offered as a model for the Eloquent
              Birmingham Jail,” (1963) The Eloquent Letter                         Letter   for  its  importance as a historical U.S.
              assignment      (Bergland,    2019)     is  an authentic             document, as well as for its literary value and MLK’s
              assignment designed to acquire critical thinking                     public leadership. While students may be unfamiliar
              skills,  identify   and research social problems,                    with this piece, they are intrigued by its story in the
              examine value systems and diverse perspectives,                      context of the civil rights movement. His letter is
              communicate effectively, and propose solutions                       inspiring for its rhetorical beauty and power. It
              based on common ground. This assignment is                           resonates throughout the historical, political, and
              meant to assess integrative, intellectual, critical                  oratorical   phenomena of our culture. Students
              thinking,    advocacy      and writing      skills.  Unlike          experience why King’s letter is so powerful in its own
              traditional    research     essay     assignments,      the          rhetorical   context    (civil  rights  movement, civil
              Eloquent     Letter   assignment      explicitly  engages            disobedience, as a clergyman) and are asked to
              awareness and understanding of the audience (e.g.,                   consider how they might use some of his rhetorical
              stakeholders). Therefore, it encourages student                      strategies, recognizing the contexts of their own
              writers   to “listen” to that person or group, to                    letters, and writing as their most eloquent selves and
              understand what values underlie their perspective,                   as emerging leaders and advocates.
              and to develop solutions based on shared values.
              This assignment promotes listening as an important
              concept in research, communication, persuasion,
              and problem-solving. More importantly, it provides
                                                                                   Review of Literature
              an antidote to the apathy and despair caused by
                                                                                   This section provides the leadership educator an
              current perceptions of gridlock in policy development
                                                                                   overview of the scholarship of teaching and learning
              and analysis, in which civility appears elusive and
              2    Journal of Leadership Education                 DOI: 10.12806/V21/I3/R1                   JULY 2022                   RESEARCH
             related to writing which serves as the background for        to  the writing students will do post-graduation
             this adopted and modified assignment. We review              (Kolditz et al., 2021). On the other hand, the letter is
             three elements of writing across the curriculum,             a practical, ubiquitous form. It is likely all of us will
             specifically writing in its natural habitat, writing as      write many letters as adults, from professional cover
             listening, and writing as civic engagement. When             letters to letters of recommendation, to collegial
             considering what the “product” or evidence students          emails. As Beaufort (1999) points out in her book
             would produce to demonstrate the learning goals of           Writing in the Real World, the purpose of writing in
             a course, the form of a letter is seldom used by             the workplace is “to take action rather than leisurely
             leadership educators. However, citing research from          reflect  on   thought   processes    or   on artistic
             the Consortium for the Study of Writing in College,          expression” (p. 4) and is often directed at more
             Bean and Weimer (2011) advise designing writing              complex and varied audiences than the writing we
             assignments as “meaning constructing tasks” that             ask of students, for which the audience is generally
             require students to use critical thinking to solve an        the teacher.
             authentic problem. The use of letters as writing
                                                                          To demonstrate to students the practical possibilities
             exercises can inspire more leadership educators to
                                                                          of purpose and reach of the form, the Letter from
             use innovative teaching and learning strategies.
                                                                          Birmingham Jail is shared as an example as “writing
             Further, Bean and Weimer also define effective
                                                                          in its native habitat,” (Bergland, 2019) showing them
             assignments as giving “students a role or purpose, a
                                                                          how everyday writing shapes and is shaped by its
             targeted audience, and a genre” (2011, p. 98). The
                                                                          contexts, and how by writing for one audience
             letter as form makes all three clear.
                                                                          member or stakeholder, their work can circulate and
             Writing in its natural habitat.        As much as            influence other audiences, creating waves that
             possible, leadership educators want assignments to           radiate beyond their initial intention. Furthermore,
             be authentic, that is, using common and relevant             this  leadership   education assignment engages
             forms, serving a purpose beyond performing for a             students in Kolb’s Cycle of Experiential Learning as
             grade, engaging others outside the classroom, and            they research and respond to real-world issues,
             developing skills that leadership practitioners need,        prepare    written  communication      for  identified
             e.g., being articulate and inspiring (Kolditz et al.,        stakeholders, review peer work, and engage in
             2021). Assignments should also be relevant to a              reflective observation (Guthrie & Jones, 2019).
             student's  own interests and goals. In applied
                                                                          Writing as listening.        Writing  instruction  for
             leadership courses students are often encouraged to
                                                                          leadership    development      often   focuses     on
             choose their topics, starting with real problems they
                                                                          argumentation and debate, therefore impacting the
             have    identified or   encountered     within  their
                                                                          learning itself (Thomas, 2013). In other words, the
             workplaces or communities (i.e., privacy vs. security,
                                                                          student writes to prove their point, to win the
             individual rights vs. common good, multiculturalism
                                                                          argument, in turn creating leadership graduates who
             vs. assimilation, etc.). This is fully in line with the
                                                                          see everything as a debate, rather than a collective
             Social  Change Model created by the Higher
                                                                          problem to solve. However, in considering the skills
             Education    Research     Institute, as   individuals
                                                                          necessary for strong civic engagement, especially in
             practicing  leadership  are acknowledged to be
                                                                          the current political and rhetorical climate, students
             instrumental in positive social change (HERI, 1996;
                                                                          need to be prepared to approach writing as a
             Komives & Wagner, 2017). As such, students are
                                                                          conversation and as a problem-solving endeavor in
             invited  to  better  understand these topics by
                                                                          collaboration with stakeholders.
             conducting a literature review to understand their
             topic or claim, including what people, agencies, or
                                                                          The letter as a form makes explicit a relationship
             policies, might be able to assist solving the problem,
                                                                          between the writer and the reader, or in this case
             and at what levels.
                                                                          stakeholder(s), and the implicit possibility of dialog
                                                                          (Bergland, 2019). Within leadership development,
             The research essay is perhaps the most common
                                                                          the practice of stakeholder engagement is crucial
             writing assignment in the humanities and social
                                                                          because effective leaders need to be able to assess
             sciences, and yet arguably, has few explicit analogs
             3   Journal of Leadership Education            DOI: 10.12806/V21/I3/R1              JULY 2022                RESEARCH
               stakeholder       power,      authority,    and      urgency            remedies at local, state, and federal levels. They
               (Schneider, 2002). As part of the drafting process,                     look for the agencies, policies, processes, and
               students must work to develop empathy, and to                           institutions that have influence or authority to apply
               listen and understand the values and motivations of                     those remedies, before determining the purpose,
               another. After students write the first draft (almost                   claim, and recipient for their first letter draft.
               always written in the form of a traditional argument
                                                                                       Muchofourworkasleadership educators is focused
               essay, listing evidence compelling to the writer, but
                                                                                       on developing communication and critical thinking
               with little acknowledgement or attention paid to the
                                                                                       skills (Kolditz et al., 2021). However, without a sense
               recipient’s point of view) students receive feedback
                                                                                       of agency, the will to look for solutions, or the belief
               from a peer and continue their review of literature.
                                                                                       that   they have some part in making change,
               They must explore the historical and current
                                                                                       students may have the thinking skills, but feel
               contexts of their topic, through multiple perspectives,
                                                                                       powerless,     paralyzed,     or   cynical.    Indeed, the
               including opposing stakeholder views. Additionally,
                                                                                       concept and theory of “critical hope” (Bozalek et al.,
               they must research and understand their recipient.
                                                                                       2014; Freire, 2007) has arisen, specifically in
               At   this   point,  feedback to students can also
                                                                                       community service-learning pedagogy, to counter
               emphasize         establishing       common          ground,
                                                                                       the despair encountered when understanding the
               understanding the position, values, experience, and
                                                                                       complexity of systems and the seeming intractability
               motivations of the recipient, and using these to
                                                                                       of social problems and injustice. Quoting the work of
               establish warrants for arguments, shaping their
                                                                                       Zembylas       (2014),     Grain    and     Lund      (2016),
               appeals     to    address     the    motivations     of   the
                                                                                       summarized the praxis of critical hope as “an act of
               reader/stakeholder. We will have more to say about
                                                                                       ethical   and political responsibility that has the
               providing student feedback later, in the description of
                                                                                       potential to recover a lost sense of connectedness,
               the assignment section.
                                                                                       relationality,  and solidarity with others” (p. 51).
               Writing as civic engagement. According to Kraft                         Examples        of    pedagogical       techniques       and
               and Furlong (2018), “public policy is what public                       assignments that focus on enhancing critical hope
               officials within government, and by extension the                       include but are not limited to, caring for students as
               citizens they represent, choose to do or not to do                      whole people, respecting what students know,
               about public problems” (p. 5). Unfortunately, many of                   engage students in dialogue, and making space for
               these problems affect everyday life and some of                         and inviting critical reflection on current practices
               these problems are categorized as “wicked” -                            (Freire, 1998). The Eloquent Letter offers not just a
               complex, unique, and seemingly impossible to solve                      process (drafting and research) and a product, but a
               (Head & Alford, 2015). Yet, the National Leadership                     way for leadership educators to better prepare
               Council for Liberal Education & America’s Promise                       leadership practitioners for their role in social
               2007 called for higher education programs to                            change. Clear, articulate letter writing is one tool in
               prepare students to engage locally and globally in                      the toolbox for leadership and democracy (Kolditz et
               order    to    interact   with    others    different    than           al.,  2021). Writing a letter to an authority or
               themselves, and together work to solve significant                      decision-maker       gives   students     the   experience,
               problems (Kilgo et al., 2015). However, many                            scaffolded    and supported by an instructor, of
               leadership students come into policy courses with                       applying that tool, and with any luck, the confidence
               limited    knowledge       or   understanding       of   civic          to try writing more letters.
               structures and processes. They may recognize a
               problem but are unable to identify the “political levers
               for influencing change” (The National Task Force on
               Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement, 2012).                        Description of Application of the
               In   addition,    they    may express unease and
                                                                                       Eloquent Letter Assignment
               unfamiliarity with civic engagement of any kind, even
               voting. In an effort to remedy this, during the initial                 In an increasingly rancorous rhetorical climate and
               scaffolding for this assignment, students brainstorm                    polarized political environment, students might see
               the problems related to their topic and potential                       themselves withdrawing from discourse and wilting
               4    Journal of Leadership Education                   DOI: 10.12806/V21/I3/R1                     JULY 2022                     RESEARCH