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Make sure to submit in the style of the attached file labeled ‘Policy Brief Report template’
CHOSEN TOPIC: Allowing genetically engineered/modified animals for food
This Signature Assignment aims to:
1. Practice critical perspective-taking (i.e., evaluating perspectives and evidence from various
disciplines, cultures, or social groups).
2. Engage in a sustained writing process that includes writing-to-learn and wiring-to-
communicate activities, as well as noting what writing tools and expertise are helpful.
3. Reflect on your process of Dialectical Thinking (i.e., viewing issues from multiple
perspectives, moving beyond Either/Or Thinking, and accepting that sometimes opposing
sides both have some merit).
First, you will choose from a list of hot-topic issues concerning human-animal interrelationships (e.g.,
should animals be used in biomedical research, should animals be kept in zoos, should animals be kept in
large-scale factory farms, should trophy hunting be allowed).
Imagine that you are a congressional intern, and your congressional representative wishes to develop
new legislation regarding your selected hot topic. You are tasked with researching the topic and
presenting pro and con positions on the hot topic in the form of a Policy Brief, taking into consideration
different perspectives of constituents on both sides (e.g., from the perspective of a vaccine researcher,
conservationist, ethicist, farmer, business owner, animal activist, commercial developer, etc.). In the end,
you will articulate a conclusion synthesizing the various perspectives, advising your congressional
representative.
Finally, you will reflect on your process of critical perspective-taking through a questionnaire that makes
explicit the difference between Dialectical Thinking (i.e., evaluating and reconciling multiple
perspectives) vs. Either/Or Thinking (i.e., only one view is valid). The questionnaire also draws attention
to obstacles of Dialectical Thinking (e.g., cultural/societal biases), benefits of Dialectical Thinking (e.g.,
inclusive, and effective solutions), and how you can apply this cognitive skill when you consume
information daily. In addition, you will reflect on how this course and the Dialectical Thinking process
have affected your attitudes towards one or more domesticated animals.
In the new General Education curriculum, you will include Signature Assignments in your final ePortfolio
in Digication, started in your UNIV 101 course. Please keep track of assignments and materials from this
course that are meaningful, relevant, and useful to you. We highly recommend you upload them into your
Digication ePortfolio to make UNIV 301 more useful. For students in the Tiers General Education
curriculum, you do not need to compile your assignments in Digication.
Please know that our Teaching Team is there to support you! A specific Teaching Assistant (TA) is
assigned to help you through the writing process of developing a well-crafted Policy Brief.
All instructions and resources for this Signature Assignment are shown in BLUE and can be found in
D2L→Contents→POLICY BRIEF
Stage 1: Preparing
• Review the document Policy Briefs Explained.
• Choose a topic from Policy Brief Topics.
• Your selected topic should be a well-defined problem or issue where the solution can be framed in
future policy.
• Though you may have strong opinions and feelings supporting one side of the topic/question you
selected, be prepared to explore both pro and con positions.
• If you want to propose a different topic, see the professors. It must be approved.
• Complete the Tutorials on Plagiarism (10 points) and Paraphrasing (10 points) which are
automatically graded.
Stage 2: Outline draft
• This is a writing-to-learn activity (explore ideas, discover possibilities, and clarify thoughts)
• Research your topic using reliable sources (see Finding reliable sources).
• Include reliable sources to support your Introduction & Background section (e.g., define problem,
scope of the problem, context, current policy, importance)
• Include evidence to support your Policy Options section, including arguments on both sides:
o Pro argument that reflects a constituent’s perspective to maintain the current policy (find
and download PDFs of scholarly peer-reviewed sources)
o Con argument that reflects a constituent’s perspective to change the current policy (find
and download PDFs of scholarly peer-reviewed sources))
• Highlight relevant passages from the PDF sources.
• Create a Policy_Brief_Outline_draft using Policy Brief OUTLINE TEMPLATE, completing all sections
providing all your ideas (correct syntax or full sentences are not necessary)
• Optional: Review your Policy_Brief_Outline_draft with your TA (see Policy Brief TA appointments).
• Submit your work:
o Policy_Brief_Outline_draft
o 2 PDFs of your current scholarly peer-reviewed sources that show relevant highlighted
sections (1 supporting Pro perspective, 1 supporting Con perspective)
• Your Policy_Brief_Outline_draft will be reviewed using whole-group-feedback (50 points).
Stage 3: Outline final
• This is a writing-to-learn activity (explore ideas, discover possibilities, and clarify thoughts).
• Revise your Outline using the feedback on your Policy_Brief_Outline_draft and make modifications and
improvements as needed. (Incorporating the feedback in your Policy_Brief_Outline_final will be part
of your grade).
Optional: Review your Policy_Brief_Outline_final with your TA (see Policy Brief TA appointments).
• Submit your work:
o Policy_Brief_Outline_final
o 2 PDFs of your current scholarly peer-reviewed sources that show relevant highlighted
sections
• Your Policy_Brief_Outline_final will be evaluated in more detail, and you will receive individual
feedback (100 points).
• Note! If you earn a grade lower than 70% on your Policy_Brief_Outline_final, you must review your
work with your TA before submitting any next assignment.
Stage 4: Report draft
• This is a writing-to-communicate activity (clearly and accurately communicate what you have learned).
• Create a Policy_Brief_Report_draft using Policy Brief REPORT TEMPLATE.
• The feedback on your Policy_Brief_Outline_final will guide you to write your
Policy_Brief_Report_draft successfully.
• Optional: Review your Policy_Brief_Report_draft with your TA (see Policy Brief TA appointments).
• Meeting with your TA is required if you earned <70% on your Policy_Brief_Outline_final
submission.
• Submit your work:
o Policy_Brief_Report_draft
o 2 PDFs of your current scholarly peer-reviewed sources that show relevant highlighted
sections
• Your Report Policy_Brief_Report_draft will be reviewed using whole-group-feedback (50 points).
Stage 5: Report final
• This is a writing-to-communicate activity (clearly and accurately communicate what you have learned).
• Revise your Report using the feedback on your Policy_Brief_Report_draft and make modifications and
improvements as needed. (Incorporating the feedback in your Policy_Brief_Report_final will be part
of your grade)
• Optional: Review your Policy_Brief_Report_final with your TA (see Policy Brief TA appointments).
• Submit your work:
o Policy_Brief_Report_final
o 2 PDFs of your current scholarly peer-reviewed sources that show relevant highlighted
sections
• Your Policy_Brief_Report_final will be evaluated in more detail, and you will receive individual
feedback (100 points).
Stage 6: Reflection
• Complete the reflection questionnaire (link provided in D2L) to help you think about your
journey of critical perspective-taking and your Dialectical Thinking process.
• Submit your work:
o Screenshot image as proof of completion
• Your submission will be verified (20 points).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Additional Details
• Length:
o The Policy Brief Outline has no page length requirement.
o A Policy Brief Report that is well-developed should be ~5 pages in length (includes
References and Notes, excludes space taken by Title page, Figures or Tables)
• Format: Submissions must be a typed document in MS Word or PDF file format.
o The Policy Brief Outline is a single-spaced document and uses the Policy Brief OUTLINE
TEMPLATE to provide information in a brief bullet format
o The Policy Brief Report is double-spaced document, in Times-New-Roman 12 point font,
and uses the Policy Brief REPORT TEMPLATE
o You may include figures or tables if you think they clearly illustrate a point. Provide its
source and describe and discuss it in your writing.
• Assignment Submission:
o Submit your work to the appropriate folder in D2L in the Assignments section.
o Due date/time can be seen on the course Schedule, course Calendar, and Assignment
folders
• Punctuality: If your work is submitted late to the Assignment folder, points will be deducted:
Lateness Deductions
If the red text in the D2L submission folder says
<1hr = no points deducted
1-23 hrs = 5pts deducted
1-7 days = 10 pts deducted
8 days or more = Not accepted unless approved by the professors.
• Plagiarism & Direct Quotes – NOT ALLOWED
o Plagiarism is a form of cheating. Plagiarism is taking another person’s words or ideas and
using them as if they were your own words or ideas. Copying text from a website, a
publication, or another student is plagiarism. Plagiarism will not be tolerated—It can lead
to failing the course or being expelled from the university!
o You may not copy or use direct quotes from one of your sources or any other material for
this paper. You must paraphrase or summarize the idea in your own words. (In general,
using quoted text and providing the source of the quote is not plagiarism, since you are
giving credit to the creator of the text. However, in this paper, we want you to write the
ideas in your own words and provide the citation of where the idea came from.)
o As part of “Stage 1: Preparing” for this project, you should have completed these tutorials:
▪ T1. Plagiarism tutorial
▪ T2. Paraphrasing tutorial
o For the Policy Brief Outline final and Policy Brief Report final, any evidence of plagiarism or
direct quotes will result in a substantial grade loss of 10% as a warning and an opportunity
to correct this issue for subsequent submissions.
o Cases of substantial plagiarism will result in a grade of 0 % and may lead to further
consequences from the professors and Dean of Students office.
• References:
o You will need to use reliable sources (see Finding reliable sources in D2L under the Policy
Brief section)
o The most reliable sources are scholarly peer-reviewed (watch What does “peer-review” mean
in 3min.
o For the Introduction & Background section of you Policy Brief, you may use any kind of
reliable source (e.g., website, newspaper, academic journal article, textbook).
o For the Policy Options section of you Policy Brief, you MUST use scholarly peer-reviewed
sources (at least 1 for Pro and 1 for Con)
o All sources must be listed in APA style.
o We have provided helpful tools that will automatically format your References in APA style
in the course D2L site (see APA style tools).
Examples of APA Reference Format:
Scholarly peer-reviewed article –
Rault, J. (2019). Be kind to others: Prosocial behaviours and their implications for animal welfare.
Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 210, 113-123.
Reliable book –
Steklis, H.D. and Steklis, N.G. (2020). Human-Animal Interrelationships (2nd digital ed.). Kendall-Hunt
Publishing Company.
Reliable website –
Animal Welfare Act. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2019, from
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalwe…
• In-Text-Citation:
o For citing your sources within the text of your paper, use in-text-citations in APA format.
o We have provided information on how to do APA style in-text-citations in the course D2L
site (see APA style tools).
Examples of APA In-Text-Citation Format:
▪ “Drs. Steklis summarized the archaeological evidence and suggested that the beginning of
the human-dog mutualism began about 40,000 BP (Steklis & Steklis, 2018).”
▪ “A recent report showed that 300 mice suffered tail injuries in one year (Doolittle, 2015).”
▪ “According to Dr. Doolittle (2015) 300 mice suffered tail injuries in one year.”
• Grading: Consult the detailed rubric in D2L Assignments for grading criteria.
o You can use the rubric to evaluate your own assignment and see where you need to
improve your work.
o Your Policy Brief Outline draft and Policy Brief Report draft will be graded using a “whole-
group-feedback”: A method of evaluating assignments where the TA strategically reviews
several submissions, makes notes, and gives feedback to the whole group simultaneously, rather
than detailed feedback to individual students.
o Your Policy Brief Outline final and Policy Brief Report final will be graded using a detailed
rubric, with individual feedback.
• Help from Writing Experts: Often, it is helpful to have more advanced writers help review your
work. You might enlist the assistance of writing professionals like Think Tank tutors or other
professional tutors, friends, or family to aid you in the improvement of your Policy Brief. Here are
some suggested uses of writing experts:
✓ Check your understanding of the assignment
✓ Brainstorm ideas
✓ Learn how to find reliable sources
✓ Check that the writing is clear to a reader
✓ Check if your arguments are weak or strong
These are writing resources to help you— we encourage you to make use of these:
o Your Teaching Assistant is there to help you (see Who is my TA?)
o The UA Think Tank Writing Center https://thinktank.arizona.edu/writing-center
provides these helpful options for free:
▪ In-person 30 minute sessions
▪ Online 45-minute sessions
▪ Feedback Loop: Upload your document for a tutor to review
Note: In your Policy Brief assignments, you are asked to describe how or if you used these writing
resources.
• Help from Writing Tools: You may employ writing aids such as spell and grammar checkers, and
generative writing AI applications like ChatGPT. Learning to use AI responsibly and ethically is an
important skill in today’s society. While AI can provide a wealth of information and insights, it is
essential to remember that it is a machine, not a human expert. It cannot independently think or
make judgments based on personal experiences, cultural contexts, or ethical considerations.
Therefore, it is important to use AI as a complementary tool to academic work and not as a
replacement for one’s thinking and analysis.
Students can use AI tools, such as ChatGPT, in this course if that use is properly documented and
credited (see below). However, you should note that the material generated by these programs
may be inaccurate, incomplete, or otherwise problematic. For this reason, you should assume that
every fact or information AI gives you is wrong. Make it a habit to verify the information that it
gives you. Be aware that AI use may also stifle your independent thinking and creativity.
Here are some suggested uses of AI programs (e.g., ChatGPT):
✓ Spell check, grammar check, and synonym identification tools (e.g., Grammarly and MS Word)
✓ Rephrasing sentences or reorganizing paragraphs you have drafted yourself.
✓ Tweaking outlines you have drafted yourself.
✓ Brainstorming and fine-tuning your ideas.
Because the information derived from these AI tools is based on previously published materials,
using these tools without proper citation constitutes plagiarism. It is, therefore, a violation of the
UA Code of Academic Integrity. By submitting assignments in this class, you affirm that they
are YOUR work, and you attribute the use of any tools and sources.
To avoid plagiarism, AI must be properly documented and credited. For example, text generated
using ChatGPT-3 should include a citation such as: “Chat-GPT-3. (YYYY, Month DD of query). [Text
of your query.] Generated using OpenAI. https://chat.openai.com/”. Material generated using
other tools should follow a similar citation convention. Any assignment found to have been
plagiarized or failed to cite AI tools may receive a grade of 0% and/or be reported for academic
misconduct.
Note: In your assignments, you are asked to describe how or if you used these kinds of writing
resources and cite any use of generative AI tools