2008 SPC FAQ's
General Information
on Washington DC
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2008 Summer Policy Colloquium
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Hotel Accomodations & Meals
The Washington Court Hotel is located on Capitol Hill only 3 blocks from the Capitol Building and 2 blocks from Union Station. This Capitol Hill Hotel offers 267 luxurious and elegantly appointed rooms with oversized marbled bathrooms and great views of Washington D.C. and the U.S. Capitol. Most meals will be provided for with the exception of a few dinners.
Be prepared for your first session
Come prepared to give a self-introduction. It should include your name, institution and job title, your current job responsibilities/interest, what you hope to get out of the Colloquium, and some personal fact about you that is essential background knowledge for the rest of us. Plan on doing this in 60 seconds (it can be done!).
Agenda
A final agenda will be provided to you at check in, a preliminary agenda is available by clicking here.
When will I receive my reading materials?
The following books will be ordered and shipped directly from the supplier. You may receive them in multiple shipments (click here to read about the books):
Fight Club Politics: How Partisanship Is Poisoning the U.S. House of Representatives,, by Juliet Eilperin
High Noon, by J. F. Rischard
Environment and Statecraft, by Scott Barrett
Storm World, by Chris Mooney
The Honest Broker, by Roger Pielke
In addition, you will receive, at a later date by e-mail, two case studies.
You may decide there’s far too much to read before the Colloquium starts. Welcome to the Washington policy world! Best way to sift through the material is to use your own paradigm. Failing that, perhaps you could adopt an approach like the following for dealing with the “information saturation problem”:
Prioritize – focus initially on the preliminary schedule. Get a feel for what we’re going to cover and how we’re going to do it.
Make sure you read the case studies once you get them. You’ll be quizzed on your understanding of these.
Read Eilperin and Rischard.
Read chapters 14 and 15 of Barrett; go back over the earlier material in his book as time and inclinations allow.
Getting around DC
The hotel is convenient to the Metro Red Line. Union Station is the closest stop. The website for the Metro is http://www.wmata.com/default.cfm . The trip planner is very useful if you are not familiar with the area. A Metro Pocket Guide as well as a guide to using the Metro will be provided to you when you arrive in DC.
Meals - how to plan
To assist you in your planning please note that each weekday, breakfast and lunch will be available for our speakers and participants in a private room. Dinners will be on your own with the exception of the following dates: Sunday, June 1; Wednesday, June 4; and Sunday, June 8.
Those attending the SPC through NSF funding will receive upon arrival, a stipend of $175 to cover those meals not included as part of the agenda. Any other expenses you incur – local transportation, transportation to and from the airport -- will be reimbursed to you after the meeting. Please keep your receipts as they will be needed for reimbursement, an envelope and expense form will be provided in your notebook.
What to wear?
For Colloquium sessions: proper business casual
For the Symposium Sunday evening, June 8 : coat and tie for the gentlemen and corresponding attire for the ladies
For the weekend: casual attire
Brunch & Mount Vernon Tour
Dr. Hooke & his wife Chris have planned a wonderful breakfast at their home, Saturday, June 7 at 9:00 a.m., followed by (should you so desire) a visit to Mount Vernon, which is just 5-10 minutes away. Transportation from the hotel will be provided. A bus will pick up our group at 8:30am in front of the hotel, and return around 4pm. Mount Vernon is a treat since it was renovated in honor of the 200th anniversary of Washington’s death. The event is being catered and tickets for the tour provided you will need to RSVP to Jan Wilkerson by May 15 to reserve your spot. Guests are welcomed but must be registered.
For additional questions, please contact Jan Wilkerson at 202 737-9006 ext. 436
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