When generative AI (GenAI) first arrived in college classrooms, many institutions reacted on instinct. Syllabi were rewritten overnight with sweeping bans, and campus conversations centered on policing student behavior rather than shaping thoughtful use. However, this “panic phase” is neither effective nor sustainable. Bans are difficult to enforce, quickly outdated, and often erode the institutional trust that good policy depends on.

This blog stems from a collaborative research partnership between EdInsights and Sacramento City College’s Enrollment and Student Services team. Together, they followed the academic journeys of over 10,000 first-time students to understand the role of student services in the completion of transfer momentum points.

In “The Work Behind Policy: How Social Capital Translates Across Systems,” Lorenzo Sianez Jr., Career Management Lead, San Diego State University (SDSU) and Program Manager, SDSU Research Foundation and Maria Morales, Statewide Policy Director at Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) invite us to explore how social capital operates throughout the policy lifecycle, from design to implementation. Authors note that policy does not move across systems on its own. It depends on relationships, trust, and ongoing coordination to translate intent into practice. Drawing from their experiences as 2025–2026 Education Policy Fellowship Program fellows, the authors examine how social capital shapes policy design and implementation across advocacy, legislative, and higher education contexts. The blog explores how alignment is sustained across institutions and why strong relationships are often the difference between policy becoming a pathway to opportunity or another barrier for students.