AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM NASPAA PRESIDENT, DAVID BIRDSELL


Dear Colleagues,

Later this summer, NASPAA will launch a two-year-long series of Standards Colloquia, which will be led by Standards Committee Chair Chandler Stolp and the NASPAA Executive Council. The purpose of these colloquia is to gather NASPAA members to discuss our standards, the latest iteration of which was adopted in 2009. Since then, 197 programs have been newly accredited or reaccredited under those standards. Much has changed since 2009. The question facing us today is: How have our accreditation standards held up?

When we last convened a set of conversations about standards en route to finalizing the 2009 document, the Standards Committee developed a draft and asked for comment. Those standards represented a dramatic change from the prior standards. They emphasized outcomes rather than inputs, they made each institution's mission central to the assessment of outcomes, and the standards themselves were promulgated with flexibility in mind. Programs were (and are) given the option of multiple pathways toward showing that the instructional program successfully marries the standards and the institution's mission. 

We're taking a different tack as we approach ten years under the new standards because we very much want to hear from the membership about whether you would like to see any evolutionary-- or revolutionary-- changes in the standards in the years ahead. CHEA (the "accreditor of the accreditors") recommends review of standards on a roughly decennial basis, so now is high time to begin this conversation among NASPAA members. While you are all free to raise any issue in colloquium, we seek your input on two topics in particular. 

1) Global accreditation. When the 2009 standards were adopted, NASPAA accredited exclusively in the United States. Today our membership includes institutions in more than 20 nations and we have accredited 197 programs in 6 nations. Are the current standards equal to this task? Do we need to do anything to recognize more explicitly our role as a global accrediting body? 

2) New developments in our field. Big Data projects were but a gleam in the eye in 2009; they are now predicating robust analyses of policies and programs around the world. Mobile computing, hand-held devices, the growth of natural language artificial intelligence, a pattern of disinvestment from the public sector, greater integration of the global economy, the growing power of some domestic and international NGOs, the use of simulations and adaptive learning software in the classroom: these are all developments that either entirely post-date or have gathered significant steam since 2009. Do our standards adequately account for these and other developments? 

Our purpose here is not to be comprehensive, but provocative. While NASPAA does much more than accreditation, assurance of learning remains one of our most important and visible functions. In making judgments about programmatic capacity, COPRA needs to be armed with standards that fully comprehend the diverse ambitions of our member institutions. We need your help to make sure that they do. 

So please be on the lookout for a colloquium scheduled for your region sometime between now and early 2019. As always, we appreciate your good thinking and all the contributions you make to ensuring that we have the best standards for ensuring high quality education for public and third sector leaders. 

IN THIS ISSUE



NASPAA's 2017 Alumni Survey is now closed.

Thank you to those schools who participated!

Join us at the NASPAA Conference to learn about this year's results.

For any questions regarding the Alumni Survey contact Stacy Drudy at [email protected], or go to the Alumni Survey website.

View last years results here !

Leadership Corner

Last Call For NASPAA Executive Council and  Vice President Nominations 2017-2018
Deadline: August 4

In August 2017, the Nominating Committee of NASPAA (the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration) chaired by Michelle Piskulich, Immediate Past President, will be recommending a slate for

FIVE members of the Executive Council
and
Vice President/President Elect of the Council

The Nominating Committee welcomes recommendations for nominations from NASPAA member schools. Recommenders should note that Council positions require a significant commitment of time and effort on the part of the individual and support from his or her home institution. 

This is a time of great opportunity for NASPAA, as we begin our review of our outcomes-oriented accreditation standards, expand our international activities, launch a new publishing arrangement for the Journal of Public Affairs Education, host the fourth annual student simulation competition, utilize our Data Center more fully, develop projects to improve career opportunities for graduates, and serve our member programs in a rapidly changing environment. The Committee is looking in particular for nominees possessing enthusiasm and dedication to public service and the advancement of public affairs education. 
The Nominating Committee seeks candidates for the Council who are well prepared to govern NASPAA as it "sets a global standard for excellence in public service education, leads the public affairs education sector, and strengthens governance and public problem solving."

The Nominating Committee also places priority on the nominations of individuals with experience and skills in federal affairs, international public affairs education, budgeting and finance, marketing, data and IT, human resources, nonprofit management, journal publishing, and grant writing.

The Vice President will serve on the Council and Executive Committee for three years: one year as Vice President, then one year as President, and a final year as Immediate Past President. Past service to NASPAA, including the Executive Council is desirable.

Executive Council members serve a three-year term, which begins at the NASPAA Annual Conference. The Council meets twice a year, in March/April in the Washington DC area, and in the Fall at the Annual Conference, The next two conferences are in Washington, DC, and Atlanta. At the Council's discretion, it may meet more frequently, and/or via conference call. Council members are expected to attend every meeting. The first meeting for incoming Council members will be Saturday morning, October 14, in Washington DC.

The Nominating Committee seeks to put together a representative and diverse slate, for the membership's vote at NASPAA's annual business meeting, in terms of types of programs represented, geographic location (especially reflecting NASPAA's international membership), race and gender, and diversity broadly defined. One nominee for the Council should also hold membership on the Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA). Please note that all Council members serve as individuals, not as representatives of their university, and are expected to consider the best interests of NASPAA and its member institutions in carrying out their duties.

Individuals wishing to make recommendations to the Nominating Committee should send an email to the Committee's chair, Dr. Michelle Piskulich at [email protected] and copied to NASPAA Executive Director, Laurel McFarland, at [email protected] by August 4.

The email should contain the suggested nominee's name, institutional affiliation and title, contact information (email and phone number), and verification that he or she is aware of the recommended nomination. The email should also include a brief (2-5 sentences) explanation of why the recommender believes this person would make a good NASPAA Council member or president elect. A short bio or CV is helpful but not required. Self nominations are permitted.

Questions about the work and responsibilities of Council members may be directed to Laurel McFarland, and the current Council membership is posted at http://naspaa.org/about_naspaa/staff/exec.asp.

Conference Corner


#NASPAA2017 Annual Conference
October 11-14, 2017

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE  ANNOUNCED

We are pleased to share the preliminary line-up of this year's panel sessions on Thursday, Oct. 12 and Friday Oct. 13.
 
Don't miss exciting panels such as
  • Writing the Diversity Plan - A Workshop on Crafting a Thoughtful, Measurable, and Effective Plan
  • Bringing Nonprofit and Nongovernmental Organizations into Globalized Public Affairs Curricula
  • Successful Recruitment Strategies for On-Campus Small Programs
  • Building Effective and Accountable Pubic Institutions: Preparing NASPAA Graduates for Strategic Action to Promote SDG 16 in Developing Countries
  • Age of Trump: Ethics, Public Policy, and Discourse
  • Implications of Recent Federal Policy Changes on NASPAA Schools
  Come early on Wednesday, Oct. 11 to participate in additional enrichment opportunities:
  • Accreditation Institute, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
  • Doctoral Education Workshop, 10:00 am -
    4:00 pm
  • New Director's Roundtable, 10:00 - 11:30 am
  • Creating Dynamic Video Lectures Using Free Simple Tools, 1:00 - 3:00 pm
  • NASPAA NEXT: A Leadership Development Institute for Public Affairs Education,
    1:00 - 5:00 pm
 
REGISTER AND RESERVE YOUR ROOM NOW

Registration is now OPEN! Be sure to register by Sept. 6 to secure the early bird rate of $390.
   



Reserve your room in the NASPAA room block at the conference hotel, Hyatt Regency  Capitol Hill. The rate is $279 per night and will be available until Sept. 19 or until rooms sell out.
 
 
 


LAST CHANCE! SPECIAL LOTTERY - Enter to win passes to visit the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture during #NASPAA2017
NASPAA has a limited number of tickets for 2017 NASPAA Conference attendees to visit the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). The tickets will be awarded through a lottery. Most of the tickets are for Saturday, Oct. 14, although two alternate dates are available.
 
NMAAHC lotto entries must be received by Tuesday, August 1.  You will be notified of your status on Friday, August 4.
 
NMAAHC opened to the public on September 24, 2016, as the 19th and newest museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Over one million visitors have visited since its opening! The Museum is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. It was established by Act of Congress in 2003, following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans. To date, the Museum has collected more than 36,000 artifacts and nearly 100,000 individuals have become charter members. Collection highlights include Nat Turner's bible; an extensive repository of photos and film documenting everyday Black life; a segregation-era Southern Railway car; African-American ephemera examining the Double Victory Military Experience; Michael Jackson's fedora; and works by prolific artists, such as Charles Alston, Elizabeth Catlett, Romare Bearden, and Henry O. Tanner.
 
PLEASE NOTE: a timed ticket is required to enter the Museum. Due to popularity and high demand, tickets are extremely difficult to obtain and advances passes are released several months ahead of time. The Museum does offer a small number of same-day timed entry passes. However, there is no guaranty of availability on any given day.
 
 
INTERESTED IN SOCIAL INNOVATION? ENTER THE PITCH COMPETITION!
Do you have an innovative course, research project or service learning approach? At this year's NASPAA conference, three finalists will compete for $3,000 to be used for implementation or scale-up. This Voinovich pitch competition has been established to honor the memory of Senator George V. Voinovich and to encourage the creative problem-solving approach he championed throughout his nearly half-century of public service.  The first annual Sen. George Voinovich Public Innovation Challenge is open to all NASPAA-affiliated student groups, faculty and administrators.
 
To enter, please email your program name, institution, contact information and [max] two-page description of your innovative program to contest coordinator Sarah Nykl. 
 
Descriptions should include the problem or issue being addressed; what makes your program innovative; where you are in the implementation process; current or anticipated impact; funding needs; and other sources of support.  The deadline for submissions is August 15, but applications will continue to be considered until three outstanding finalists have been identified.  Those finalists will have 5-10 minutes each at NASPAA's conference to pitch their idea, "swim in the porpoise tank" and take challenging questions from judges who are experts in social innovation. Judges and audience members vote and participants will find out on the spot who is the winner. Then go do it!
 
The contest is sponsored by NASPAA and Ohio University's Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs.
 
 
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR GENEROUS #NASPAA2017 SPONSORS
Sponsor support of the conference is crucial and appreciated. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, a few opportunities remain. To learn more, contact Leigh Anne Elliott at  [email protected].



Mark your Calendars for  #NASPAA2018
 


And in Two Years: 
#NASPAA2019  - Who and Where?


The NASPAA Annual Conference Site Selection Committee seeks bids from member schools to host the  2019 NASPAA Annual Conference . To increase geographic diversity in 2019, NASPAA is particularly interested to receive bids from our member schools in the western United States .

The annual conference, typically held in October, is hosted in a different geographical region each year within close proximity to a NASPAA school (or schools). The NASPAA school in the region has a great opportunity to promote their school and the uniqueness of their region to both domestic and global conference attendees. We'd like to know what your school, city, and region can offer conference attendees! Joint proposals from members in the same geographic region are encouraged.

The Criteria for Hosting the NASPAA Annual Conference are detailed in the RFP. Please review these requirements before submitting your letter of interest.



Important Dates:

June 2017
NASPAA announces call for proposals to all member schools
June - August, 2017
 Open question/answer period. All questions should be directed to NASPAA's Conference Manager Leigh Anne Elliott at [email protected]
September 1, 2017
 Notify Leigh Anne Elliott ([email protected]) of your intent to submit a proposal. This notification is non-binding and a short email from someone at the member school(s) will suffice.
September 29, 2017
 Deadline to submit a proposal by 11:59 pm EST. Proposals should be submitted as a single PDF from the School's Principal Rep to [email protected]. 
October/November 2017
Site Selection Committee will review all proposals and NASPAA will work with broker to obtain hotel pricing info.
December 2017
 Site Selection Committee will make a recommendation to NASPAA's Executive Council and NASPAA will announce the sites.



NASPAA NEXT 


ONLY FOUR SPACES LEFT!
Nominate yourself or someone TODAY




Now Accepting Nominations from Deans, Program Directors, and Senior Faculty

The 2017 class of NASPAA NEXT is almost completely filled. NASPAA NEXT will be held during 2017 NASPAA Annual Conference in Washington, DC on Wednesday, October 11. The four-hour workshop (1:00 pm to 5:00 pm), will provide emerging leaders in their departments or programs with practical tools that will enable them to become more engaged and dynamic members of their campuses and communities. Participation in NASPAA NEXT is by invitation only, and invitations are based on recommendations from deans and other senior faculty, professional reputation and scholarly research, as well as participation in NASPAA activities.

This year NASPAA NEXT will focus on Track 3 of the conference: Building Public Trust Through Responsible Policy Communications and Advocacy. Participants will learn strategies for communicating groundbreaking research to public policy leaders, nonprofit practitioners, and the public at large. Additionally, emerging faculty will discuss the importance of advocating for the use and implementation of public policy analysis from NASPAA schools, faculty, and students. Also important is the ability to communicate and advocate for ideas that are generated in other countries and being able to identify what programs can be implemented domestically and vice versa. Through these actions our public and nonprofit institutions can inspire public confidence by implementing policies based solid empirical analysis that deliver results. Moreover, participants will learn how to become more fully engaged with NASPAA by ensuring their talents and knowledge base are strategically aligned with leadership opportunities for the association. Finally, participants will engage in a group project after the Annual Conference designed to make public policy analysis visible to policy makers and the general public. We are in discussions with several faculty members to lead this dynamic workshop.

This year's workshop will include discussions and panels on:
  • Getting Communications Right: Engaging Personal, Professional, and Relational Experiences to Achieve Social Impact
  • The Policy Pipeline: Pedagogies to Cultivate the Next Generation of Public Leadership
  • Collective Pathways for Enhancing Research Impact: Insights from Physical Science Communities
  • Designing Your Post Tenure Track Life: Unifying Passion and Research
NASPAA is currently accepting nominations from Deans, Program Directors, and 
Senior Faculty for faculty who have recently received tenure or at an equivalent stage of their academic and professional development. Nominations should be sent via email to David Marshall, Director of Membership Development, at [email protected].
 

Student Simulation Competition 

Student Simulation Competition Host Applications Due this Friday, August 4

It's not too late to apply to serve as a host for the 2018 NASPAA-Batten Student Simulation Competition! The deadline to apply is this upcoming Friday, August 4, by close of business. We've received a number of applications from very enthusiastic host sites located all over the globe.

Two weekends have been set aside for the 2018 competition (the weekend of Saturday, February 24, 2018 and the weekend of Saturday, March 3, 2018). In your proposal (click this link for RFP), please indicate the weekend that works best for your institution.

We are making progress with the planning of next year's student simulation competition in partnership with the University of Virginia and are extremely excited about the topic - pandemic crisis management. The simulation will focus on the roles MPP/MPA graduates would play if there was a pandemic outbreak of a deadly infectious disease. We surveyed all our past participants and found that this topic resonated with MPA/MPP students.

This year, we are adding another new feature to the simulation competition. All hosting institutions will have the opportunity to involve undergraduate students in the competition. Host institutions will have the option to set up exhibition teams comprised solely of undergraduates. While these teams will not be part of the official competition, they will be competing against similar teams comprised of undergraduate students. The winning team will be awarded a small prize by NASPAA. This is an excellent opportunity to expose undergraduates to your respective programs and catalyze their interest in public service.

We are looking for at least 10 host sites to participate in next year's competition from the following regions:  Northeast USA, Mid-Atlantic USA, Southeast/ South Central USA, Midwest USA, West USA, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia.
We look forward to receiving your proposals! If your school is concerned about the deadline, please email Supriya Golas, Global Simulation Project Manager, at [email protected]. 


Data Center

2016-2017 Annual Data Report Opens August 1st,  Due Oct. 2  
NASPAA's Annual Data Report, which feeds into NASPAA's  school search and your school profile, opens August 1st!  You can directly log in to your Annual Data Report using  this link. 
For more information regarding the Annual Data Report, go  here or contact NASPAA's Data Center Director, Stacy Drudy at  [email protected].


US News and World Report Update
Thank you to those programs who confirmed their contact information and both voters for this Fall's US News and World Report Rankings. If your program has not done so, please have your principal representative contact  [email protected] to confirm this information.


Does your school offer a Doctoral Program?
NASPAA will shortly be conducting a survey of Doctoral programs.  The results of which will be shared at the Doctoral Workshop (Wed., Oct. 11) at this year's NASPAA Annual Conference in Washington DC.  If your school offers a Doctoral program that is not currently on NASPAA's list of programs located  here, please notify   [email protected]  to ensure you are included in the survey recipients and so our listing may be updated to include your program.  
Infographic: Enrollment Trends 
 




Accreditation and Standards

Congratulations Newly Accredited Programs!
COPRA announced this month the accreditation of 8 programs from China, New Zealand, South Korea, the United States, and Venezuela on Tuesday. Newly accredited programs include:
  • Renmin University of China, Master of Public Administration
  • Korea Development Institute School of Public Policy and Management, Master of Development Policy
  • Victoria University of Wellington, Master of Public Management
  • Victoria University of Wellington, Master of Public Policy
  • Georgia Southern University, Master of Public Administration
  • University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Master of Public Administration
  • DePaul University, Master of Public Policy
  • Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administración (IESA), Master of Public Management
Please join COPRA in congratulating these programs!
The full Roster of Accredited Programs will be released September 1.
 

Important Accreditation Dates:
Stay up-to-date with happenings in accreditation!
  • August 1, 2017 - Annual Accreditation Maintenance Report opens
  • August 15, 2017 - Self-Study Report deadline for 2017-18 cohort
  • August 15, 2017 - Eligibility application deadline for first-time applicants
  • October 2, 2017 - Annual Accreditation Maintenance Report closes
  • October 11, 2017 - Accreditation Institute at NASPAA Annual Conference
  • October 23, 2017 - Site Visitor training at the ICMA Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas
  • November 16-18, 2017 - Site Visitor training at the ARNOVA Annual Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan
 

2017 Accreditation Institute
Start planning now! The 2017 Accreditation Institute will be held October 11, 2017 at the NASPAA Annual Conference in Washington, DC. Plan to join your colleagues for a full day of training, followed by a reception hosted by West Chester University.
Interested in presenting the Accreditation Institute? COPRA is seeking facilitators for the day-long training. Read the request for proposals here .
Interested in supporting the Accreditation Institute? We are still offering sponsorships! For more information, and to see what is still available, contact [email protected] .
 

In Case You Missed It!
COPRA released the   Self-Study Instructions , for programs in the 2017-18 cohort . For the 2016 release, COPRA focused on completion rates, enhancing the quality and comparability of one of the most critical outcomes of public affairs programs and ensuring the comprehensive context of students continuing to graduation outside of four years.

COPRA also released a  policy statement announcing the implementation expectations of programs in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 cohorts, with regard to Standard 5, as well as additional information related to the completion rates data requirements.


Public Service Weekends 

NASPAA Once Again Becomes Institutional Sponsor of PPIA

In July 2017, NASPAA joined the ranks of the Association of Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) and the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (ASPIA) to become an Institutional Sponsor of the PPIA Fellowship program. NASPAA will continue to support PPIA's Public Service Weekends across the country. Additionally NASPAA will be a resource to the PPIA's five Junior Summer Institutes at the University Michigan; the University of California, Berkeley; Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Minnesota, and Princeton University. NASPAA will work with PPIA to recruit new members to the PPIA Consortium of schools. Likewise, NASPAA is looking forward to working with PPIA on several NASPAA initiatives including outreach to minority serving institutions, meetings for admission and career placement professionals, the global simulation competition, and other pipeline programs. David Marshall, NASPAA's Director of Membership Development will serve on the PPIA Board of Directors.

PPIA Public Service Weekends at USC and Carnegie Mellon (Washington, DC)

The USC Public Service Weekend, "Equity + Public Service: Empowering the Next Generation of Social Justice Advocates" hosted by the Price School of Public Policy in partnership with PPIA and NASPAA, June 23-25, was a three-day conference that introduced underrepresented students to the field of public service with a specific focus on social justice and equity. The program was regional, serving 32 students in the Los Angeles area and 3 states on the West Coast. Students came from 21 universities. Panels and group discussions with students, faculty, and alumni working in the public sector taught students how to impact their community through public service. Workshops and presentations included an advocacy training, an overview of the graduate admission process, and a workshop on how to run for office. The conference worked closely with the PPIA Southern California Alumni Chapter and local Price alumni working in the Los Angeles area. Students were assigned a case study on homelessness and were asked to present policy recommendations on the last day of the program. The program also aimed to foster a sense of community among the students as they stayed in on-campus housing. The purpose of this conference was to provide students the academic preparation and real world skills necessary to be successful in a public service career.
 


Public Service Weekend at USC.  More pictures can be found here .

NASPAA and the PPIA Program were once again sponsors of Carnegie Mellon University Heinz College's Public Service Weekend July 21 - July 23 held at their Washington, DC center. Entitled, "Technology and Societal Change - What Leaders of Tomorrow Need to Know Today," over 60 undergraduate students from over 50 colleges heard from Heinz College faculty and alumni on public policy issues that included technology and the social safety net, technology and international development, and education. Students also participated in a challenge competition designed to give them for real-life policy making experience. Alumni speakers included representatives from the Council on Foreign Relations, the Aspen Institute, Amazon, the Office of Management & Budget, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Deloitte Consulting, Catholic Charities, U.S. Agency for International Development, and Fannie Mae. Additionally the weekend gave college sophomores and juniors an opportunity to learn about admission into a graduate school of public affairs or public policy and life as a graduate student.



Public Service Weekend at Carnegie Mellon University

In Memoriam: Paul Posner

Paul L. Posner , Professor and Director of 
the Schar School's Masters of Public
Administration program at George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government, passed away on Wednesday, July 5, 2017 at the age of 70.

Dr. Posner was the President of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) (2010-2011), served as Chairman of the Board of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), and was a long-standing member of NASPAA's Policy Issues Committee.

"Paul had a lifetime of accomplishments advancing public service. One small part of it was his long time service to NASPAA on the Policy Issues Committee. He was so savvy about how the policy sausage actually gets made, that he was always invaluable to the Committee. Paul was also optimistic about government even in the face of financial crisis, Beltway politics, and bureaucracy. He was especially optimistic about the next generation, and the importance of advocating for hiring the best of them for federal service. He was ethical, hard-working, and matter of factly brave. I am grateful to have had Paul among us, and I will miss him," Laurel McFarland, NASPAA Executive Director, stated.

The Schar School has established a scholarship fund in Posner's name that will be awarded to qualified MPA students. His family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the "Paul Posner MPA Student Fund." To donate go to http://advancement.gmu.edu/posnerendowment. Donations should be made payable to the "George Mason University Foundation," with "Paul L. Posner MPA Scholarship Endowment" noted in the memo line. Donations may be mailed to:

Zavin R. Smith, Office of Development & Alumni Relations
Schar School of Policy and Government/George Mason University
3351 Fairfax Drive, MS 3B1
Arlington, VA 22201

For further information, please contact Zavin R. Smith at [email protected] .



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