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2011 NASPAA Annual Conference
“Cultivating Connections: Strategic Innovations in Public Affairs Education”
October 20-22, 2011
Kansas City, Missouri
Our 2011 conference theme, “Cultivating Connections: Strategic Innovations in Public Affairs Education,” highlights implications and impacts of the growing interest in building connections between university faculty and students and their communities. As “bridges” between the worlds of scholarship and practice, public administration and public policy programs are well-positioned to assist universities, governments, and non-profit organizations. The negative effects of the Great Recession on governmental and non-profit capacities to deliver services and meet citizen needs has put the spotlight on MPA and MPP programs to shoulder greater responsibilities for preparing the next generation of public service leaders and providing assistance beyond the classroom. New opportunities for partnerships with nontraditional partners, such as military bases, local governments in other countries, federal agencies, and across university programs, exist. In a globalizing world, integrating globalization themes and job skills, as well as international students, into our programs is more necessary than ever. However, public affairs programs have also experienced financial cutbacks, and their abilities to meet these expectations have been constrained. Moreover, the university reward system and academic culture continue to provide few incentives for cultivating public service connections. MPA and MPP programs will need to act strategically and innovatively to meet these expectations and challenges. Our program this year offers opportunities for dialogue to learn about new approaches, and consider their strengths and weaknesses, and fit for the mission of our own programs.
The theme-based panels have been grouped across five broad tracks.
1. Connecting MPA/MPP Programs to Communities by engaging faculty and students in real world community problem-solving, building collaborative partnerships on projects, and providing “pipeline” opportunities for student internships and permanent job placements..
2. Connecting MPA/MPP Programs to Universities to add value to the university’s role and reputation, avoid or minimize being targeted for budget cuts, participate in the university’s overall mission or accreditation theme, and partner with more traditional programs in related academic fields.
3. Connecting MPP/MPA Programs to Core Competencies that faculty and students should possess to be effective in serving communities, as well as using this information to reshape public affairs education curricula.
4. Connecting MPP/MPA Programs with Each Other and Building the NASPAA Collaborative Community to provide opportunities for shared ideas and experiences, programming, and faculty and student development
5. Connecting MPP/MPA Programs to the Global Community to enrich and enliven classroom experiences, strengthen curricula, and bolster student competencies to be global citizens.
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