Journal of Public Affairs Education

Cover Photo

Metropolitan College of New York

Cover and Interior Deslgn

Val Escher

The 2009 NASPAA standards have the potential to fundamentally change the assessment systems used by graduate public affairs programs. These standards require programs to focus on creating systematic processes for assessing student learning on the five universal required competencies as well as on applicable mission-specific, required, or elective competencies. The assessment mechanisms that programs use in these processes typically involve direct and/or indirect assessment methods. We examine the use of a specific direct assessment technique, the capstone case study, and its utility in effectively measuring student learning on the universal competency “to analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems and make decisions.” We report the results of an analysis of research methods case studies in a large NASPAA-accredited MPA program. The analysis illustrates a practical approach to identifying areas of deficiency in student acquisition of the chosen universal required competency and taking steps to improve the program in those areas.

Students are empowered and creativity is encouraged whenever students are expected to shoulder a greater share of the responsibility for learning. In this study, the shift is partially achieved by the expectation that students, rather than their instructors, assume primary responsibility for selecting concepts from previous coursework that assists in understanding the assigned readings. The data indicate that a greater percentage of the cited concepts are derived from recent courses and assignments that apply lesser cognitive dimensions such as remember. In addition, the cited concepts are derived from each of the MPA program’s non-quantitative core course and the required public management concentration courses—regardless of whether they were completed within the previous year or three years. The data therefore indicate that students assume responsibility for selecting pertinent concepts from a variety of other courses when they are motivated to do so.

NASPAA adopted new accreditation standards in October 2009, requiring Masters programs of public administration, public policy, and public affairs to adopt and implement competency-based learning. This learning approach, however, is not new to public administration. Scholars have been promoting competency-based education for more than 25 years (Greenhill, Metz, & Stander, 1982). This article expands on the previous work of competency-based education, presenting lessons learned from the experience of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). A systematic competency-based learning system was adopted and implemented in support of its mission statement of preparing public service leaders. The purpose of these lessons is to help NASPPA-accredited programs, of all sizes, conceptualize and advance their approaches to competency-based learning, including the need for a shared understanding of the program’s mission and the need for faculty flexibility when making curriculum changes.

Public policy programs have come to attract students with increasingly diverse backgrounds and career aims, but curricular changes have been modest. Using a data set on MPP alumni from Harvard’s Kennedy School, we analyze career trajectories through different sectors and specializations, examining relationships among trajectories, perceptions of public service, and particular skill needs. Although government remains an important destination, we find a predominance of idiosyncratic paths and a diversification of employment trajectories over time. Perceptions of employment as public service and reports of skill use vary significantly by sector. Although certain general skills (communication, systematic thinking about problems, and workload management) are widely used, there are notable differences in other skill areas (policy design and political analysis are more used by government and nonprofit workers; economics is more used in the private sector). Programs may want to consider these differences in skill use in prioritizing what is taught, and how.

Recent scholarship has documented a growing interest in teaching philanthropy at the undergraduate and graduate level. This study is an overview of the nature and extent of one approach, experiential philanthropy, in which students learn philanthropy by making grants to nonprofit organizations. The study reviewed syllabi and support material for 88 experiential philanthropy courses. The analysis identified four course models offered in a variety of academic settings. These findings suggest a broader range of course options for advancing civic engagement goals that instructors might typically consider. Faculty who teach these courses pursue multiple goals, including preparing students for citizenship and for professional work in the nonprofit sector. The findings indicate that experiential philanthropy is a pedagogical strategy for both civic engagement and nonprofit management education. They deepen our understanding of how instructors use experiential philanthropy and shape how we assess its efficacy as a pedagogic strategy.

In the midst of vigorous debate on the future of higher education, we have an opportunity to restore the focus of the institution, and public affairs education in particular, on the public. This article establishes a role for higher education as one that empowers individuals and communities to pursue the good life for all, integrating across potentially conflicting roles to include development of citizens, generation and dissemination of knowledge, job creation, and skills development. A framework for advancing this mission is encapsulated by the acronym SEE DEMOS: Student Empowered Education/Democratizing Education for Members of Society. A pedagogical case example demonstrates how public affairs education can go beyond job creation and service learning to place the public squarely at the heart of the educational enterprise. In conclusion, questions are suggested for faculty members considering this framework at their institutions.

This study examined outcomes of public service education in Pakistan. Building on existing models for assessing such programs, we evaluated short-term, intermediate, and long-term outcomes. MPA student perceptions were recorded from the two universities of Pakistan offering the largest MPA programs. Short-term outcomes were encouraging: Students showed higher levels of satisfaction with program goals, curriculum, and instructional techniques. Results of intermediate outcomes also are promising: Students showed complete satisfaction with learning and building competencies required in the workplace. Results of long-term outcomes, however, indicate a challenge. Although long-term outcomes are not easy to assess, examining them in a South Asian country characterized by a politicized bureaucracy and centralized public administration authority is even more challenging. The public affairs administrative systems and education programs work in isolation in Pakistan. Students reported a strong desire to develop systems that encourage them using the knowledge and skills they acquired during their MPA programs.