Check out the Pi Alpha Alpha National website at http://www.naspaa.org/
There are many areas of interest for the student, professional, and academic.
NASPAA Overview
The National Association of Schools of
Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), founded in 1970 and incorporated in
1977, serves as a national and international resource for the promotion of
excellence in education and training for public service. Its institutional
membership includes 250 U.S. university programs in public affairs, public
policy, public administration, and public management.
NASPAA accomplishes its purposes through direct services to its member
institutions and by:
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Developing appropriate standards for educational programs through its Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation; |
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Representing to governments and other institutions the objectives and needs of education for public affairs and administration; |
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Encouraging curriculum development and innovation and providing a forum for publication and discussion of education scholarship, practices, and issues; |
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Undertaking surveys that provide members and the public with information on key educational issues; |
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Meeting with employers to promote internship opportunities for students and employment for graduates; |
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Undertaking joint educational projects with practitioner professional organizations; and |
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Collaborating with institutes and schools
of public administration in other countries through conferences, consortia, and
joint projects. |
NASPAA Leadership
The NASPAA Executive Committee is composed of the president, vice president, and
immediate past president. The NASPAA Executive Council includes the Executive
Committee and fifteen other elected members from NASPAA institutions.
The 2002-2003 President of NASPAA is Jo Ivey Boufford, Professor of Public
Service, Health Policy, and Management at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School
of Public Service at New York University. Vice President B.J. Reed is the Dean
of the College of Public Affairs and Community Service at the University of
Nebraska at Omaha. The immediate past president is Carolyn Ban, Dean of the
Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of
Pittsburgh.
Membership Information and Roster
Institutional Members
Membership in the Association is open to academic programs within accredited
institutions of higher education. These programs must have separately identified
curricula leading to a professional graduate or undergraduate degree in public
affairs, administration or policy, and have a substantial commitment to the
purpose of NASPAA.
Associate Members
Associate membership is open to all other academic and non-academic
organizations that subscribe to the purpose of the Association, including
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Foreign academic degree-granting institutions |
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Government agencies |
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Corporations |
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Foundations |
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Professional associations |
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Academic institutions offering non-degree
programs or degree programs in other areas |
Peer Review and
Accreditation
NASPAA’s Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA) is the specialized
accrediting body for masters degree programs in public affairs, administration,
and policy, and is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
NASPAA members are eligible to participate in an accreditation review of their
master’s level programs by COPRA. The review combines a self-study with peer
review, including a site visit. The Commission publishes and disseminates a
record of its actions, including an annual roster of accredited programs.
Committees and Sections
NASPAA member institutions with common interests or characteristics may group
themselves into sections to promote their shared interests. Currently, the
following five sections exist:
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Comprehensive Schools |
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Political Science Based Programs |
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Nonprofit Management Education |
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Health Sector Management Education |
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Small Programs |
The NASPAA bylaws create three committees: Committee on Standards, Commission on
Peer Review and Accreditation, and Committee on Finance. Additional NASPAA
committees focus on specific program areas of importance to NASPAA members.
These areas include: Annual Conference, Diversity, Doctoral Education,
International Education, Marketing the MPA, Policy, Strategic Planning,
Technology, Undergraduate Education, and Urban Management Education.
Standards, Policies, and Guidelines
To provide assistance to member institutions, NASPAA has developed the following
standards, policies, and guidelines:
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Guidelines for Baccalaureate Degree Programs |
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Standards for Professional Masters Degree Programs |
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NASPAA Public Service Internship Guidelines |
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Diversity Guidelines |
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Guidelines for Graduate Professional Education in Nonprofit Organizations, Managements and Leadership |
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Policy on Doctoral Education |
Publications
NASPAA publishes the Journal of Public Affairs Education (J-PAE), a quarterly
refereed journal that serves to stimulate research and dialogue about issues in
public affairs education. NASPAA also produces brochures and other material to
promote education and training for public service.
Annual Conference
NASPAA organizes an annual conference to engage members in discussions of
challenges and opportunities in public affairs education. The 2003 conference
will be held in Pittsburgh, PA October 16-18; its theme is “21st Century
Challenges: Educating Students, Managing Programs.”
Student Honor
Society
In recognition of outstanding student achievement in public affairs programs,
NASPAA sponsors Pi Alpha Alpha, an honor society.
Web Resources
Searchable
database. Programs are searchable by degrees offered, concentrations,
location, and accreditation status.
Profiles of Alumni
are snapshots of the many career paths taken by graduates of member programs.
Visit
www.naspaa.org/students/students.asp.
Awards
NASPAA sponsors faculty awards, graduate student awards, and Pi Alpha Alpha
honor society awards.
International Projects
NASPAA fosters public affairs and administration education and practice
internationally, as well as such opportunities for NASPAA members, through its
applied policy research, technical assistance, and other partnerships with the
Network of Institutes and Schools of Public Administration in Central and
Eastern Europe (NISPAcee), the Inter-American Network of Public Administration
Education (INPAE), and the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) in
Tbilisi, Georgia.
Community Engagement
At the local level, NASPAA directs the Small Community Outreach Project for
Environmental Issues (SCOPe), funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. SCOPe networks multiple public affairs schools and local governments on
national environmental regulation policy issues.
Electronic Listserv
The University of Nebraska at Omaha supports the NASPAA listserv, which fosters
discussion among NASPAA members on issues of program administration, funding,
and policy.