Graduate
center remains qualified
By Sonya Smith
On-line Forty-Niner
The
graduate center for public policy and administration
recently had its accreditation continued
for another seven years, which indicates
the center’s quality and ensures budgetary
support from the university, according to
Dan Barbar, professor and former chair of
the center.
Professor
and center director, Saint-Germain, said
the graduate center offers a master’s degree
in public policy for those who want to work
in local government, nonprofit organizations
and private sectors as city managers or
as chief directors.
The
program, which began in 1973, has been accredited
since 1979 which “gives assurance to our
constituents of our quality and … for the
school to continue to support our program
through the budget,” Barbar said.
As
part of the accreditation process, the department
studies the program using a report based
on the most recent seven years about how
the program meets national standards and
any achievements or changes, Saint-Germain
said. A site visit is also conducted, Saint-Germain
said.
The
accreditation group is the National Association
of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration,
which is made up of those active with the
education of public policy. Saint-Germain
herself is an executive member of this accreditation
committee.
Saint-Germain
added that the curriculum and faculty were
both improved upon.
“We
completely restructured the curriculum,”
said Saint-Germain explaining that to do
this “we asked the community in public policy
that we should be teaching.”
Part
of this curriculum revision means that the
students work on a student learning portfolio,
rather than several projects for each class,
which they present at graduation to show
what skills and knowledge they have gained,
Saint-Germain said.
In
addition to curriculum changes, Saint-Germain
said, the department has updated the faculty
by adding four full-time professors.
Professor
John Ostrowski said these changes “made
the department more contemporary and brought
it to the 21st century. The department is
[now] more relevant to the students.”
Barbar
said that the goal of the department is
“to maintain a program built by good faculty
and good support of nonprofit organizations
and local government.”
Saint-Germain
boasted that in 1998, for the 25th anniversary
of the department, it was “able to identify
at least 17 graduates who have become city
managers, along with a number who have served
as elected officials.”
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