Master of Public Administration Program Summary of Prioritization Report September 17, 2013

Master of Public Administration Program – Summary of Prioritization Report

September 17, 2013

1) The MPA degree at Appalachian was first awarded in May, 1989; the program has produced over 400 graduates in those 25 years from

cohorts in Boone, Hickory, Winston-Salem, Morganton, and Gastonia. As shown in the tables in the Appendix, the MPA program has maintained

consistent enrollment levels above 50 students since 2002, and often has more than 70 students in the program during a given term. Since

2003-2004, the MPA program has graduated an average of 25.6 students. Thus, we believe that the MPA program is healthy and poised for growth in

the coming decade.

2) The MPA program ensures quality by virtue of being accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration

(NASPAA) through 2016-17. NASPAA accreditation is achieved once a program undoes a rigorous process of self-study and peer review.

Programs at a total of 162 schools are accredited in the U.S. and elsewhere, including seven in North Carolina (ASU, ECU, NCSU, UNC-CH, UNC-C,

UNC-G, & UNC-W). Assessment of student learning and program quality will be a prominent, and perhaps determinative, element of the

reaccreditation process in the coming years. The MPA faculty is crafting an assessment strategy that serves the best interests of the program,

the purposes of the university, and the requirements of NASPAA. The program director will attend NASPAA’s annual conference with express

purpose of receiving training on assessment and the standards for reaccreditation; a request will be made for an interested colleague to also

attend so that assessment becomes a shared responsibility among the PA faculty, and not driven solely by the director.

The ASU MPA program has a strong, state-wide reputation for our focus on local government management and for the applied nature of

the program. To wit, pre-service students consistently remark on the value of the required internship(s). They recognize the benefits, both

tangible and intangible, that are derived from this exposure to PA in practice. Second, each instructor, whether tenure-track or adjunct, brings

significant professional experience to the classroom. Third, the students in the distance education cohorts are all in-service; the bond that they

forge among themselves is remarkable, and certainly pervades their own description of the program in conversations with colleagues who may

be interested in pursuing an MPA degree. Finally, the MPA program enjoys the support of an active and generous alumni association, the ASU

Local Government Alumni Association (ASULGAA); over 100 MPA graduates are active in the ASULGAA and support our students through

mentoring, hosting interns, and awarding 10 scholarships annually. Three anecdotes are worth sharing about programmatic quality and

reputation. One, an MPA student from Chapel Hill contacted the ASU program in 2012 to be a second ‘case’ in her study of students’ interests

and ambitions with regard to county-level careers - her faculty advisor had recommended the ASU program as the one in NC that has the

strongest reputation for educating and producing local government professionals. Second, a number of municipalities provide paid internships

every year to ASU MPA students, and only ASU MPA students. Their support and loyalty are appreciated and humbling. Third, a student from

another MPA program in NC commented during a session at a state-wide local government conference a few years back that she was having a

very hard time finding a local government management internship. Her frustration was that the managers she had contacted were ASU alumni

and they wanted to support the ASU MPA program by having one of our students as their intern. In her words, “the App Mafia” was preventing

her from getting an internship. Suffice it to say, her frustration is our point of pride. And while the program does not take this reputation or

success for granted, it does reassure that we are doing good work that is recognized throughout NC.

3) Scholarly productivity is a strength of the Department of Government and Justice Studies; data are presented at the departmental level in the

Appendix due to the cross-programmatic contributions of many of the faculty (i.e. faculty who contribute to the MPA program also teach

undergraduate courses in Political Science and/or Criminal Justice).

The preponderance of funding for MPA students comes from the Graduate School and College of Arts & Sciences to the Department of

Government and Justice Studies, and then redistributed among the three graduate programs in the Department. Generally, the MPA program

receives a proportionate share of assistantships and NCTS support, as measured by credit hours generated by each program. Notably, MPA

students have successfully competed for assistantships from other units on campus in recent years, including those from Academic Affairs, the

Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, the College of Business Career Services Center, the Office of Environmental Health, Safety, and

Emergency Management, and one GRAM. These assistantships have the effect of reducing the demand from the MPA program for those

awarded to the Department by the Graduate School and College. No graduate students were supported through grants and contracts in the last

two years.

4) Drawn from the University’s Strategic Plan 2008–2012 (http://www.appstate.edu/about/strategic_plan.pdf), the MPA program clearly

contributes to a number of strategic initiatives:

-

Appalachian will attract, retain, and graduate a diverse student body with increasingly distinguished admission profiles

The most obvious manner in which the MPA program contributes to “a diverse student body” is through our distance education cohorts. Cohorts

typically have an age range of 20 years or more, with notable diversity in terms of race and gender. For example, the current cohort of 12

students in Winston-Salem has 5 women and 4 people of color.

-

Appalachian will intellectually engage students with active, interdisciplinary learning environments and scholarly mentoring.

In many ways the ‘sine qua non’ of the discipline of Public Administration is inter-disciplinary. The field has explicit ties to such fields as

Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Management, Gender Studies, and so on. In terms of the MPA program’s curriculum, this

inter-disciplinary nature is reflected in the pre-approved electives from outside of the program such as those from Criminal Justice, Political

Science, Planning, Communications, and Business Administration/Management.

-

Appalachian will provide constructive public service to this region, state, and nation.

The very purpose of the discipline of Public Administration is to study and improve the delivery of services to communities, the state,

and beyond. Thus, the essence of the MPA program is to train future public servants. As mentioned, the traditional focus of the program has

been on local government, but graduates have also established successful careers in state and national government agencies, and non-profit and

private sector organizations.

The MPA program is currently delivered in-person in Boone, Hickory, and Winston-Salem. Although faculty are paid a stipend for their

distance education instruction, this willingness to drive more than hour (and back) to deliver the program to students who are unable to come to

Boone represents a dedicated commitment to expanding the reach of the program and University throughout western NC. Furthermore, the

current faculty has demonstrated a willingness to explore methods of course delivery that have not been tried previously for MPA courses.

Notably, the Not-for-profit Management course, PA 5270, will be offered on-line in Fall 2014; this will be the first time that any PA course has

been offered on-line.

Appendix: Enrollment and Degrees Awarded Data

Upper Division Enrollment in Selected Programs

Academic Year

Fall

00

Spr

01

Fall

01

Spr

02

Fall

02

Spr

03

Fall

03

Spr

04

Fall

04

Spr

05

Fall

05

Spr

06

Fall

06

Spr

07

Fall

07

Spr

08

Fall

08

Spr

09

Fall

09

Spr

10

Fall

10

Spr

11

Fall

11

Spr

12

Fall

12

29

33

46

42

43

54

64

56

51

59

71

78

76

73

72

63

64

54

62

66

68

67

70

70

55

Number of Degrees Awarded in Selected Programs

Academic Year

2000-2001

2001-2002

2002-2003

2003-2004

2004-2005

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

ASU 440401 Public

Administration

118

MPA

14

9

8

25

23

15

19

41

27

25

19

37

Scholarly Productivity – Department of Government & Justice Studies (Total faculty 35-37 over the course of the three-year period)

Type

Year

Books

Peer-Reviewed Articles

Scholarly

Publications

2010-2011

3

28

19

2011-2012

7

28

18

2012-2013

10

44

27

Appalachian
State
University
Graduate
Program
Review:
Tier
III
 Master
of
Public
Administration
Program


August
2013
 


1.
Centrality
to
University's
Mission:


The
Master
of
Public
Administration
(MPA)
degree
at
Appalachian
State
University
has
been
in
continuous
 operation
since
being
approved
by
the
University
of
North
Carolina
Board
of
Governors
in
1988.

The
MPA
degree
 at
Appalachian
was
first
awarded
to
individuals
in
May,
1989;
the
program
has
produced
over
400
graduates
in
the
 25
years
since.
The
degree
is
designed
to
offer
graduate‐level
professional
training
in
Public
Administration
and
 management
to
in‐service
and
pre‐service
students.

The
program
prepares
individuals
for
careers
in
the
public
 service
by
offering
advanced
training
in
public
sector
management,
including
training
in
financial,
personnel
and
 strategic
management.

The
curriculum
is
designed
to
provide
students
with
the
appropriate
base
of
knowledge,
 skills
 and
 values
 needed
 to
 be
 effective
 managers
 and/or
 evaluators
 of
 public
 sector
 agencies
 and
 programs.
 Currently
a
student
must
complete
a
minimum
of
42
credit
hours
to
earn
an
MPA
degree.
 The
faculty
members
of
the
MPA
program
at
Appalachian
State
University
collectively
defined
the
mission
 of
the
program
and
use
an
on‐going
assessment
process
to
refine
the
mission
and
assess
the
effectiveness
of
the
 program
in
achieving
the
mission
of
the
MPA
program,
the
University,
and
the
UNC
system.

As
defined
by
the
 program
faculty,
 The
mission
of
the
Appalachian
State
University
MPA
program
is
to
provide
quality
education
for
future
 and
in‐service
public
sector
managers
and
program
evaluators,
and
to
promote
research
and
service
 activities
that
enhance
the
performance
of
public
and
non‐profit
organizations
in
the
region,
the
state
and
 the
nation.
 Five
key
elements
of
this
mission
statement
that
pervade
this
report
are
an
educational
foci
on
management
and
 program
evaluation,
the
enrollment
of
pre‐service
and
in‐service
students,
the
research
and
service
activities
of
 the
faculty,
a
focus
on
both
the
public
and
non‐profit
sectors,
and
the
importance
of
ensuring
quality.
 
 First,
the
42
credit
hour
MPA
curriculum
prepares
students
for
a
professional
career
in
public
service
by
 requiring
a
number
of
courses
related
to
the
management
of
organizations
and
the
workforce,
including
an
 appreciation
for
the
centrality
of
policy
evaluation
in
the
practical/applied
realities
of
Public
Administration
(see
 Appendix
A
for
a
description
of
the
MPA
program
from
the
2013‐14
Graduate
Bulletin).
The
core
curriculum
 provides
an
overview
of
the
field
of
Public
Administration,
with
separate
courses
for
the
fundamental
topics
of
 policy
analysis
and
evaluation,
budgeting
and
financial
management,
personnel,
and
organizational
theory.
The
 policy
course
is
also
an
integral
piece
of
the
research
skills
aspect
of
the
core
curriculum
along
with
courses
on
the
 basics
of
research
methodology
and
the
major
independent
research
project
required
in
the
Capstone
course


(note:
there
is
no
thesis
option;
all
students
complete
a
Capstone
project
instead).
Students
also
select
a
 concentration
that
accounts
for
almost
half
of
the
required
credit
hours.
The
traditional
strength
of
the
MPA
 program
has
been
on
preparing
students
for
careers
in
local
government
management;
thus,
roughly
25
percent
of
 graduates
have
completed
the
Town,
City,
and
County
Management
concentration.
The
Not‐for‐profit
 Management
and
Administration
of
Justice
concentrations
have
also
been
consistently
popular.
The
Public
 Management
concentration,
however,
serves
as
a
‘catch‐all’
by
affording
maximum
flexibility
to
students
in
terms
 of
the
choice
of
electives
that
fit
with
their
intellectual
interests
and
professional
aspirations;
this
concentration
is
 completed
by
nearly
two‐thirds
of
all
students
(note:
all
off‐campus
enrollees
must
select
the
Public
Management
 concentration).
 
 Second,
the
program
has
sustained
a
presence
in
Boone
since
its
founding.
The
overwhelming
 preponderance
of
Boone‐based
students
is
pre‐service,
having
enrolled
in
the
MPA
program
immediately
after
 completing
their
undergraduate
degree.
Thus,
one
of
the
hallmarks
of
program
delivery
in
Boone
is
the
 requirement
that
such
pre‐service
students
complete
at
least
one
internship
for
academic
credit;
each
intern
is
 required
to
complete
a
minimum
of
480
hours
with
the
host
organization.
This
requirement
is
commensurate
with
 12
–
15
weeks
of
full‐time
work
at
the
internship
site.
Consequently,
the
program
believes
that
these
students
 graduate
with
authentic
experience
that
positions
them
to
be
successful
in
their
first
post‐graduate
professional
 job.
Since
2001,
the
MPA
program
has
also
been
delivered
in
various
metropolitan
areas
in
Western
NC
including
 Hickory,
Winston‐Salem,
Morganton,
and
Gastonia.
The
distance
education
component
of
the
program
requires
 faculty
to
drive
to
the
site
to
offer
face‐to‐face
instruction.
There
are
two
defining
characteristics
of
the
off‐campus
 offerings.
First,
the
program
uses
a
cohort
model
whereby
a
group
of
15
or
so
students
begin
the
program
 together
and,
seven
academic
terms
later,
graduate
together;
additional
students
are
generally
not
permitted
to
 join
a
cohort
after
the
first
semester
of
classes
has
been
completed.
Second,
students
enrolled
in
such
a
cohort
 must
be
in‐service,
defined
as
working
full‐time
in
a
professional
position
ideally
in
the
public
or
non‐profit
sector.
 Consequently,
such
students
are
not
required
to
complete
an
internship
for
credit,
and
complete
other
coursework
 to
reach
the
42
credit
minimum.
 
 Third,
the
applied
nature
of
the
MPA
program
at
Appalachian
is
reflected
in
the
backgrounds,
research
 agendas,
and
service
commitments
made
by
the
faculty.
Every
contributing
tenure‐track
faculty
member
and
 adjunct
instructor
brings
significant
practical,
professional
experience
to
the
program.
In
terms
of
the
current
 tenure‐track
faculty,
notable
examples
include
a
retired
city
manager,
former
chief‐of‐staff
to
a
mayor
in
a
large
 city,
a
former
lobbyist
in
the
Washington,
DC,
and
a
public
sector
program
evaluator.
Adjuncts
include
the
current
 town
manager
of
Boone,
county
manager
of
Watuaga
County,
Sheriff
of
Watauga
County,
county
manager
of
 McDowell
County,
and
county
manager
of
Ashe
County.
The
faculty
has
a
strong
record
of
publishing
multiple
 books
and
articles
each
year
in
highly
reputable
journals
in
the
field.
Recently,
four
publications
have
been
co‐ authored
by
MPA
students.
Last,
the
MPA
faculty
embodies
the
‘service
orientation’
of
the
Public
Administration


discipline
by
way
of
extensive
service
to
numerous
programmatic,
departmental,
university,
and
professional
 committees
and
organizations.
All
of
this
is
brought
to
bear
in
the
curriculum
in
the
types
of
research
projects
that
 are
assigned
to
and
completed
by
the
students.
A
notable
example
is
the
course
called
Field
Based
Research
that
 all
in‐service
students
complete
in
lieu
of
an
internship,
and
pre‐service
students
can
complete
in
addition
to
an
 internship.
The
defining
characteristic
of
the
research
project
is
that
it
provides
a
direct,
practical
benefit
to
the
 student’s
employing
organization.
Another
indicator
of
the
applied
nature
of
the
MPA
program
is
the
significant
 exposure
that
our
students
have
with
practitioners.
Most
prominently,
the
program
enjoys
the
generous
support
 of
the
ASU
Local
Government
Alumni
Association
(ASULGAA),
which
has
more
than
100
alumni
members.
The
 ASULGAA
provides
numerous
opportunities
and
support
to
the
program
and
the
students;
prominent
examples
 include
the
awarding
annually
of
9
scholarships
of
at
least
$750
each,
the
underwriting
of
the
students’
registration
 to
attend
the
NC
City
County
Management
Association
annual
conference,
the
Association’s
fall
conference
in
 Boone,
the
support
for
the
ICMA
student
chapter,
and
the
ad
hoc
mentoring
and
advocacy
during
the
search
for
 jobs
and
internships.
 
 Fourth,
the
mission
statement
identifies
both
the
public
and
not‐for‐profit
sectors
as
part
of
the
discipline
 of
Public
Administration.
This
multi‐sector
coverage
is
reflected
in
the
students
who
enroll
in
the
program
and
the
 internships
and
job
that
they
are
drawn
to
post‐MPA.
In
recent
years,
students
have
been
employed
by
a
number
 of
non‐profit
organizations;
notable
examples
are
Samaritan’s
Purse,
the
YMCA,
Big
Brothers
&
Big
Sisters,
WAMY,
 Habitat
for
Humanity,
and
an
LGBT
Center.
As
will
be
discussed
later
in
this
report,
the
MPA
faculty
is
actively
 pursuing
opportunities
to
enhance
and
hone
our
non‐profit
offerings
and
opportunities.
 
 Finally,
the
primary
means
by
which
the
MPA
program
ensures
quality
is
by
virtue
of
being
accredited
by
 the
Network
of
Schools
of
Public
Policy,
Affairs,
and
Administration
(NASPAA)
through
2016‐17.
NASPAA
 accreditation
is
achieved
once
a
program
undoes
a
rigorous
process
of
self‐study
and
peer
review.
Programs
at
a
 total
of
162
schools
are
accredited
in
the
U.S.
and
elsewhere,
including
seven
in
North
Carolina
(ASU,
ECU,
NCSU,
 UNC‐CH,
UNC‐C,
UNC‐G,
&
UNC‐W).
 These
five
foundational
characteristics
of
the
MPA
program
echo
the
mission
of
the
University,
and
the
 UNC
system.
Drawn
from
the
University’s
Strategic
Plan
2008–2012
 (http://www.appstate.edu/about/strategic_plan.pdf),
the
MPA
program
clearly
contributes
to
a
number
of
 strategic
initiatives:
 ‐ Appalachian
will
attract,
retain,
and
graduate
a
diverse
student
body
with
increasingly
distinguished
 admission
profiles
 The
most
obvious
manner
in
which
the
MPA
program
contributes
to
“a
diverse
student
body”
is
through
our
 distance
education
cohorts.
Cohorts
typically
have
an
age
range
of
20
years
or
more,
with
notable
diversity
in


terms
of
race
and
gender.
For
example,
the
current
cohort
of
12
students
in
Winston‐Salem
has
5
women
and
4
 people
of
color.
 ‐ Appalachian
will
intellectually
engage
students
with
active,
interdisciplinary
learning
environments
 and
scholarly
mentoring.
 In
many
ways
the
‘sine
qua
non’
of
the
discipline
of
Public
Administration
is
inter‐disciplinary.
The
field
 has
explicit
ties
to
such
fields
as
Political
Science,
Psychology,
Sociology,
Anthropology,
Management,
Gender
 Studies,
and
so
on.
In
terms
of
the
MPA
program’s
curriculum,
this
inter‐disciplinary
nature
is
reflected
in
the
pre‐ approved
electives
from
outside
of
the
program
such
as
those
from
Criminal
Justice,
Political
Science,
Planning,
 Communications,
and
Business
Administration/Management.
 ‐ Appalachian
will
provide
constructive
public
service
to
this
region,
state,
and
nation.

 The
very
purpose
of
the
discipline
of
Public
Administration
is
to
study
and
improve
the
delivery
of
services
 to
communities,
the
state,
and
beyond.
Thus,
the
essence
of
the
MPA
program
is
to
train
future
public
servants.
As
 mentioned,
the
traditional
focus
of
the
program
has
been
on
local
government.
As
reflected
on
the
map
provided
 in
Appendix
B,
graduates
of
the
program
serve
local
governments
in
all
regions
of
the
state
(Note
that
this
map
 includes
only
a
small
sub‐set
of
graduates
=
those
who
are
in
the
Alumni
Association
and
who
are
Managers.).
 ‐ Appalachian
will
expand
our
capability
to
serve
students
 The
MPA
program
is
currently
delivered
in‐person
in
Boone,
Hickory,
and
Winston‐Salem.
Although
 faculty
are
paid
a
stipend
for
their
distance
education
instruction,
this
willingness
to
drive
more
than
hour
(and
 back)
to
deliver
the
program
to
students
who
are
unable
to
come
to
Boone
represents
a
dedicated
commitment
to
 expanding
the
reach
of
the
program
and
University
throughout
western
NC.
 ‐ Appalachian
will
develop
and
implement
policies
to
promote
effective
use
of
current
technologies.
 In
the
past
two
years
or
so,
the
MPA
program
has
experienced,
for
the
first
time,
difficulties
recruiting
 enough
students
to
‘make’
cohorts
in
Hickory
and
Morganton.
The
faculty
has
responded
to
this
challenge
with
a
 willingness
to
explore
methods
of
course
delivery
that
have
not
been
tried
previously
for
MPA
courses.
Notably,
 the
Not‐for‐profit
Management
course,
PA
5270,
will
be
offered
on‐line
in
Fall
2014;
this
will
be
the
first
time
that
 any
PA
course
has
been
offered
on‐line.
 
 2.
Demand
 As
illustrated
in
the
tables
included
in
Appendix
C,
the
MPA
program
has
enjoyed
healthy
levels
of
 enrollment
in
the
past
decade;
the
program
has
not
had
less
than
50
students
since
2002.
This
is
due
in
no
small
 part
to
the
program
being
offered
in‐person
in
numerous
sites
at
any
given
time.
As
mentioned,
however,
 recruitment
for
new
distance
education
cohorts
has
been
challenging
in
the
past
year
or
so;
thus,
we
expect
to
see


a
dip
in
enrollment
when
data
are
calculated
for
the
2013‐14
academic
year.
The
MPA
program
will
still
be
far
 above
the
minimum
thresholds
set
by
the
UNC
system;
nevertheless
the
faculty
is
concerned
about,
and
is
actively
 discussing
ways
to
address,
the
observed
enrollment
trend.
Similar
to
enrollment,
the
number
of
degrees
awarded
 has
been
steady,
and
healthy,
for
the
past
decade.
Again,
there
will
be
a
dip
in
this
metric
in
the
coming
years
due
 to
the
current
enrollment
challenge
being
faced
by
the
program.
 
 The
quality
of
MPA
applicants
is
a
complex
characteristic
to
assess.
The
MPA
Admissions
Committee,
 consisting
of
the
Director
and
two
colleagues,
uses
the
Graduate
School’s
thresholds
as
guides
(currently,
a
3.0
 GPA
or
higher,
and
25th
percentile
on
the
GRE
verbal
and
quantitative).
Complications
arise
when
considering
the
 application
of
an
in‐service
applicant
who
has,
for
example,
a
low
undergraduate
GPA
but
has
an
impressive
 professional
resume
since
graduation.
Thus,
the
Admission
Committee
attempts
to
take
a
‘whole
person’
approach
 to
admissions;
to
wit,
the
program
recently
began
requiring
a
statement
of
interest,
in
addition
to
a
resume
and
 three
references,
as
a
means
for
assessing
why
the
person
wants
an
MPA
and
an
MPA
from
AppState.
The
 statement
of
interest
also
serves
as
a
writing
sample.
Overall,
we
are
pleased
with
the
quality
of
applicants
to
the
 program,
in
Boone
and
in
our
distance
education
cohorts.
 
 Returning
to
the
issue
of
the
decreasing
number
of
applications,
especially
to
our
distance
education
 cohorts,
the
program
is
concerned
that
a
decade’s
long
presence
in
the
greater
Hickory
area
may
have
depleted
 the
market.
This
market
depletion,
in
combination
with
larger
forces
related
to
the
economy,
etc.,
has
forced
the
 program’s
faculty
to
fundamentally
revisit
our
default
model
for
delivering
distance
education.
To
be
clear
and
 blunt,
the
faculty
is
steadfast
in
their
resistance
to
calls
to
move
the
entire
MPA
program
on‐line,
however
a
more
 measured
and
strategic
approach
whereby
elements
of
the
program
could
be
delivered
in
a
hybrid
and/or
on‐line
 format
is
likely
in
the
coming
years.
 
 In
terms
of
sustaining,
and
ideally
growing,
enrollment
on‐campus,
the
MPA
will
focus
on
recruiting
from
 among
undergraduates
already
attending
ASU.
A
prominent
example
of
this
approach
is
that
the
program
is
one
of
 a
small
number
of
pilot
programs
in
the
new
‘accelerated
admission’
initiative.
Unlike
the
other
two
graduate
 programs
in
the
Department,
Criminal
Justice
and
Political
Science,
there
is
no
distinct
Public
Administration
 degree
at
the
undergraduate
level
at
ASU
that
could
act
as
a
natural
‘feeder’
into
the
MPA
program.
Thus,
the
MPA
 faculty
has
committed
itself
in
the
coming
year
to
explore
new
strategies
and
innovations
for
promoting
and
 marketing
the
MPA
program
to
current
undergraduate
students.
One
effort
that
was
tried
in
Fall
2012
that
proved
 to
be
unsuccessful
was
to
announce
to
the
entire
university
community,
faculty,
staff,
and
students
alike,
that
the
 MPA
program
was
holding
an
open
house
information
session.
Despite
the
wide
distribution
of
the
invitation,
and
 the
support
and
attendance
by
the
Director
of
Graduate
Admissions,
only
one
potential
applicant
attended;
clearly
 a
more
nuanced
approach
is
needed.
With
regard
to
recruiting
for
distance
education
cohorts,
the
program
has
 relied
heavily
on
the
efforts
coordinated
by
the
Office
of
Distance
Education;
these
efforts
typically
include
mass


at
the
site
for
the
upcoming
cohort.
Perhaps
the
most
obvious
method
for
recruiting
at
an
established
location
 with
an
on‐going
cohort
is
to
rely
upon
the
current
and
past
students
in
that
location
to
help
to
‘spread
the
word’
 about
the
program.
Again,
the
current
challenges
regarding
the
number
of
off‐campus
applications
clearly
suggest
 that
this
somewhat
informal,
shotgun
approach
to
recruiting
must
be
revisited.
 
 Post‐MPA,
the
job
prospects
are
good.
Although
the
program
does
not
systematically
track
job
placement
 of
graduates
on
an
annual
basis,
the
director
maintains
contact
with
most
recent
graduates
and
is
able
to
discern
 anecdotally
job
placement
prospects.
The
economic
downturn
in
the
state
in
recent
years
has
had
a
palpable,
 negative
effect
on
hiring
in
the
public
sector;
there
are
fewer
opportunities
and
greater
demand
for
those
that
do
 arise.
One
observed
trend
is
for
municipalities
and
counties
to
hire
in
their
budget
and
finance
offices
as
the
value
 of
each
dollar
has
been
amplified
during
the
recession.
In
response,
the
MPA
program
has
developed
a
new
 elective
on
public
finance
to
go
along
with
the
core
course
that
focuses
more
on
budgeting.
This
is
in
addition
to
 the
long‐established
elective
course
on
grants
strategies.
Thus,
the
program
continually
adapts
itself
to
deliver
the
 skills
and
competencies
that
are
in
demand.
As
will
be
discussed
later
in
this
report,
the
MPA
program
is
in
a
period
 of
‘right‐sizing’
and
will
not
be
looking
to
leverage
this
report
for
the
purposes
of
expanding
the
program.
Given
 the
political
and
pedagogical
uncertainties
in
Public
Administration,
it
is
fair
to
say
that
the
MPA
is
in
a
period
of
 ‘maintenance’
as
opposed
to
‘expansion’.
 
 3.
Quality
of
the
Program
 
 The
MPA
is
accredited
by
NASPAA,
and
the
standards
for
accreditation
require
the
utilization
of
measures
 of
student
learning
and
program
quality.
Each
member
of
the
MPA
faculty
has
significant
professional
experience
 in
program
evaluation;
we
have
been
exposed
to
rigorous
training,
and
have
seen
evaluation
and
assessment
done
 very
well
and
done
very
poorly
in
practice.
Consequently,
it
is
probably
fair
to
say
that
we
have
been
our
own
 worst
enemies
in
our
efforts
to
establish
an
assessment
mechanism
that
is
all‐things‐to‐all‐people:
rigorous,
 practical,
valid,
and
manageable.
It
is
with
a
measure
of
relief
that
the
previous
academic
year
brought
conceptual
 clarity
and
strategic
insight
to
the
program’s
assessment
strategy.
 
 The
program
is
accredited
through
the
2016‐17
academic
year.
The
program
will
undertake
a
rigorous
 self‐study
process
in
the
two
years
leading
up
to
that
reaccreditation
decision.
Assessment
of
student
learning
and
 program
quality
will
be
a
prominent,
and
perhaps
determinative,
element
of
that
process.
Thus,
the
MPA
faculty
is
 attempting
to
craft
an
assessment
strategy
that
serves
the
best
interests
of
the
program,
the
purposes
of
the
 university,
and
the
requirements
of
NASPAA.
The
program
director
will
attend
NASPAA’s
annual
conference
with
 express
purpose
of
receiving
training
on
assessment
and
the
standards
for
reaccreditation;
a
request
will
be
made


for
an
interested
colleague
to
also
attend
so
that
assessment
becomes
a
shared
responsibility
among
the
PA
 faculty,
and
not
driven
solely
by
the
director.
 Looking
ahead
to
the
reaccreditation
process,
our
recent
assessment
efforts
have
focused
on
the
five
 “universal
required
competencies”
of
student
learning
set
forth
by
NASPAA:
 ‐ to
lead
and
manage
in
public
governance;
 ‐ to
participate
in
and
contribute
to
the
policy
process;
 ‐ to
analyze,
synthesize,
think
critically,
solve
problems
and
make
decisions;
 ‐ to
articulate
and
apply
a
public
service
perspective;
 ‐ to
communicate
and
interact
productively
with
a
diverse
and
changing
workforce
and
citizenry.
 A
prominent
example
of
our
efforts
to
capture
data
related
to
these
five
competencies
is
from
the
reports
that
 were
required
from
all
MPA
students
completing
an
internship
for
credit
in
Summer
2013.
The
internship
that
is
 required
of
all
pre‐service
students
was
identified
as
meaningful
and
effective
opportunity
to
collect
assessment
 data
because
it
is
precisely
the
component
of
the
curriculum
where
course
content
is
brought
to
bear
in
an
 applied,
practical
setting;
the
internship
is
where
the
academic
preparation
of
the
student
is
put
into
action.
The
 innovation
adopted
for
Summer
2013
is
as
follows.
Interns
were
required
to
submit
four
bi‐weekly
reports
 throughout
the
summer,
culminating
in
a
comprehensive
paper
at
the
end
of
their
internship.
The
internship
 instructors
provided
a
template
for
each
of
the
four
reports
and
the
paper;
these
templates
contained
questions
 that
prompted
the
student
to
reflect
on
one
of
the
competencies
in
each
of
their
deliverables.
Thus,
the
following
 competency‐based
questions
were
used
throughout
the
term:
 ‐ First
bi‐weekly
report:
Fully
describe
any
opportunities
that
you
have
had
to
“participate
in
and
 contribute
to
the
policy
process”.
Interpret
this
prompt
as
broadly
as
necessary
(e.g.
attending
public
 meetings,
helping
the
organization
to
overcome
implementation
challenges,
evaluating
a
program’s
 effectiveness,
etc.).
 ‐ Second
bi‐weekly
report:
Thoroughly
describe
and
reflect
upon
an
opportunity
that
you
have
had
to
 analyze,
synthesize,
think
critically,
solve
problems
and
make
decisions
in
your
internship
thus
far.
 ‐ Third
bi‐weekly
report:
Discuss
a
notable
example
from
your
internship
where
you
have
had
to
 articulate
and
apply
a
public
service
perspective.
Think
broadly
about
the
values
that
are
a
part
of
 such
a
perspective:
fairness,
transparency,
due
process,
responsiveness,
consistency,
efficiency,
etc.
 ‐ Fourth
bi‐weekly
report:
Discuss
examples
from
your
internship
where
you
have
had
to
communicate
 and
interact
productively
with
a
diverse
and
changing
workforce
and
citizenry.
You
can
conceive
of
 ‘diversity’
broadly,
but
be
sure
to
reference
the
traditional
notions
of
diversity
that
relate
to
race,
 gender,
age,
religion,
disability,
etc.


‐ Culminating
paper:
Discuss
a
memorable
experience
that
will
enhance
your
ability
to
lead
and
 manage
in
public
governance.
 As
this
section
of
the
report
is
being
written,
student
internships
have
just
ended
and
all
deliverables
have
been
 received
by
the
instructor.
The
next
step
is
to
take
the
various
reports
submitted
by
the
students
and
reorganize
 their
individual
responses
by
competency.
What
will
result
is
a
wealth
of
qualitative
data
on
each
of
the
five
 competencies
that
will
illuminate
how
what
the
students
observed
‘in
the
field’
measures
against
the
topics
and
 content
covered
in
the
traditional
courses.
It
is
important
to
add
that
another
prompt
in
the
culminating
paper
 asked
students
to
reflect
on
what
the
internship
experience
taught
that
was
not
covered
in
classes;
responses
to
 this
prompt
will
be
carefully
and
thoughtfully
reflected
upon
by
the
MPA
faculty.
In
sum,
the
analysis
of
the
 intern’s
responses
will
undoubtedly
by
provocative
and
will
trigger
the
sort
of
programmatic
reflection
that
is
the
 hallmark
of
assessment.
 
 Another
mechanism
for
receiving
feedback
from
students
is
an
exit
survey
of
graduating
MPA
students
 that
was
administered
in
Spring
2013,
and
will
be
administered
each
time
a
group
of
students
completes
the
 program
(see
Appendix
D).
Note
that
Question
3
asks
graduating
students
to
reflect
on
the
five
universal
 competencies
set
forth
by
NASPAA.
These
anonymous
survey
results
provide
a
second
means
for
analyzing
student
 learning
outcomes.
 
 That
being
said,
three
anecdotes
are
worth
sharing
about
programmatic
quality
and
reputation.
One,
an
 MPA
student
from
Chapel
Hill
contacted
the
ASU
program
in
2012
to
be
a
second
‘case’
in
her
study
of
students’
 interests
and
ambitions
with
regard
to
county‐level
careers
‐
her
faculty
advisor
had
recommended
the
ASU
 program
as
the
one
in
NC
that
has
the
strongest
reputation
for
educating
and
producing
local
government
 professionals.
Second,
a
number
of
municipalities
provide
paid
internships
every
year
to
ASU
MPA
students,
and
 only
ASU
MPA
students.
Their
support
and
loyalty
are
appreciated
and
humbling.
Third,
a
student
from
another
 MPA
program
in
NC
commented
during
a
session
at
the
aforementioned
NCCCMA
conference
a
few
years
back
 that
she
was
having
a
very
hard
time
finding
a
local
government
management
internship.
Her
frustration
was
that
 the
managers
she
had
contacted
were
ASU
alumni
and
they
wanted
to
support
the
ASU
MPA
program
by
having
 one
of
our
students
as
their
intern.
In
her
words,
“the
App
Mafia”
was
preventing
her
from
getting
an
internship.
 Suffice
it
to
say,
her
frustration
is
our
point
of
pride
(see
Appendix
B).
And
while
the
program
does
not
take
this
 reputation
or
success
for
granted,
it
does
reassure
that
we
are
doing
good
work
that
is
recognized
throughout
NC.
 
 As
mentioned,
the
MPA
program
is
accredited
by
an
organization
of
our
professional
peers,
NASPAA,
 though
2016‐17.
The
efforts
to
maintain
accreditation,
and
be
reaccredited,
are
on‐going,
but
will
be
more
 prominent
this
upcoming
academic
year.



 Although
the
core
curriculum
has
not
been
revised
in
recent
years,
a
number
of
minor
adjustments
are
 currently
being
made
to
the
curriculum.
The
Emergency
Management
concentration
(279E)
is
the
in
the
process
of
 being
eliminated.
This
concentration
was
built
around
the
expertise
and
interests
of
one
faculty
member
who
has
 since
retired
and
the
program
no
longer
maintains
the
capacity
to
deliver
this
concentration
and
there
is
scant
 student
interest.
The
Not‐for‐Profit
Management
concentration
(279F)
is
being
revised
to
reduce
the
number
of
 required
courses
and
provide
greater
flexibility
in
terms
of
the
courses
that
can
count.
The
Town,
City
and
County
 Management
concentration
(279C)
is
being
revised
to
reflect
curricular
changes
made
by
the
Department
of
 Geography
and
Planning;
specifically,
the
concentration
is
being
configured
so
that
MPA
students
can
take
courses
 that
would
also
count
toward
the
achievement
of
a
Graduate
Certificate
in
Planning.
In
terms
of
our
distance
 education
course
sequencing,
the
two
courses
that
require
independent
research
projects,
Field
Based
Research
 and
Capstone,
are
now
scheduling
in
consecutive
academic
terms
at
the
end
of
the
cohort’s
progress
toward
the
 degree.
In
this
manner,
students
have
had
maximum
exposure
to
core
curriculum
before
initiating
the
research
 projects.
This
course
sequencing
has
been
used
for
three
cohorts
to
date
with
positive
results.
 
 Turning
to
time‐to‐degree,
the
preponderance
of
Boone‐based
students
enroll
full‐time
and
complete
the
 degree
in
2
years/six
academic
terms
(i.e.
two
Falls,
two
Springs,
&
two
Summers).
Distance
education
students
 typically
enroll
in
two
courses
per
academic
term
and
complete
the
program
in
seven
terms
(i.e.,
less
than
2.5
 years).
Thus,
very
few
MPA
students
take
2.5
or
more
years
to
complete
the
degree.
 
 There
is
no
thesis
option
in
the
MPA
program;
all
students
complete
a
Capstone
project.
 

 The
MPA
program
does
not
track
the
placement
of
graduates
on
an
annual
basis,
however
the
on‐going
 contact
and
communication
between
the
ASULGAA,
individual
alumni,
and
the
faculty
results
in
a
solid
 understanding
of
placement.
A
small
minority
of
MPA
graduates,
perhaps
one
graduate
per
year,
pursue
a
 doctorate;
truly
the
exception
rather
than
the
rule.
The
MPA
program
is
designed
and
delivered
from
the
 perspective
that
this
is
a
terminal
degree
–
the
faculty
assumes
that
the
MPA
is
the
last
degree
that
the
students
 will
earn.
Thus,
the
program’s
focus
in
on
employment
in
the
graduate’s
chosen
field/sub‐field.
A
survey
of
 graduates,
including
placement,
is
conducted
as
part
of
the
NASPAA
reaccreditation
process;
thus,
a
 comprehensive
of
survey
of
MPA
graduates
will
be
conducted
in
the
next
year
or
so.
The
results
of
the
last
such
 survey
are
presented
in
Appendix
E.
Though
a
bit
dated,
these
placements
are
indicative
of
those
for
more
recent
 graduates.
Further,
distance
education
students
must
be
employed
full‐time
to
enroll
in
a
cohort;
thus
the
focus
 for
those
students
post‐MPA
is
not
so
much
on
getting
their
first
professional
opportunity,
but
typically
to
leverage
 their
graduate
degree
to
improve
their
professional
standing.
 
 4.
Faculty
Involved



 There
are
six
tenure‐track
faculty
members
from
the
Department
of
Government
and
Justice
Studies
who
 make
an
annual
contribution(s)
to
the
core
curriculum:
Drs.
Bradbury,
Bush,
Eskridge,
Hur,
Potter,
and
Ruseva.
The
 program
expects
to
lead
a
search
for
an
additional
PA
faculty
member
in
the
upcoming
academic
year.
Faculty
 from
other
departments
also
makes
regular
contributions
to
the
program,
including
Dr.
Pope
in
Communications
 and
the
Planning
faculty
who
routinely
have
MPA
students
in
their
graduate
courses.

 
 There
are
a
number
of
non‐tenure
track
faculty
who
regularly
offer
courses.
Dr.
Patricia
Mitchell,
the
 manager
of
Ashe
County,
Dr.
Chuck
Abernathy,
manager
of
McDowell
County,
Mr.
Greg
Young,
manager
of
Boone,
 Mr.
Deron
Geoque,
manager
of
Watauga
County,
Mr.
Len
Hagaman,
sheriff
of
Watauga
County,
and
Ms.
Penny
 Robinette‐Taylor,
an
MPA
alumnus
with
significant
experience
in
non‐profit
management.
All
of
these
adjuncts
 have
at
least
a
Master’s
degree,
and
are
regularly
reviewed
and
awarded
Graduate
Faculty
status.
 
 The
teaching
load
for
tenure‐track
faculty
is
3
courses
per
semester
(the
only
exception
being
the
MPA
 director
who
has
a
2
course
load,
and
teaches
primarily
at
the
graduate
level).
The
number
of
graduate
courses
per
 faculty
ranges
from
1
per
year
to
4
per
year.
It
is
imperative
to
note
that
the
faculty
serves
as
instructors
for
the
 graduate
students
completing
internships
in
the
summer,
and
that
the
distance
education
cohorts
take
two
 courses
in
the
summer.
Thus,
PA
faculty
truly
makes
a
year‐round
commitment
to
the
program.
With
regard
to
 distance
education
instruction,
each
cohort
completes
14
courses,
at
3
credits
per
course
to
complete
the
42
hour
 program.
On
average,
tenure‐track
faculty
teaches
12‐13
of
the
courses
in
a
given
cohort
and
all
of
the
named
 tenure‐track
faculty
contributes;
Dr.
Mitchell
is
a
mainstay
of
our
distance
education
delivery
and
typically
offers
1‐ 2
courses
to
each
cohort.
 
 The
aforementioned
enrollment
challenge
makes
it
difficult
to
forecast
the
faculty
resources
that
would
 be
needed
to
grow
the
program.
The
safest
answer
is
to
say
that
the
resources
needed
are
not
necessarily
more
 PA
faculty
beyond
the
anticipated
hire
in
2013‐14,
but
rather
enhanced
pedagogical
skills
among
the
faculty.
This
 manifests
most
obviously
in
the
need
for
training
and
development
for
the
PA
faculty
to
be
able
to
offer
courses
in
 a
hybrid
and/or
on‐line
format.
If
it
is
true
that
such
innovation
is
the
future
for
at
least
part
of
the
PA
curriculum,
 then
it
is
imperative
that
the
faculty
receive
support
(e.g.
financial
incentives,
course
release,
etc.)
to
seek
out
and
 complete
professional
development
in
order
to
deliver
courses
in
new,
innovative
ways
while
preserving
the
 quality
of
instruction.
 
 5.
Facilities/Equipment
 
 The
facilities
and
equipment
used
by
the
MPA
program
are
adequate,
especially
in
Boone
and
Hickory.
 The
recent
move
to
Forsyth
Tech
in
Winston‐Salem
bodes
well
for
the
general
satisfaction
for
that
cohort.
If


courses
are
going
to
transition
from
a
face‐to‐face
approach
to
hybrid
and/or
on‐line,
then
the
appropriate
 software,
equipment,
and
training
will
need
to
be
provided.
 
 6.
Costs
 
 The
preponderance
of
funding
for
MPA
students
comes
from
the
Graduate
School
to
the
Department
of
 Government
and
Justice
Studies,
and
then
redistributed
among
the
three
graduate
programs
in
the
Department.
 Generally,
the
MPA
program
receives
a
proportionate
share
of
assistantships
and
NCTS
support,
as
measured
by
 credit
hours
generated
by
each
program.
 
 Notably,
MPA
students
have
successfully
competed
for
assistantships
from
other
units
on
campus
in
 recent
years,
including
those
from
Academic
Affairs,
the
Office
of
Research
and
Sponsored
Programs,
the
College
 of
Business
Career
Services
Center,
the
Office
of
Environmental
Health,
Safety,
and
Emergency
Management,
and
 one
GRAM.
These
assistantships
have
the
effect
of
reducing
the
demand
from
the
MPA
program
for
those
 awarded
to
the
Department
by
the
Graduate
School.
No
graduate
students
were
supported
through
grants
and
 contracts
in
the
last
two
years.
 
 As
mentioned,
the
ASULGAA
generously
awards
nine
scholarships
each
year
to
MPA
students.
Seven
of
 these
are
endowed.
All
of
the
scholarships
are
supported
by
numerous
fund‐raising
activities
each
year,
 highlighted
by
two
golf
tournaments
organized
by
the
Association.
In
2012,
MPA
students
received
a
total
of
 $8,250
in
such
scholarship
support.
Another
source
of
external
support
for
MPA
students
comes
in
the
way
of
paid
 internships.
Although
the
program
does
not
require
that
students
be
paid
by
their
host
organization,
the
faculty
 regularly
advocate
on
behalf
of
the
student
in
direct
communications
with
the
organization.
The
program
requests
 that
MPA
interns
be
paid
approximately
$10
an
hour,
or
$5,000
for
an
academic
term
for
a
full‐time
internship.
 
 Turning
to
average
student
debt
at
graduation,
the
MPA
program
compares
very
favorably
to
the
 averages
in
the
College
of
Arts
and
Sciences
and
other
graduate
programs
in
the
Department.
Broken
down
by
 concentration,
MPA
students
typically
graduate
with
debt
in
the
mid‐$25,000
range
(PM
=
$25,521,
TCCM
=
 $25,872,
NFP
=
$25,380);
these
compare
favorably
to
the
College
average
of
$28,395.
Similarly,
the
average
debt
 for
Criminal
Justice
graduates
is
$29,889,
American
Government
is
$33,545,
and
Int’l
Relations/Comparative
 Politics
is
$30,711.
 
 As
of
Fall
2013,
there
are
two
active
MPA
distance
education
cohorts.
The
ten
students
in
the
Catawba
 cohort
are
due
to
graduate
in
December
2013,
and
the
twelve
students
in
the
Forsyth
cohort
will
finish
in
 December
2014.



 Having
itemized
the
‘costs’
associated
with
the
MPA
program,
it
is
appropriate
to
mention
some
of
the
 ‘revenue’
that
the
program
generates.
Most
prominent
is
the
credit
hour
generation
for
which
faculty
is
not
 compensated.
For
example,
the
MPA
director
alone
was
the
instructor
of
record
for
48
graduate
hours
of
course
 work
in
the
2012‐13
academic
years
that
was
not
directly
compensated;
these
took
the
form
primarily
of
 independent
studies
and
internships
during
the
Fall
and
Spring
semesters.
It
is
not
known
if
this
is
exceptional
in
 the
comparative
sense,
but
it
is
worth
noting
in
the
context
of
the
discussion
of
program
‘costs’.
 
 7.
Duplication
 
 There
are
a
total
of
ten
MPA
programs
in
NC,
of
which
seven
are
accredited
by
NASPAA;
ASU’s
is
the
only
 accredited
program
serving
the
western
third
of
the
state
(WCU’s
MPA
program
is
not
currently
accredited).
In
 terms
of
number
of
degrees
awarded
in
2011‐12
(which
is
the
most
recent
academic
year
for
which
data
are
 available),
the
data
from
the
UNC‐GA
presented
in
the
table
in
Appendix
C
for
Public
Administration
(440401;
MPA
 118)
show
that
the
program
at
ASU
compares
favorably
with
others
in
the
state;
only
NCCU
had
more
graduates
 than
ASU
(64
to
37),
and
only
three
other
programs
graduated
as
many
as
30.
Analyzed
differently,
292
MPA
 degrees
were
awarded
in
2011‐12
by
the
ten
programs
combined,
and
ASU
accounted
for
12.7
percent
of
these.
 
 The
program
believes
that
this
healthy
share
of
the
MPA
market
in
NC
reflects
the
appeal
of
the
applied
 nature
of
the
program.
First,
pre‐service
students
consistently
remark
on
the
value
of
the
required
internship(s).
 They
recognize
the
benefits,
both
tangible
and
intangible,
that
are
derived
from
this
exposure
to
PA
in
practice.
 Second,
each
instructor,
whether
tenure‐track
or
adjunct,
brings
significant
professional
experience
to
the
 classroom.
Third,
the
students
in
the
distance
education
cohorts
are
all
in‐service;
the
bond
that
they
forge
among
 themselves
is
remarkable,
and
certainly
pervades
their
own
description
of
the
program
in
conversations
with
 colleagues
who
may
be
interested
in
pursuing
an
MPA
degree.
 
 8.
Future
Directions
 
 There
are
three
obvious
directions
for
future
growth
for
the
MPA
program.
First,
the
program
will
 invigorate
its
efforts
to
market
itself
to
the
current
undergraduate
population.
Such
efforts
must
tap
into
the
latent
 public
service
motivation
in
so
many
of
our
students;
“public
administration”
may
not
sound
appealing,
but
 recruitment
efforts
that
highlight
the
good
work
done
by
local
government
and
non‐profit
organizations
could
 prove
successful.
Second,
the
program
will
draw
upon
its
interdisciplinary
nature,
and
existing
cross‐disciplinary
 relationships,
to
initiate
new
interdisciplinary
curriculum
opportunities,
such
as
an
interdisciplinary
graduate
minor


focused
on
non‐profit
administration.
Third,
the
program
will
look
for
appropriate
opportunities
to
reconfigure
 existing
courses
for
hybrid
and/or
on‐line
delivery.

 
 9.
Critical
Mass
 
 Given
the
interdisciplinary
nature
of
the
MPA
program,
the
effects
on
other
programs
would
generally
be
 positive
if
the
MPA
program
were
to
grow.
There
would
likely
be
interdisciplinary
and
interdepartmental
spillover
 as
MPA
students
enroll
in
non‐PA
electives
in
Criminal
Justice,
Planning,
etc.
 
 10.
Summary
 
 Looking
ahead
five
years,
the
MPA
program
should
have
been
reaccredited
by
NASPAA
in
2017.
In
the
 process,
the
program
will
have
developed
a
sophisticated
and
meaningful
assessment
protocol.
To
do
so,
the
 program
will
be
requesting
that
both
the
MPA
director
and
a
colleague
receive
support
to
attend
the
NASPAA
 annual
conference
in
October
in
order
to
receive
training
on
assessment
and
reaccreditation.
The
program
will
 have
also
crafted
a
new
model
for
distance
education
course
delivery,
almost
certainly
to
include
hybrid
and/or
 on‐line
courses.
For
this
to
occur,
the
faculty
must
be
afforded
the
support
and
opportunity
to
receive
training
and
 development
in
order
to
reconfigure
their
courses
without
diminishing
the
quality
of
instruction.
Implicit
in
this
 innovation
is
a
the
need
for
a
fundamental
revisiting
of
how
ASU
recruits
at
the
graduate‐level;
at
present,
the
 roles,
responsibilities
and
expected
contributions
of
the
Graduate
School,
Office
of
Distance
Education,
and
 individual
programs
with
regard
to
recruitment
strategies
and
activities
are
unclear.
 In
addition,
the
program
will
eagerly
engage
in
discussions
to
develop
interdisciplinary
curriculum
 offerings
that
break
through
existing
organizational
‘silos’;
one
idea
for
such
an
innovation
is
an
interdisciplinary
 graduate
minor
in
non‐profit
management.
Finally,
the
program
will
enhance
its
practical,
applied
nature
by
 spearheading
the
reinvigoration
of
the
dormant
Appalachian
Regional
Bureau
of
Government
(a
name‐change
may
 be
in
order
too).
This
entity
was
chartered
in
1972
to
conduct
applied
research
and
technical
assistance
to
 governmental
units
in
the
western
part
of
the
state.
The
faculty
is
eager
to
use
The
Bureau
as
a
mechanism
 through
which
to
explore
opportunities
for
external
funding
and
applied
research
projects
for
students.
 
 
 
 


Appendix
A:
2013‐14
Graduate
Bulletin
description
of
the
MPA
degree
 Master
of
Public
Administration
 Department
of
Government
and
Justice
Studies
 College
of
Arts
and
Sciences
 Brian
Ellison,
Chair

 [email protected]

 Mark
Bradbury,
Graduate
Program
Director
and
Associate
Professor

 [email protected]
 www.mpa.appstate.edu
 The
Department
of
Government
and
Justice
Studies
offers
the
Master
of
Public
Administration
(MPA)
(Major
 Code:
279*/44.0401),
with
five
concentrations:
 • Administration
of
Justice
(279D)
 • Emergency
Management
(279E)
[Under
Review
–
not
currently
accepting
students]
 • Not‐for‐Profit
Management
(279F)
 • Public
Management
(279B)

 • Town,
City
and
County
Management
(279C)
 The
Department
of
Government
and
Justice
Studies
also
offers
programs
in
Criminal
Justice
and
Criminology
(MS)
 and
Political
Science
(MA),
described
under
those
headings
in
this
bulletin.
Graduate
programs
in
the
department
 are
supervised
by
the
departmental
chair,
the
individual
graduate
program
directors,
and
the
graduate
committee.

 Location
of
Program:
This
program
is
offered
on
campus
in
Boone
in
the
format
described
in
this
Bulletin.
Off‐ campus
cohorts
are
started
periodically,
and
follow
a
part‐time
extended
program
format.
For
information
on
 upcoming
off‐campus
cohorts,
please
contact
the
Office
of
Distance
Education:
www.distance.appstate.edu.

 The
MPA
program
is
designed
to
ensure
that
students
become
proficient
in
the
knowledge,
skills
and
ethical
values
 needed
to
become
effective
managers
of
public
sector
agencies
(on
the
federal,
state,
and
local
levels)
and
not‐for‐ profit
organizations.
Our
graduates
serve
as
town
and
county
managers,
economic
developers,
agency
directors,
 and
are
employed
in
leadership
roles
in
public
safety
and
nongovernmental
agencies.
Over
350
graduates
have
 completed
the
MPA
degree
at
Appalachian
since
its
inception
in
1988.


Students
in
the
MPA
program
are
required
to
choose
one
of
the
following
open
concentrations:

 • Administration
of
Justice
Concentration:
This
concentration
is
designed
to
prepare
persons
for
 administrative/management
positions
in
a
variety
of
law
enforcement,
court,
and
correctional
agencies
at
 the
local,
state
and
federal
levels.

 • Not‐for‐Profit
Management
Concentration
(279F):
This
concentration
is
designed
to
prepare
individuals
 for
management
and
policy
positions
in
governmental
and
not‐for‐profit
organizations.

 • Public
Management
Concentration:
(279B):
This
concentration
is
designed
to
allow
individuals
to
develop
 a
program
to
suit
specific
needs
in
such
areas
as
budget
analyst,
personnel
administration,
etc.,
or
to
 prepare
students
with
a
generalist
background
in
public
administration.

 • Town,
City
and
County
Management
Concentration:
This
concentration
is
designed
to
prepare
persons
 for
managerial
roles
in
towns,
cities,
and
county
governments
or
in
organizations
and
agencies
related
to
 towns
and
counties.

 
 MASTER
OF
PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION
(MPA)
 Admission
Requirements:
Baccalaureate
degree
from
an
accredited
college
or
university;
complete
application
to
 the
Graduate
School;
official
general
GRE
exam
scores.
 To
be
considered
for
admission,
applicants
must
meet
the
criteria
for
admission
to
the
Graduate
School.
In
 addition,
the
program
faculty
will
give
preference
to
applicants
who
meet
or
exceed
the
following:
Undergraduate
 GPA
>
3.00
and/or
GRE
Verbal
>
25th
percentile
and
GRE
Quantitative
>
25th
percentile.
Meeting
this
condition
 does
not
guarantee
admission.
 Location:
On
Campus
and
Off
Campus;
Off‐Campus
cohorts
begin
periodically,
and
follow
a
part‐time
extended
 format.
 Course
Requirements
for
the
Master
of
Public
Administration
 Semester
Hours
Required
(minimum):
42

 Required
 Courses
 • PA
5000:
Research
Methods
(3)
 • PA
5060:
Seminar
in
Public
Administration
(3)
 • PA
5180:
Public
Policy
Analysis
and
Program
Evaluation
(3)
 • PA
5260:
Organization
Theory
and
Behavior
(3)

 21


• PA
5360:
Public
Personnel
Administration
(3)
 • PA
5460:
Budgeting
and
Fiscal
Administration
(3)

 • PA
5558:
Capstone
Research
(1)
 • PA
5559:
Capstone
in
Public
Administration
(2)
 Concentration
 (CHOOSE
ONE)
 Administration
of
Justice
Concentration
(Code:
279D)
 • 9
s.h.
of
graduate
courses
chosen
from
the
following
courses:

 o CJ/PS
5050:
Seminar
in
Public
Law
&
Judicial
Behavior
(3)

 o CJ
5060:
Administration
of
Justice
(3)

 o CJ
5150:
The
American
Justice
System
and
Social
Justice
(3)

 o CJ
5625:
Seminar
in
Police
and
Society
(3)

 o CJ
5660:
Crime,
Theory
and
Policy
(3)
 • 3
s.h.
of
graduate
elective
coursework
from
outside
the
program
 • 3
s.h.
chosen
from
the
following
electives:

 o CJ
5500:
Independent
Study
(3)

 o CJ/PS
5661:
Court
Administration
(3)

 o CJ
5670:
Crime
Analysis
and
Criminal
Justice
Planning
(3)

 o CJ
5680:
Organized
Crime
(3)

 o CJ
5805:
Directed
Research
(3)
 OR
 Emergency
Management
Concentration
(Code:
279E)
[Under
Review
–
not
currently
 accepting
students]

 • GHY
5100:
Seminar
in
Physical
Geography
(3)
 • PA
5140:
Emergency
Management
Systems
(3)
 • PA
5560:
Local
Government
Administration
(3)
 • Choose
one
course
from:

 o GHY/PLN
5400:
Planning
Theory
and
Process
(3)
 o PLN/COM
5425:
Task‐Oriented
Group
Facilitation
Methods
(3)
 • 3
s.h.
of
graduate
coursework
in
consultation
with
the
MPA
Program
Director
(3)
 OR
 15


Not‐for‐profit
Management
Concentration
(Code:
279F)
 • PA
5270:
Not‐for‐Profit
Organizations
(3)
 • PA
5271:
Grants
Strategies
and
Preparation
(3)
 • PA
5665:
Public
Management
(3)
 • Choose
two
courses
from:

 o MBA
5420:
Marketing
Strategy
and
Applications
(3)






 o MGT
5770:
Business
Ethics
(3)
 o PLN/COM
5425:
Task‐Oriented
Group
Facilitation
Methods
(3)
 OR
 Public
Management
Concentration
(Code:
279B)
 • 15
s.h.
of
graduate
courses
in
consultation
with
the
MPA
director,
including
3
s.h.
 of
graduate
elective
coursework
from
outside
the
program


 OR
 Town,
City
and
County
Management
Concentration
(Code:
279C)
 • 9
s.h.
from
the
following
courses
 o GHY/PLN
5400:
Planning
Theory
and
Process
(3)
 o PS
5330:
Problems
in
State
and
Local
Government
(3)

 o PA
5560:
Local
Government
Administration
(3)

 o PA
5665:
Public
Management
(3)
 • 6
s.h.
of
graduate
courses
in
consultation
with
the
MPA
Director,
including
3
s.h.
 of
graduate
elective
coursework
from
outside
the
program



 Fieldwork
/
 Internship
 Option
 (CHOOSE
ONE)
 Internship
for
Pre‐service
Students

 • PA
5900:
Internship
in
Public
Administration
(3+3
or
6)
 OR
 Field
Research
Option
for
In‐service
Students
 • PA
5010:
Field‐based
Research
(3)
 6


• One
additional
graduate
course
(3)
 Other
Requirements
for
the
MPA:
 • Thesis:
Not
required
 • Proficiency:
Students
must
demonstrate
a
proficiency
in
reading
a
foreign
language
or
quantitative
 analysis
as
a
research
tool.
The
department
may
determine
the
proficiency
required.
 • Candidacy:
Not
required
 • Comprehensive:
Successful
completion
of
a
capstone
experience
(PA
5558
plus
PA
5559)
fulfills
the
 requirement
for
a
comprehensive
examination.
 • Product
of
Learning:
Not
required
 Related
Course
Listings

 • Business
Administration
(MBA)
 • Communication
(COM)
 • Criminal
Justice
(CJ),
Political
Science
(PS),
and
Public
Administration
(PA)

 • Geography
(GHY)
and
City
and
Regional
Planning
(PLN)
 • Management
(MGT)
 
 


Appendix
B:
Placement
of
graduates
in
NC
local
governments
(a
small
subset
of
graduates)


Appendix
C:
Enrollment
and
Degrees
Awarded
Data
 
 Upper
Division
Enrollment
in
Selected
Programs
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Academic
Year
 Fa ll
 00
 Sp r
 01
 Fa ll
 01
 Sp r
 02
 Fa ll
 02
 Sp r
 03
 Fa ll
 03
 Sp r
 04
 Fa ll
 04
 Sp r
 05
 Fa ll
 05
 Sp r
 06
 Fa ll
 06
 Sp r
 07
 Fa ll
 07
 Sp r
 08
 Fa ll
 08
 Sp r
 09
 Fa ll
 09
 Sp r
 10
 Fa ll
 10
 Sp r
 11
 Fa ll
 11
 Sp r
 12
 Fa ll
 12
 AS U
 440401
Public
 Administrat ion
 118
 MP A
 29
 33
 46
 42
 43
 54
 64
 56
 51
 59
 71
 78
 76
 73
 72
 63
 64
 54
 62
 66
 68
 67
 70
 70
 55
 
 Number
of
Degrees
Awarded
in
Selected
Programs
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Academic
Year
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 2000 ‐ 2001
 2001 ‐ 2002
 2002 ‐ 2003
 2003 ‐ 2004
 2004 ‐ 2005
 2005 ‐ 2006
 2006 ‐ 2007
 2007 ‐ 2008
 2008 ‐ 2009
 2009 ‐ 2010
 2010 ‐ 2011
 2011 ‐ 2012
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 AS U
 440401
 Public
 Administrati on
 118
 MP A
 14
 9
 8
 25
 23
 15
 19
 41
 27
 25
 19
 37