Spring 2007 PA Notes

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PA Notes
The Newsletter of the Department of Public Administration
Spring 2007

Message from the Chair

We usually highlight one alum or student for our "In the Spotlight" mention. This time, we want to start recognizing all of our alums for mention "In the Spotlight."

We recently surveyed our alums, and received responses from more than 250 alums, including 35 who live and work outside of New York state. Since we have well over a thousand alums, we don't know whether these alums are reflective of all of our alums. But, there are some interesting findings about those who did respond.

Just over a third of those who responded work in government: city (3 percent), county (16 percent), town (2 percent), state (11 percent), and federal (3 percent). Another 21 percent work in health care, and 17 percent work in nonprofit organizations. What was not expected was the percentage (14 percent) who work in higher education institutions. An additional 3 percent work in K-12 educational settings. Two percent work in the private sector.

It is quite clear that the MPA degree is of value to people in a variety of occupations. Individuals do change careers, and we believe that the MPA degree is instrumental to a variety of managerial and leadership career paths.

In coming editions of PA Notes, we will highlight some of the many ways our alums are working to serve their communities. Please send us your info!

Jim Fatula
Chair, Department of Public Administration

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MPA Alumni Updates

Thank you to all who responded to our request for information last fall! Click here to read about our MPA alum In the Spotlight.

We want to hear how you are doing! Send us your news, awards, achievements or promotions for our next issue! Click here to submit your information online: MPA Update Form.

Faculty Activities

Edward H. Downey, associate professor, is among the faculty selected to teach Perspectives on American Democracy as part of SUNY Brockport's American Democracy Project in the spring 2007 semester. In this course, undergraduate students will learn about various disciplinary perspectives on American democracy. Read more about the American Democracy Project here ...

Downey will be offering two fall 2007 courses that will fulfill the MPA program's computer course requirement. PAD/EPS 666 Computer Applications will be offered Thursday evenings (first meeting is September 6, 2007). This course is designed to bring you up to speed on the software used in MPA core courses. PAD 672 Internet for Managers will only have one meeting on Saturday, September 8, from 10 am to 4 pm in Dailey Hall on the Brockport campus. In this course students develop and publish a Web site. The MPA fall 2007 course schedule can be found here: http://www.brockport.edu/pubadmin/schedule.htm.

Jim Fatula, chair and associate professor, has been appointed to the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration's (NASPAA) Data Task Force. The NASPAA Executive Council charged the Task Force with the responsibility to consider the data NASPAA would like to gather to help inform member schools and the public. The main objectives are to: 1) identify appropriate, relevant and verifiable measures of the educational quality and characteristics of public affairs programs for NASPAA to collect from member schools; and
2) offer alternative mechanisms for NASPAA to employ to collect and make available the designated data.

Fatula also authored the "Speaking Out" column, “Expanding Medicare Would Exacerbate System’s Ills,” Democrat and Chronicle, March 8, 2007, and served as guest expert for non-profit news reporter Kathy Driscoll’s "Managers at Work" column in the Rochester Business Journal, “What to Look for When Board Rejects New Thinking,” January 5, 2007.

Gregory Saxton, associate professor, recently had an article accepted for publication in the journal Public Performance & Management Review titled “New Dimensions of Nonprofit Responsiveness: The Application and Promise of Internet-Based Technologies.”

Saxton presented two papers at the March 2007 annual meeting of the Western Academy of Management, Missoula, MT, titled “Information Technology and the Participatory Revolution in Management” and “Social Capital and the Vitality of Community-Based Organizations.”

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Pi Alpha Alpha is Growing!

To date, more than 125 members have been inducted to the Department of Public Admi Pi Alpha Alpha Logo nistration's local chapter of Pi Alpha Alpha, the national honor society for public affairs and administration, whose purpose is to encourage and recognize accomplishment in public affairs and administration, foster integrity, professionalism and effective performance in the conduct of government and related public service activities. Established in 1974, the society has grown significantly. Graduating MPAs who are eligible for Pi Alpha Alpha are invited to join in April of each year.

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Department News

Did you know?
The first students were formally admitted to the graduate program in September 1974 when it was called the "Urban Administration" program within the Department of Politicial Science. The original degrees were awarded as master of arts in political science. Following full program review by external reviewers in 1976, the State Board of Education granted the authority to award the professional degree of Master of Public Administration (MPA). The program was reaccredited by NASPAA in 1984, 1991 and 1998 and 2005 and is currently reaccredited through academic year 2011-12.

Curriculum changes
The faculty is considering curricular changes and would appreciate your ideas. Please direct them to associate professor Ed Downey at profharley@aol.com.

Helpful links
Visit our "Announcements" page at www.brockport.edu/pubadmin/announcements.htm to view schedule or program updates, and please subscribe to our Listserve!

Course schedules and online registration information may be found at http://www.brockport.edu/pubadmin/schedule.htm.

SUNY Brockport's Alumni Web page can be found at http://www .brockport.edu/alumni/.

We want to hear how you are doing!
If you would like to submit information for our next issue, current students and alum can send us information by filling out the update form online at MPA Update Form.

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Join our E-mail Listserves

NEW! Now you can join either the MPA student listserve or the MPA Alum listserve . . .or both! Click here for instructions on how to subscribe: http://www.brockport.edu/pubadmin/listservinstruc.html