ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND URBAN STUDIES
ANDREWYOUNGSCHOOL OF POLICY STUDIES
GEORGIASTATEUNIVERSITY
Prepared by:
Professor Edward T. Jennings, University of Kentucky, Chair
Professor Gerald Gabris, Northern IllinoisUniversity
Professor Frank J. Thompson, University at Albany, SUNY
January 26, 2005
At the invitation of GeorgiaStateUniversity, an external review team consisting of Professors Edward Jennings (Chair), Gerald Gabris, and Frank Thompson conducted an external site visit at the Department of Public Administration and Urban Studies (PAUS) of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies from January 10 through January 12, 2005. Faculty, administrators, and staff at GeorgeStateUniversity gave generously of their time, information, and insights during our visit. We deeply appreciate the assistance they provided.
The report follows the “External Reviewers Report Template” provided to us by GeorgiaStateUniversity.
1. Historical And Current Context
*Given the historical and current context of the department as outlined in Sections A and B, are the programs offered and program enrollments appropriate from a disciplinary perspective?
The birth of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies in 1996 ranks among the more significant developments in public affairs education in the United States over the last decade. Prior to the emergence of the Young School, Georgia State had the general reputation for housing a number of first-rate public administration scholars in an academic unit that resembled a holding company. The reorganization and positioning of PAUS as one of two major departments in the YoungSchool has provided it with a sharper focus and the potential to attain higher levels of nationally recognized excellence. The Dean, PAUS faculty and others at GeorgiaState deserve credit for making institutional and cultural changes that have brought a sharper focus to public administration and urban affairs education.
PAUS offers one undergraduate degree program in Urban Policy Studies, two master’s programs in Public Administration and Urban Policy Studies respectively, and a joint doctorate in Public Policy with GeorgiaTechUniversity. These programs are certainly “appropriate” from a disciplinary perspective. The curricula of all three graduate programs are coherent, sensible, and likely to produce well-educated graduates. The undergraduate degree in Urban Policy Studies does raise certain concerns, however, especially with respect to the aviation and transportation specialization. Students choosing this track (many of whom wish to be pilots) can obtain a degree in urban policy studies while taking only two courses (PAUS 3011 and 3111) focused specifically on urban issues. If PAUS 4501, Transportation Management, targets urban challenges in particular, this exposure would slightly improve. Nonetheless, the presence and popularity of the aviation and transportation specialization means that PAUS is offering an Urban Policy Studies degree that departs sharply in content from urban undergraduate majors offered by other major universities.The name of the degree could mislead employers and the general public as to the expertise graduates of the program possess in urban affairs. In offering this observation, we do not mean to question the appropriateness of an aviation and transportation specialization for GeorgiaStateUniversity generally or for the YoungSchool. We only find it to be anomalous as a dominant offering in an Urban Policy Studies degree. The self-study report indicates that the PAUS faculty has considered various options for this specialty. If PAUS constitutes the best home for this program at GeorgiaState, it probably makes more sense to offer aviation and transportation as a separate degree rather than as a specialty within the undergraduate urban policy program.
Aside from aviation and transportation, the undergraduate degree strikes us as coherent and appropriate. It speaks to the Department’s location in a superb urban laboratory and to the desire to preserve urban governance and policy as an area of competitive advantage for the YoungSchool. If PAUS decides to replace its current undergraduate degree with a more generic offering in public policy, we urge it to preserve a vibrant specialization in urban affairs.
Program enrollments in each program seem to be appropriate. Questions persist, however, as to whether PAUS has adequate numbers of tenure-track faculty to meet the curricular demands of all four programs.
*Are the faculty number, composition, and research productivity sufficient to support the programs offered by the department?
PAUS should take great pride in the research productivity of its faculty. Clearly a culture of inquiry, discovery and the advancement of knowledge through publication exists within the YoungSchool. The research activity of the faculty appears to infuse and enhance teaching in all of PAUS’s degree programs. Problems do, however, surface with respect to whether the number and composition of the faculty are sufficient to support all of PAUS’s degree programs. The MPA program is now at 240 registered students. This reflects major growth in demand over the past few years, growth that is paralleled in the other degree programs. Faculty suggest that this was not necessarily the result of a recruitment campaign, but a development that simply happened. The outcome of this growth has resulted in class sizes in the common core that exceed 30 students regularly, with some classes enrolling as many as 40 students. Several students and faculty members believe that this dilutes the quality of instruction. It may also, as certain students indicated, make it impossible to schedule essential courses frequently enough to facilitate the efficient progress of students through the programs. Students also suggested that the large class sizes made the courses somewhat less demanding and enriching than they would have been otherwise. Student and alumni surveys suggested dissatisfaction with the availability of courses and the size of classes.
Employing sufficient numbers of faculty to cover all the specialties in the various degrees looms as a persistent challenge. To some extent, PAUS can rely on faculty in other academic units at GeorgiaState to offer essential courses. The Chair of PAUS deserves great credit for having assiduously pursued this option. Nonetheless, the PAUS faculty will need to monitor their specializations continuously to assure that they preserve “truth in advertising” (i.e., offer all of the specializations they list). One student indicated that she came to GeorgiaState only to find that, contrary to the promises embedded in promotional materials, her planned area of specialization was no longer available.
Program growth has left the department with fewer faculty than are needed to sustain high quality programs. In reviewing faculty numbers, the Dean and PAUS should assess the degree to which faculty shortages can be met only through the hiring of tenure-track faculty as distinct from full-time lecturers or part-time faculty. Most public affairs programs employ some number of adjuncts or public service professors. Up to some level, non-tenure track faculty probably strengthen instructional offerings. But the degree to which PAUS should depend on these faculty should be carefully evaluated.
Other strategies to deal with resource questions would include limiting enrollment. The Department could simply raise its standards and target a more manageable number of new students. Restructuring of degree programs, as is discussed in the self-study and this report, may also help.
*Comment on the relevance of the programs and the degree to which the department’s programs serve various needs (community, student, professional).
The department’s programs attract substantial numbers of students who generally express satisfaction with the instruction they receive and the career opportunities opened to them by earning a degree from PAUS. Undergraduates in the aviation and transportation specialty see particular practical value in obtaining the degree. Undergraduates in other areas also believe that the degree will aid their career plans. Similar sentiments exist at the graduate level. The internship and placement record of the graduate programs indicates that PAUS is providing students with pertinent knowledge, values, and skills to perform public service in both government and the nonprofit sector. We expect that the graduates of the doctoral program will make a significant contribution as faculty members in higher education as well as to research and analysis in government, think tanks, institutes, consulting firms and related settings.
*Evaluate the appropriateness of the peer institutions selected by the department for comparison.
Page 2 of the self-study list seven programs with an overall U.S. News ranking comparable to the PAUS program. The peer institutions selected by the department were selected to match up with the areas of strength in the Department. This is appropriate but may mask the strength of AYSPS and the Department relative to programs at similar institutions. Among urban state universities, few programs approach the general level of excellence the School and Department have attained.
2. Progress Toward Goals And Objectives
*Taking a disciplinary perspective, evaluate the ways in which the unit has succeeded in meetings its goals and objectives since its last academic program review.
PAUS has made major strides toward development of a more coherent, nationally competitive focus since its last review. We were greatly impressed by the degree to which it has implemented all nine measures listed on pages 7 and 8 of the self-study. The placement of the program in the new YoungSchool has elevated the potential for PAUS to rank with the best public affairs programs in the country. We also believe that PAUS has correctly identified certain areas where it has made much less progress in addressing issues highlighted by the 1994 review. As noted above, the role of the aviation and transportation specialty in the program continues to raise questions. We also appreciate PAUS’s concern that it lacks sufficient numbers of urban studies faculty to offer required courses. In considering this challenge, we urge PAUS to continue its emphasis on achieving nationally recognized excellence in the urban area. This need not require PAUS to hire urban affairs specialists. Many PAUS faculty who may not define themselves as urban specialists nonetheless work on topics highly germane to a specialization in urban governance and policy (e.g., citizen participation, school choice).
*Is its progress toward meeting its goals and objectives satisfactory?
PAUS has made impressive progress toward meeting its goals and objectives since the last review. It is clearly a program on the rise in the profession. Continued progress will, among other things, depend on achieving more suitable class sizes in its master’s programs.
*What are the factors that have helped or hindered the unit in its effort to meet its goals and objectives?
Several factors have facilitated progress in meeting its objectives. The creation of the YoungSchool and the appointment of a strong, energetic, entrepreneurial leader as dean has been an important ingredient of success. Good faculty hiring decisions, an increase in the number of PAUS faculty, and the ongoing contribution of several faculty with impressive research accomplishments have also fostered progress. The impediments in part have to do with budget processes at GeorgiaStateUniversity. Concerns about the budgetary implications of enrollments have complicated efforts to think more strategically about the role of the aviation and transportation specialization. They have also led to the growing class sizes in the master’s programs. The departure of several up-and-coming faculty members to other universities has also slowed PAUS’ progress. The loss of these individuals to some of the top-ranked institutions in the country in some respects testifies to the excellence of PAUS faculty. The department deserves credit for moving aggressively to replace these faculty members. Successful completion of the search for a senior scholar in the nonprofit area would be a big step forward.
*Evaluate the ways in which these goals have contributed to the College and University Strategic Plans.
In our meetings with the Provost and others concerning GeorgiaStateUniversity more generally, at least three themes seemed especially prominent. First, the university system has designated GeorgiaState to be a research university. As such, GeorgiaState aspires to have strong students, nationally recognized graduate programs, and a commitment to scholarly inquiry commensurate with that designation. Second, the university strives to achieve competitive advantage in part through its urban and public policy focus. Third, the Provost has indicated a strong preference that programs be sharply focused and defined. PAUS deserves great credit for having done much to advance attainment of all three goals.
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3. Quality of the Curriculua
Evaluate the quality of the curriculum from a disciplinary perspective for each of the Department’s programs.
The Department of Public Administration and Urban Studies PAUS) is responsible for the implementation of four separate degree programs (B.S. in Urban Policy Studies, M.S. in Urban Policy Studies, a Master of Public Administration (MPA) including a MPA/Juris Doctor, and a joint Ph.D. in Public Policy (with Georgia Tech). For the purpose of this analysis the curriculum for each degree program will be reviewed separately. However, based on information acquired during the site visit there is considerable linkage between the curricula of all four programs, so that the quality of one or lack thereof, may influence the quality of the remaining three. This fact allows us to make several suggestions at the end of this analysis regarding curricula that apply to each degree offering. Finally, the quality of the curricula for all degrees is also highly related to the quality of students and faculty, which will be addressed in sections E and F.
(Note: Curricula for the B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Human Resource Development were not reviewed due to the fact that these degrees are being phased out. Moreover, two new possible degrees, a B.S. in Public Policy, and a M.S. in Public Policy while discussed during the site visit, are not part of this review. We also do not evaluate various certificate programs offered by the Department).
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) Degree Curriculum
The MPA degree represents the crown jewel of the Department. The 2004 U.S. News and World Report ranks the program 26th overall nationally, with subfield rankings of 5th in public finance and Budgeting, 12th in City Management and urban policy, 16th in public management, and 21st in public policy analysis. These rankings speak to the outstanding national reputation of the MPA program and its faculty, and impact directly on the quality of the curriculum.
Strengths of the Core
The core curriculum for the MPA has a variety of strengths. The PAUS 8091 Communication in Public Service course is unique. It covers everything from memo development to Powerpoint presentations. This course should provide excellent communication skills for MPA students. The two course sequence on methodology (PAUS 8121 and 8131) reflects a high commitment to quantitative rigor in the program. The fact that the first course stresses research design and the second, statisticsaffords students enough time to absorb and better understand these tools.The microeconomics course provides a strong basis for MPA students to better understand the financial issues surrounding public policy and management. This is a plus.Overall, the core is rigorous and demanding. It prepares students well for careers in the public service.
While not part of the core, the requirement of an internship consisting of 200 hours of work experience or a research practicum for those who have administrative experience, is an integral part of the program. Students participating in internships expressed high satisfaction with their intern work as a learning experience. Data provided by the Department suggests high quality intern placements where many receive job offers upon internship completion (see table E-3: Typical Job Placements of PAUS Graduates by Degree). The required length of the internship is less than that specified in NASPAA Internship Guidelines.
The fact that core courses are mainly taught by the Department's fulltime highly qualified faculty is a major plus.A review of the course syllabi indicates that the faculty are teaching state of the art material and requiring a sufficient level of academic rigor. Students have access to syllabi and can interact with the faculty easily via the internet. All materials are on-line. There is a clear consistency in the materials covered by different faculty teaching the same course.
Weaknesses of the Core
A review of the core course syllabi indicates that only one core course clearly addresses public sector ethics, namely, PAUS 8111. While other core courses in Public Personnel, Public Budgeting, and Public Management address ethical topics - the faculty might endeavor to highlight this fact in their syllabi. This is not a major weakness as much as a need for greater clarification.
It is not clear how the formulation and implementation of public policy are covered in the curriculum.