Tyrone P. Dooley (2019) Searching for social equity among public administration mission statements, Teaching Public Administration, 1-13 DOI: 10.1177/0144739419867121
The main research question considered in this article is the relative prominence of social equity among public administration curricula via an examination of program mission. It has long been asserted that social equity is a key component of public administration education so much so that the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) made social equity a fourth pillar of public administration. The article points to a serious dilemma faced within the discipline, namely the unequal geographic distribution of social equity mission statements at the program level, while at the same time promoting it as essential to the discipline nationally. Based on an analysis of 184 public administration programs, this article advocates for a continued commitment and dedicated resources to promote social equity across smaller Masters of Public Administration programs.
Sean McCandless & Samantha June Larson (2018) Prioritizing social equity in MPA curricula: A cross-program analysis and a case study, Journal of Public Affairs Education, 24:3, 361-379, DOI: 10.1080/15236803.2018.1426429
Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Master of Public Policy programs are training grounds for current and future public service leaders. However, many programs may underemphasize the importance of social equity, a pillar of public administration. Without this training, administrators may be poorly placed to understand the causes of inequities and to develop solutions. This article examines these issues in several ways. First, it argues for greater coverage of social equity in graduate programs. Second,
it reviews the literature on calls for how to improve teaching social equity. Third, it presents a content analysis detailing the extent to which social equity is integrated into core courses currently offered across 120MPA programs in the United States. Finally, a case study discusses the authors’ development and teaching of a stand-alone special topics social equity course in a large Network of Schools.
James H. Svara & Sanzhar Baizhanov (2018): Public service values in NASPAA programs: Identification, integration, and activation, Journal of Public Affairs Education
NASPAA expects accredited public affairs programs to stress public service values in their educational program. This article examines the values that are included the mission statements of 125 public affairs programs. There is wide dispersion in the number and content of the values identified in these mission statements. Content analysis of the five universal competencies was conducted to determine the match between the values in the mission statement and the description of competencies. The results indicate a common need for better integration of key values and the content of the curriculum. Finally, an approach to strengthen the activation of values by relating them to ethical standards in the Code of Ethics of the American Society for Public Administration or another comprehensive code is demonstrated. Despite clear connections between the values in NASPAA competencies and the principles and standards in the American Society for Public Administration Code, few programs incorporate
codes in their curriculum.