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Master of Public Administration 2019-2020 Self-Study
Main Document, Submitted to NASPAA, September 2020
Standard 1 Managing the Program Strategically
Standard 2 Matching Governance with the Mission
Standard 3 Matching Operations with the Mission: Faculty Performance
Standard 4 Matching Operations with the Mission: Serving Students
Standard 5 Matching Operations with the Mission: Student Learning
Standard 6 Matching Resources with the Mission
Standard 7 Matching Communications with the Mission
Appendices are in separate files.
Program Fact Sheet Item Data
- Title of degree Master of Public Administration
- Organizational Relationship of the Program to the Institution Department within a School of Business/Management
- Geographic Arrangement Program Delivery Main Campus
- Mode of Program Delivery In-Person Instruction with Online Coursework Available
- Number of students in degree program (Total, Fall 2019) 55
- Ratio of Total Students to Full-Time Nucleus Faculty 7.
- Number of Semester Credit Houses Required to Complete the Program 39
- Dual Degrees Law (JD)
- Specializations Urban Management and Affairs Nonprofit Public Health Aging Studies
- Mission Statement The mission of the University of La Verne’s Master of Public Administration program is to offer an innovative and practical curriculum that stresses intellectual and theoretical foundations for professionals preparing to take on socially responsible roles in public leadership and service.
- Academic Year Calendar Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring. Terms with semester units.
- Language of Instruction English Member of NASPAA The University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), last recognized in 2012. Student Code of Conduct: https://laverne.edu/student-affairs/student-conduct/
Being and to 2) incorporate the 2019 NASPAA standards into our course-embedded assessment program. 1.1.2 Describe the processes used to develop and review the mission statement, how the mission statement influences decision-making, and how and to whom the program disseminates its mission. Include information describing how relevant stakeholders are involved in the mission development and review process, detailing their explicit responsibilities and involvement. (Unlimited) The mission statement is an integral part of our program and decision-making. Faculty and the MPA advisory board review annual reports on student achievement. The MPA Advisory Board advises the program with regard to mission adequacy and receives reports on student achievement on program competencies. These reports include a scorecard on student achievements based on a course-embedded mission and competency-based assessment on assignments in program targeted courses. This approach assures the assessment of program-wide achievement by students and informs the faculty and stakeholders on how well the program is achieving its mission. In addition to the embedded assessment approach, each La Verne MPA student assesses program competencies in their capstone class - graduate seminar - and completes an exit survey. This assessment is also shared with program faculty and the MPA Advisory Board. Students in the graduate seminar class also complete other program assessments, such as a SWOT analysis. Our graduating students also offer feedback as to the adequacy of preparation in the program competencies and offer needed improvements for the program to consider. Advisory board members are also invited to participate in final capstone project presentations and/or poster sessions. In these processes, faculty, students and program stakeholders (through the MPA Advisory Board) are able to make assessments and refinement of the program mission. The mission statement is widely disseminated through our website, program flyers, syllabi, annual reports, and in MPA advisory board materials. The mission statement and corresponding mission and competency-based components are a central feature in guiding decision-making in the program. The MPA Advisory Board has commented on program outcomes and exit survey reports, especially in areas of needed competencies in the practice of public administration, such a financial/budgetary competence, or quantitative skills related to reports. To more specifically describe the involvement or relevant internal and external stakeholders:
- Graduating students offer assessment in the exit survey on mission components twice per year in graduate seminar.
- The MPA Advisory Board meets once or twice a year and reports on the MPA Mission competencies. Board members also participate in Graduate Seminar capstone presentations and are invited to other program events.
- Faculty review program reports at meetings. They offer revisions on program mission and competencies; program issues; and curriculum. Some meetings are held jointly with the department as a whole, which expands the scope and context of review.
- We carry out an alumni survey approximately every five years; the next one will be done in 2020-21. We also participate in the NASPAA alumni surveys.
- We receive informal feedback from external attendees and guest speakers at the twice annual ASPA dinners, city-manager-in-residence program, and through hosting professional association events.
- Program reviews and annual reports are published on the program's website.
- Program outcomes were reviewed by college and university staff as part of the university's own accreditation review in 2019-20. The faculty-led Educational Effectiveness Committee has a leading role in program review policies.
- Additional program information is shared with our college dean, administrators, and other faculty at regularly scheduled department chair meetings; regular department and program chair meetings; and monthly college meetings. Graphical representations of mission assessment processes and frequency are included as an appendix to this standard. We have undertaken a multi-year process to more formally update our mission statement and mission-based competencies. To date, these activities have included: a faculty workshop with a management faculty member who specializes in strategic planning (April 2018), faculty identification of possible mission-based themes and competencies and relation to the curriculum, core courses, and concentrations/electives (April 2019), MPA Advisory Board review of a draft mission statement (November 2019), and Graduate Seminar mission-statement exercise to supplement regular program evaluation activities (Spring 2020). The process will be completed in 2020-21 after completion of an alumni survey, additional MPA Advisory Board review, and consideration of the possible move of the program to a new College of Health and Community Well-Being. 1.1.3 Describe the public service values that are reflected in your program's mission. (limit 250 words) The educational philosophy upon which the MPA is based includes an emphasis on values and ethics. We are concerned not only with the effectiveness of our graduates as public officials and leaders, but also as ethical professionals. The University's mission statement, which also undergirds the MPA program, embodies a concern for the development of students as individuals who appreciate other cultures and points of view, understand the merits of lifelong learning, and engage in community service. (The core values are Ethical Reasoning, Diversity/Inclusivity, Community and Civic Engagement, and Lifelong Learning.) The University is designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). The University is extending its mission by developing programs for both undergraduate and graduate
identifies major emphases in the curriculum, which are all related to public service values: ethical dimensions, practice in diverse public organizations, effective use of public resources, the changing context of public service, and analytical and decision-making capacity. The public service values have been operationalized by the La Verne MPA faculty and embedded within the competencies established to meet the program mission and universal competencies of NASPAA programs. Our assessment matrix is included in the appendix for Standard 5. Link to Mission Population of Students, Employers, and Professionals: Our current mission identifies our students as professionals preparing to take on socially responsible roles in public leadership and service. This means that most of our students are in- service and considering their career paths and advancement opportunities. The program also accepts pre-service students who are ready to seek public service employment and/or have extensive volunteer experience. Therefore, our outreach and admissions committee process are focused on attracting students who demonstrate a meaningful connection and rationale for involvement in public service. We continue to largely attract students currently employed in local, county, state, and regional agencies and special districts. However, we have deliberately broadened our focus to include the nonprofit sector, which has deepened our examination of the meaning of public service and how to work collaboratively. Link to Program Contributions to Advance the Knowledge, Research, and Practice of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration: In order for students to carry out socially responsible roles, we prepare students to carry out independent research that demonstrates not only the ability to conduct and report on research, but to carry out research that is meaningful to the citizens or agencies that influence the quality of public service in our communities or region. Faculty are also expected to offer course work and research that seek to improve our understanding and practice of public service. Since the last self-study, we have increased opportunities for experiential learning in not just our graduate seminar course, but through other courses as well. We informally refer to our graduates as "Leo Public Service Nation" because of our emphasis on developing ethical professionals who are skilled in decision-making, public presentations, and collaborative work.
Standard 1.3 Program Evaluation: The Program will collect, apply, and report information about its performance and its operations to guide the evolution of the Program's mission and the Program's design and continuous improvement with respect to standards two through seven. For those goals identified in 1.2, describe what program performance outcomes have been achieved in the last 5 years that most reflect the program mission and describe how the program enhances the community it seeks to serve. 1.3.1 Please link your program performance outcomes
- to your mission's Purpose and Public Service Values.
- to your mission's Population of students, employers, and professionals the program intends to serve.
- to the contributions your program intends to produce to advance the knowledge, research, and practice of public policy, affairs, administration. Link to Mission Purpose and Public Service Values: As discussed in the previous response, the public service values have been operationalized by the La Verne MPA faculty and embedded within the competencies established to meet the program mission and universal competencies of NASPAA programs. Our assessment matrix is included in the appendix for Standard 5. Our assessment outcomes and exit surveys have consistently indicated our students support the NASPAA competencies and achieve course objectives related to public service values. Our mission assessment processes and examples of reports are included in the appendix for this standard. Link to Mission Population of Students, Employers, and Professionals: As discussed in the previous section, our current mission statement identifies our students as professionals preparing to take on socially responsible roles in public leadership and service. However, we also seek to attract pre-service students who are ready to seek public service employment. We have added depth and broadened our view of public service by adding a nonprofit concentration. We also are beginning to see more students interested in the new public health concentration. This interact appears to have accelerated with the pandemic, but we were already seeing more students interested in this area. We also have had several students who decided to take gerontology courses in Spring and Fall 2020. Until the pandemic, a large number of our students were hired or promoted during the course of their MPA program or soon thereafter. For example, in one small Graduate Seminar class, one student was hired into a new, higher level position just before the class; another was promoted during the course; a third was being mentored for promotion to an executive level; and the fourth moved from a nonprofit economic development corporation to an city economic development manager position not long after graduation. Even with the pandemic, we have had students recently achieve promotions. As discussed later in this self-study, our university is a Hispanic Serving Institution. Our program reflects our university demographics. We also have a large number of students who
(2) Began offering summer travel course to provide more experiential opportunities, including for students who have primarily lived in Southern California. This course is designed to allow for faculty and students to examine administrative systems across contextual differences. 2015: (1) Scholarship initiative for public sector employees to extend initiatives offered via formal partnership agreements. Matches with program and departmental missions on developing civic professionals. (2) Began phase-out of policy concentration due to student enrollment. Some courses continue to be offered as electives or concentration courses. 2016: Clarified the evaluation of professional experience in admissions criteria and revised language on statement of purpose to specify interest in public service and its values. 2017: (1) Added MPA concentrations in Public Health and Gerontology to expand options for students and provide flexibility on electives. No other MPA program in the region offers these concentrations. (2) The internship course will now be an elective or concentration course rather than as an extra course. The internship requirements and timing were also clarified, including for MPA/JD dual degree students without prior public service. (3) Change title of course from Applied Policy Research to Applied Research. The broader focus of the course provides additional opportunities for experiential learning. 2020: (1) Minor curriculum changes to Public Health and Aging Studies (formerly Gerontology) concentrations. (2) Specified that Applied Research can apply to any concentration (3) Added PADM 536, Policy Analysis, to Urban Management & Affairs concentration Additional Program Improvements:
- Established a Pi Alpha Alpha honor society in 2020, in response to student requests in Graduate Seminar classes.
- Started alumni and panel discussions for professional networking and discussion of current issues.
- Promoted ICMA Student Chapter, Women Leading Government, Municipal Management Association of Southern California and other professional organizations
- Promoted job opportunities; added federal employment announcements in response to a recommendation in our last self study. We also joined the steering committee for the Volcker Alliance's new Government to University initiative in Los Angeles to promote public service careers.
- (Pre-pandemic) extended graduate seminar poster session to all sections, invited faculty and professional colleagues, and provided funding for poster printing.
- Promoted student involvement in NASPAA student simulation competition, culminating with a student being part of the 2nd place team in 2020. We are in the early stages of gathering assessment data related to the move to remote learning in Spring 2020 because of the pandemic. This data and additional feedback from students and an alumni survey will guide program modality and curricular design improvements. Tentatively, we are encouraged by our high student retention and course evaluation reports. However, we believe that our program would benefit from a strategic visit, as discussed in the Standard 6 section.
depending on student enrollments and interest. We also expect to resume consideration of offering courses at the Irvine campus. All modalities will offer the same curriculum, degree expectations, expected competencies, and governance. Full-time, nucleus faculty and adjunct faculty are available to teach in the different modalities. 2.1.2 Who is/are the administrator(s) and describe the role and decision-making authority (s)he/they have in the governance of the program. (Limit 500 words) The Program Director, Marcia Godwin, administers the MPA Program. Program staff includes a Program Coordinator/Advisor to assist with student file management, program scheduling, faculty contract management, and evaluation support for the MPA program. Our long-time Coordinator/Advisor left the university in late August 2019. The Program Director provided these services until an existing academic advisor took on the bulk of these responsibilities in July 2020; MPA advising is approximately one-fourth of her workload. A departmental administrative assistant and college assessment analyst also provide assistance to the program. Additional university staff support includes assistance from the Office of the Registrar, Graduate Admissions and Graduate Academic Services. The faculty and departmental administrative assistant have centrally located offices in the College of Business and Public Management building. The academic advisers and assessment analyst have offices in the Cogley Building. All are teleworking during the pandemic. Additional details on staffing and resource support are discussed in the Standard 6 section. 2.1.3 Describe how the governance arrangements support the mission of the program and match the program delivery. (Limit 250 words) Programs may upload an organizational chart if helpful in describing their university or college governance structures. The Department of Public and Health Administration is chaired by Professor Matthew Witt, Professor of Public Administration. The MPA Program Director, Marcia Godwin, administers the MPA Program. The MPA program is one of three public administration degree programs (bachelor's, master's and doctoral) in the Department of Public and Health Administration. The Department also offers a Master of Health Administration program, which includes a Public Health Concentration, and an Aging Studies concentration. The Department is one of four departments in the College of Business and Public Management (CBPM). The others are: College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), La Fetra College of Education, and College of Law. The Board of Trustees has approved moving forward in 2020-21 with strategic planning to establish a College of Health and Community Well-Being. We will be considering whether the MPA program should join the new college. The new college may provide additional opportunities for expanding community engagement, growing our concentrations, and outreach. We are actively exploring the extent to which the new college's
mission will align with the MPA mission and NASPAA core competencies. We also will be participating in small group discussions about the new college's focus. Standard 2.2 Faculty Governance: An adequate faculty nucleus - at least five (5) full-time faculty members or their equivalent - will exercise substantial determining influence for the governance and implementation of the program. 2.2.1a Please note the total number of nucleus faculty members in the program for the Self Study Year: 7 2.2.1b Please note the total number of instructional faculty members, including both nucleus and non-nucleus faculty, in the program for the Self Study Year: 11 (with adjunct faculty) 2.2.2a Please provide a detailed assessment of how the program’s faculty nucleus exerts substantial determining influence over the program. Describe its role in program and policy planning, curricular development and review, faculty recruiting and promoting, and student achievement through advising and evaluation. Program and policy planning: The faculty of the La Verne MPA program are responsible for program policy and planning. The mission of the Master of Public Administration degree is approved by the faculty nucleus. There are faculty meetings and emailed consultation on items that may arise outside of meeting dates, such as student requests. Curricular development and review: New courses and curriculum are initiated by faculty. Catalog changes are approved by MPA faculty and then forwarded to the College faculty for final approval, usually once per year. Since the last self-study, we have approved refinements to admissions criteria, changes to concentrations, and other catalog changes. We annually review assessment results, exit surveys, graduate seminar and advisory board recommendations, and data in our annual report. Faculty are also invited to the final presentations in Graduate Seminar. Admissions: Admissions is determined by program faculty and governed by University policy as managed by the Graduate Admissions. The MPA Program Director and two other faculty members serve as the MPA admissions committee and review all applications for admission. The admissions committee is also consulted on any special issues, such as the acceptance of transfer courses. The MPA Director meets with the MPA faculty (and Graduate Admissions staff as needed) on admissions criteria and standards. The university has an active faculty-led Graduate Council that also reviews university-wide policies and issues. Course scheduling and teaching assignments: All teaching appointments are conducted through an approval process managed by the Department Chair. Teaching contracts are approved through the College of Business and Public Management. The MPA Director, as needed, makes recommendations to the department chair on any new adjunct faculty needs.
Provide information regarding how the program defines "substantial determining influence" in the program and any qualifying comments regarding faculty governance. (Limit 250 words) 2.2.3 Faculty Governance Comments We define "substantial determining influence" in terms of admissions, advising, assessment, curriculum development, faculty and advisory board meetings, and program activities. Daily activities are under the purview of the MPA Director and Advisor/Coordinator. We take a collaborative approach to program policy and planning through faculty meetings and program events. Because of our matrix organizational structure, the Department Chair has primary responsibility for faculty supervision and scheduling. If the program moves to the proposed College of Health and Community Well-Being, we do not anticipate any concerns with maintaining substantial determining influence. The University also has a Board-approved Faculty Handbook that clearly delineates principles of shared governance and areas where the faculty have primary responsibility.
Standard 3: Matching Operations with the Mission: Faculty Performance
Standard 3.1 Faculty Qualifications: The program's faculty members will be academically or professionally qualified to pursue the program's mission. Faculty reports for the seven full-time faculty were inputted into a separate section. 3.1.2. Provide your program's policy for academically and professionally qualified faculty and the mission-based rationale for the extent of use of professionally qualified faculty in your program. If you have any faculty members who are neither academically nor professionally qualified, please justify their extent of use in your program. Please see the glossary for definitions of academically and professionally qualified. (Limit 500 words) The La Verne MPA program has sought to develop a nucleus faculty that balances the advantages of academic preparation and professional experience. All of the nucleus faculty have doctorates, so they are classified as academically qualified for this report although three also have professional experience. For ease in reporting, we classify our four adjunct faculty as professionally qualified. However, two have earned doctorates (one PhD, one DPA). The third adjunct faculty member is a doctoral candidate and the fourth has a master's degree. The La Verne program is fortunate to have a strong blend of full time and part-time faculty that have a mix of academic and professional qualifications so as to address our mission of providing a practical curriculum that emphasizes the intellectual and theoretical foundations for professionals preparing to take on socially responsible roles in public leadership and service. The table below includes MPA elective and concentration courses, which includes the courses in our largest concentration, Urban Management & Affairs. To date, our second largest concentration is nonprofit, with courses offered by the Management and Leadership Program. Those courses were taught in the self-study year by a full-time faculty member with an earned doctorate, an adjunct faculty member with an earned doctorate and extensive philanthropic experience, a doctoral candidate who is the chief financial officer for a major nonprofit organization, and a practitioner with a master's degree who specializes in nonprofit recruitment. A minimum of a master's degree is required for adjunct faculty teaching master's courses. 3.1.3. Provide the percentage of courses in each category that are taught by nucleus, full- time, and academically qualified faculty in the self-study year. Please upload a separate table for each location and modality, if appropriate. The total across all rows and columns will not add to 100%. All Courses 2 1 courses, 84% delivered by full-time, nucleus, academically qualified faculty Courses delivering required Competencies 16 courses, 88%
- Diversified membership on the MPA Advisory Board
- Alumni outreach, to draw upon the diversity of our alumni
- Scheduled panel events with alumni and diverse professionals
- Three faculty receiving course transformation grants for diversity/inclusivity
- University adoption of a course assessment and audit tool
- Faculty service as co-chair of Faculty Diversity Committee
- Faculty publication on the racialized context of public administration
- Experiential and community engaged learning opportunities 3.2.3. Describe how the diversity of the faculty has changed in the past 5 years. (Limit 250 words) The last full-time faculty hire was for the 2012-13 academic year. The seven nucleus faculty members include two persons of color: one Latinx and one Asian. Both were international faculty at the time of hire, from Mexico and South Korea respectively. The faculty includes four male and three female faculty. We consider it a significant accomplishment that we have a core group of active practitioners as adjunct faculty. They are diverse in terms of both demographic and professional background. One identifies as both Asian and Hispanic/Latinx, one as Black/African-American, and one as Latinx. Two of the four have earned doctoral degrees; a third is a PhD candidate. Additional biographical details are included in the appendix. *Please note that the total number of faculty teaching in the self-study year is 11. The table in 3.2.1 does not add up because one part-time faculty self-identifies in two categories. Standard 3.3 Research, Scholarship and Service: Program faculty members will produce scholarship and engage in professional and community service activities outside of the university appropriate to the program's mission, stage of their careers, and the expectations of their university. 3.3.1. Exemplary activities for the last five years : in Faculty Reports 3.3.2. Provide some overall significant outcomes or impacts on public administration and policy related to these exemplary efforts. (Limit 500 words) Research and Scholarship: Three of our seven nucleus faculty have been inducted into the La Verne Academy, our internal research academy. Marcia Godwin was inducted in 2020. Two of our faculty, Soomi Lee and Adrian Velazquez Vazquez, have won national and international conference presentation awards. Community and Professional Service: Jack Meek served as NASPAA President (2018) and Suzanne Beaumaster has chaired NASPAA's doctoral education committee. Keith Schildt is a
leader in Slow Food nonprofit organizations and has presented internationally while Professor Lee has been active in networks related to universal basic income. Matthew Witt is active with Sustainable Claremont. Adrian Velazquez Vazquez served as Southern California President of ASPA. Professor Godwin provides extensive media commentary to regional and national publications. Engaging Students: an MPA student was part of the 2nd place NASPAA student simulation team. Several students have presented their capstone projects at professional organization conferences and one student received the second-place paper award at the Conference of Minority Public Administrators national conference. An MPA alumnus received a NASPAA alumni spotlight award for his efforts to involve the community via social media in public safety programs. Another alumnus was selected for the City of Phoenix Management Intern Program and featured on Spanish-language television. Faculty have led comparative public administration courses to Portland, Oregon; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Amsterdam, Netherlands. Professor Schildt's students have been involved in successful advocacy efforts on food policy. We regularly offer professional networking events and experiential learning projects.
