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ASPA Founders' Fellows Application Period Drawing to a Close
 ASPA's prestigious Founders' Fellows program is still accepting applications for its 2017 class—but only through Friday, Oct. 14. Twenty-five young scholars and practitioners will be accepted into next year's class, but interested individuals must complete their application packets by the deadline to be considered.
More than 40 completed applications already have been received and more than 100 packets are in the works, making this one of the most competitive years this Fellowship has experienced in recent memory.
"Having been a Founders' Fellow, I can say without a doubt that not only is this an incredible program, but it is also a truly prestigious line to add to your resume," commented Angie Kline, current ASPA Student Representative and one of this year's Founders' Fellows program volunteer coordinators. "The mentorship pairing alone makes this a career-changing experience. I fully expect to see an extraordinarily competitive batch of applications for our judges to consider for 2017."
Judged on such merits as prior commitment to the field, academic record, clarity of research interests and quality of writing, those select individuals who are chosen for this year’s class will surely represent the best of what public administration can look forward to from its future practitioners and scholars.
Visit the ASPA website for more information about the Founders' Fellows program, a link to the application site and other details.
Contact ASPA membership coordinator Michael Silliman for more information.
Researchers, College Administrators Discuss Future of Higher Education
 Eight prominent researchers and college administrators joined for an Oct. 4 panel at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., discussing public administration perspectives on the future of higher education. Jointly sponsored by the American Society for Public Administration, Public Administration Review (PAR) and Arizona State University (ASU), the event drew more than 65 observers, all of whom had a strong interest in various facets of higher education.
Panelists discussed both research and hands-on elements of what makes higher education institutions—both for-profit and privately funded—successful including metrics, long-term public value goals, funding sources and alumni impact.
"It is so difficult to measure outcomes in education," observed panelist Bob Shireman of The Century Foundation. "Most metrics have different impacts and the answers aren't always clear."
"Public value means forming young people holistically for a participatory adult life and opening them to learning throughout life. That's how we have defined success," said Jane McAuliffe of the Library of Congress, formerly president of Bryn Mawr College. She later added, "Our students are connected to the community, embedded in it and responsible for it."
Panelists also discussed possibilities for the future from both financial and public values perspectives.
"I anticipate lots of change," Ann Khademian of Virginia Tech predicted. "We will see lots of innovation in [financial] models and more savvy consumers in education. They need to know what they're getting. It will take experimentation."
"Public values successes must be inclusive of socio-economic diversity in your region," said Michael Crow, President of Arizona State University. "Our current student make-up includes 20 percent at or below the poverty line. We need to be of greater value to this population."
The eight panelists for the event included Michael Crow (ASU), Derrick Anderson (ASU), Geoff Cox (Alliant International University), H. George Frederickson (University of Kansas), Ann Khademian (Virginia Tech), Jane McAuliffe (Library of Congress), James Perry (PAR) and Bob Shireman (The Century Foundation).
A number of panelists also had contributed to a recent PAR symposium producing research articles and editorials tackling this subject from a variety of angles, including for-profit institutions' philosophies, financial models, design science and public values. The panels provided those authors with an opportunity to share their thoughts with a broader audience.
"I have a background in student affairs and there were some really great points about for-profit education in these discussions," noted one of the event attendees. "This is on the rise and it is a huge conversation. For-profits are not a great place for students to be going, but we haven't made a place for those students in other academic communities."
"This event proved what a critical discussion this is and that we need to keep having it," noted ASPA Immediate Past President Maria Aristigueta. "How we educate our students and the environment we provide for them, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels, is critical to what they learn, the public values they absorb and the contributions they will make going forward."
Webinars, BookTalks and Student Series on the Horizon
 ASPA's professional development webinars are ongoing throughout the year. Averaging 85 attendees per webinar and free to ASPA members, these e-learning opportunities provide you with valuable insights and information at your fingertips. Here's a quick look at upcoming opportunities. Make sure you register today for sessions that interest you and visit our website to review further details about all upcoming webinars, BookTalks and Student Series.
Summiting the Peak: A Discussion with Denver's Peak Academy Team
October 2016 (date and time coming soon)
ASPA and its Center for Accountability and Performance bring you this enlightening discussion, providing you with an opportunity to ask experts about how they are changing the culture of the city of Denver by investing in their people and building tremendous capacity to compete in the 21st century.
Student Series: Workplace Behavior
Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016, 1 p.m.
Presenter:
Elizabeth Stone, Careers In Nonprofits
Have you ever felt like there are unspoken rules at work that everyone except you seems to understand and follow? Careers In Nonprofits is here to help. With topics like showing initiative and avoiding common mistakes, this presentation will discuss those unspoken workplace rules so that you don't have to figure them out on your own!
BookTalk: Designing the New American University
Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016, 1 p.m. ET
Presenter:
Michael Crow, Arizona State University
America's research universities consistently dominate global rankings but may be entrenched in a model that no longer accomplishes their purposes. With their multiple roles of discovery, teaching, and public service, these institutions represent the gold standard in American higher education, but their evolution since the 19th century has been only incremental. The president of ASU discusses a new and complementary model that offers accessibility to an academic platform underpinned by knowledge production is critical to our well-being and economic competitiveness.
Annual Conference Special Registration Rate Through Oct. 31
ASPA's 2017 Annual Conference is five months away but ASPA's special discounted registration rate will expire in just a few weeks! If you know you will be in Atlanta March 17-21, make sure you register now to make the most of our special pricing. Members pay only $399 through Oct. 31, 2016.
This year's conference, taking place immediately following the COMPA Conference at the exact same location—the Atlanta Sheraton in downtown Atlanta—will bring together 1,300 practitioners, scholars and students to examine topics around this year's theme: Saluting the Public Service: A Bold and Noble Profession. Featuring 11 panel tracks, five plenaries, seven Presidential Panels, a memorable Welcome Reception at the Carter Presidential Center Library and many networking events, this year's Annual Conference is your next opportunity to join your colleagues across the discipline, make connections, plan for future projects and programs and learn from one another.
This is the largest public administration gathering of the year. Make the most of this special rate, register at the lowest price available and ensure your seat in Atlanta. Register today.
Contact registrar Pat Yearwood with any questions. Full registration refunds will be granted through Dec. 31, 2016.
ASPA President Studies Social Inequities in Government; Seattle on the Right Track
 ASPA President Susan Gooden has studied the reluctance of governments to address social inequity. She urges government managers to attack racism head-on and recently made headlines in Seattle, Wash., when she indicated the city was on the path toward the ideal on tackling race inequity.
The Seattle Times covered Gooden's discussion at the University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy & Governance (find it online here) last week, where she outlined her research and described how every area of life affects every other. Race, her research shows, plays a significant role in those interacting forces. So if the country is going to be more equitable, government has to move beyond its "nervousness" and be proactive.
As Times author Jerry Large noted in his article: "Gooden said Seattle is on a path toward the ideal. She spent time in 2012 studying the history of the Race and Social Justice Initiative and traced the roots back to Norm Rice's work as a council member, and later as mayor, to address inequality… It's still a work in progress, but now other governments come to learn from Seattle's example, Gooden said."
The presentation at the Evans School lasted an hour and focused on Gooden's 2014 book, Race & Social Equity: A Nervous Area of Government.
"Kudos to your university administration and those at the Evans School for your dedication and commitment to equity," Gooden said during her opening remarks. "We definitely need more thinking, more writing, more publishing and more engagement around these topics."
ASPA Awards Program Nominations Period Closes Oct. 31
Planning to submit nominations for an ASPA National award? You have just a few short weeks left to do so.
Do you have a favorite public administrator or scholar in the field? Who is that person and why is he/she so important to you and the field?
If you can answer those questions, you have enough information to nominate someone for an award. Visit our submission portal and fill out the online form by the deadline; our judging committees will do the rest.
Not sure which award to pick? Contact us and we will help you figure it out! Just a few of our awards categories include:
- Oveta Culp Hobby Training Award
- Nesta M. Gallas Award
- Gloria Hobson Nordin Social Equity Award
- Walter W. Mode Scholarship
- CAP Emerging Leaders Award for Excellence
- PAR Chester Newland Award
- National Public Service Award
ASPA looks forward to a robust awards nomination slate this year. Make the most of this opportunity and nominate someone today!
Visit our website for more details and contact ASPA Events Manager Asmait Tewelde with questions.
In Remembrance: Keith Henderson
Keith M. Henderson of Buffalo passed away in August 2014. Henderson joined the Buffalo State community as professor and chair of its Political Science Department in September 1969; he received continuing appointment in 1972. Prior to his appointment, he served as associate professor of public administration at New York University and as assistant professor of public administration at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon.
Prior, Henderson worked for the City of Los Angeles in several capacities, including city councilman. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Occidental College in Los Angeles, and his master of science and doctor of public administration from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. At Columbia University, he pursued postdoctoral study of public law and government.
Henderson was very involved in ASPA's Buffalo Niagara Chapter, filling a number of leadership roles.
You can find a full obituary online here.
In Case You Missed It: ASPA Website Webinars Now Online
Interested in an introduction to ASPA's new website? The office recently held two webinars to showcase features of the site and share how you can make the most of our online resources. You can find links to these archived webinars online here.
Contact ASPA Chief of Communications Karen Garrett with questions.
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Next Rutgers Webinar Oct. 13
Frank Vogl, Co-Founder of Transparency International, will share his insights on corruption and global security during Rutgers' next Global Dialogues on Anti-Corruption webinar, a monthly webinar series. This event will take place online Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. ET. Click here to read more.
SENRA Announces Student Paper Competition
Graduate students are invited to submit their papers on any environmental topic for consideration for ASPA's Section on Environmental and Natural Resources Administration (SENRA) student paper competition. Faculty members also can nominate student paper(s) for submission. The deadline is Dec. 31, 2016. Click here to read more.
Rutgers Survey Highlights Innovative Practices
An international survey of city websites has identified Seoul, South Korea, as the top-ranked city in the performance of municipal e-governance for 2015-16. The research study was conducted jointly by the E-Governance Institute in the School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) at Rutgers University-Newark and the Department of Public Policy and Public Affairs, John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The work was co-sponsored by the Public Technology Institute (PTI). Click here to read more.
Intersector Project Releases Resource Library
The Intersector Project has announced the release of its Resource Library. Housed on its website, the library includes hundreds of quality resources relevant to cross-sector collaboration. Coming from research organizations, advisory groups, training organizations, academic centers and journals, the resources include reports, articles, books, cases, tools and multimedia spanning across issue areas, partnership types and scope. Click here to read more.
Andrew Young School's Center for State and Local Finance Hosts Operating and Capital Budgeting Course
The budget process is one the most complex, yet critical parts of government work. Once adopted, the budget morphs into a policy document that communicates a city's or county's initiatives and priorities to employees and the public. On Nov. 1-4, the Center for State and Local Finance at Georgia State's Andrew Young School will host its Operating and Capital Budgeting course for city and county leaders seeking to identify and share approaches to strengthen this process. Click here to read more.
NECoPA 2016 Just Around the Corner
Registration is open for the 2016 Northeast Conference on Public Administration. This year's theme, "Public Administration in the Era of Collaboration," will attract attendees to Harrisburg, Penn., on Nov. 11-13. The venue is the Crowne Plaza Harrisburg-Hershey Hotel, located at 2nd & Chestnut Street. Click here to read more and find more helpful links.
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PAR Update
PAR Podcasts
Citizen Expectations and Satisfaction in a Young Democracy: A Test of the Expectancy-Disconfirmation Model
Jue Young Mok (University of Kentucky) discusses her article co-authored with Nicolai Petrovsky (University of Kentucky) and Filadelfo Leon-Cazares (University of Guadalajara, Mexico). This article is currently available on Early View and will be published in Public Administration Review, Issue 77, Volume 3. Link to PAR Podcast
Representative Bureaucracy: A Lever to Enhance Social Equity, Coproduction, and Democracy
Norma M. Riccucci (Rutgers University) discusses her article co-authored with Gregg G. Van Ryzin (Rutgers University). This article is currently available on Early View and will be published in Public Administration Review Issue 77 Volume 1. Link to PAR Podcast
Public Administration and the Disciplines
Transaction Costs and the Perceived Effectiveness of Complex Institutional Systems
Mark Lubell (University of California, Davis), Jack M. Mewhirter (University of Cincinnati), Ramiro Berardo (The Ohio State University) and John T. Scholz (Florida State University) study factors affecting how policy actors perceive the effectiveness of political institutions involved in complex water governance systems. The ecology of games framework argues that participants are more likely to perceive institutions as effective when the benefits of solving collective action problems outweigh the transaction costs of developing political contracts within these institutions. The authors hypothesize that transaction costs are a function of conflict, type of participation, political knowledge, scientific knowledge and actor resources. Survey results suggest that the importance of these different sources of transaction costs varies across study sites in the Tampa Bay watershed in Florida, the Sacramento–San Joaquin River delta in California and the Paraná River delta in Argentina. Based on the observed differences, some initial ideas are sketched about the evolution of complex governance systems from fairly simple and informal rules and networks to well-established tapestries of many formal institutions. Link to PAR Early View
Evidence in Public Administration
Evidence for Tackling the Complexities of Water Governance
Water policy and management decisions are increasingly challenged by uncertainties associated with climate change, changing demographics and social values. Tanya Heikkila (University of Colorado Denver) discusses how research by water governance scholars supports and complements Rob M. Skinner's arguments about the complexities of water planning and policymaking and the importance of stakeholder engagement. Specifically, she focuses on how this decisionmaking context shapes the ways in which evidence is used and understood in water governance. To conclude, this article draws lessons for practitioners about the limitations of using evidence in water governance. Link to PAR Early View
Research Article
Transformational Leadership and Organizational Processes: Influencing Public Performance
Leaders are essential actors in public performance improvement and organizational change. However, a key question has not been adequately addressed in prior literature on the topic: how do leadership processes make a difference? Using data on New York City public schools, Rusi Sun (University of Michigan–Dearborn) and Alexander C. Henderson (Long Island University) explore the organizational mechanisms by which a specific form of principal's leadership—transformational leadership—influences objective organizational outcomes as measured by standardized test scores. The empirical results indicate that a principal's transformational leadership style affects student test scores through the mediating effects of purposeful performance information use and stakeholder engagement. Link to PAR Early View
New on PA Times Online
Every Tuesday and Friday, ASPA publishes a curated collection of original content that covers public service, management and international affairs.
This quarter, we welcome submissions that focus on infrastructure and public higher education. Send your contributions to us now! The deadline is rolling; contact us for more information.
Check out our recent articles and columns:
Overcoming Barriers to Improved Employee Engagement (Part 2)
Beyond the Basics
New on the ASPA Blog
Looking for interesting commentary on news events and contemporary issues? Check out the ASPA Blog, which features a collection of authors writing on everyday life from the eyes of a public manager, student or young professional.
Featured recently on the Blog:
Local Government's Public Trust Puzzle
Career Resources
Find your next career opportunity at publicservicecareers.org. This online job board is the perfect resource for making a career change or landing your first job in the public service. It lists dozens of positions in academia, government and the nonprofit sector. Below are just a few current listings.
Lead Analyst – The Policy & Research Group – New Orleans, LA
Director and Professor – University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Senior Health Policy Expert/Adviser – Optimal Solutions Group LLC – College Park, MD
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