Registration for summer classes began April 2. Make your decisions and send in your book orders as soon as possible (posted on the UASOnline class sites). If you have questions, please contact me.
PADM 125 Economics for Public Managers Web
PADM 635 Natural Resource Policy Satellite/ Mondays 6-8:45pm
PADM 671 Non Profit Management Satellite Thursdays 6-8:45pm
PADM 675 Leadership Communications May 17-19 residency plus web
Registration for Fall classes also began April 2 for students admitted to the MPA program. Next Monday April 16 anyone may register for Fall classes. Students who pre-register for fall classes will continue their computer account and library access throughout the summer. For Fall class information see the MPA website course schedule at http://www.uas.alaska.edu/som/mpa/degree-planning/ancourse.
Or see the full University course schedule at http://www.uas.alaska.edu/schedule/
During the next few months Kathy DiLorenzo and I will travel around the region to visit current and prospective students. Later this month Kathy will visit Sitka, Ketchikan and Wrangell. In June, Jonathan will travel the loop through Whitehorse, Fairbanks, Anchorage and Kenai- plus Kodiak and perhaps Dillingham. We hope to be able to visit with many of you.
Currently MPA students may take classes from the UAF Rural Development program and the UAF Justice Program. There will be several new options for MPA students in the coming year. MPA students may take classes from the UAS web based MBA program. For more information on courses see http://www.uas.alaska.edu/som/mba/programstructure.html
Students interested in Marine policy may take classes delivered from the Juneau based UAF Fisheries program which will be delivered through videoconference. Upcoming classes include
Fall 07 FISH 692 Marine Policy: the US Regulatory Context
Fall 07 STAT 611 Time Series Analysis
Spring 08 FISH 6xx Quantitative Analysis for Marine Policy Decisions
Students interested in taking any of these classes should first contact the MPA Director for approval.
Over the past two years several classes have been taught using. Elluminate or WebMeeting. This methodology combines audioconferencing with a shared web interface. It has proved quite effective, although still is subject to internet congestion issues. This year UAS incorporated the Elluminate/Webmeeting capability into the basic UAS Online Course structure making it available for all classes. Besides regular class delivery, Elluminate can be used for student groups gathering for discussion outside of class time. Beginning next year, the MPA program will require all students to have a headset for Elluminate/Webmeeting interactions. MPA classes may combine a mix of delivery methodologies as appropriate.
We continue to seek feedback on our review of MPA core requirements. What is needed? What should be added or subtracted?
Current Core
i) Introduction to Public Administration
ii) Organizational Theory and Behavior
iii) Human Resources Administration
iv) Public Financial Management
v) Law for Managers
vi) Economics and Public Policy
vii) Research Methods for Administration
viii) Program Evaluation
ix) Capstone
Other possibilities
Leadership Communications (written and oral communication skills)
Policy Process and Implementation
Congratulations to UAA Public Administration professor Sheila Selkregg for her election to the City and Borough of Anchorage Assembly. Dr. Selkregg is in her first year of teaching in the UAA MPA program, and lost no time in running for local office! (Keeping up with the Jones’ I guess). She ran a successful campaign against an incumbent and won 51% of the vote against 43% by her main challenger. Way to go, Sheila. See her website at http://www.sheilaselkregg.com/about.htm
Kathy DiLorenzo recently attended the Western Academy of Management Conference in Missoula, Montana where she presented a paper entitled "Does Contracting Out Create a Divergence in Perceptions Concerning Accountability." She states, “The paper is based on an exploratory study that addressed changes regarding contracting out services traditionally provided by the government. Three cases studies were included, the purpose being to gauge the understanding and application of accountability by managers. Applying a framework created by Barbara Romzek and Melvin Dubnick, difference among the three subject organizations were found with regard to legal and professional but not bureaucratic and political accountability. It was concluded through the study that there was no cohesive understanding of accountability, especially concerning legal and professional accountability. The results of this study will lead to future research utilizing a larger sample including other types of non-governmental contractors, such as Native organizations, as well as those in the for profit sector that deliver social services. Eventually after research findings have been generalized to a larger segment of non-governmental entities, the obvious next step will be to compare these with United States government agencies.”
Alex Lukshin
Those who took classes from 1995-2000 may remember Alexander Lukshin, an older gentleman who continually enrolled in MPA classes as a senior citizen, and sometimes entertained us by falling asleep during our scintillating lectures. We are saddened to learn that Alex died last August at Swedish Hospital in Seattle after battling cancer. He was born April 22, 1934, in Beirut, Lebanon, where his parents were professors at the American University. His family moved to Boston in 1940 and Alex attended Massachusetts Institute Technology and later graduated from Tufts University in 1956 with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry. He worked for IBM as a systems engineer for more than 26 years before moving to Juneau in 1981. He was active as a volunteer and served as chairman of the Juneau Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee.
Shane Davey
Shane has been taking MPA classes for the past couple years. He was a former Army Officer and has recently been reactivated, He will depart overseas in the near future. We wish him good luck and safe journey.
* ALUMNI!!! Please send me information on your job and contact info for posting to our Yearbook!!!
* Write me to share what you are doing.
* View previous Newsletters on the MPA Website at http://www.uas.alaska.edu/som/mpa/newsletter-directory.html
* Please let me know if you wish to be removed from this list
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