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Current Update.PPOL Update March 15, 2007PPOL Students:
Here’s the latest news. Note that there are a *number* of upcoming presentations starting tomorrow (Friday). ‘Tis the season! Also always, let me know if you have news to share of publications, papers, awards, and the like.
In this Update:
2—Summer Qualifying Exams and Changes to the Core 5—Library Paper Award Reminder 6—MPSA Needs Student Participants 16—Dissertation Research Funding
This summer, PPOL will be offering three classes. The first of these will be Dr. Manuel’s PPOL 8681 Race, Gender, Class, and Public Policy. This will be in the 10-week session on Thursdays from 3:00-5:50pm. The second course will be a modified 2-credit hour version of the Quant II class which is listed on the registration system as PPOL 8000 Topics in Public Policy taught by Dr. Whitmeyer. This class will focus on factor analysis and time series analysis and will be offered in the 5-week Summer Session 1 period on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00-5:00pm. Finally, Dr. Bjerregaard will be teaching PPOL 8000 Topics in Public Policy: The Death Penalty. This 3-credit hour course will be in Summer Session 1 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 5:30-8:50pm. There are other Ph.D. courses at the university this summer that might be of interest and appropriate to PPOL students outside of PPOL. Students are welcome to enroll in any course they choose. But please consult with your advisor and me in order to insure that any such courses can be used to fulfill your PPOL course requirements. The preliminary Fall schedule is up, but will likely change somewhat. I apologize for the delay in nailing down the Fall schedule. This is beyond my control (much to my chagrin) at the moment. But as soon as we have the schedule closer to finalized, I will be sure to announce it to all the PPOL students.
2—Summer Qualifying Exams and Changes to the Core There is a bit of rumor-mongering currently going on regarding a possible change to the PPOL core. The change, if approved, will come as no surprise to students in the second year or later as it has been a topic for some time in terms of shrinking the core of the program, removing *required* courses from the summer line up. Part of this change was motivated by the fact that PPOL is not allowed to provide summer tuition support, even though students working with professors on grants or contracts (soft money) may still have their summer tuition subsidized. While I believe I have found a Pareto optimal solution, this change is NOT been approved yet. I have met no resistance to the change and I am beginning to operate on the assumption that the change will be approved. As such, PPOL 8621 Quantitative Analysis II and PPOL 8622 Qualitative Analysis will be removed from the core. Students will still have to take these six credit hours and the will have to be advanced analysis courses. But students will have greater discretion in which courses they take to fulfill those advanced requirements. My hope is that students will be learning about the dominant analytic tool skills in their chosen policy field and will find Ph.D. level courses in those tools. Some students will still want the material in the Qualitative course or those that we cover in the Quantitative Analysis II course. PPOL will continue to offer those courses. But PPOL students will be able to take other advanced analytic tools courses in other programs on campus. To aid in this, the dean’s of Arts and Sciences and of Health and Human Services have directed me to conduct a census of the UNCC faculty to determine the statistical expertise available here and the interest in teaching that expertise in Ph.D. courses. The idea is that the university will offer a menu of advances analysis courses that will be available to Ph.D. students across all the UNCC doctoral programs so choice is maximized for ALL doctoral students. That census will be hitting the faculty in the coming weeks with the results expected in the early summer. While that change to the core is working its way through the university bureaucracy, I am tentatively planning on immediately changing the format of the qualifying exams. The initial plan is to have two exams instead of three. One of these will be the in-class timed format. The other will be the take-home version covering the material not included in the in-class portion. The division of the material is still being debated, as is the grading protocol. Also, ultimately we will move the date of the summer offering of the exam to the end of May. However, that timing change will not take place this year. This summer’s exam will still be conducted as normal. This year, that means the exam will be offered the week of August 13th. As more details solidify, I will of course inform all of you. In the meantime, if you will have completed the following classes, you must take the qualifying examination this summer: PPOL 8600 Public Policy Process PPOL 8602 Research Design PPOL 8620 Quantitative Analysis I PPOL 8630 Advanced Program Evaluation PPOL 8640 Economic Analysis I PPOL 8641 Economic Analysis II Please contact me and let me know if you meet these conditions and will need to take the qualifying exam so we can plan the exam computer lab room appropriately.
2007 SECoPA (Southeastern Conference for Public Administration) September 26-29, 2007 “Call For Papers, Proposals & Panels”
"Sound Innovations in
Public Administration, Setting the Tone for the Future" Hosted by the
Tennessee Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) &
College of Public & Urban Affairs at Tennessee State University. Nashville DoubleTree Hotel Room Rate $99.00 single occupancy (615) 244-8200 or (800) 222-TREE (www.nashville.doubletree.com) For general conference information, contact Dr. Rodney Stanley, ASPA Chapter President, at rstanley1@tnstate.edu or by phone at: (615) 963-7249 For information regarding manuscript and panel proposals contact Dr. Diane Wilde at dwilde@tnstate.edu, or by phone: (615) 963-7241 For more information regarding conference fees, manuscript and panel submissions please visit the following website: http://www.aspaonline.org/nashville/secopa2007.htmI have been asked by Dr. Mark Holzer at Rutgers to include our PPOL students in a study of Ph.D. programs he is conducting. I ask that you click on the link below and participate in this exercise. The results will appear in the Journal of Public Affairs Education. Here’s the message from Dr. Holzer: This survey is sent out by researchers from Rutgers University, under the auspices of Dean Marc Holzer and the School of Public Affairs and Administration at the Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. The purpose is to gather information about the concerns and needs of doctoral students in Public Affairs programs. "Public Affairs" as used in this survey refers to programs including Public Administration, Public Policy, Public Service, Public Management and other related fields of study. All responses are anonymous – neither students nor institutions will be identified. To access the survey, please click the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=454033316387 Thank you for taking the time to answer these few questions. It will be of great help to us. We appreciate your assistance.
5—Library Paper Award Reminder The J. Murrey Atkins Library is pleased to announce the One Millionth Volume student essay contest as part of the events surrounding the acquisition of the library's one millionth volume in 2007. We are asking UNC Charlotte students to submit an essay based on a book that has had a significant impact their lives. Details are as follows: · The contest is open to any currently enrolled (Spring 2007) UNC Charlotte student, both undergraduate and graduate. · Participants are asked to write an original piece specifically about a particular book (fiction or non-fiction) and how it has made a significant impact to their life. · The essay shall be no more than 1000 words long, and only written submissions will be considered. Any images, multimedia, or sound recordings submitted in whole or in part will be dismissed. · The winner will receive a prize of $1000. · The winner will also be formally recognized at the Millionth Volume Charlotte community event which will be held in the Fall of 2007. · The essay will be included in the Library's collection and available on the Library's website. · Essays shall be judged on creativity, style, substance and the ability to engage the reader in the submitter's story. · The essays will be reviewed by a panel of judges selected by the Millionth Volume Planning Committee. · The deadline for submission is 5pm on April 10th, 2007. The winner will be announced on May 4th, 2007.
Submission Guidelines:
It
is also suggested that students send any email submissions from their UNC
Charlotte email address to ensure timely delivery.
Email:
librarypr@uncc.edu
6—MPSA Needs Student Participants
The Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) is the nation’s second largest political science conference. Their annual meeting is next month. While the deadline for papers is long past, they are looking for panel chairs and discussants for panels. This would be a good opportunity to attend if you are interested. Such a conference can be a great networking opportunity with a wide range of scholars that touch on pretty much every policy area we have represented by students here in PPOL. Details are available at:
http://www.indiana.edu/~mpsa/Conference/neededroles.html
Let me know if you would like to take advantage of this opportunity. We still have some travel money for students this term.
Friday, March 16, Dr. Charles Kegley will be making a brownbag presentation on “The Rise and Decline of the Nonintervention Norm” in the Conference Room in the Political Science Department from 12 to 1. All faculty and interested students are cordially invited to attend. Dr. Kegley is Distinguished Pearce Professor of International Relations Emeritus at the University of South Carolina, where he served as chairman of the Department of Government and International Studies from 1981-85 and as co-director (with Lawrence S. Eagleburger) of the Byrnes International Center from 1985-88. He is the founding partner of Kegley International, Inc. and also serves as a Faculty Fellow of the Moynihan Global Affairs Institute at Syracuse University. Kegley has authored numerous books and articles on International Relations and Foreign Policy, most recently After Iraq: The Imperiled American Imperium (OUP, 2006).
Department of Sociology and Anthropology Brown Bag Presentation March 16, 12:30-1:30 Fretwell 419 Wei Zhao "Intraorganizational Career Advancement and Voluntary Turnover"
March 16, 1:30-2:30 David Easterling Global Climate Laboratory, Asheville, NC Title: The Evidence for Climate Change: Observations and Modeling McEniry 134
On March 19th, the
Center for Professional and Applied Ethics, the College of Arts and
Sciences, the Department of Philosophy and the Bioethics Resource Group will
host guest speaker Naomi Zack, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy, University of
Oregon and Director of Graduate Studies.
“Stem Cell Research: Issues and Economics” on Thursday, March 22. This month’s Charlotte Economics Club meeting will address the Issues and Economics of Stem Cell Research, with Dr. Klaus E. Wiemer, a nationally recognized expert in the field, as our speaker. This is an unusual opportunity for the club, and you are urged not to miss this presentation. Please see the attached flyer for reservation information, or visit the website, at www.charlotteeconclub.org. There is a fee to attend this lecture (see the web site). PPOL Students: Please note there is a cost to attend this event. See the web site for more details.
Special Seminar at UNC Charlotte: Responding to Disease Outbreaks in Mecklenburg County In honor of National Public Health Week, the Department of Health Behavior & Administration at UNC Charlotte announces a special seminar entitled Responding to Disease Outbreaks in Mecklenburg County. The seminar, which is free and open to the public, will be held on Wednesday, April 4, 3:30-5:30 p.m., in Room 161 of the new College of Health and Human Services building (CHHS). The focus for National Public Health Week 2007 (April 2-8) is “Preparedness and Public Health Threats – Addressing the Unique Needs of Vulnerable Populations.” The keynote speaker, Dr. E. Winters Mabry, is Director of Mecklenburg County Homeland Security and Health Director of the Mecklenburg County Health Department. Dr. Mabry will address this theme by presenting the Homeland Security Threat Management System and discussing how a disease outbreak – one resulting from either natural (e.g., pandemic flu) or man-made (e.g., bio-terrorism) origins – would be detected and managed in Mecklenburg County. As evidenced by our experience with Hurricane Katrina, two of the challenges in responding to such widespread threats are informing and transporting vulnerable populations. Thus, Dr. Edwin Hauser, Professor and Director of Transportation Studies, and Dr. Alan Freitag, Associate Professor of Communications Studies with expertise in public relations and crisis management, will comment on Dr. Mabry’s presentation. A question and answer session follows the presentations. Dr. Michael Thompson, Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the UNC Charlotte Master of Science in Public Health Program, will moderate. This event is free and open to the public. For further information contact Dr. Michael E. Thompson, methomp1@uncc.edu , call 704-687-8980, or visit www.health.uncc.edu.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Health Services Research Academy Center for Professional & Applied Ethics, Center for Holocaust, Genocide & Human Present: John Gardella, MD “Eugenics and Nazi Medicine” Date: Tuesday, April 3, 2007 Time: 4:00 p.m. Location: Lucas Room in the Cone Center University of North Carolina at Charlotte Dr Gardella is the Vice President for Clinical Improvement for Novant Health, Southern Piedmont Region Eugenics - a social philosophy which advocates the improvement of human hereditary traits through various forms of intervention with the intent to create healthier, more intelligent people, save society's resources, and lessen human suffering. For more information regarding the HSRA or this event please contact: Dr. Bill Brandon (704) 687-3886 wilbrand@email.uncc.edu
As you know, the program no longer provides guaranteed summer stipends for assistantships. Also, for funding next year, students are encouraged to pursue independent assistantship opportunities as our funding has failed to grow as the program has grown to its full size. These opportunities below would fulfill the assistantship requirement that would allow me to provide tuition and health insurance while you matriculate.
The first assistantship announcement is with the Department of Housing and Resident Life, which has three openings for graduate assistants for the 2007-2008 academic year. Interested students should go to: http://www.housing.uncc.edu/employment/ga/position.htm . The second opportunity is working with Dr. Zablosky (a professor in Sociology who is currently working in the dean’s office): Graduate Assistant for the Assessment of Experiential Learning in the College of Arts and Sciences REPORTS TO: Diane Zablotsky, PhD. Associate Dean of Student Support Services, COAS
CONTACT INFORMATION: 430F Fretwell; (704)/607-2509; dlzablot@uncc.edu
HOURS: Twenty (20) hours weekly, summer work is required
REQUIREMENTS: Applicant will work as part of a research team investigating multiple aspects of experiential learning in programs and departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. Applicants must have strong communication skills to facilitate accurate data gathering from students, faculty, and departmental administrators. Applicants must be able to collect and analyze qualitative and/or quantitative data and conduct comprehensive reviews and synthesis of scholarly data relevant to experiential learning. Applicants must be enrolled in a graduate program in the College of Arts and Sciences. RESPONSIBILITIES: Obtain and critically review relevant scholarly literature available in print journals and electronic outlets.
Assist in the creation, distribution, and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from undergraduates who participate in the SOAR Program in summer 2007.
Assist in the creation, distribution, and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from undergraduates who are enrolled in experiential learning opportunities offered through the College of Arts and Sciences.
Assist in gathering qualitative and quantitative information from faculty members and administrators relative to the creation, delivery and assessment of experiential learning.
Contact community members in the greater Charlotte region to obtain information regarding their experiences with hosting and training UNC Charlotte students as experiential learners.
Input and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data.
Dr. Zablotsky is requesting that any interested student send me a letter of interest, a vita, and one letter of recommendation to me by March 23rd. Electronic submissions are encouraged.
I found the updated information on this year’s HUD fellowship funding. Please take a look at the link below. If you are interested, let me. These are competitive and we would want to the university to bring its resources to bear to assist you in winning one of these. http://www.oup.org/funding/nofa_EDSRG.asp
16—Dissertation Research Funding HUD has also announced its updated dissertation funding competition. The details are at the link below. Again, if you want to compete for one of these (which I *strongly* recommend), let us help. http://www.oup.org/funding/nofa_DDRG.asp
Dr. David
Swindell, Assoc. Professor & Director Previous PPOL Updates:
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