|
|
|
Current Update.PPOL Update December 6, 2007PPOL Students and Faculty, Here is the latest PPOL Update. Let me also say how happy I was to see so many of you at the social this past Saturday. It was a wonderful evening and a good send off of our colleagues Stephanie Moller and Tiffany Manuel. I would like to ask a favor of the PPOL faculty. There is no way for me to keep up with all the different conferences that come up across the disciplines that touch on the policy areas we have in the program. If at all possible, I would sincerely appreciate if the faculty would forward conference announcements to me so I can share them with students and encourage them to submit proposals, attend, and present. For whatever reason, this year student participation in conferences is down (even though I have more money to help support them). So please forward those announcement to me when you see them. Thanks! In this issue of the Update: 2--Final PPOL Faculty Candidate Interview 6--Fall Courses in Development 7--The PPOL Intellectual Environment 8--NCPSA Conference Call for Papers 13--Summer Internship Opportunity
I spoke with Laura today and she continues to recover nicely. She’s a bit tired of being stuck at home and is anxious to get back to the world. There is, however, a slight delay in her return. The earliest she will be returning to us is Jan. 8th if her doctor gives her the green light. So hopefully she will be back with us when classes resume in January. She continues to check her email regularly, so if you want to drop her a note feel free to do so.
2--Final PPOL Faculty Candidate Interview The final candidate for the PPOL faculty position, Stephen Billings (currently at the University of Colorado-Boulder) will be on campus for his interview on Wednesday, December 12. This visit is a bit more compressed, but we made sure PPOL students would have chance for a meeting with him (without the rest of the faculty there). In order to save time, the PPOL students will be taking him to lunch at the Prospector at noon that day. We will bring him to the Prospector and meet the students there. This will be your opportunity to give him the inside scoop on what we are doing and see how well he might fit with our goals for the program and the curriculum of PPOL. I strongly encourage you to join in this discussion. Also, all PPOL students are invited to join the faculty for the candidate’s research presentation. This will be in the POLS conference room that same day starting at 1:30. Billing’s training and research focuses on environmental and urban policy (including spatial analysis tools). I hope to see several of you join in for these events and participate in this process.
As you know, spring registration has been open for a couple of weeks now. I would like to remind you all about how universities operate. In the days leading up to the start of a new semester, professors and administrators will look at class enrollments. If they are too low, then classes may be cancelled. So if you want in a class, it is in your best interest to register now. The “headcount” is a major criterion in deciding whether a class makes or is cancelled. So don’t want until classes start to register.
Each Update, I try to highlight some of the courses PPOL is offering in the coming term. In this Update, I am highlighting a new special topics class offered by Dr. Tom Holt (CJUS). Here’s his blurb about the class. PPOL 8000-091 Computer Crimes -- This course will critically examine the problem of computer crime, cybercrime, and the ways that deviance is facilitated through technology, the Internet, and the World Wide Web. The complex nature of this crime type, and its’ significant impact on economic, social, and political interactions will be explored, as well as the ways these offenses have shaped legal policy and human interactions in the 21st century. The difficulties inherent in measuring, combating, and investigating acts such as computer hacking, fraud, and sexual deviance will also be considered. No technological background is required as students will be introduced to basic computing and technological principals during the course of the semester. The class will meet on Wednesday evenings from 6:00-8:45 in Fretwell 116. Please contact Dr. Holt if you have additional questions (tjholt@uncc.edu).
As many of you know, last year PPOL made the decision to reduce the number of core courses in the program and remove required courses from the summer sessions. We will typically only offer advanced stats courses in the summer. We are currently planning on two such courses. I will be teaching a course on Categorical Data Analysis in the 10-week session and Dr. Joe Whitmeyer (SOCY) will be teaching a course on times series and factor analysis in the first summer session. Here is a blurb about his class. I will provide a similar description of mine after the holidays (it is a new class for me and I need to make it compliments and does not retrace material covered in other classes). PPOL 8000—Factor Analysis and Time Series The purpose of these courses is to train students in statistical methods common in applied research contexts. This special two-credit hour course provides mastery of factor analysis and time-series analysis. The emphasis of the course is on applications of these analytic procedures to real data. Beyond understanding the basic principles, students will be able to apply this knowledge to actual research questions. Through the lab assignments and homework, students will develop the necessary skills to run and interpret statistical analysis on actual data. Factor Analysis is a family of methodologies that enable researchers to reduce a large number of variables to a smaller number of variables, “factors,” or latent variables. It represents a common data reduction technique useful across a number of research fields. Time-Series Analysis includes a number of statistical procedures used to analyze changes in a variable or variables measured over time. The goal is to determine if any observed change is due to some causal effect or mere coincidence. This statistical skill is a useful approach to research that examines any phenomenon occurring over time. Students interested in taking this course are required to have a basic familiarity with research methods and should have successfully completed a graduate level research methods class.
6--Fall Courses in Development PPOL and the partner departments are currently putting together the fall 2008 schedule of classes. We will maintain the regular schedule for the core courses. But if there are specific policy courses you are in need of, please let me know so I can try to include them in the rotation for the fall. One class we already know we will be offering is from Dr. Roz Mickelson (SOCY) who will be teaching PPOL 8682 Political Economy and School Reform. More details will be forthcoming as the fall schedule takes shape, but here’s a blurb about the reform course: For much of the last 25 years business, government, and educational leaders in the United States have critiqued public education based largely on three claims (1) the public education system is inefficient and ineffective for most students, and that it fails to educate substantial segments of the population, (2) that compared to other advanced industrialized countries, American students are academically noncompetitive, and consequently (3) the American workforce is not competitive in the increasingly globalizing economy. Neoconservative philosophies on the role of the state and the market in solving public policy dilemmas have influenced many of the policy responses to this critique of public education. Key policy responses include the (a) standards, testing, and accountability movement, (b) growth in the privatize educational services, (c) the growth of commercialism in education, (d) and the flourishing of school choice reforms such as magnets, charter schools, voucher programs, private schools, cyber schools, and home schooling. Any analysis of the political economy of school reform requires a careful consideration of the social context of education in which the policies are implemented. The current social context involves the changing demographics of the student population—especially the tremendous growth of the Latino population and the increase in immigrant students, the suburbanization of American communities, and the resegregation of schools. This course will explore how these social and political forces influence the definition the problems facing American education and the solutions that arise from this construction of the problem. The central objectives of the course are (1) at the theoretical level, to advance the understanding of how the social context of education shapes educational policy formation and the reform process itself; and (2) at the policy level, to provide crucial data about the educational equity and instructional outcomes of reforms based upon market models (like school choice, privatization, commercialization), and (3) to critically assess the educational equity and efficiency outcomes of market-inspired reforms—that is, to investigate whether these reforms foster better achievement for more students.
7--The PPOL Intellectual Environment Many of you are aware that since I took over as director of the program, we have taken several steps to build up the intellectual environment of PPOL and the other Ph.D. programs on campus. Some of you have asked about this and a very timely article has recently come out in the Chronicle of Higher Education. If you are interested in what this is all about, feel free to read the piece and some of the changes we have made to the program in recent years as well as my constant harping about attending brown bags, faculty candidate presentations, guest speakers, and social might make a bit more sense. That said, I am always open to additional ideas on how we can continually improve this environment as we continue to build this program. This article, "The Importance of Intellectual Community" is available online at this address: http://chronicle.com/temp/email2.php?id=TCHjgGMzwyhCjb4T43WwqkqtSfqymhgv This article will be available to non-subscribers of The Chronicle for up to five days after it is e-mailed.
8--NCPSA Conference Call for Papers Below is the call for papers for a regional conference. This is a conference at which many of our PPOL students have presented in the past and I would like to encourage you to continue this. Overall, fewer students are participating in conferences this year that over the past three years. It should be opposite since we have more students in the program now. This conference below is a very student-friendly conference and is perfect for those of you who have not presented at a conference yet to “get your feet wet.” It is also a low-cost event and the program has plenty of travel money to support several of you attending and presenting here. The details are below. REQUEST FOR PANELS AND PAPERS FOR MARCH 14-15 NORTH CAROLINA POLITICAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE AT UNC-WILMINGTON: Civic Education-would an authoritarian, autocratic regime be concerned about civic education? You might not think so, but would not this regime want obedient, dutiful citizens respectful of authority? Its Civic Education would be directed toward these ends. So what does Civic Education mean in a democratic form of government. The ends are surely different. In a democracy, we seek responsible citizens-knowledgeable about our institutions of government, our country¹s history, and willing participants in our society and government. So, the theme of this year¹s NCPSA conference is: Civic Education: Building Tomorrow¹s Citizens. We would encourage panels and papers that would explore this theme. Civic and Community engagement; political engagement, formal training, experiential learning through internships, overseas study, etc. But let us be clear. Any and all papers and panels are welcome. Certainly, traditional topics and panels may be appropriate. Please submit panel suggestions and presentation paper subjects to: Dr. JAMES COREY, E-mail: jcorey@triad.rr.com or mail to: 2715 Red Run Court, High Point, NC 27265. In order to be considered in a timely fashion and to be sure for inclusion in the official program by Friday, February 22, 2008.
CALL FOR PAPERS Financial Award for Best Papers in Ethics and Accountability in Public Service The Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh is accepting submissions for the 2007-2008 Johnson Award for Best Papers in Ethics and Accountability in Public Service. A blind review process will result in the selection of at least one (1) winner in each of the following categories: * Papers already published or accepted for publication in refereed forums (in journals, as chapters in books, etc): $2,000 * Work in Progress (not accepted for publication at the time of submission): $1,500 * Student Papers (including work by doctoral students prior to the award of the degree): $1,000 Young scholars and students are especially encouraged to apply. All entries must be received by February 1, 2008. Themes: Papers should fall under one of the following themes: International and civil security, Human security, International development, Public administration, and/or Nonprofit/NGO management and governance. These themes are broadly interpreted. Generally, any paper that has significant implications for public policy, public management, or nonprofit sector management will be acceptable. Application Process and Deadline: Interested applicants should submit 1) an application cover sheet (available at www.johnsoninstitute-gspia.org), 2) two-page executive summary including title of the paper with author name(s) removed, and 3) a copy of the paper with author name(s) removed. Electronic copies are strongly preferred. All entries must be less than 35 pages double-spaced, including bibliography, and in English. Please indicate whether your paper should be considered in the published category, work in progress category, or student category. Winners will be notified in the spring 2008. For application requirements and further information, visit www.johnsoninstitute-gspia.org <http://www.johnsoninstitute-gspia.org/> or contact ethics@gspia.pitt.edu or 412-648-1336.
I am
pleased to write you on behalf of the Michigan Journal
of Public Affairs, the student-run academic journal of
the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.
PPOL Student Dustin Read successfully defended his dissertation proposal on November 29th. Congrats to Dustin on clearing this milestone and advancing to candidacy! We also have two very big faculty announcements. I am particularly proud and excited to announce that Dr. Bill Brandon, Metrolina Medical Foundation Distinguished Professor in the Political Science department has been selected as the 2008 recipient of the Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentoring Award. This is a very distinguished award and is due in no small part to the work he has done with PPOL students through his team research with them and his role on their committees. A huge congrats to Dr. Brandon on this distinction! I am also extremely excited to congratulate Dr. Bruce Arrigo, Professor of Criminal Justice. Dr. Arrigo received the news last week that he was named the 2008 recipient of the First Citizens Scholar Award. This is a major recognition of the research Dr. Arrigo has been doing over the past several years and continues to add to the distinction of the PPOL affiliated faculty and the reputation of this university. Congrats to Dr. Arrigo on this outstanding accomplishment! PPOL Student John Holder was quoted in the Charlotte Observer newspaper. He was discussing the benefits of light rail (related to the opening of the new light rail line here in Charlotte). As John noted to me: “They were primarily interested in my personal experience living in DC and riding the Metro daily, but I managed to squeeze in a couple of public policy pronouncements.” Finally, PPOL Student Kirsten Wells and I have both had papers accepted for presentation at the upcoming Urban Affairs Association conference in Baltimore in April. I hope we can have Kirsten on campus before the conference in order to present and share her research here with the rest of the PPOL community. As always, if you have news of papers, conference presentation, chapters, articles, awards, or other interesting developments, please let me know so we can acknowledge them.
Southern Growth Seeks Student Applicants for Southern Research Fellows Program Southern Growth Policies Board seeks student applicants for its Southern Research Fellows Program. The Southern Research Fellows Program promotes student research relating to economic development and quality of life in 13 Southern states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Eligible applicants include current undergraduate and graduate students aged 18 - 25 at colleges and universities in the 13 Southern Growth member states. Suggested majors/fields of study include, but are not limited to: public policy, journalism, political science, education, sociology, business, city & regional planning, public administration and social work. The focus of the 2008 Southern Research Fellows Program is the engagement, development and leadership of youth aged 14 to 24. Fellows will prepare an original report on an approved topic that will be incorporated into Southern Growth's 2008 Report on the Future of the South and distributed at Southern Growth's annual conference. Fellows will also receive a cash award of $1,000. Relevant report topics for 2008 include youth development, civic engagement and strategies for building policies and partnerships that foster youth leadership skills, workforce preparedness, volunteerism, entrepreneurship and the traits to become active, responsible citizens. The application deadline is January 11, 2008, with selections announced by February 1, 2008. The fellows’ final report to Southern Growth Policies Board will be due March 31, 2008. To learn more about the Southern Research Fellows Program, and to download application forms, please visit www.southern.org/research/fellowship.shtml. To learn more about Southern Growth, visit http://www.southern.org.
13--Summer Internship Opportunity The prestigious and competitive North Carolina State Government Internship Program is again offering 100 paid summer internship opportunities in state government agencies, for undergraduate and graduate students of many disciplines. Applications are now being accepted for the Summer 2008 North Carolina State Government Internship Program. Internship opportunities are located across the state and are available to North Carolina residents studying at the undergraduate or graduate level, or in law school. Summer interns work full-time (40 hours per week) for a 10-week period at a wage of $8.25/hour. Applications must be postmarked by January 23, 2008, for consideration. Student applicants must meet the following criteria: * Permanent resident of North Carolina, * Currently enrolled at a college/university and continuing education in Fall 2008, * Carrying a minimum of a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale, * Completed at least one year of college at the time the internship begins in May, * And have not participated in the State Government Internship Program or an N.C. General Assembly paid internship in the past. The 2008 N.C. State Government Internship Program booklet and an application form can be downloaded from our website at www.ncyaio.com (select Internships, Information for Students, then Summer Projects). The booklet contains all program details, including available internship positions and application instructions.
I have mentioned in previous Updates the new website for jobs related to public policy and administration (including faculty positions for those interested in the academic career path). Here is note from APPAM, one of the leading organizations behind that website, along with a couple of practitioner positions to illustrate the kinds of jobs currently posted (though by no means exhaustive!). You should get into the habit of visiting this site on a regular basis, particularly as you get into the second year of the program and want to become more familiar with the nature of the job market for the skill set we are giving you. Here’s their note: Whether you want to work for the Gates Foundation, Booz Allen Hamilton Consulting, the City of Miami, the National Bureau of Economic Research, a state capitol, a nonprofit org or a college or university, this site may have the perfect job and career match for you. Best of all, it’s free to use. No cost to you. We want employers to see qualified job-seekers and are asking you to register and use the site so they can search and find the talent they need. If you do the following 3 things, you’ll be ahead of your competition and ready for employers. What do you need to do?
1. Create a profile (with job alerts tailored to your career interests!) 2. Post your resume (it’s confidential so you can ‘unofficially’ search for a job) 3. Search and browse positions already listed as your job may already be waiting We plan on attracting even more employers starting January 1st. This is why you need to get signed up and on board right now. You will have a leg up and be ready for job opportunities. Our job site is dedicated to public service and you, but it has more than jobs. Check out the “Career Advice” section that has public sector career tips, job hints, video Q&A sessions, internship info and other helpful resources. Visit www.publicservicecareers.org and get started today! Below are some example positions currently listed. ANALYST IN DEFENSE HEALTH CARE POLICY Congressional Research Service, Washington, D.C.
The Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division at the Congressional Research Service (CRS) is seeking an Analyst in Defense Health Care Policy at the GS-14 level ($93,822-$121,967). The Analyst will focus on current issues regarding the Military Health System (MHS) of the Department of Defense (DOD) including budgeting and administration of military medical treatment facilities and the TRICARE benefit, as well as battlefield medicine and relationships with the Veterans Administration (VA) and other key government entities.
The Analyst duties include providing objective, expert public policy analysis and consultation to congressional committees, Members, and staff; including preparing objective, non-partisan, and innovative analytical studies on public policy issues of national or international significance; providing personal assistance as an expert on public policy issues throughout the legislative process, including analyzing, appraising, and evaluating legislative proposals; and participating in or leading multidisciplinary team research projects and seminars.
This position is being offered at the GS-14 level ($93,822-$121,967) with promotion potential to the GS-15 level ($110,363-$143,471). You may apply online through the CRS Employment website: www.loc.gov/crsinfo. If you are unable to apply online, please call 202.707.5627 to request an applicant job kit. Please refer to vacancy #070342 in all correspondence. Please be advised that due to security concerns on Capitol Hill, mail delivery is experiencing significant delays and thus it is preferable that candidates apply online. Applications must be received by January 31st, 2007.
CRS is the public policy research arm of the U.S. Congress and is fully committed to workforce diversity. Section Research Manager Positions Congressional Research Service, Washington, D.C. The Congressional Research Service is in the process of strengthening its section research management structure by elevating these critical leadership positions to permanent line management status. This effort by the Service is in response to the growing complexity of public policy issues facing the Nation and the vital role CRS section research managers play in facilitating multidisciplinary research and analysis needed in serving the public policy analysis needs of our congressional clientele.
We are looking for individuals with the creativity and intellectual capacity to orchestrate research and analysis in a variety of areas; who are comfortable working in and instilling an atmosphere of collaboration and multidisciplinary analysis; and, who want to contribute to a new direction in research management for the lead public policy support agency for the United States Congress.
In supporting congressional public policy analysis and information needs, CRS covers the full spectrum of issues before the U.S. Congress. The section research manager typically will be responsible for leading a group of 10 to 12 policy analysts or attorneys focused on specific issue areas. For more information on the work of CRS and the divisions in which these section research managers will work, please go to www.loc.gov/crsinfo.
We will be hiring a total of 30 section research managers in 5 divisions and bringing them on board in two hiring cycles. We intend to train and acclimate new section leaders in groups in order to instill a sense of collegiality and group identification among this important cadre of first line managers. The following 14 section research managers in four divisions are being filled in this first round:
Domestic Social Policy Resources, Science and Industry
Domestic Security and Immigration Agriculture and Food Supply Education and Labor Environmental Policy Income Security Natural Resources and Earth Sciences
Government & Finance Foreign Affairs, Defense & Trade
Government Finance and Taxation Defense Budget, Manpower and Management Congress and Judiciary Defense Policy and Arms Control Legislative and Budget Process Europe and the Americas Banking, Insurance, Securities and Asia Macroeconomic Policy
The positions are open to those inside the agency as well as outside candidates. They are being offered at the GS-15 level ($110,363-$143,471) with an enhanced performance based award system. Interested applicants must apply online (preferred) at www.loc.gov/crsinfo or call (202) 707-5627 to request an applicant job kit. Please refer to the appropriate vacancy number in all correspondence. Acumen, LLC / The SPHERE Institute Research Analyst The SPHERE Institute and Acumen LLC seek applicants for a Research Analyst to coordinate and/or collaborate on government consulting projects in the areas of health care, education, and general social services delivery. Applicants should have strong analytical and management skills and both quantitative and qualitative research skills. Research Analysts work as part of a project team, but may take lead responsibility for task areas. Specific tasks will vary from project to project but are likely to include: Project Coordination
Quantitative Research
Qualitative Research
Technical Assistance for Government and Non-profit Agencies
Technical and Policy Writing
Goodwill Industries International Research Analyst Goodwill Industries International, Inc. is North America’s leading nonprofit provider of education, training, and career services for low-income persons and special populations with barriers to employment, such as persons with disabilities, ex-offenders, and low-skilled immigrants. The Member Services Center, located in Rockville, Maryland, is dedicated to providing member Goodwills with the knowledge, tools, resources, and support that they need to enhance their efficiency, effectiveness, and expertise, and to promoting awareness of, and diffusing lessons derived from, Goodwill’s activities in public policy, practitioner, and research circles. Position Overview The Research and Evaluation Department seeks to hire a Research Analyst who will work with the Research team to examine, evaluate, and report on the effectiveness of Goodwill’s human services programs, and the performance of Goodwill’s business enterprises. The candidate will join a research team of creative, enterprising, and dedicated doctoral- and-masters-level researchers, in conducting applied research that has the following two-fold areas of concern: One key aspect of our research agenda addresses the program development, tracking, and evaluation needs of the workforce development and social and financial services programs offered by Goodwill across North America to low-income persons and to such special populations as persons with disabilities, ex-offenders, immigrants, seniors, at-risk youth, and young adults. Another key aspect of our research consists of supporting and promoting the continuous improvement and performance excellence of Goodwill’s multi-billion dollar donated goods retail businesses, contracts, e-cycling, and other economic enterprises in North America and increasingly overseas. Revenues from these businesses help to underwrite Goodwill’s service programs. Responsibilities
Extension Public Policy Education Specialist Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) seeks a Public Policy Education Specialist. MSUE is dedicated to applying university-based research capacities to improve the lives of Michigan citizens. Major program thrusts of MSUE include agriculture, youth, communities, environment, and families. The organization is geographically distributed with offices throughout the state. The position will be located on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing. This position combines a public policy education role and an organizational support role. Working with all program areas of Extension, this specialist will provide educational programming for state and local policy-makers, MSUE educators and administrators and the general public. For more information on job duties and requirements or to apply, please go to: http://web2.canr.msu.edu/personnel/VacancyDetail.cfm?JPosNo=1592 Click on position ID number 1592.
Dr. David Swindell, Assoc. Professor & Director Previous PPOL Updates:
|
|
|