My dream for the higher education side of public administration in Wisconsin:
- The existing UW Oshkosh, UW Green Bay, and UW Milwaukee MPA programs form a single system wide MPA program.
- UW LaCrosse, who has a great undergrad PA program, also becomes part of the system-wide MPA program.
- We create accelerated 4+1 programs that connect undergraduate majors across system schools to the system-wide MPA program so that students can obtain an in-demand credential that sets them up for career success.
- We create a statewide advisory board of public service professionals to ensure our offerings match workforce needs.
- We create a statewide internship program that gives our students resume-building skills, provides needed work for state and local governments, and strengthens the student to career pipeline.
- We establish an applied research center attached to the system-wide MPA program to provide research, trainings, and customized services to government entities throughout Wisconsin.
I've thought about ways to accomplish this, there are always piecemeal agreements and MOUs we can pursue, but I think legislation is ultimately how we could get there. I'm sure there are flaws in my logic, but doesn't it make sense to:
- Build more career pathways for liberal arts undergrads?
- Incentivize collaboration for programs in a common system as opposed to perpetual competition between under-resourced programs?
- Provide a vehicle for research based solutions for Wisconsin governments?
- Focus the talent in our university system towards making a practical visible impact on communities across Wisconsin?
Let's bust down these silos.
