Please post your questions and comments under the appropriate category.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Concentrations
Questions about your concentration curriculum, advising, resources
9 comments:
Anonymous
said...
We love Management Concentration! Thanks Prof. Riccio and Leo. For the next year we should figure out a way to "advertise" the concentration to MIAs during orientation. I have encountered MIAs very interested in the concentration, but as they thought it was a MPA-only concentration they never considered it. Now it is too late for them to change.
I wish there were people to go to that were independent of the concentrations, that were very well versed in them. I feel like many directors are trying to sell their concentration to me, and need the help of an unbiased person.
Also, I am completely unable to get in contact with anyone from the Advanced Policy concentration. Their website is incomplete and has conflicting information from the handouts that the Student Affairs office has!
As an EPD student who can choose a focus within EPD, I would really like to see more classes on Water and Sanitation. Isn't this a huge issue around the world? I think more short classes should be offered, like practical workshops on solar technology and W&S implementation. Hands on practical skills we can carry back and put into the field once we graduate...especially on water
While I share the earlier blogger's love of the management concentration, I would like to know why this concentration does not have its own capstone projects. If the capstone is the culmination of our studies at SIPA, then I think there should be MPA workshops or management capstones tailored to management student’s interests. There are a good number of students in the concentration who are interested in nonprofit or NGO management, and so far I have not seen this reflected in the workshops offered.
I also think that the concentration could use more courses and more structure. Many of the courses listed in the reg guide are actually offered at other schools and are not truly available to SIPA students. And I think a more structured program would create greater legitimacy for the concentration. As it is now many students and alumni think that management is what students select when they want a lax concentration with few requirements.
Thanks for your additional comments. I have to admit that you rise concerns that I had not considered. A capstone project could certainly enrich the requirements of the Mgmt. concentration and consequently enrich our experience here.
I also had not given much thought to the fact that management is perceived as the "looser requirement" concentration, and therefore concentrators are perceived as, simply put, lazy. I have to agree with you. Do you think a better structure set of requirements can alleviate this problem?
Thanks again for rising up those concerns.
RE: Late to register for mgmt. concentration: Apologies for my lack of clarity. It is late to "convert" to mgmt. concentration for those who decided not to take the Bubula Econ, as it is a requirement for the mgmt. concentration.
Given the importance of the field, and the prevalence of such programs at other universities, why is Conflict Resolution not a concentration at SIPA? What is the adminstration doing to guage, understand and respond to the huge student demand for such a concentration?
9 comments:
We love Management Concentration! Thanks Prof. Riccio and Leo.
For the next year we should figure out a way to "advertise" the concentration to MIAs during orientation. I have encountered MIAs very interested in the concentration, but as they thought it was a MPA-only concentration they never considered it. Now it is too late for them to change.
What is the update on the EPD director search?
I wish there were people to go to that were independent of the concentrations, that were very well versed in them. I feel like many directors are trying to sell their concentration to me, and need the help of an unbiased person.
Also, I am completely unable to get in contact with anyone from the Advanced Policy concentration. Their website is incomplete and has conflicting information from the handouts that the Student Affairs office has!
Why are the core Energy classes are absolutely horrible, and despite negative feedback from students nothing changes?
As an EPD student who can choose a focus within EPD, I would really like to see more classes on Water and Sanitation. Isn't this a huge issue around the world?
I think more short classes should be offered, like practical workshops on solar technology and W&S implementation. Hands on practical skills we can carry back and put into the field once we graduate...especially on water
Why is it too late to change to the management concentration??
2nd year MPA:
While I share the earlier blogger's love of the management concentration, I would like to know why this concentration does not have its own capstone projects. If the capstone is the culmination of our studies at SIPA, then I think there should be MPA workshops or management capstones tailored to management student’s interests. There are a good number of students in the concentration who are interested in nonprofit or NGO management, and so far I have not seen this reflected in the workshops offered.
I also think that the concentration could use more courses and more structure. Many of the courses listed in the reg guide are actually offered at other schools and are not truly available to SIPA students. And I think a more structured program would create greater legitimacy for the concentration. As it is now many students and alumni think that management is what students select when they want a lax concentration with few requirements.
To 2nd Year MPA, RE: Mgmt. Concentration:
Thanks for your additional comments. I have to admit that you rise concerns that I had not considered. A capstone project could certainly enrich the requirements of the Mgmt. concentration and consequently enrich our experience here.
I also had not given much thought to the fact that management is perceived as the "looser requirement" concentration, and therefore concentrators are perceived as, simply put, lazy. I have to agree with you. Do you think a better structure set of requirements can alleviate this problem?
Thanks again for rising up those concerns.
RE: Late to register for mgmt. concentration:
Apologies for my lack of clarity. It is late to "convert" to mgmt. concentration for those who decided not to take the Bubula Econ, as it is a requirement for the mgmt. concentration.
Given the importance of the field, and the prevalence of such programs at other universities, why is Conflict Resolution not a concentration at SIPA? What is the adminstration doing to guage, understand and respond to the huge student demand for such a concentration?
Thanks
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