The Public Affairs Faculty Manual: A Guide to the Effective Management of Public Affairs Programs(Routledge Public Affairs Education)

While public affairs faculty study administration and management techniques, few administrators of public affairs programs receive formal training in the nuts and bolts of academic administration. Even those faculty who come to academia after distinguished careers in managerial positions may not be ready for the very different (and difficult) environment of university administration. The Public Affairs Faculty Manual argues that public affairs as a field needs to ensure that knowledge about administration and management is applied to the running of its academic programs, and brings together major leaders in the discipline to explore key features of academic administration. Many of these leaders have served as Master of Public Administration (MPA) directors, chairs, and deans at the nation’s top public affairs programs. Crucial issues of academic administration discussed include the basics of public affairs programs, models of governance, roles of different administrative leaders, planning and budgeting for programs, navigating the accreditation process, assessing and improving student learning, ensuring social equity and cultural competency, mentoring faculty, developing curriculum, and helping provide service and applied research to community partners. Contributors have served as MPA directors, chairs, and deans at the nation’s topic public affairs programs. Themes running throughout the book’s chapters are examined, and additional resources to help manage public affairs programs are offered. This collection of essays and the strategies within it are designed to encourage faculty to assume positions of leadership in their programs and manage those programs in an effective, efficient, and fair manner. The Public Affairs Faculty Manual is required reading for new, seasoned, and aspiring academic administrators in public administration, public policy, and nonprofit management programs, as well as schools of government.

Table of Contents:
1. Managing Your Public Affairs Program 2. Understanding the Degrees: MPA, MPP, vs. MNM 3. Models of Academic Governance 4. Administrative Roles: Directors, Chairs, and Deans 5. Strategic Planning for Your Program 6. The Accreditation Process 7. Budgeting for Departmental Needs 8. Effective Faculty Development 9. Curriculum and Instructional Design 10. Fundamentals of Program Assessment 11. Improving Student Outcomes 12. Recruiting and Retaining a Diverse Student Body 13. Cultural Competency and Social Equity in Public Affairs Programs 14. Community Outreach and Applied Research Centers 15. Conclusionv

About the Author :
Bruce D. McDonald, III is an Associate Professor of Public Budgeting and Finance at North Carolina State University and the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Public Affairs Education. He has served as the MPA director at both North Carolina State University and Indiana University South Bend. His research focuses on public budgeting and finance in the context of the fiscal health of local governments. His research has appeared in the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Public Administration Review, and the American Review of Public Administration. William Hatcher is an Associate Professor of Public Administration and MPA Director at Augusta University. He also serves as the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Public Affairs Education. He was on faculty at Eastern Kentucky University. His research focuses on health policy, community development, and public budgeting. His research has appeared in journals such as the Journal of Public Affairs Education, the American Journal of Public Health, the Journal of Mental Health, and Public Administration Quarterly.

Review :
"Faculty in public affairs programs are steeped in the science of administration and management, yet when the time comes to serve as organizational leaders, they are frequently unprepared. The Public Affairs Faculty Manual addresses this paradox with smart, practice-based advice. This is a comprehensive handbook for deans, directors, and chairs – and for the academic administrators 'in waiting' whose day will come." Matthew Auer, University of Georgia, USA "This is a long overdue compilation of what an aspiring director of an MPA program needs to know before they step into the position. In one tome, Bruce McDonald and William Hatcher have pulled together insights and perspectives that often take months to learn just by doing. Read The Public Affairs Faculty Manual first, then accept the offer to be MPA director!" Michael A. Pagano, University of Illinois, USA "The edited volume is explicitly written for PA faculty in new leadership roles in higher education, though it is a useful reference for administrators of all levels and even useful for regular faculty...The chapters are written by 19 different scholars with a staggering amount of administrative experience as directors, chairs, and deans." Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs