Cooper announces modifications to the MPP core
Karim Bardeesy
Issue date: 2/21/07 Section: KSG News
- Page 1 of 1
Professor Suzanne Cooper, Faculty Chair of the MPP Program, has confirmed three changes to the MPP core that will take effect for the class of 2009. Next year's MPP1 students will still have to complete two semesters of micro-economics and statistics, but there will be more flexibility in their management and leadership requirements.
Next year's STM-101 The Strategic Management of Public Organizations will include a leadership component in all its sections. PAL-120M Leadership, the module suggested for MPP1 students to fulfill their leadership requirement, will no longer be offered.
Instead, MPP students will be required to take a separate leadership course chosen from a list of approved courses.
Similarly, STM-401M Financial Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations will no longer be mandatory but, as with the leadership requirement, MPP students will have to complete a financial management course chosen from an
approved list.
Cooper says the MPP core is continually being reviewed with a view to improving the program. But Sam Jeffers (MPP1) would like to see further changes. He advocates for a fast-stream
statistical analysis course that would cover everything in one semester because "there's a lot of faffing about with formulas
in the first semester."
Some students are concerned about having two microeconomics requirements but no macroeconomics. Others are unsatisfied with the content of the second semester requirement API-102 Economic Analysis of Public Policy. 35% of MPP2 students polled by the MPP core subcommittee of KSSG's Academic Affairs Committee said they think API-102 should be reworked.
Chris Robert (MPP1) is leading a self-appointed committee of MPP1s to comprehensively assess the core and its pedagogical value. The group aims to follow up on last semester's poll of MPPs and present a substantial reform agenda to students and the administration later in semester. Robert says that while students often complain about the MPP core, "we need to decide what we want out of the core too."
Next year's STM-101 The Strategic Management of Public Organizations will include a leadership component in all its sections. PAL-120M Leadership, the module suggested for MPP1 students to fulfill their leadership requirement, will no longer be offered.
Instead, MPP students will be required to take a separate leadership course chosen from a list of approved courses.
Similarly, STM-401M Financial Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations will no longer be mandatory but, as with the leadership requirement, MPP students will have to complete a financial management course chosen from an
approved list.
Cooper says the MPP core is continually being reviewed with a view to improving the program. But Sam Jeffers (MPP1) would like to see further changes. He advocates for a fast-stream
statistical analysis course that would cover everything in one semester because "there's a lot of faffing about with formulas
in the first semester."
Some students are concerned about having two microeconomics requirements but no macroeconomics. Others are unsatisfied with the content of the second semester requirement API-102 Economic Analysis of Public Policy. 35% of MPP2 students polled by the MPP core subcommittee of KSSG's Academic Affairs Committee said they think API-102 should be reworked.
Chris Robert (MPP1) is leading a self-appointed committee of MPP1s to comprehensively assess the core and its pedagogical value. The group aims to follow up on last semester's poll of MPPs and present a substantial reform agenda to students and the administration later in semester. Robert says that while students often complain about the MPP core, "we need to decide what we want out of the core too."
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