Mission, Vision and Values

MISSION
This mission statement describes the role of the Doctoral Program in Public Affairs, its focus and its purpose.

The Doctoral Program in Public Affairs prepares future leaders to deal with complex social, health and governance issues that cut across traditional disciplinary boundaries. The curriculum comprises an interdisciplinary core with advanced studies in criminal justice, health, public administration and social work. The program has a community-based focus with an emphasis on collaborative relationships across the public, private and nonprofit sectors of the community. Graduates possess the theoretical, analytical and ethical foundation to produce new knowledge that impacts policies and programs and enhances institutional and community performance.

VISION
Based on comments made at several visioning sessions, a committee crafted the following vision for the program:

The College of Health and Public Affairs’ interdisciplinary doctoral program is striving to be the premier program in public affairs education. A competency-based curriculum develops a new breed of Leader with Integrity, Credibility and Expertise in Professional and Academic Settings.

VALUES
As a community of faculty and students genuinely committed to doctoral education, we embrace the following values:

• We are committed to an interdisciplinary approach to learning and research. We value diversity of perspective and seek out interconnections among disciplines. We strive for integration and synthesis of knowledge by looking for information that cuts across academic fields.
• We are dedicated to the creation of new knowledge through research and scholarship. We seek to cultivate a questioning spirit that embraces freedom of inquiry and expression and robust exchange of ideas.
• We support knowledge transmission through teaching and other forms of instruction and communication.
• We are devoted to the betterment of the human condition in our community and in communities throughout the world. We value partnerships that link academia and practice in order to improve public and private services.
• We embrace a collegial style of relations. We favor collaborative associations based on mutual trust and respect. We seek cultivation of character based on professional responsibility, and we strive to be fair, sincere and open in our interactions with others.