Visit to campus builds connections for Online EMPA students
For many midcareer public service professionals,
Maxwell’s Online Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) program
provides the perfect way to improve their skills without leaving home. But the
success of a recent immersion weekend shows that a visit to campus and the
chance to mingle in real life with classmates and professors only enhances the
program.
“Online students benefit from the flexibility of being
able to complete their coursework on their own schedule from the comfort of
their own home, and while the connections they make with their peers and
faculty are valuable, the value of place and institutional community that comes
from being part of a school can be lacking,” said Nell S. Bartkowiak, director
of the Online EMPA Program. “You lose that sense that you’re part of something
bigger. To meet people who they’re taking classes with and interact with the
faculty meant a lot and made their academic program feel part of a larger
network of connections.”
Nine Online EMPA students participated in the optional
campus immersion program on September 27 and 28. The weekend featured academic
and career presentations and networking opportunities with Maxwell graduate
students, faculty, and staff. It also included a chance to take in a men’s home
football game at the Dome (Orange 41, Holy Cross 3) and visits to several
iconic Maxwell sites, including the statue of Abraham Lincoln and the Athenian
Oath etched on a wall behind a statue of George Washington in the Maxwell Foyer.
“They had this energy, excitement, and enthusiasm
about being part of an academic community,” Bartkowiak said. “When you’re gone
from one for a while, it’s novel and exciting to be on campus.”
Colleen Heflin, immersion facilitator and professor of
public administration and international affairs, led a master class,
“Evaluation Basics: Program Theory and Logic Model Design.”
When faculty meet these students in person, “they appreciate
the experience these students bring,” Bartkowiak said. “These individuals are at
the height of their careers. They’re very passionate about their work.”
Participants included alumni and students new to the
program. “They’re all midcareer and are juggling graduate course loads with
full-time careers, along with commitments to family and community,” Bartkowiak
said. “They appreciate the chance to connect with others who are struggling to
balance these things.”
Brandie Andrews, vice president of AIR Worldwide in Boston,
appreciated the program’s social and professional components. “I will
definitely try to use the logic model,” she said.
Julie Medler, managing director of Golden Seeds in New
York, said, “Meeting the professors in person and spending time with other program
participants was really worthwhile.” She was also pleased to learn about
services Maxwell’s Palmer Career Center offers.
It was the second immersion weekend for the Online
EMPA program. Bartkowiak said it’s unlikely to be the last. “We’re looking to
connect people,” she said. “Every time we do it the participants love it.”
10/23/19