Meeting of the Board of Regents | June 2008

SUMMARY

Issue for Decision (Consent Agenda)

Should the Board of Regents authorize The City University of New York (CUNY), The City College of New York to award the Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degree to students successfully completing registered programs?

Reason(s) for Consideration

              Required by State statute.

Proposed Handling

The question will come before the Higher Education Committee at its June 2008 meeting where it will be voted on and action taken.  It will then come before the full Board at its June 2008 meeting for final action.

Procedural History

On April 28, 2008, The City University of New York Board of Trustees adopted the following resolution:

Resolved that the program in Public Service Management leading to the Master of Public Administration degree to be offered at the City College of New York be approved.

On April 29, 2008, the Department received CUNY’s request, together with the proposal to register a Masters in Public Administration program in Public Service Management.

Background Information

Paragraph (8) of Section 6206 of the Education Law authorizes the CUNY trustees:

“….grant the certificates, diplomas and degrees which were announced in the bulletins of the existing public institutions of higher learning published for the term beginning immediately prior to April sixteenth, nineteen hundred twenty-six, and also such other degrees and honors as the regents thereafter specifically authorized or may hereafter authorize it to grant.”

The City University New York, The City College of New York is authorized to confer the degrees of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Bachelor of Professional Studies (B.P.S.), Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.), Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S. in Ed.), Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.), Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.), Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.),  Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Science (M.S.), Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S.), Master of Architecture (M. Arch.), Master of Science in Education (M.S. in Ed.), Master of Engineering (M.E.), Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.), Master of Library Science (M.L.S.), and Master of Urban Planning (M.U.P.) on duly qualified students successfully completing registered programs.  Since The City College of New York now seeks to offer an M.P.A. program in Public Service Management, Regents authorization is required because this will be the institution's first Master of Public Administration degree program. 

The proposed M.P.A program is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in public service careers in local, state or national government. The proposed program will offer courses in various aspects of Public Management, Public Policy, and Social Problems stressing the significance of data analysis, writing skills, internship training and the mentoring of underserved populations. Candidates will enter the program with a bachelor's degree either in a related major (e.g., Political Science, Management, Sociology, History, International Studies) or in a minor in public policy/administration/service who are interested in public service. Collaboration with programs, centers and institutes located at The City College of New York will allow the proposed program to offer training in areas such as management of infrastructure, environmental issues, urban policy and immigration that are not duplicated in The City University of New York.

The Department has determined that the program, if approved, would meet the registration standards set forth in the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education. 

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Board of Regents authorize The City University of New York, The City College of New York to award the Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degree on students successfully completing registered M.P.A. programs, effective June 24, 2008.

Timetable for Implementation

If the Board of Regents authorizes The City College of New York to award the Masters of Public Administration degree, the Department will proceed to register the proposed M.P.A. program in Public Service Management and the institution will proceed to recruit and enroll program students.