Rutgers SPAA Vision, Mission & Values

School of Public Affairs and Administration

Vision

As a highly ranked school dedicated to public service, we strive to provide our diverse student body a high quality education, produce high level scholarship in our chosen fields of scholarship, and serve our community in a thoughtful and fulfilling manner with the goal of fostering public understanding of societal issues and stimulating action for positive and ethical change.

Mission

The School of Public Affairs and Administration, through a culture of innovation based upon the values of diversity, competency, knowledge, service and ethical practice, pursues an evidence-based approach to the effective, equitable, and accountable implementation of public policy. Distinguished academic scholars, complemented by adjunct faculty rich in relevant government and nonprofit experience, deliver a capacity-based curriculum. We are dedicated to student success in applying knowledge to effective ethical public service leadership.

Values

• Competence: The efficacy of our curriculum is regularly confirmed by our colleagues: our MPA program is accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (NASPAA); our MPA graduates are placed in positions of high responsibility at the federal, state and local levels; and our doctoral graduates are teaching and gaining tenure at more than two dozen universities around the world.
• Diversity: We are proud that Rutgers University-Newark is, according to U.S. News & World Report, the most diverse campus in America, and that our MPA and PhD programs contribute substantially to that diversity. SPAA seeks to foster diversity through faculty, research, and student networks.
• Knowledge: Our curriculum is continually revised to reflect the changing nature of the field of public administration. Specializations ensure that students have access to key areas such as performance management, finance and budgeting, nonprofit management, and technology.­
• Service: Our faculty, alumni, and students are leaders in the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), locally, nationally and internationally. Several faculty members are fellows of the National Academy of Public Administration. We have helped develop the knowledge and practice of public administration through the United Nations, in China, Korea, and South Africa. In New Jersey, our faculty is instrumental in assisting the city of Newark and regional governments in the urban area.
• Ethics: With an emphasis on public service values and competencies for effective performance, SPAA promotes accountability and transparency in the public and nonprofit sectors.

Program Specific Visions, Missions, Values & Learning Goals

For BA, MPA, and PhD program information such as the MPA Program Mission Statement, Values & Vision and PhD Program Learning Goals, see Academic Policies, Procedures & Forms.