The John Glenn College of Public Affairs leads students, deans and directors from public service schools across the nation in efforts to find solutions for pressing public problems and challenges facing the schools themselves.
The Deans Summit, chaired in 2021 by Dean Trevor Brown, advances common priorities to strengthen the field of public service education.
Last year, more than 30 members created working groups to address structural racism, strengthen democratic institutions and engage active public servants, the latter chaired by Brown.
“We had conversations to leverage the knowledge we create in our own institutions and provide it to those who work in government at the state and local level,” Brown said.
A successful initiative of the Deans Summit is the Next Generation Service Corps (NextGen Service), through which schools of public service are introducing undergraduate students to public service values and building practical, collaborative leadership skills, regardless of their chosen major. NextGen Service benefits students nationwide, particularly students from underrepresented backgrounds, by opening the door to careers in public service and overcoming long-standing informational and systemic barriers.
This year the Deans Summit working groups will address structural racism, strengthening democratic institutions, and engaging active public servants as well as leadership development for deans and directors, particularly new academic leaders and leaders of color. The summit is supported by the Volcker Alliance, a nonprofit founded by former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul A. Volcker and dedicated to advancing his vision of an empowered public sector workforce.
The Glenn College also helped launch the Big Ten Network of Public Affairs Deans and Directors early in the pandemic with a vision for members to help their peers navigate challenges presented by COVID-19. Since then, they’ve expanded to address other concerns such as promotion and tenure practices, research support and work-from-home policies.
“The network is a great opportunity to come together as Big Ten deans to share ideas and identify challenges where there is some similarity across the programs,” Brown said.
During football season, the public affairs schools share their competitive nature off the gridiron as well with the Big Ten Voting Challenge, in which they encourage students to register to vote.
“It’s about having fun during football season, but in many respects, there is much more at stake,” Brown said.
Another outcome of the network is Democracy in the 21st Century. This initiative, possible because of the diverse assets within the Big Ten, promotes engagement with current issues facing democracy through programming for students, faculty, staff and local communities.
In November, students from the Glenn College and the University of Michigan’s Ford School hosted a Dinner for Democracy event to discuss voting and voter access; they hope to replicate the event with students from other Big Ten schools. Other Democracy in the 21st Century programs include a virtual panel on voting rights with representatives from Ohio and Michigan; a student simulation program focusing on the Vote at Home Act of 2021; and virtual forums on topics including civic education, mayorships, global democracy, and climate and the civic square.
Brown leads the Democracy in the 21st Century collaboration with Deans Michael Barr of the Gerald R. Ford School at the University of Michigan and Robert Orr of the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland.