SPA at CU Denver Executive MPA

1. SPA at CU DenverExecutive MPA October 21, 2011 NASPAA Session Paul Teske Dean, SPA

2. Past program • 36 credit “regular” MPA • Ex MPA has been non-cohort based, 30 credits (Execs are excused from 2 core classes, based upon their 10+ years of real world learning experience) • 2 special leadership classes have been offered by Western Management Development Center at Denver’s Federal Center • These are expensive classes (about $6K), but typically paid by federal government for participants • Not as good a deal for non-federal employee Ex MPAs Paul Teske, Dean SPA

3. Past program • About 15-20 students in the program, at any point in time • No real sense of cohesion for these students • Not really a profit center for SPA either Paul Teske, Dean SPA

4. New Model • Implementing fall 2011 • So, work in progress • Partial cohort model • Same 30 credits, with 2 cores excused • Execs will take 2 core classes together, with only their classmates – Introduction to Public Admin and Organizational Behavior • Also, can take Rocky Mountain leadership program (one week residential program in mountains) for credit for one course • Also, can take “international experience” course • Other MPA courses taken outside of cohort, face/face or online, or whatever is most convenient for Exec students Paul Teske, Dean SPA

5. New Model • Initial Leadership Experience (3 credit hours): • Rocky Mountain Program or Management Assessment Seminar: All students will enroll in the Rocky Mountain Program, a SPA residential leadership program. Federal employees may elect OPM’s federal Management Assessment Seminar at either the Western or Eastern Management Development Centers in lieu of the Rocky Mountain Program. • Rocky Mountain Program (RMP): The 3-credit hour Rocky Mountain Program has been providing leadership development to professionals across the country for almost 30 years. Set in a beautiful Rocky Mountain setting, the six-day residential seminar brings together public and nonprofit professionals from across the country to collaborate on current management issues while honing leadership skills. The 2011 session will be held October 10 - 15 in Breckenridge. Although the program is offered to both executive MPA students and other qualified professionals and SPA students, special evening programs and other features exclusively for EXEC-MPA students are included. This provides an excellent opportunity for executive students to meet each other and get to know faculty in a relaxed mountain environment. • Management Assessment Seminar: Students in federal service may substitute a Management Development Center course for the Rocky Mountain Program if they wish. More information on program options is available at www.leadership.opm.gov. Paul Teske, Dean SPA

6. New Model • Other Required Courses (15 credit hours) • Four Core Courses (12 credit hours): • Two core courses will be required to be completed in Denver via an intensive residential format that will include using online learning to complete course requirements after the residential component is completed. It is expected that each intensive session will last between 5 – 6 days. Students may take their two remaining core courses in any format. • The remaining two core courses may be completed online, via a weekend intensive course in Denver, or in a traditional classroom setting in Denver or Colorado Springs. • Capstone project (3 credit hours): • Each student will complete a client-based capstone project during their last semester. The capstone course allows students to synthesize the information learned during the program and put it into practice within a professional setting.  Paul Teske, Dean SPA

7. New Model • Elective Courses(12 hours) • In consultation with an advisor, students select elective courses that best meet their professional goals (may be taken online or in the classroom): • Students may complete up to 9 credit hours through the federal OPM Management Development Center. These courses must be approved for graduate credit by the American Council on Education. • An international experience (taught in collaboration with a university in another country) will be available to EXEC-MPA students on an annual basis for 3 credit hours. • International Experience • Optional, but another cohort based experience, likely to start with a university in China in 2012  Paul Teske, Dean SPA

8. New Model • Hope to make it a better experience for the Execs • The 2 cohorts classes will feature top instructors, flexible hours, food and perks, etc. • Also, hope to make it a profit center for SPA Paul Teske, Dean SPA

9. Challenges • Our university has “regular” tuition and “continuing ed” tuition separated into 2 pots • Regular tuition just goes to the university, which distributes it back to schools as it sees fit • For Continuing Ed money 80% stays with School and can charge what we want • Thus, School incentive to do as much as possible via Continuing Ed • But, practical limits on that • And, can’t mix regular/con’t Ed in same classes where they pay different tuition ze

10. Challenges • But, practical limits on using Continuing Ed too much • And, can’t mix regular/con’t Ed in same classes where they are paying different tuition • So, to charge a premium for the ExMPA, we need to charge a large tuition premium for the 2 cohort based classes • Regular MPA now costs about $20K tuition; ExMPA expected to cost $25K tuition – difference is made up in the 2 cohort class charges • Not simple to explain/market

11. Summary • New program is a moderate change to the past model. Goals include • Serve these students better with some cohort classes • More of profit center for SPA • Mix federal and non-federal students more • Enhance our continuing ed training program (Rocky Mountain program) • Use this to leverage international experiences for ExMPA students, but also regular MPA students