June 23, 2008
Bowling
Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University’s Owensboro campus and the departments of Political Science and Communication have created a partnership with the City of Owensboro to bring advanced degree opportunities to Owensboro’s public safety professionals, including law enforcement, firefighters and emergency management personnel.
The partnership reflects WKU’s overall outreach strategy, facilitated through the Division of Extended Learning & Outreach (DELO).
This 39-credit hour cohort program delivers a Master’s of Public Administration (MPA) and Graduate Certificate in Organizational Communication to participating students. These two courses of study blended together into one customized program will bring highly valued skills to graduates. Courses are planned in specific sequence to assure degree attainment.
An orientation session and open house is planned for 3-5 p.m. Wednesday (June 25) in the Community Room at the Owensboro Police Department.
“The professors of the MPA Program are committed to customizing the course content to emphasize public safety and local area situations,” said Dr. James Chappell, director of the MPA program. “Students will be encouraged to share their own professional experiences. Local area administrative personnel will be invited to speak during class sessions.”
The program provides a concise, accelerated and contemporary course of study that is unique and relevant to the changing needs of today’s public safety practitioner. It is designed to offer students who are new to the field the insight and background to begin successful careers, while preparing seasoned public safety professionals to assume managerial and administrative positions.
WKU President Gary Ransdell holds an MPA degree from WKU. “It is a degree program with multiple dimensions of application. I am proud to have earned it and pleased with what I have gained from having done so,” Dr. Ransdell said.
Classes will be delivered in traditional face-to-face format at the Owensboro Police headquarters as well as online, and via Interactive Video Service at the WKU-Owensboro campus.
Col. Glenn Skeens, Owensboro Chief of Police, wanted to utilize the resources of WKU-O to bring additional professional development opportunities to the city’s employees. “The Public Administration degree is obviously a good fit, and we’re very excited about the certificate in Organizational Communication, because having good communication skills is so important in our line of work,” Skeens said.
Dr. Cecile Garmon, a professor in the Department of Communication, said: “Students who take the classes in the Organizational Communication Certificate Program gain an understanding about how communication takes place in organizations and they enhance their skills to use communication much more effectively in many different settings.”
Up to 20 students will be accepted into the program at its initial launch in the Fall 2008 semester. If successful, WKU plans to take the program to other communities through the university’s other regional campuses in Glasgow and Elizabethtown.
The MPA Program at WKU has been training professional public administrators since 1973 and has an excellent track record of job placements and career advances. To learn more about the requirements for the degree for public safety professionals, contact Amy Fitzpatrick at (270) 745-2710.
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
For information, contact Stacey Biggs at (270) 745-1926.
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