Deans Summit
Deans Summit
The Deans Summit propels innovation among schools of public service and the field of public service education writ large.
Overview
The Deans Summit was founded out of a belief that broadening the reach and impact of public service education requires ingenuity and collaboration. The Deans Summit provides a space for deans and directors of the nation’s schools of public service to shed competitive posture in favor of collective action, and is a powerful vehicle to propel innovation among schools and the field of public service education writ large.
As a collaborative network, schools of public service have the responsibility and wherewithal to influence the future of public service education. Deans Summit members worked together to identify collective principles that represent our shared values and guide future collaborative endeavors. Read the Statement of Values in full here.
2023 Priorities
The Deans Summit convenes annually to establish a set of collective priorities for the coming year. The following priorities are underway or under consideration for 2022-2023.
Addressing Structural Racism
Deans Summit members are exploring specific actions deans and directors can take to address structural racism on campus. This past year, the working group focused largely on understanding the racial makeup of faculty of schools of public service, specifically within leadership positions. Beyond assessing racial disparities within the field’s leadership, the group has sought to implement strategies to diversify the leadership pipeline into schools of public service. Subsequent areas of focus may include creating new networking opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds or establishing innovative antiracist programming.
Co-chairs: Susan Gooden and David Van Slyke
Leading Across Difference
At a time of hyper-polarization, political protest, and prevalent online debate, schools of public service are uniquely positioned to respond. This working group is exploring innovative, collaborative ways to leverage courses and programs at schools of public service that teach students to lead across personal and political divides.
Co-chairs: Victoria DeFrancesco Soto and Ramayya Krishnan
Military Service to Public Service
Military service is a natural pathway into civilian public service and schools of public service stand ready to facilitate the transition. In constructing a military to civilian service pipeline, the field stands to gain a politically, socio-economically, and racially diverse group of students that embody public service values. In this working group, Deans Summit members are considering ways schools of public service can more effectively engage military and military-connected students in graduate and professional degree programs.
Chair: Trevor Brown
Deans Summit Active Members
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American University |
Old Dominion University |
University of Central Florida |
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Arizona State University |
Oregon State University |
University of Chicago |
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Baruch College |
Pepperdine University |
University of Connecticut |
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Binghamton University |
Rutgers University- Newark |
University of Delaware |
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Boise State University |
Syracuse University |
University of Houston |
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Boston University |
Texas A&M University System |
University of Illinois Chicago |
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Brandeis University |
The Ohio State University |
University of Kentucky |
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Carnegie Mellon University |
The Pennsylvania State University |
University of Massachusetts Amherst |
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Cleveland State University |
The University of Arizona |
University of Michigan |
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Columbia University |
The University of Georgia |
University of Minnesota |
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Cornell University |
The University of Kansas |
University of Missouri |
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Duke University |
The University of New Mexico |
University of Nebraska Omaha |
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Florida International University |
The University of Texas at Austin |
University of Pittsburgh |
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George Mason University |
The University of Texas at Dallas |
University of Southern California |
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George Washington University |
Thomas Edison State University |
University of Virginia |
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Georgetown University |
Tulane University |
University of Washington |
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Georgia Institute of Technology |
University of Arkansas |
University of Wisconsin- Madison |
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Indiana University Bloomington |
University of Baltimore |
Virginia Commonwealth University |
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New York University |
University of California, Berkley |
William & Mary |
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University of California, Riverside |
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Deans Summit Initiatives
Through Deans Summit working groups, collaborative efforts and pilots evolve into freestanding spin-off programs. Three such initiatives have already taken shape.
Conversations for Leaders of Schools of Public Service
Next Generation Service Corps
Future Leaders of Schools of Public Service
Working Groups and Membership
The Deans Summit membership convenes annually. To make progress between annual meetings, the chair, with guidance from the steering committee, organizes topically focused working groups. Working groups explore tactical ways schools of public service can innovate and advance select priorities through curricular reform, programmatic initiatives, on- and cross-campus activities, or external facing communications. Deans and directors volunteer to chair or co-chair working groups and are also supported by Volcker Alliance staff.
Deans Summit membership is limited to one representative per university. The university representative should be the most senior leader in a standalone college of public service or a school of public service within a college. Deans Summit members should hold the title of “dean” or “director.” Members may not send proxies or substitutes to attend Deans Summit annual meetings. Deans or directors emeritus who previously chaired working groups may continue to participate.
Chair and Steering Committee
A member dean or director serves as chair of the Deans Summit and is supported by Volcker Alliance staff. The chair serves a two-year term with the option to extend their service for a second term. The chair is selected by the outgoing chair in consultation with the Volcker Alliance.
Dean Carissa Slotterback of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburg currently serves as the chair of the Deans Summit. Dean Slotterback succeeds Dean Trevor Brown of the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University and founding chair Angela Evans, dean emeritus of the LBJ School at the University of Texas at Austin. The Volcker Alliance assists the chair with coordination, project management, facilitation, documentation, and other supporting activities related to the Deans Summit.
The chair is supported by a steering committee of 8-12 Deans Summit members, appointed by the chair in consultation with the Volcker Alliance. The steering committee meets annually, typically over the summer, to reflect on progress, consider future priorities, and attend to any administrative or governance matters.