Schar News February 2021

Schar School Special Event: Mason President Washington Addresses Organization Change Management

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 17:17:47 +0000

Schar School Special Event: Mason President Washington Addresses Organization Change Management Andrew J Schappert Thu, 03/11/2021 - 12:17

Gregory Washington

If anyone knows organization change management, it’s Gregory Washington. Washington took the reins of ��ӽ紫ý as the eighth president of the 39,000-student public university in July 2020, four months after the campuses were closed amid the pandemic lockdown and two months after the civil unrest following the death of George Floyd. The challenges confronting Washington during his first days in office were, to say the least, unique and unprecedented.

But—and not to summon the proverbial jinx—Mason, under Washington’s guidance, has seemingly overcome those unforeseen obstacles, as well as many others, as it became a national model for developing “safe-return-to-campus” protocols. The school also summoned the energy and enthusiasm of its academic units to contribute to the global conversations about racial equality and social justice; several high-profile committees are tackling initiatives to create positive cultural change.

Washington will be the keynote speaker in a first-ever webinar on organizational change hosted by the Organization Development and Knowledge Management (ODKM) Network of the Schar School of Policy and Government. The event, moderated by Organization Development and Knowledge Management program founding director Tojo Thatchenkery, takes place on Zoom on Thursday, February 25, from 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. ET. Dean of the Schar School Mark J. Rozell will host.

Tojo Thatchenkery

Washington, an engineer by training, will speak about his experience in managing organizational change throughout his career, up to his appointment at Mason; a question-and-answer period, including those from participating viewers, will follow.

About Organization Development and Knowledge Management

The cohort-based Organization Development and Knowledge Management program is designed to meet the needs of contemporary society and of organizations undergoing rapid changes and shifting from hierarchical structures to more group-based learning environments. While focusing on the human and social aspects of organizing, the program also emphasizes the use of collaborative groupware technologies to support interactive learning, knowledge sharing, and knowledge creation.

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Schar News February 2021

Mason in Top 10 for Foreign Service Office Promotions

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 20:12:46 +0000

Mason in Top 10 for Foreign Service Office Promotions Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/15/2021 - 15:12

Originally published on February 1, 2021

A new study based on previously unreleased figures from the State Department finds ��ӽ紫ý, home of the Schar School of Policy and Government, in the top 10 of universities for State Department employees who earn promotions in the Foreign Service. The study was conducted and published by Politico.

Foreign Service Officers and Civil Service employees constitute the U.S. diplomatic corps. The selection process for the Foreign Service is one of the government’s most challenging, requiring candidates to pass a series of rigorous exams. The service fills only a few hundred new positions a year.

Since 2013, 61 Mason graduates have been selected for the Foreign Service—for comparison, 10 more than Harvard University and 20 more than the University of Virginia.

“Mason should be proud and humble about the ranking,” said Schar School Distinguished Visiting Professor Richard Kauzlarich, who served twice as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Department of State. “This ranking reflects the choice [of university] that Foreign Service personnel often make to gain higher academic degrees once they have passed the entry exam and are State Department employees.”

Kauzlarich, who was ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina (1997-99) and Azerbaijan (1994-97), pointed out that Foreign Service promotion boards determine who is promoted based on performance evaluation, not the university they attended.

“Recruitment into the Foreign Service is an incredibly rigorous and selective process,” said Schar School Professor Edward Rhodes. Rhodes, and other Schar School scholars, has taught an intensive three-day course required of all Foreign Service Officers.

“To be a Foreign Service Officer requires enormous drive and commitment, intellectual openness and honesty, and an ability to swallow one's ego,” he said. “I'm not surprised that so many Mason students have careers in the Foreign Service. These are qualities that we see a great deal of here at the Schar School.”

Mason, and the Schar School, are well positioned to provide new candidates to fulfill the State Department’s ambition to diversify, Kauzlarich suggested.

“As an institution, the [State Department] must diversify its workforce so that it looks more like America,” he said. “That's where Mason—as a majority-minority school—has an advantage in providing professional diplomats from our diverse student body.”

ABOUT THE SCHAR SCHOOL

The Schar School of Policy and Government is one of the 10 schools and colleges of ��ӽ紫ý, with approximately 2,000 students, 90 full-time faculty members, and 23 degree and certificate programs offered on Mason’s campuses in Fairfax and Arlington, Va. Among the degree programs are government and international affairs, public policy, public administration, political science, international security, and international commerce and policy. The Schar School prepares undergraduate and graduate students to be leaders and managers who solve problems and advance the public good in all sectors and levels of government—in the United States and throughout the world.

For more, contact Communications Manager Buzz McClain at bmcclai2@gmu.edu.

A dynamic education for an evolving world.

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Schar News February 2021

Virtual Panel: What Will the Workforce Look Like Post-Covid-19?

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 20:03:33 +0000

Virtual Panel: What Will the Workforce Look Like Post-Covid-19? Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/15/2021 - 15:03

Originally published on February 11, 2011

Will we be in a rush to return to the days of “rush hour”?

When vaccinations reach critical mass, when the casualty curve is flattened, and when science and medical authorities agree that “the coast is clear,” or clear enough, to return to non-pandemic behavior, will the U.S. workforce return to “normal”?

Beth McGrath

That’s the question to be addressed Monday, February 15, at 11:30 a.m. ET, during a virtual panel discussion called “Post Covid-19 Return to Work for the Public Sector,” hosted by the Schar School of Policy and Government Alumni Chapter. The discussion is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

Guests include Beth McGrath, U.S. managing director for the global consulting firm Deloitte and former deputy chief management officer for the Department of Defense, and Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents some 670,000 federal employees.

They will be joined on the panel by Terry Clower, director of the Schar School’s Center for Regional Analysis. Moderating the 90-minute conversation will be professor Tojo Thatchenkery, director of the Schar School’s Master’s in Organization Development and Knowledge Management program.

Everett Kelley

The subject of the discussion is uniquely timely, said Thatchenkery.

“As we get close to a year of living with the pandemic, some of the changes that were thought to be temporary may become more permanent,” he said. “There will be major shifts in how the federal government and the profit- and nonprofit sectors manage talent acquisition and retention for the foreseeable future. Yet, the shift will be an emergent phenomenon, as policy makers and leaders deal with the pandemic-induced changes in how we work as they happen."

“If you are not in a customer-facing, physical job, the 40-hours-per-week at an office is done for the foreseeable future,” said Clower. “If you are used to traveling for business for intra-company functions and duties, you will be spending a lot more time at home.”

“This is about dealing with change with no playbook,” added Thatchenkery. “’Embracing and thriving on ambiguity’ will be the new mantra for success.”

Schar School fact: The Alumni Chapter represents a community of more than 16,000 graduates, many of them working in key positions in nearby Washington, D.C.

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Schar News February 2021

The Fate of Water: Teaching Students Climate Change in the Classroom and in the Field

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 19:59:09 +0000

The Fate of Water: Teaching Students Climate Change in the Classroom and in the Field Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/15/2021 - 14:59

Todd La Porte: ‘Much like in climate change policy, if we can identify shared values, we can ultimately find common ground.’ Photo by Creative Services

Originally published on February 5, 2021

I chose to study water sources, because I found the idea to be somewhat novel,” said Todd La Porte. “It’s been interesting to see how all of these different aspects of climate change interact with one another and how the various effects reverberate through society.”

Schar School Associate Professor La Porte is addressing climate change through the lens of community. To do that, La Porte is studying climate change adaption policy inside and outside of the classroom—and he’s taking his undergraduate and graduate students with him to discover the effects of climate change from those directly affected by it.

Originally from the San Francisco Bay area, La Porte has a natural affinity for the Chesapeake Bay, not far from the Schar School campuses. “We’re studying how climate change is affecting people around bays, estuaries, and wetlands,” he said. “We want to understand what happens to people who are displaced” by the effects of climate change.

La Porte plans to work with students to create an “atlas” of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. “The idea is to map rising water levels and create a common frame of reference from inside these communities,” he said.

“The climate atlas is a way to reach people,” said La Porte. “We spend too much time looking at data that other people collect. It’s not wrong, but it misses a big part of these issues.”

He hopes to send students into the field to gather firsthand information from community members experiencing these changes.

In the classroom, La Porte is a conversation facilitator and an expert at diffusing the tense situations that sometimes arise. “People sometimes misunderstand the assumptions of their classmates,” he said. “Much like in climate change policy, if we can identify shared values, we can ultimately find common ground.” (La Porte recently recorded a sample class, Staying Alive in the Climate Crisis: Climate Politics and Policy.)

Students seem to enjoy his classroom demeanor.

“Dr. La Porte is extremely approachable,” said Leslie Malher, a Master’s in International Commerce and Policy student from Paris, France. “He emphasizes our ideas in conjunction with the readings, and very few professors are able to facilitate discussion the way he does.”

“Teaching energizes me,” said La Porte. “My job is to get the ball rolling, but it is extremely gratifying when students want to express their own ideas and discuss these issues in my classroom.”

Schar School fact: The school will provide $1 million in scholarship funds to students entering in the academic year 2020-21.

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Schar News February 2021

Schar School Scholars Publish Book Examining Flint Water Crisis as Public Policy Failure

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 19:56:08 +0000

Schar School Scholars Publish Book Examining Flint Water Crisis as Public Policy Failure Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/15/2021 - 14:56

Tonya Thornton: ‘Emergency and crisis management is a skillset that citizens must become familiar with…’

Originally published on February 3, 2011

In 2014, the city managers of Flint, Michigan, switched the water supply from Detroit’s system to the Flint River. The cost-saving change created one of the greatest environmental catastrophes in recent history as the foul-smelling, discolored, and off-tasting water supply to the 96,000 residents—whose years-long complaints of skin rashes, hair loss, and other ailments were ignored—was found to be contaminated with dangerous levels of lead and harboring Legionnaires’ disease.

Criminal prosecutions, including the recent indictment of former Governor Rick Snyder. Charges of systemic racism continue.

A new book of essays examining the crisis as a failure of municipal management is available now from Westphaila Press.

Managing Challenges for the Flint Water Crisis was commissioned by Schar School associate professor Bonnie Stabile, editor of the World Medical & Health Policy journal. The book was edited by Tonya E. Thornton, an assistant professor and coordinator of the Schar School’s top-ranked Emergency Management and Homeland Security program; Katherine M. Simon, a former graduate research assistant at the Schar School’s Centers on the Public Service; Jennifer F. Sklarew, an assistant professor of environmental science and policy at Mason’s College of Science; and Andrew D. Willliams, a local government practitioner with public works expertise.

“Mason has one of the more prominent emergency and crisis management programs in the country with national recognized scholars,” said Thornton. “Given that many of the scholars are connected with communities of practice, as well as situated in public policy and administration, it made sense to bring together a group of collaborators to address this important multidisciplinary topic.”

The disaster, she said, failed her “4C’s model. That is, there was a lack of communication that led to a disconnect in coordination and cooperation, which, in turn, did not produce meaningful collaboration. When this model is not adhered to, even in the simplest of terms, it will result in weakened social capital and fractured political trust.”

The lesson to learn from Flint, Thornton said, is that “disasters touch the lives of everyone, regardless of place and time. Emergency and crisis management is a skillset that citizens must become familiar with in an effort to put themselves—and their communities—in a position of resiliency.”

Schar School fact: Among U.S. policy schools, Schar School faculty are ranked No. 6 in the quantity of book and book chapter publications, No. 13 for citations in books and book chapters, and No. 20 for publications in upper-tier peer-reviewed journals (Scientometrics, 2020).

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Schar News February 2021

Natalie Nehme: A Government Degree and an Important Concentration Led to Success as a Government Affairs Professional

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 19:51:55 +0000

Natalie Nehme: A Government Degree and an Important Concentration Led to Success as a Government Affairs Professional Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/15/2021 - 14:51

Natalie Nehme: ‘This degree will help those who are interested learn how to research, synthesize, and formulate their thoughts effectively.’

Originally published on February 2, 2021

An interest in history and an affinity for learning about the governments of other countries led Natalie Nehme to study government and international politics at the Schar School of Policy and Government. The Orlando native, who graduated from the bachelor of arts program in 2017, is now manager of operations and outreach at a Washington, D.C., government affairs startup called Poligage.

“The Schar School is structured in a way that you can choose to follow particular paths or concentrations that align with your interests,” Nehme said. “For me, because I had such a strong interest in learning about other countries and how they govern, I chose a concentration in comparative politics.” (Browse a full list of optional concentrations.)

A highlight of her undergraduate career found Nehme as a rising senior interning at Washington, D.C., lobbying firm Wexler Walker, where she reported on congressional hearings and researched policy issues. “It was a great opportunity that I was able to participate in because of all the support and guidance from my [Mason] and Schar School family,” she said.

“I must give a major shout-out to Dr. Ann Ludwick, my academic advisor, who helped me not only shortlist internship opportunities but made them fit into my daily schedule while I was a student at the Schar School,” she added. Ludwick is the assistant dean of undergraduate academic affairs at the Schar School.

“The [Schar School’s] Career Development Office was helpful in crafting my resume and preparing for internship interviews that were held on campus,” Nehme said. “Also, many of my Chi Omega sorority sisters helped me network and find internship opportunities that I would have never been able to do on my own.”

As for her professors, “they were amazing,” she said. She noted that many of the faculty members “are professionals in their fields of study and have extensive networks to hundreds of organizations in the Washington, D.C., area. Many of them helped me and my fellow classmates land volunteer and internship opportunities. All we had to do was reach out to them.”

Now that she has been out of the Schar School for a few years—in fact, she landed a full-time job at Wexler Walker shortly after graduation—she realizes that she employs the knowledge she gained as a student to her profession on a daily basis.

“That job required me to have an understanding of how the U.S. government system worked on a congressional and executive level,” she said. “I quickly moved forward in my career and became a registered lobbyist in 2018, directly helping our clients navigate Washington’s bureaucratic landscape.”

“Today, I am proud to be working with a government affairs startup company called Poligage which is the world's first online marketplace that makes gaining policy insights and government affairs services accessible for all. Poligage helps organizations navigate risks and opportunities that come from public policy, legislation, regulatory efforts, and other government activities that may impact their business.”

What she learned at the Schar School could apply to a range of interests: “I think anyone who is remotely interested in politics or who wants to learn how government systems work—both in the U.S. and other countries—should consider a degree in government and international politics,” she said. “This degree will help those who are interested in learning how to research, synthesize, and formulate their thoughts effectively.”

Schar School Fact: In a challenging job market, 87 percent of Schar School master’s degree graduates from Winter ’19 and Spring ’20 hold full-time jobs.

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Schar News February 2021