Introduction to the issue

On behalf of the editorial team, editorial board, and the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), we thank you for reading the latest issue of the Journal of Public Affairs Education (JPAE). The thread that connects the work across Volume 30, Issue 2 broadly explores innovative practices in public affairs education.

The issue contains seven important research articles. We begin with research articles that focuses on innovation in the classroom. Rinfret and Wise, Zavattaro et al., Kempf and Sharma, and Kennedy demonstrate ripe areas of exploration for faculty to consider at the course level. Rinfret and Wise (2023) argue for the adoption of emotional labor as a descriptive framework to apply during a semester long project for the public administration classroom, focusing on a core, Master of Public Administration course for replication. Zavattaro et al. (2024) challenge us to effectively train our students to understand the “dirty work” of the profession through examination of topics such as regulation and compliance, emotional labor, budgeting and procurement, and public health, relying on stories from deathcare workers in the United States. Kempf and Sharma (2023) posit we should use fictional literature in our classrooms as a tool to “understand social systems, management models, and ethical dilemmas.” Kennedy (2024) suggests we should continue to use our classroom as an innovative space to challenge dominant, White-centered norms by actively including social equity into our public affairs curriculum.

The remaining research articles identify additional innovative approaches for consideration. Johnstone and O’Hare (2023) demonstrate the importance of applying an arts policy perspective in the public affairs classroom, using their Arts and Cultural Policy course as their unit of analysis. By way of comparison, Pauluzzo et al. (2024) articulate public sector accounting education (PSAE) is imperative for public affairs students to better understand the current work environment. To round out our research articles for this issue, Elliott et al. (2024) explores how lessons from our past, present, and future informed the creation of Bahrain’s Institute for Public Administration’s Master of Public of Public Management Program.

We conclude the issue with three book reviews that collectively offer innovative practices to navigate some of the reoccurring and emerging concerns public affairs faculty confront in a contemporary society. These reviews include Mallinson’s review of Managing Your Mental Health During Your PhD, Mulyadi et al.’s assessment of Behavioural Public Policy in Australia How an Idea Became Practice, and Chirwa’s evaluation of Smart Government: Practical Uses of Artificial Intelligence in Local Government.