Linking Students with Community in Collaborative Governance: A Report on a Service-Learning Class

Abstract

Collaborative governance is increasingly becoming a topic for scholarly research and practitioner skill development as well as a component of graduate programs in public administration. This article documents a service-learning project in a graduate-level Masters in Public Administration class on cross-sector governance. The article begins with a brief review of literature on university-community relations and, specifically, the civic mission of institutions of higher education and the role of service learning in public administration programs. The teaching case is then introduced, with the full context and detail explained. Lessons are offered for replicating this kind of class. An analysis of the success of the case is offered based on reflection journals written by students throughout the semester.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Thomas A. Bryer

Thomas Bryer is an assistant professor in the Department of Public Administration at the University of Central Florida. His teaching and research focuses on public participation with government, citizen engagement, cross-sector collaboration, and ethics. His work is published in Public Administration Review, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Administrative Theory & Praxis, Public Performance and Management Review, American Review of Public Administration, International Journal of Public Participation, Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Public Administration and Management, and International Journal of Organization Theory and Behavior. He has also published chapters in peer-reviewed books and award-winning teaching simulations. He can be reached at [email protected].