Introduction to the issue

On behalf of the editorial team, our editorial board, and the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration, we would like to thank you for reading the latest issue of the Journal of Public Affairs Education. We believe that the scholarship of teaching and learning is incredibly important for the field (Farrell et al., 2022; Hatcher et al., 2022; McDonald, 2021, 2023; McDonald et al., 2022) and throughout our term, we have encouraged the exploration of high-quality research on public affairs education (for example, see Ancira et al., 2022; Perry & Mee, 2022). The themes throughout this issue focus on advancing the future of public affairs education as a field and in the classroom.

The issue includes a wealth of great pedagogical commentary, research, and analysis. The issue is packed with two editorials, five research articles, a case study, and four book reviews. In the first editorial, Elliott et al. (2023) write about the status of public administration in the United Kingdom (see also Elliott et al., 2022). The authors discuss how the country’s practitioners and academics have not paid adequate scholarly attention to the teaching of public administration. They call for the UK Joint University Council for Social and Public Administration to continue its work advocating for the field as a scholarly one. This editorial is in line with our efforts over our tenure to advance JPAE’s focus on international and comparative public administration (see Baniamin & Ramasamy, 2022; Hatcher & McDonald, 2022; Leight & Abbott, 2022).

In the issue’s second editorial, Stivers and McDonald (2023) argue for scholars to return their attention to the study of teaching public administration through a historical lens. The development of public administration affects the field today, of course, and needs to be analyzed by scholars, instructors, and practitioners to advance our understanding of the field and to learn from our mistakes and also our successes. Using history in the classroom can help teach public administration by examining the history of current events and using history as a judge to help our field improve.

Next, the issue moves to its five research articles focusing on various themes that we have promoted in JPAE, such as comparative public administration, connecting theory and practice, and diversity in public administration education. Pliscoff (2023) traces the development of public administration education in Chile and assesses its current state. The author argues that the field is not a new one in the country, but there needs to be more focus on expanding multicultural aspects of the study and teaching of public administration.

In an impactful article, Guy and Mastracci (2023) soundly argue for the need for our MPA programs to refocus on human resource management. Specific courses on human resource management are where “theory and practice meet in MPA classrooms” (p. 298). However, MPA programs have moved away from offering the course. According to the authors, only 72% of MPA programs require a human resource management course.

Continuing the issue’s focus on improving education in public administration, Meier (2023) reflects on his significant experience mentoring PhD students. Through mentoring over 80 PhD students, he has learned specific tools to help scholars, with a common focus on teaching students the importance of self-reflection, how they have multiple skills, and the need for humility. Given research showing that PhD students struggle with their mental health, effective and caring mentorship by faculty is crucial.

And another area where mental health support is crucial is law enforcement. The research article by Cohen and Bagwell (2023) examines mental health training among police officers in the United States and learns that states dedicate an alarmingly low amount of time (1.1% of training hours) to the important topic. Given this, public administration programs have a responsibility to advocate for more mental health training and improve their curricula in the area.

In the issue’s fifth research article, Hellwege and Mrozla (2023) survey undergraduates to learn their job preferences upon graduation. The authors find that women are more likely to be interested in public service positions. The authors argue for faculty to help students appreciate the importance of public service and provide applied learning experiences, such as internships and leadership positions.

We are also excited to include a case study in this issue. In the case study, Siddiqui et al. (2023) discuss the Community Collaboration Initiative, which seeks build meaningful collaborations among Muslim nonprofits in the United States. We believe that this case study helps teach the importance of collaborations for nonprofits, leadership, and also advancing diversity and cultural competency among organizations.

The issue concludes with four book reviews that help us advance our knowledge of teaching and learning in the public affairs classroom. In the first book review, Suandi, Indah, and Astiwijaya (2023) provide an overview of James Bourey’s A Guidebook for City and County Managers. Next, Ginn (2023) succinctly reviews The New College Classroom by Cathy Davidson and Christina Katopodis. In the third book review, Glover (2023) explores Bonnie Stone’s Gimme Shelter. And lastly, Wehde (2023) reviews the timely Cultural Competency for Emergency and Crisis Management edited by Claire Connolly Knox and Brittany “Brie” Haupt. These are three great reviews of books relevant to our work in the classroom and our academic programs.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).