2023 was a landmark year for The University of Baltimore's College of Public Affairs. The College of Public Affairs Earns Top 25 National Ranking in
Urban Policy, Showcasing Commitment to Local Solutions.
While its reputational ranking in U.S. News and World Report reached #72 out of 269 nationally recognized programs in graduate public affairs, the college also earned a #22 finish in the category of Urban Policy. That represents a tie with larger programs at Pitt and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and a higher finish than same-category programs at Berkeley, Rutgers, Minnesota, and the New School.
College of Public Affairs Dean Roger Hartley says this latest success is the result of the combined efforts of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and supporters, working together to ensure that the college is known for its impact on real-world issues. Dean Hartley sat for a brief Q&A on this topic. Following is an edited transcript of that discussion:
Q: As a subject area, Urban Policy sounds especially important to the people of Baltimore and across the region. How do you think the College of Public Affairs is perceived in this category among leaders in and around Baltimore?
Dean Hartley: Leaders in the city and region and our peers around the nation recognized that a University of Baltimore experience is an urban one. So many of our alumni serve the city, surrounding counties, state, and region. Others are international students who go on to serve our nation or their home countries in urban policy and city management. Our programs, many of their engaged experiences, paid internships, and projects. and examples in classes, center on solving urban problems which are global in nature. Faculty prepare our students to be effective urban public servants.
Q: To what do you attribute our excellent ranking in this category?
Dean Hartley: This ranking comes from our peers. Deans and program leaders in the nation's colleges and schools of public affairs see us as leaders in education in urban policy. They have heard about our nationally recognized NextGen Leaders in Public Service program that provides largely urban experiences to our students which prepare them for the workforce. They have also heard about our Community Development Fellows program serving Baltimore, our Rosencrantz Local Government Fellowship, our Second Chance College Program, and the work of the Schaefer Center, Center for Public Safety Innovation, and Center for Advancing Prevention Excellence. We are doing leading work in some of the most important areas of urban structure and policy in an array of fields, including substance abuse prevention, budgeting, prison re-entry, human services, as well as state and local government policy evaluation. We are also educating different types of students in different ways. Our Schaefer Center has a nationally recognized Certified Public Manager program that is training city and county leaders all across our state for higher executive positions. There is also the Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program, preparing leaders for excellent work in DEIA. We are so gratified that our peers see us among the nation's leading institutions in this important field. There has been so much work done to place us on the map.
Q: Knowing there is a built-in expectation that UBalt will maintain this high ranking over time, what is the College of Public Affairs working on to ensure the program's sustained success?
Dean Hartley: We don't want to just maintain, we want to keep on rising in reputation. There is so much coming that will demonstrate our leadership in these fields. One thing we do is help our faculty and center staff shine at public-service conferences around the country, where our peers get to see our work and learn from us. We are launching a training program for the City of Baltimore Safe Streets leaders in violence reduction. We are building stronger partnerships with the Maryland Municipal League and Maryland Association of Counties so that our students can learn and contribute while they study with us. Coming soon are several new graduate certificates in fields like human services administration, global engagement, conflict management, diversity equity and inclusion, and nonprofit management.
As we reflect on all we have done, the ranking exemplifies the strength of studying at The University of Baltimore. We top off the careers of working adults, we get them out of the classroom and into the middle of urban problems. They learn by doing. Our student body reflects the rich diversity of our city. If you want to lead in local government anywhere, we are a great institution to find.
Learn more about UBalt's College of Public Affairs.
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