Implementation of Internet-based Public Administration Programs

The author's paper "New Developments in the Delivery of Internet-based Public Administration Programs and Courses" presented at the 2009 International Conference on Public Administration, talked about the evolution of online education in the field of public administration.([1]) In this 2010 paper, the author will be discussing the actual process of implementation of a "hybrid" (partially online, partially residential) public administration program at a well-rated mid-western non-profit university in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul), Minnesota. This public administration program has recognized the challenge to non-profit and public institutions by for-profit online institutions, including those in its own region. Interestingly enough, Minneapolis recently(in reference to the Forbes "most wired cities" list) " ... improved its standing from No.11 to No. 7, beating New York and Portland, Ore., ... Minneapolis secret? A particularly broad range of neighborhoods with 20 different access options for high-speed intemet." 121 The presence of several major online universities in the Twin Cities(Minnesota) area offering B.P.A., M.P.A. and D.P.A. programs has also been a significant factor in raising consciousness about the need to compete with online or hybrid programming alternatives.