ASPA is proud to host a robust e-learning program including three series of webinars: BookTalks, KeepingCurrent events and Students and New Professionals topics. This list is refreshed constantly as new events are added to our calendar. Please contact us if you have any questions about our upcoming discussions or would like to join us to host an event.

BookTalk: The Curious Public Administrator

May 14 | 1 p.m. EDT

Louis Brownlow, one of public administration's historical thinkers, argued that “the principal requirement of a good administrator is an insatiable curiosity.” This book is rooted in the notion that public administrators must practice insatiable curiosity to be effective, fair and democratic. By seeking to uncover how the world works, and therefore practicing curiosity, public administrators may be more likely to move toward evidence-based decisions, improving the efficacy and efficiency of public service. Curiosity encourages public administrators to seek answers in a caring manner and, in doing so, empathize with the communities that they serve.

This book incorporates the concept of curiosity into the field of public administration. Scholarship in philosophy, business administration, social science and other fields address curiosity, but public administration has yet to examine this concept in detail. The Curious Public Administrator fills that hole. The book also presents novel primary data on curiosity in public agencies by examining curious organizations and surveying local government officers, and on how public affairs faculty view curiosity and incorporate the concept in their research and the classroom. Finally, Hatcher integrates this information to present a model of administrative curiosity, focusing on creating a guide for future research and teaching.

Presenter:
Will Hatcher, Chair, Department of Social Sciences and Professor, Augusta University

KeepingCurrent: OIRA in Your Classroom: A Chance to Show Your Students How They Can Help Shape Federal Regulations

May 21 | 1 p.m. EDT

Federal regulations set the rules of the road that affect our lives in myriad ways—from providing access to affordable medicine to reducing children’s exposure to harmful toxins. A critical part of designing regulations that work is hearing from the public. Greater public participation leads to a more responsive and effective federal government that better addresses the needs of the American people. The Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) is taking new steps to make it easier for interested members of the public to voice their views in the federal rulemaking process. As a part of this effort, OIRA is reaching out to post-secondary educational institutions that teach public policy and public administration to offer an exciting learning opportunity. In this webinar we’ll describe this opportunity and encourage ASPA members to sign up their classes for a session in Fall Semester 2024.

Presenters:
Shagufta Ahmed, Office of Management and Budget Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Dan Cline, Office of Management and Budget Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Rita Young, Office of Management and Budget Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs