Dolan envisions advancement and growth for PAPA
According to Drew Dolan, program director and professor of public administration and policy analysis (PAPA), the role of department chair is both an obligation and a challenge. Dolan is poised to begin that multi-dimensional undertaking in the fall of 2011.
Drew Dolan, program director and professor of public administration and policy analysis, is poised to become the chair of the PAPA department in the fall of 2011.
Dolan, a graduate of Northern Illinois University and Rockford College, came to SIUE in 1998 as an assistant professor and has since worked his way up to the role of professor and program director.
In addition to dedicating 13 years to his academic conquests at SIUE, Dolan also has experience outside of the classroom. It was during his stint in city management that Dolan realized that his calling was in the realm of researching and educating.
“I worked in city management for a short time before transitioning into academics,” said Dolan. “It was interesting; it provided a good foundation. It also provided me with an understanding that I wanted to do more on the other side–creating policy rather than fulfilling policy.”
Much of Dolan’s latest research concerns training in development and leadership in the field of public administration and policy analysis.
“Public administration is a field that encompasses the administration of governmental units and non-profit organizations,” explained Dolan. “So, we deal with training and research in the areas of local government, state government, federal government and all of their agencies. We also deal with non-profit organizations; we cover the spectrum of non-profit agencies–everything from boys and girls clubs to hospitals to museum associations.”
The married, father of two particularly enjoys teaching courses related to training in development and leadership. As a professor in the largest master’s program in the College of Arts and Sciences, he views his latest appointment to department chair as one of the many important obligations of his career.
“It’s a task which we each carry at some point. So, it’s an obligation as well as a challenge,” Dolan said. “I look at is a challenge…during a time when we’re experiencing significant growth–but with limited resources. I’ve got to balance those two things out. That would be the biggest challenge that I face.”
Dolan is confident about tackling the challenges that await him in the fall. One of the keys to taking on that challenge and doing so successfully is by having a vision. According to Dolan, his vision is consistent with that of the department as a whole.
“My vision as the chair is the same as the department’s vision–and that is to serve an integral role in the achievement of the university’s mission through community outreach,” said Dolan. “Each one of the faculty [members] within the department fits into a facet of that. But, our primary goal is to train those people who will go out and meet with [people in] communities and lead organizations.”
Dolan envisions a future–for PAPA–defined by advancement and growth.
“We are the largest master’s program in the college [of Arts and Sciences] and we hope to advance on that,” he said. “We want continued opportunities for growth; even within a limited budget, we see opportunity. That’s always been what this program has been about–that is–to maximize opportunity.”
Filed Under: Public Admin & Policy
