Fullerton, CA – On December 4, 2014, several city management professionals gathered at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) to engage students on public policy topics they had been researching all semester.
In an effort to enhance curriculum, Professors in the CSUF Department of Politics Administration and Justice have adopted the American Democracy Project (ADP) as part of their Poli Sci 100 curriculum. The ADP, which was pioneered at California State University, Chico, encourages students to take a practical approach to their study of government structures and research public policy issues relevant today. Students spend the semester researching issues and then present their findings in a town hall-style meeting where elected leaders and high level staff are invited to join.
Several members of the city management profession attended the event and engaged students on a variety of topics from immigration reform to at large vs. district elections.
CCMF members Bob Hall of Fountain Valley and Tim O’Donnell of Brea both attended the event. “Interacting with the CSUF students and seeing their fresh ideas and energy was very inspiring to me,” said Bob Hall. “I’m pretty sure I got much more out of the event than they did.”
“Getting out into the community like this is exactly what we city managers need to be doing,” said CCMF Executive Director Ken Pulskamp, “by being able to engage young talent early we can really have a lasting impression on our profession and pique the interest of students that may not have even consider city management as a profession. Kudos to Tim and Bob for taking the time to participate.”