RSG Newsletter – October 2018
Robertson School of Government Dean’s Corner
Dear Friends,
Patterson’s book states that America’s biggest contributions to war aren’t about the technology of war as some have claimed, but it is about the ideas of war. It is about when it is okay to go to war, and what the rules of proper war should be. America is one of the only countries that has regularly prosecuted its own soldiers for war crimes, according to Patterson, revealing that how we treat others is important even in times of war.
Not too far removed is Roberts’ collection of essays on workplace spirituality, where some chapters emphasize servant leadership and how – once again – people should treat others in the workplace. In both Roberts’ book and Patterson’s book the people with power are expected to treat the people with less power in humane and dignified ways.
I think that such beliefs are at the center of all we do in the Robertson School of Government. Dr. Agyapong’s article as well as the one I have authored similarly believe that people can treat others with dignity and explore topics around that broad subject. Our students, Debbie and Linda who are featured below are clearly being treated with dignity as students as well, as each values the quality of the professors they’ve had and continue to have.
At a time when the nation argues about how to intimidate, impeach, punch, fire, and badger those with whom we disagree, may Regent University, and especially the Robertson School of Government, continue to teach the way of civility and mutual respect and subservience to our fellow humans.
Sincerely,
Stephen D. Perry, Ph.D.
Interim Dean and Professor
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Featured Story
Regent University Lands Among Top 11% of Universities Ranked By U.S. News in Best Colleges Rankings
For the first time in its 40-year history, Regent University placed in the National Universities category of the U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 Best Colleges rankings released in September.
Regent ranked #201 in the top-tier National University ranking out of 1,800 schools nationwide, placing the university in the top 11% of schools measured. The National Universities category includes top Ivy League schools and other colleges and universities of excellence. Regent was among only eight Virginia schools in the National Universities ranking, including University of Virginia, William & Mary, Virginia Tech, George Mason University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Old Dominion University and Shenandoah University.
“Regent invested in an ambitious academic growth strategy to provide students with the highest quality education in the most in-demand, career-oriented programs,” said Regent founder, chancellor and CEO, Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson. “We also invested heavily in academic student support services to ensure strong retention and graduation rates. Congratulations to the faculty and administrative team that worked diligently together to deliver these historic, measurable results for our students and graduates.”
Each year, U.S. News & World Report determines the Best Colleges list by evaluating universities in up to 16 measures of academic quality. Topics for consideration in the U.S. News methodology include: retention and graduation rates (representing one third of the metric), student-faculty ratio, financial resources, student excellence and selectivity, and peer assessment.
Institutions ranked in the National University category in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges list category were among the Carnegie Classification of Institutions represented in the National Center for Education Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Read more about the U.S. News & World Report ranking methodology.
“It is an immense privilege for Regent University to be listed among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report,” said Regent’s executive vice president for academic affairs, Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño. “This recognition is a testament to the quality of our faculty, the excellence of our students and also the vision of our chancellor, Dr. M.G. Robertson, who founded the university in 1977 to provide an education based on excellence, innovation and integrity.”
Regent’s recent recognition in the U.S. News & World Report best colleges report comes at the cusp of several new initiatives for the university, including the launch of the College of Healthcare Sciences and School of Nursing (August, 2018), as well as Regent’s recent designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security.
Alumni Highlight
From the North to the South
Debbie Cohen, a spring 2018 graduate, earned an M.A. in Government, with a concentration in Healthcare Policy and Ethics. Cohen’s journey to Regent led her from New York to Virginia Beach. Cohen mentioned, “I was in New York considering pursuing a Master’s degree.” Debbie made the decision to change her career from journalism to political science, stating, “I wanted to make a better impact at this time in my life in government. The state of journalism was becoming very polarized.”
Cohen is re-enrolled in RSG but this time in the M.A. in National Security, with a concentration in Cyber Security. Her future aspiration is to serve as an analyst, in either the political, health, or cyber security sector. Cohen is open to the federal realm of civil liberties and human rights.
Debbie Cohen’s words of wisdom to the student body is, “A Master’s degree is a vigorous program. It requires you to put your nose to the grindstone with a lot of hard work.”
Student Highlight
The Next Chapter
Linda moved from Orlando to Virginia Beach. She stated, “I wanted to immerse myself in my studies.” Unbelievably, once she arrived at Regent, a number of bad things began happening. However, she felt encouraged to stay and “found confidence to stick with it.”
Her advice to the student body is “Regent has excellent professors who lead by example. Apply for opportunities, whether through an internship or fellowship. Enjoy the classes and take advantage of the mentorships from the professors.”
Currently, Waits-Kamau is enrolled in the M.P.A. Program, with a concentration in Emergency Management/ Homeland Security. She has applied for a Pathways internship, through the State Department, with the Bureau of Consular Affairs.
Recent Events
Dr. Roberts Launches His Latest Book, The Palgrave Handbook of Workplace of Workplace Spirituality and Fulfillment
Faculty Update
Dean Stephen Perry co-authored an article on conceptualizing peace and war in studies of peace journalism. It was accepted for publication in Media, War, and Conflict.
Dr. Agyapong published a short article in the October edition of PA Times, a leading magazine of the American Society for Public Administration. The article offered a critical assessment of the theory of Representative Bureaucracy. While the theory of representative bureaucracy does not explicitly argue that men and nonminority bureaucrats cannot serve the interests of women and minority populations, it implicitly affirms this position.Dr. Agyapong argued that it is important for scholars to also engage the question of whether or how nonminority bureaucrats can be responsive to minority populations. Given the right conditions—i.e., sensitization, resocialization and orientation—nonminority bureaucrats could equally develop advocacy roles and be responsive to minority clients. An important implication is that the theory will become more relevant in developing democracies where public bureaucracy are less representative of the population due to cultural, socio-economic and political reasons. Dr. Agyapong’s article is available at the following link:
patimes.org/a-critical-assessment-of-representative-bureaucracy-toward-a-more-expanded-theory/
Practitioner-in-Residence, Sam Gaston, serves on the Board of Advisors for the Government and Economic Development Institute at Auburn University and will participate in their annual meeting on October 31.
Dr. Edwin Daley participated in the annual conference of the International City/County Management Association in Baltimore and the annual conference of the Virginia Municipal League.
Upcoming Events
- Defense Against the Dark Arts with RADM William McCarthy (USN, ret.) – November 13, 2018
- WorldQuest Competition – November 15, 2018
- American Majority’s Campaign-in-a-Day – November 29, 2018
- Willis Robertson Lecture on Virginia Politics with Gov. Bob McDonnell – December 4, 2018
- The 392nd Army Band and The U.S. Army TRADOC Band Holiday Concert – December 11, 2018
