Practitioners and Academics — Are There Differences in Course Content?

• DOI: 10.1177/0734371X9401400410
• Author: Alan L. Saltzstein
• Published date: 01 October 1994
• Date: 01 October 1994
• Subject Matter: Articles

RESEARCH
NOTE
Practitioners and Academics
— Are There Differences in
Course Content?
Alan L. Saltzstein
he
public administration profession encourages practitioner instruction.
The guidelines of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and
Administration (NASPAA) state that &dquo;The involvement of practitioners is
integral to the activities of a masters degree program&dquo; (1992:5). Programs that
are reviewed and accredited by NASPAA must specify how practitioners are
involved in their programs. The Association’s (1992:22) &dquo;Guidelines on Local
Government Management&dquo; are even more explicit, noting that: &dquo;Part-time,
adjunct faculty also play a critically important role. In addition to the perspec-
tives afforded by their offices and experiences, they provide a mentor function
that is crucial to student development.&dquo;
It is assumed by NASPAA and the public administration discipline gener-
ally that practitioners contribute a dimension to the teaching experience that is
different from that of more academically trained faculty. Exactly what that
dimension might be, however, is the subject more of speculation than any direct
evidence. A search of the public administration literature reveals little previous
discussion of the conditions under which one ought to use practitioner faculty,
or the relative advantages of doing so (see the exception of Woodridge, 1989).
The 1990 SPALR-ROPPA survey of instructors of personnel courses per-
mits one to analyze, for the first time, whether practitioner faculty structure their
courses differently from full-time academic faculty. This article compares
academic and adjunct instructors, examining whether any systematic differ-
ences
in course structure, lecture content and required readings are present in the
courses they offer in public personnel administration.
ACADEMICS AND PRACTITIONERS: WHAT
DIFFERENCES SHOULD WE
EXPECT ?
Why
are adjunct faculty typically hired? Perhaps in most cases adjuncts are used
because they are cheaper to employ than full-time faculty, or perhaps because
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elements in the community important
cepts of public administration, politi-
to the program’s agenda will be favor-
cal science or social science generally.
ably impressed if they are hired. In
It is likely that he or she will turn to this
some
cases it is possible that the hiring
literature as topics are selected for
of adjuncts represents a mutually ben-
emphasis. Attempts will be made to
eficial arrangement between retired
find conceptual bridges to other courses
practitioners and nearby MPA pro-
in the program curriculum, providing
grams.
students with some integrative themes
Most
likely, however, certain bona
or analytical frameworks.
fide programmatic concerns rather
The practitioner, in contrast, is
than considerations of strategy or con-
more likely to look toward his or her
venience are a part of the decision to
working environment, emphasizing the
hire an adjunct. It is assumed that a
topics of direct relevance to practical
personnel or budgetary practitioner
administration. The practitioner is less
will, for example, add a different di-
likely to be interested in theoretical
mension to the teaching mission. Prac-
topics, in issues involving controversy
titioners, by common presumption
in public administration or social sci-
should structure their courses around
ence generally, or the overall degree
more applied and practical aspects of
program’s curriculum. He or she is
personnel management or the fiscal
more likely to emphasize the practice
management process; in contrast, aca-
of personnel management as it is done
demicians should stress more theoreti-
in the &dquo; real world&dquo; of government agen-
cal concerns. Practitioners...