School of Public Policy Strategic Plan
Solutions for the Region, Solutions for the World
Mission
We evaluate and develop solutions to societal problems and governance challenges to inform public policy through excellence in research, undergraduate and graduate education, and engagement with community members and leaders at the local, national, and international level.
Vision
We will improve the lives of residents of the Inland Empire, California, the U.S., and the world.
Purpose
We exist to improve public policy.
Values
We value public policies that promote efficiency, equity, prosperity, and justice.
Strategic Goals
Improve our production of knowledge and acquisition of wisdom to identify solutions for public policy and governance challenges.
Improve our sharing of knowledge and wisdom with public policy scholars.
Improve our sharing of knowledge and wisdom with undergraduate and graduate students.
Improve our sharing of knowledge and wisdom with the community and the world.
Grow the school's number of students, faculty, and staff and create physical spaces that augment excellent programs and operations.
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Knowledge Production: Identifying solutions to public policy and governance challenges
INITIATIVES PROGRESS Outsource SPP's IT support to UCR's ITS in order to enhance faculty computing work and data processing. Completed Fall 2023 Maintain and support computing needs and data management. Completed in fall 2024. Now have schedule of computer replacements every 4 years. Maintain conditions that allow our researchers to thrive. Started the Center for Community Solutions in Summer 2024 Maintain excellence in securing and managing grant funding. Maintain excellence in the production of new research. -
Knowledge Sharing: Promoting solutions to public policy and governance challenges… through community engagement
INITIATIVES PROGRESS Create, maintain, and utilize the alumni database for connecting current students to alumni, generating employment opportunities, and advancement. Maintain connections with the other UC schools of public policy, staff at the UC Center Sacramento, and staff at the California Research Bureau. Regularly meet with local elected officials, administrators, and community leaders and invite them to participate in our events and be interviewed for our podcast. Via SPP research centers, host gatherings for the local community, policymakers, administrators, and elected officials, framing events as featuring "Policy Solutions", and using SPP branding. Overhaul the School's website and featuring "engagement" as a key component of the school. Completed Fall 2023: https://spp.ucr.edu/ -
Knowledge Sharing: Promoting solutions to public policy and governance challenges…. through scholarly communication
INITIATIVES PROGRESS Begin hosting a regular research seminar series. Podcast series began in Winter 2024 Coordinate research seminar schedules, speaker travel and reimbursement. Establish a research display case featuring one journal article for each faculty member. 
Refresh journal articles and books that are posted on SPP website. Completed in 2023-24: Research | School of Public Policy Faculty to inform communications staff of any newly published and/or "in press" books and articles for faster dissemination. Advertise research findings using social media. -
Knowledge Sharing: Promoting solutions to public policy and governance challenges…. through teaching
INITIATIVES PROGRESS Work with interested faculty in developing a qualitative methods course for the undergraduate degree and possibly consider a two track BS/BA degree model. PBPL 105, Qualitative Research Methods and Public Policy was added to the undergraduate curriculum in 2024 Flesh out the graduate program changes that were proposed and passed at the fall 2023 retreat and seeking necessary approvals for changing the requirements for the MPP degree. SPP faculty and UCR Academic Senate approval to add additional quantitative methods course to the required MPP course sequence Convene with staff of the Graduate Division to evaluate methods for students to take the MPP degree "part-time". Work with leadership of the Science to Policy program to secure greater integration of SPP and S2P. Hosted the National Science Policy Network's Symposium at UCR in April 2024. Integrate our student affairs staff support for the undergraduate and graduate programs. Deisy Vaca was promoted to Assistant Director of Student Success, providing supervision for the team that supports student success through the pipeline to UCR and then on to employment. Monitor implementation of the changes to the bachelor's degree program that were approved in Spring 2022. Entry and exit surveys/assessments developed to assess student learning. -
Grow the School and Create Excellent Physical Spaces
INITIATIVES PROGRESS Boost recruitment of undergraduate and graduate students. Convert INTN-4023 into a seminar room/classroom that will hold up to 26 attendees. 
Converted to Zoom classroom in Fall 2024
Consider possibilities of collaborations with foreign schools of public policy for possible student exchanges or joint master's degree programs. Increase Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition to help expand student affairs staff and improve physical spaces for graduate students. PDST increase passed by UC Regents in January 2024. MPP student advisory group established to recommend uses of PDST funds. Reconfigure space in INTN, INTS, and Olmsted to prepare for the growth of SPP. Work with the appropriate persons from UCR Facilities Services and furniture vendors, develop a space plan, and produce cost estimates. Hire a new student affairs staff member who will be instrumental in boosting the number of undergraduate applications and yield rate, boosting the applications of MPP students, and boosting applications of out-of-state and international MPP students. Completed