Mentoring online MPA students: Assessing mentorship qualities and aligning program goals

ABSTRACTMentoring is important for students in a Master of Public Administration (MPA) program. This can be even more complicated when the academic program is fully online. Effective mentoring is about building relationships and guiding academically, professionally and emotionally. This can be challenging in the online environment due to a lack of social cues and technology barriers, but is possible through e-mentoring. This contribution is focused on both the quality of mentorship for MPA students and the complexities of providing mentoring in a fully online environment. Additionally, this involves the centering of mentoring in program delivery and how this is integrated into program goals including the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) competencies. A survey was sent to current and former MPA students in a fully online MPA program to assess student perceptions of the ideal mentor and their achievement of the NASPAA competencies. It was found that there is considerable overlap between some mentorship qualities and perceptions of NASPAA competencies.KEYWORDS: Learning competenciesmentoringMPANASPAAonline education Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationNotes on contributorsDaniel HummelDaniel Hummel, MPA, PhD, Public Administration, is an Assistant Professor in the Political Science department at the University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM). He teaches public budgeting and finance, state and local government, American urban politics and intergovernmental relations. He has been teaching in MPA programs since 2013. He completed his undergraduate degree (BA) in International Politics at Pennsylvania State University in 2004, his MPA at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2009, and his Ph.D. in Public Administration at Florida Atlantic University in 2013. His research is focused on state and local government and nonprofit budgeting and finance with a specific interest in legacy cities.Leigh HerseyLeigh Hersey, M.Ed, PhD, Political Science, is an Associate Professor in the Political Science department and is the Master of Public Administration (MPA) Coordinator at the University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM). She is the lead for the Women Take FLIGHT professional development program for women faculty and staff at ULM. For six years, she served on the planning team for a Federal contract with the Delta Regional Authority Executive Leadership Academy which provides leadership training for community leaders in the eight-state footprint. She has also conducted professional development workshops for nonprofit professionals in Memphis, TN. Her research focuses on community development. Hersey earned a certificate in Women in Leadership from Cornell University in 2020. She serves on the Board of Directors of the ULM Women’s Symposium and the Children’s Coalition for Northeast Louisiana.