The College of Professional Studies has received the very first annual VALOR Excellence Award presented by the University-wide initiative called Operation GW VALOR. VALOR, which stands for Veterans Accelerate Learning Opportunities and Rewards, is an initiative to support and to maximize the success of GW students who are serving in the military, are veterans or are military family members.

The Award citation reads: "For demonstrated excellence in learning and service, to the benefit of GW student military members, veterans, and their families as aligned with the GW VALOR vision, mission, initiatives and values; and which therefore contributed to the institutional mission and prestige of the George Washington University."

A Giving Couple: 

Chair of CPS Dean's Council and His Wife Donate $500,000 to Milken Institute

Richard and Janet Southby

Richard and Janet Southby, who have been committed to public health throughout their careers, have donated $500,000 to GW's Milken Institute School of Public Health. The Southbys' gift was recognized in a ceremony on May 6 with the naming of the Southby Conference Room, located in the dean's suite in the School's new building. Richard Southby is one of the founders and dean emeritus of the Milken Institute SPH and has held numerous positions at GW since he joined the faculty in 1979. He currently serves as the Chair of CPS Dean's Council. Janet Southby served in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps for 31 years as a colonel and chief of the Department of Nursing at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and is a member of the School of Nursing Dean's Advisory Council.

Read more on GW Today

The Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) is to launch a new degree program this fall to prepare students for careers in governance, legislative advocacy and policy advising in an international setting.  The Master of Advocacy in the Global Environment is designed to address the needs of governments, corporations and non-profits in having a cadre of professionals who can lobby legislative bodies, create advocacy plans and advise on regulatory and policy matters in foreign countries or regions. A distinctive feature of the program is a weeklong intensive in-country trip where students meet with decision makers and influencers and come back with a deep understanding of that country's political system and its leaders.

 "Whether you are seeking commerce or a cause, learning advocacy in a global environment is an essential skill to really be successful," says GSPM Director Mark Kennedy. "This is the first program that will teach students not just how to engage your own state capital or Washington, but how do you engage Beijing, Brussels or Brasília."

Read more on GW Today 

Read more on Politico 

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Executing a brilliant career advancement plan midway through a career as a paralegal at a healthcare and government relations law firm in Washington DC, Colette Jackson enrolled in CPS's graduate certificate in Healthcare Corporate Compliance in 2012 and then rolled it into a Master's in Paralegal Studies with a concentration in healthcare corporate compliance. Today, she is the Director of Compliance at a post-acute healthcare provider in Indiana with 2,500 employees and is enjoying the challenge of building the company's compliance program from scratch.

"My opportunity to attend GW's College of Professional Studies changed my life - really. I made great friends with whom I remain in contact, I made professional connections that have been invaluable, and the degree opened the precise door I had targeted", says Ms. Jackson.

On Friday, March 21, CPS Career Services, in partnership with the Sustainable Urban Planning Student Organization, hosted the very first Career Slam event. Industry professionals from nine prospective national and local employer organizations introduced themselves to the SUP students and discussed the role of urban planners in a 6 minute pitch format.  Each provided an overview of their organization as well as partner organizations, their technical competencies and current openings. For ongoing reference, each presentation was recorded and edited into a compiled video that has been both posted to YouTube and distributed to SUP students. 

Nearly all of the presenters promoted current opportunities in their organizations, which range from summer internships to full-time opportunities.  This made for a lively conversation afterwards, when the students and guest speakers engaged in networking. Participating organizations were: the City of Alexandria Planning and Zoning, Montgomery County Planning, Toole Design Group, World Bank, US Green Building Council, National Association of Development Organizations, HDR, District Department of Transportation and the District of Columbia Office of Planning.

Click Here to View Video 

The Educational Outreach office of Northern Kentucky University has conducted the Noel-Levitz Adult Learner Inventory twice in the past six years and has found remarkable consistency in results over the time period. The survey asks adult students to rate the importance of, and their satisfaction with, 77 statements about their educational experience.

Here are the findings: 

1) Adult learners rank the convenience of their schedule and the location of courses as critical. 

2) Adult learners want relevant programs that align with their life and career goals. 

3) Clear expectations about program or degree requirements and completion are very important to adult students. 

4) Adults want both formal and informal feedback from their professors and instructors; formal feedback in the form of relevant and graded assignments and exams, and informal feedback in the form of reassurance and guidance, especially if they have been out of school for a long time. 

5) Increasingly, adult students want an opportunity to receive credit for prior learning. This is due to both personal and financial reasons.

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In Search of the 

Holy Grail: 

CEPL Associate Director Interviewed on Al Jazeera America 

As members of the DC community, we are fortunate to have countless examples of public servants who work towards the greater good of this unique city. These often unsung heroes uphold the public interest amid competing interests, pressures, and demands. 

The GW Center for Excellence in Public Leadership of the College of Professional Studies partners with The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation to recognize and reward outstanding performance and

exemplary service by DC Government employees. Each year five winners receive a $7,500 cash prize, and get recognized at the Cafritz Awards Gala.