Western's department of political science celebrated a major milestone in 2024: the 50th anniversary of its local government program.
Faculty and alumni are marking the occasion with the release of Local Matters: Western's Local Government Program at 50.
Western's local government program celebrated 50 years in 2024, with the release of a commemorative book. (L to R): Political science professor Zack Taylor, political science professor and local government program director Joe Lyons and political science professor Martin Horak. (Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
Edited by political science professor Zack Taylor, the commemorative book is "part history, part celebration and part view to the future."
"We're proud of what our faculty and alumni have accomplished over the past 50 years and wanted to celebrate how the program started, how it has changed and the impact it has had on local governance in Ontario and in Canada," Taylor said.
Local matters: A unique and lasting focus
Western's local government program provides professional development for current municipal practitioners and leaders, and training for those looking to start a career in the field.
What began as an immersive six-week residential summer diploma program for municipal managers grew to become a graduate diploma in public administration (GDPA) in 1974, expanding to include a master of public administration (MPA) in 1990.
Today the GDPA is offered online, on campus and through a City of London employee education program. The MPA currently accepts about 30 full-time and part-time students annually.
Political science professor Joe Lyons, director of the local government program, believes the ability to adapt to changing times and new challenges while maintaining unique aspects of the program has been a formula for success.
"The focus on local government has been there since the start, as has the interdisciplinary character," Lyons said. "Instructors have always included both university research faculty and working professionals, ensuring a blend of academic rigour and current applicable content."
"For 50 years, Western's local government program has offered an educational experience unlike any other in Canada. At its core is a combination of characteristics that have stood the test of time." - Professor Joe Lyons, director, local government program
Cultivating early and mid-career connections
The local government program boasts a graduate placement rate of 90 per cent, which political science professor Martin Horak attributes, in part, to enduring relationships - forged first as students and maintained as alumni.
"In the MPA there are full-time students, usually straight out of undergraduate studies, mixed with part-time students, who are early to mid-career professionals. This puts people who want to get into the field connecting with people who already are in the field. The vast majority of full-time students graduating from our program get work in the field, because they make those significant connections," Horak said.
There are also valuable contacts made amongst established mid-career professionals connecting across disciplines on collaborative assignments and in class discussions.
"They're coming here to broaden their horizons, and as part of that, they connect with others who work in local government, but in roles requiring completely different specializations," Horak said. "They gain a broader perspective and a better understanding to take back to their own work."
Taylor agrees, having witnessed the "eye-opening" power of those interactions.
"We have fire fighters, cops, IT clerks, engineers, solicitors - basically, what represents the whole of a local government organization - finding its way into our classrooms. Seeing a chief of police, a chief librarian and a public health doctor around the table interacting, solving problems together is an incredible thing."
Longstanding partnership with the City of London, Ont.
One of the highlights of the local government program's history is a partnership established with the City of London, Ont. in 2012, offering the GDPA program to city employees.
City manager Sandra Datars Bere, BA'87, MPA'06, said the GDPA partnership has been vital in providing employees with "fresh insights and innovative approaches that help us continuously improve services for the London community."
"In a world that increasingly demands skilled leaders and informed citizens, Western's local government program equips students with the knowledge and skills to build resilient, thriving communities." - Sandra Datars Bere, city manager, City of London, and MPA graduate
Datars Bere knows first-hand the value of the program, having earned her MPA 16 years after completing her undergraduate degree at Western and working as a provincial public servant.
"I had been working at the community level but with a provincial lens, so I was looking for new learning and experience," she said. "I knew from the very first class this was going to be the program for me. It was taught by brilliant and committed scholars to a group of amazing learners from across various municipal and broader public sectors."
The City of London and local government program affiliation has broadened over the years, and now includes a research partnership in which MPA students work with the mayor's office, conducting research on municipal issues.
Datars Bere is the current vice-president of the local government program alumni society, which organizes mentorship and awards programs, and an annual conference. This year's conference drew a record 150 attendees who celebrated the half-century anniversary of the program.
"Fifty years is a big milestone," Lyons said. "As we look to the next 50 years, we know the local government program and its alumni society will continue to promote good governance across the province and beyond."
Copies of Local Matters: Western's Local Government Program at 50 can be purchased here. Book sales will support activities of the local government program alumni society.
