The Department has conducted exit interviews with graduating MPA students over the past two years. The results of these interviews have provided useful information to the faculty and staff about the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the program. Overall, comments were very positive and indicated that most graduates believe they had a beneficial learning experience. Several trends appear in the interviews that the Department is using in making changes for the future. Writing, oral communication and other basic skills and competencies should be key components of all MPA courses.
More structured interaction needs to take place among students.
Too much overlap exists between the budgeting and financial management courses. The research methods course is not seen as very relevant to students' career goals. Administrative support for students by the Department is good but Lincoln students have more difficulty in registration and process support than do Omaha students. The Department will announce several changes in the future that will address some of the issues raised by both students and alumni. Other panel members included Drs.