Recognizing the Institute's academic growth and the important contribution of its scholarly and public service activities, the University renamed the Institute the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service in 1997. The School offers Master of Arts degrees in Public Policy and Management and Health Policy and Management and has been authorized to offer a Master of Arts degree in Community Planning and Development. The first Ph.D. candidates were accepted at the School in the fall of 1999. By supporting Muskie School programs that engage students, faculty and staff in public service initiatives across America, the Foundation will carry forward Senator Muskie's legacy of civic responsibility. The Foundation promotes the development of innovative public policy approaches and the resolution of conflicts in the areas of environmental protection, foreign policy, public integrity, and intergovernmental relations.
Special attention is placed upon civic responsibility and integrity in public service.
To carry out this mission, the Foundation convenes debates, seminars, and issue forums, and usually publishes a Foundation Issue Brief on the featured topic, compiling the research, studies and recommendations of the participants. The Foundation works to ensure a balanced and full exploration of the issues by a range of experts in the issue area. The Foundation serves as a facilitator in the search for resolution of environmental and other public controversies. D.C. The Hon. D.C. The Hon.