But two developments were largely responsible for getting the Arkansas Poll off the ground this year. First, the University established a new center for public opinion research in mid-1998. The system is the same one used by the Canadian Census Bureau and is the latest in polling technology, according to Dr. Molly Longstreth, the Survey Research Center's Director. The Arkansas Poll being readied for this fall will be the CATI system's maiden voyage. The second development that helped to launch the Arkansas Poll was the adoption of a new degree program at Fayetteville, a Ph.D. in public policy.
Students entering the program can expect exposure to many academic fields.
Participating faculty are from all over the campus, making the degree genuinely interdisciplinary. The relationship of the Arkansas Poll to the new Ph.D. program is to provide the students with a hands-on opportunity to study public policy, with specific attention to citizen attitudes and perceptions. The faculty hope the students will take such information with them to their jobs as public administrators, elected officials, community organizers, and more. The program is expecting its first class of entering graduate students this fall. Graduate students won't be the only beneficiaries.