Some of the nation’s young thought-leaders have assembled in downtown Jackson’s Hilton Garden Inn through today for a cloudburst of activities and worthwhile presentations during the 45th annual Conference of Minority Public Administrators (COMPA). The plethora of topics includes science, processes, technology, art and public administration – all intended to eliminate discriminatory practices against minority groups.
COMPA, which started Wednesday, is exploring vital issues that shape the nation’s communities and is sponsored by Jackson State University’s Department of Public Policy and Administration and the College of Public Service.
Among the sessions included:
- Social Equity and Fairness
- Citizen Participation and Engagement
- Community, Economic and Urban Development
- NASPAA Accreditation Standards
- Health and Education Disparities
- Citizen Participation and Engagement
- Role of Nonprofit and Faith-based Organizations
- Public Policy and Management
- Branding Yourself to Get a Job in an Unstable Employment Landscape
- Mentoring and Being Mentors
- Addressing the Needs of Students
Dr. Gloria J. Billingsley, a JSU associate professor in the Department of Public Policy and Administration and the 2015-2016 COMPA president, said this year’s conference is “premised on asset-based thinking and utilizes a strength–based approach.” She said, “Asset-based thinking challenges our tendency to be preoccupied with problem identification and forces us to focus our attention on finding solutions.”
Furthermore, said Billingsley, “The goal of the 2016 COMPA conference is to accentuate the symbiotic relationship between academics, practitioners, students and communities that is necessary for sustainable collective action in solving many pressing issues in marginalized communities.”
One of Thursday’s sessions, for example, included a student policy debate that addressed the issue swirling around the potential nomination of a new Supreme Court nominee in the wake of the death of justice Antonin Scalia. Students on opposing sides argued whether President Barack Obama should delay attempts to fill the void. The team favoring an appointment by Obama won the debate, which was judged by a cross-section of judges that transcended race.
The other debate stemmed from a controversy over whether Apple should oppose a judge’s order to help the FBI break into the iPhone of a shooter in San Bernardino, Calif. The judgment follows the aftermath of slayings in December by radical Islamists supporting ISIS that left 14 people dead. The group supporting privacy won that debate.
JSU’s Aden Brown, a second-year graduate student in public policy administration, was a participant for the winning side of the debate.
Brown said, “Debates are very important for inspiring public policy administrators to be able to think on their feet. … You must know how to answer questions fluently. These debates aid that effort.” He said in debating the Domestic Terrorism Act we wanted to address whether the government should have access to private cell phone data. “I understand how people can weigh in on both sides, but the debate allowed us to facilitate what might be the best idea and approach for the people from a public policy point of view.”
COMPA targets “excellence in public service and public administration in university settings and in city, county state and national government operations.” As well, it mentors students for careers in public service “through teaching, training, scholarships and national exposure.”