An Effective MPA Capstone:

Outcomes at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office

 

Richard G. Orman, Ph.D. Col. James Stormes, MPA

Barry University is a private, Catholic institution with a history of academic excellence in the Dominican tradition. Founded in 1940 in Miami, Florida, the University enrolls 2,747 full-time undergraduate students and 3,748 graduate students. With more than 100 undergraduate, graduate, professional and doctoral programs, populated by people of all ages, cultures, faiths and perspectives, Barry University provides a nurturing environment built on strong values and mutual respect.

The Partnership:Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office

& Barry University

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) was established as Florida’s 47th county in 1909. The county is the third largest in both population and square mileage of all Florida’s 67 counties.

PBSO provides law enforcement, civil, and corrections services to its residents

Under the leadership of the Sheriff, a Chief Deputy, two Colonels and a Director manage the activities of four departments. The four departments are the Department of Administrative Services, Department of Corrections, Department of Law Enforcement and the Department of Legal Affairs.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office

PBSO is made up of approximately 1,569 law enforcement deputies, 708 corrections deputies, 1,744 civilian employees and approximately 4,000 volunteers

The population of Palm Beach County (2010) is approximately 1.3 million.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office

The School’s substantial experience providing the andragogical principles to public administration has clearly paid off in enrollment.

The Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) degree was introduced at the Barry University School of Adult and Continuing Education (ACE) in the fall of 1994.

It is now offered at sites throughout Florida, serving approximately 300 majors. The program and curriculum are now matured and ACE can claim some very distinguished graduates.

Our graduates hold titles such as City Manager, County Administrator, Assistant City Manager, Police Chief, Fire Chief and Emergency Medical Services Director.

Public Administration at Barry University

The decline in enrollments in the BPA are attributed to the offering of four year degrees at Florida’s community colleges, As a result of the BPA success, Barry saw the need for a Master of Public Administration (MPA).

The MPA began in 2006 and targets a student population of adults working in the public and nonprofit sectors of Florida’s major urban areas.

Learning outcomes lead to application in the workplace. This principle has been the hallmark of Barry’s professional programs.

Public Administration at Barry University

  Students enrolled in BPA and MPA Programs by year at Barry University   2008 2009 2010 2011 BPA 345 344 344 295 MPA 62 104 108 151  

Recent Enrollments

2008 2009 2010 2011

BPA 345 344 344 295

MPA 62 104 108 151

A model for reestablishing municipal police in cases where mergers with the PBSO are cancelled.

Policy changes for the effective management of K-9 patrol.

Training on emotional intelligence for officers. Better management of nearly 4000 volunteers, Improved promotional processes. A model to reduce drug overdose. Increased revenue from a revised fee structure.

Capstones that Changed Policy

Privatization in County Jails: Why County Jails in Florida Abandon Private Service Contracts.

 Evaluation of PBSO Mergers with Municipal Police”.

 Village of Wellington Safe Neighborhoods and Home Preservation Program.

Is the Performance Appraisal Process a Motivational Tool?

 Is the TASER an Effective and Efficient Less-lethal Use of Force Option for Law Enforcement?

 

Research Not Yet Fully Evaluated for Application to

Policy or Procedure

Following are a number of statements about the capstone experience from the student’s perspective. Please respond to each statement with one of the five Likert Scale ratings.

  1. Strongly disagree; 2. Disagree; 3. No Opinion;

4. Agree; 5. Strongly agree 

An Evaluation of the MPA Capstone Experience at the Palm Beach County

Sheriff’s Office

A. I was in close contact with a supervisor while working on the capstone paper

Response __4___  B. I was in close contact with faculty while working on the

capstone paper. Response __4.6___  C. I began the capstone paper early in my MPA program

after taking the research methods course. Response _2.7___ 

An Evaluation of the MPA Capstone Experience at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office

D. The integrated learning experience was truly the capstone of my MPA education.

Response __4.6___

E. I was satisfied with the final capstone paper I prepared. Response __4.9___

F. The sponsoring organization learned useful information from the capstone paper that will help the organization’s ability to accomplish its core mission.

Response _4.8____

An Evaluation of the MPA Capstone Experience at the Palm Beach County

Sheriff’s Office (cont.)

G. The sponsoring organization has implemented changes as a result of the final capstone paper.

Response __3.9___

H. The sponsoring organization potentially may implement changes as a result of the final capstone paper.

Response _4.1____

An Evaluation of the MPA Capstone Experience at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office

(cont.)

S/he completes the program and graduates. S/he gains a confidence that s/he can

engage a complex research objective which is self-designed and self-directed.

S/he raises the esteem in which s/he is regarded within the agency for which s/he works. This is especially true if the research is focused on the agency where she is employed.

Student Outcomes

A model for reestablishing municipal police in cases where mergers with the PBSO are cancelled.

Policy changes for the effective management of K-9 patrol. Training on emotional intelligence for officers. Better management of nearly 4000 volunteers, Improved promotional processes. A model to reduce drug overdose. Increased revenue from a revised fee structure. Other indirect benefits such as The ability to communicate effectively Increased credibility with the public Ability to solve complex issues

Sheriff’s Office Outcomes

Students are enrolled and paying tuition. The school gains creditability with other public and non-

profit agencies which is important for a program only five years in existence.

Effective outcomes for the PBSO, enhances the assessment of the MPA program for future accreditation review by regional SACS and NASPAA.

Satisfaction for the faculty in its role in facilitating the partnership.

The university was made aware of the need to more effectively manage the sequencing and timing of the student’s preparation for the capstone.

 

Barry University Outcomes