OU graduate student Jenhis Dunkel works with volunteers to create a new strategic plan for the future of the Paint Creek Center for the Arts.
Oakland University graduate student Jenhis Dunkel is taking his academic skills out into the community. As part of his final master’s project, Dunkel is helping to guide the Paint Creek Center for the Arts (PCCA) into a new strategic plan for the future.
All students in Oakland’s Master of Public Administration program must complete a PA 690 project or an internship designed to showcase their academic skills in a real-world situation that gives back to the community. Students must demonstrate their ability to solve or improve an administrative or management-related problem.
“Beyond the standard requirements, 690 projects are incredibly diverse,” said Diane Hartmus, director of the MPA program.
“Our students’ projects often produce valuable program evaluations, grant requests, needs assessments or cost benefit analyses that organizations might otherwise forego for lack of funds or knowledgeable staff. Many students join the MPA program because they see the needs of their community and they want to gain the skills necessary to become change makers,” she continued.
The project guidelines are broad, offering students an opportunity to incorporate their personal and professional interests into their work.
The PCCA is a good fit for Dunkel, who has long appreciated the center’s efforts.
“I have always enjoyed the services the PCCA provides to the region and hoped that someday I would be able to help in some way,” he said. “I approached the executive director a few months ago, and as luck would have it, she was just beginning to look at writing the new Strategic Plan. She was thrilled that I could help facilitate the process and welcomed me with open arms.”
The crux of his project is to revamp and develop the center’s Strategic Plan 2012-16. Utilizing the PCCA board, along with support from the MPA faculty, Dunkel is helping the center to fine-tune its overall mission and vision in order to better serve the community.
To begin, Dunkel invited 15 employees, board members, and former board members to participate in a SWOT analysis to determine the PCCA’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The data collected from the event helped Jenhis lead the group to identify new goals and objectives and re-write the strategic plan.
Dunkel formed a subcommittee to discuss and develop the new plan. They plan to submit the new Strategic Plan 2012-2016 to the board for approval early this spring.
“This kind of project is important for a number of reasons, but simply put, I believe that it will help the PCCA take a fresh and new look at itself,” Dunkel said. “I am very excited and I believe my work will help the organization to become much more successful and efficient in the future.”
Dunkel’s final project will offer the PCCA valuable direction as they plan for their future, according to Hartmus. This type of work is particularly significant as OU can offer its resources to community organizations that may be struggling.
“Getting students out into the community using their newly acquired skills rewards both the student and the community and is critically important to our success as an educational institution,” Hartmus continued. “Knowledge acquired in the classroom and applied in real-life situations prepares students to enter or move up in the work place with the best possible outcomes, and increases student confidence.”
For more information about Oakland’s MPA program, view the website at oakland.edu/mpa.
As part of his final master’s project, graduate student Jenhis Dunkel is helping to create a new strategic plan for the Paint Creek Center for the Arts.
Created by Katherine Land - Deleted (land@oakland.edu) on Friday, February 17, 2012 Modified by Katherine Land - Deleted (land@oakland.edu) on Friday, February 17, 2012 Article Start Date: Friday, February 17, 2012
