Oklahoma City University’s Meinders School of Business has rescheduled its Leadership & Public Administration certificate programs to Nov. 4-6 for those seeking elected office or wanting to learn more about what it is like to serve as an elected official on a school board, city council or state legislature. The programs were rescheduled from the spring due to the coronavirus.
The three non-partisan programs will be presented by members of the Oklahoma Senate and House, state agency representatives, Oklahoma mayors, public education officials and others knowledgeable about Oklahoma state and municipal government. Classes will be held on the OCU campus. Tuition is $350, and prerequisites are not required.
Upon successful completion of the program, participants will be awarded a certificate in Leadership in Public Administration in the Legislature, Municipalities or School Board track.
Enrollment is open to anyone interested in enhancing their knowledge of public service and administration.
“This is our third year for the program and we have an outstanding lineup of state, city and education professionals scheduled to deliver a top-notch experience for attendees,” said Susan Winchester, director of the Leadership & Public Administration certificate program.
Winchester, a former member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, knows firsthand how beneficial a public leadership program can be.
“When I was a freshman legislator, it was difficult to absorb all of the inner workings of state government,” Winchester said. “I knew the issues when I was elected, but had no idea how all of the moving parts of government worked. A program like this would have been hugely beneficial to me, and I am thankful that OCU and our partners -the Oklahoma Academy, Oklahoma Municipal League and the Oklahoma State School Boards Association - have joined together to bring this important program to the public.”
Classes will begin at 8:30 a.m. each day and will include dinner receptions Nov. 4 and 5, with the latter held at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame/Gaylord Pickens Museum. The program will conclude at noon Nov. 6.
For more information and to enroll, visit www.okcu.edu/lpa. Enrollment will remain open until the program begins in November.
