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About the Truman School of Public Affairs

Established by the University of Missouri Board of Curators in May, 2001 the Harry S Truman School of Public Affairs grows out of MU's highly regarded Department of Public Administration, which for forty years offered professional education for careers in public service. The creation of the Truman School represents an extensive new commitment to public affairs education, research, and public service on the Columbia campus. As a result, the School has added new faculty, completely redesigned the MPA Program, and increased research and outreach activities. The Truman School includes the Institute of Public Policy, the Center for the Study of Organizational Change, the European Union Center the Rural Policy Research Institute, and a group of affiliated centers.

The mission of the Truman School is to advance the knowledge and practice of governance in Missouri, the nation, and beyond by informing public policy, educating for ethical leadership in public service, and fostering democratic discourse among citizens, policy makers, and scholars.

• Advancing Knowledge Scholarly research, the production of new knowledge, and its dissemination are central to the work of the Truman School. Across diverse areas of scholarship, our faculty, staff, and students make important contributions to theory and practice.
• Informing Governance and Public Policy Policy makers confront increasingly complex, challenging and contentious issues. Through its Policy Programs, the Truman School helps to bring knowledge and expertise directly to policy makers.
• Educating for Ethical Leadership Education for ethical leadership in public service encompasses professional development, continuing education, graduate certificates, and graduate degrees. Our graduates apply their knowledge and skills to the critical challenges facing the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
• Fostering Democratic Discourse The Truman School provides a meeting ground for policy makers, community members, scholars, and students to engage issues of public policy. Community forums, roundtables, lectures, and other civic events facilitate public dialogue.