GSPM News

LGBT at the White House

Obama administration officials with GW ties talk about roles.

Dec. 1, 2011

Two White House officials with GW connections spoke at Jack Morton Auditorium Tuesday evening, touching on topics ranging from the Obama administration’s priorities on LGBT issues to why it’s vital that LGBT individuals take positions at all levels of government. The event, called “Being LGBT at the White House,” was cosponsored by the Graduate School of Political Management and the Allied in Pride graduate student organization.

Speakers Gautam Raghavan and Kei Koizumi both hold positions in the Obama administration. Mr. Raghavan is associate director of the White House’s Office of Public Engagement, and is currently completing a master’s degree in political management in GSPM. Mr. Koizumi is assistant director for federal research and development within the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy. He earned a master’s degree from GW’s Elliott School of International Affairs in 1995. Both are openly gay in their personal and professional lives.

Terri Harris Reed, GW’s vice provost for diversity and inclusion, moderated the discussion. “I’ve only been at GW for about six months, but I’ve been impressed by the number of individuals coming forward as supporters and advocates of GW’s diversity and inclusion agenda,” she said.

Each panelist described his typical day and discussed the issues in his portfolio at the White House. Mr. Raghavan’s role in the Office of Public Engagement involves working as the White House’s liaison to LGBT communities and people nationwide. He is one of only a few White House LGBT liaisons in history—the first was a member of the Clinton administration, and there was no liaison in the George W. Bush administration.

“We really try as much as possible to push beyond the Beltway,” Mr. Raghavan said. “As you can imagine, the conversations we have here are very different from the conversations people are having across the country. I talk to people at LGBT community centers, HIV/AIDS clinics, and folks working with equality organizations and nondiscrimination organizations—anything that affects the day-to-day lives of LGBT people.”

Mr. Koizumi works to link cutting-edge science and technology research to policy, and also assists in making policy for science and technology fields. Much of his work revolves around research and development, he said, and ensuring that the United States makes good investments of its science and technology funds.

Mr. Koizumi said that one of his priorities is to integrate LGBT talent into broader nationwide science and technology talent. “The president has made it clear that this is an ‘all hands on deck’ moment in terms of educating the next-generation work force,” he said. “When he says all hands, that means everyone. I’m trying to get the message out that LGBT Americans and LGBT students are a part of that vision.”

One of the projects he’s been most proud of, Mr. Koizumi said, was an “Out to Innovate” STEM career fair held last year in California. A second fair is in the works for Columbus, Ohio. “We want all Americans to consider science and math careers,” he said.

Mr. Raghavan said one of his goals is to see LGBT people in positions across the government. “It’s progress to have LGBT people not just working on LGBT issues,” he said. “We are scientists and engineers, we are national security specialists, we are the whole range—it’s about ensuring we’re at every table where decisions are made.”

Mr. Raghavan also discussed the Obama administration’s work on hospital visitation rights and relayed the story of Janice Langbehn, a lesbian who was barred from visiting her dying partner in the hospital. As a result of a rule made by the Department of Health and Human Services at President Obama’s direction, all hospitals that participate in Medicare and Medicaid may no longer deny same-sex partners visitation rights.

An important part of both of their jobs, the panelists said, is making the public aware that LGBT issues are far-reaching, even for non-LGBT people. The recent repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy is a good example. “The story of the repeal is an example of what can happen when a lot of things come into alignment,” Mr. Raghavan said. “You have the leadership of the president, strong leadership in Congress, advocates doing incredible work, plus courageous men and women in uniform who are willing to tell their stories. And the leadership has said that overall, since repeal, service members are acting with professionalism and respect for one another.”

Mr. Koizumi said that while meeting “rock star scientists” and learning about their research is one of the professional highlights of his job, there have also been personal highlights.

“As an LGBT person, I had a chance to introduce my husband to my boss, who is the president’s science adviser,” he said. “And every part of that sentence is just really cool.”

Both panelists said they hope to remain in government service as their careers progress, and both want to remain part of the Obama administration for as long as possible.

“I didn’t make it that far from GW,” Mr. Koizumi joked. “I only made it a couple of blocks since I got my degree.” He is currently teaching a course on science and technology policy as an adjunct instructor at GW.

Michael Komo, president of Allied in Pride Graduate Students and a legislative affairs graduate student and staff member in GSPM, said he was thrilled with the discussion.

"The event provided a unique opportunity for people of all backgrounds in the GW community to better understand the current issues facing LGBT individuals," he said. "By having LGBT representatives from the White House serve as the panelists, the audience was able to gain valuable insight into exactly how the Obama administration is working to address the needs of the LGBT community and further equality."

Andrew Raker, a museum studies graduate student who attended the discussion, said he thought it effectively highlighted the important work LGBT people are doing.

“I felt that the event provided a good overview of the forward strides LGBT people have made in political life,” he said. “While further challenges are still present, I left with a sense that they are not insurmountable.”

An Exercise in Budgeting

Former members of Congress and George Washington students team up to discuss current fiscal challenges.

Dec. 5, 2011

George Washington students and 13 former members of Congress worked together to find ways to reduce the 10-year federal deficit during an interactive exercise Saturday in the City View Room.

Graduate students and alumni from GW’s Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) and undergraduate students from the Department of Political Science teamed up with former congressmen, including former Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), Rep. Vic Fazio (D-Calif.) and Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) for the “Principles and Priorities” simulation interactive exercise, sponsored by the United States Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC), the Concord Coalition and GSPM.

The event included remarks by GSPM Acting Executive Director Dennis Johnson, FMC President and former Rep. Dennis Hertel (D-Mich.) and Jeff Thiebert, northeast regional director of the Concord Coalition; and a group discussion led by Director of the GSPM Legislative Affairs Program Steve Billet and Acting Director of the GSPM Political Management Program Michael Cornfield.
In his introduction, Dr. Johnson spoke briefly about when he first taught budgetary policy in GSPM’s Legislative Affairs Master’s Program in the mid-1990s.

“We were having a little difficulty [then] with the budget and then things got a better, but, my gosh, do we need you folks now and we need to have this simulation,” said Dr. Johnson.

After an overview of the current fiscal problems and budget deficit, Mr. Thiebert told the participants that their job was to balance spending and revenue by looking at a number of policy options and areas, including mandatory and defense spending. He challenged the students to find $1.2 trillion in savings—or more—over the next 10 years.

“By working as groups, you’re going to see that these [budget options] are difficult choices, but they are tough choices that have to be made,” he said.

To begin the simulation, students divided into 10 diverse groups or “special committees,” which each included at least one former member of Congress, to develop solutions using workbooks that detailed the current federal budget and an options book that included a list of more than 40 possible policy proposals and their respective cost estimates.

Over the next 90 minutes, students and the former members discussed the choices needing to be made in a variety of budget categories, including health, international affairs and income security.

Sophomore Danica Brown said she attended the event to get an idea of the “conversation that goes into budgeting.”

“Events like today’s are important for students to participate in because we’re going into the real world very soon and we’re going to be the ones that want to make these decisions,” she said. “It gives us a little more of a mature view of politics and the reality of the situation. The numbers we decide on will affect someone’s life one day.”

Rep. Fazio said the event was an opportunity for students studying politics and public policy to begin to understand the problems facing elected officials, especially as some may become elected officials themselves.

“I hope they’ll understand the difficulty of the problems people face trying to come to closure on tough decisions,” he said.

“I always enjoy interaction with students,” Rep. Fazio added. “I had the opportunity to sit with four people who brought some different skills and background to the table but who interacted very effectively. It was very enjoyable and a lot of fun.”

Click here for more information on the event.

Learning online: Virtual masters degrees in public relations on the rise

PRSA Tactics Magazine

November 18, 2011

By Larry Parnell, Program Director, Strategic Public Relations

Right now, thousands of students are taking online courses to finish their undergraduate programs, obtain an advance degree or enhance their knowledge in a new category.

In its most recent report, the Condition of  Education 2011, the United States Department of Education (DOE) notes that in the academic year 2007-2008, about 4.3 million undergraduate students — or 20 percent of all undergraduates — took at least one distance (online) education course.

For grad students, the percentage is higher: 800,000 (or 22 percent) of all graduate students took at least one online course during the 2007-2008 school year. And 9 percent of all graduate students completed their entire program through distance or online education programs in the same year, according to the DOE report.

As for the fields of study, the most common — by far — is business/management (MBA);  followed by health and humanities, or the liberal arts.  The DOE report does not separate public relations/communications as a subject of study, but anecdotal evidence suggests that this is one of the fastest-growing sectors pursued by online learners.

For those of us who are accustomed to the traditional standards of a professor interacting with students in a classroom, this might come as a shock — and we might even question the efficacy and value of this virtual approach. If so, then we would be behind the times.

“The double-digit growth of online enrollments signals a sea change in higher education,” said Dr. Gloria Pickar, group president and chief academic officer, Embanet-Compass Knowledge Group, an online learning company. “What is most surprising and encouraging is the mounting evidence that online learning is not merely convenient, but transformative.”

Many respected academic institutions with communications programs — including my own school,  The George Washington University (GWU) — have built online programs that attract a diverse group of students. 
For highly motivated adult learners, an online program opens up significant opportunities to enhance their professional training and academic foundation — without changing jobs, taking time off or uprooting their families.

At GWU, our Master of Science in Strategic Public Relations program is entering its fifth year.  The online enrollments have grown from 30 students in our first year to nearly 200 students for the Fall 2011 semester. 
Kent State University, the University of Nebraska and West Virginia University are some of the schools that have started online programs.

Online advantage

So is this model working?

Gary Klasen, vice president of communications at Cleveland-based Eaton Corporation, is a 2011 graduate of the GWU online master’s program. He notes that one of the unexpected benefits of taking an online program is the range of experience and cultural backgrounds among his fellow students.

“In my online classes, I was surprised at the level of interaction with both the instructors and my classmates, some of whom were based as far off as South Korea, the Middle East and South Africa,” he said. “Such a collection of  like-minded professionals is only possible in an online environment.”

For other students, like Lilianna Chacon-Menay, a mother and military spouse and a 2009 graduate of the program, the online environment held some surprises beyond convenience and time flexibility.

“I had assumed I would miss out on the camaraderie with fellow students and the immediacy of classroom discussions,” she said. “But I was wrong. Over the course of two years, my cohort and I built an expansive professional network that I still tap into to this day.”

Both Chacon-Menay and Klasen emphasized that online learning has its issues.  The biggest challenge for online students, they stressed, is time management.

“To succeed, online students must be disciplined about their study time,” Chacon-Menay said.  “Because almost all of your classroom interactions are graded, students have to stay on top of their reading and be purposeful in their writing.”

While online courses won’t replace the traditional face-to-face approach to learning, they’re creating a new generation of  leaders that will benefit the PR profession well into the future.

7 things you should know about online education before applying

1. Read entry requirements and plan accordingly. Admission is competitive. There is an increasing demand for virtual learning, so admissions departments can — and will — be more selective.
2. Be motivated. Instructors will expect a lot from you as an online student in terms of time management, participation and assignments.
3. Network, make connections and learn outside the classroom. Although classes are online, there are still opportunities for you to interact with your peers.
4. Think of your essay as an opportunity to display writing skills, creativity and drive — not as a throw-in essay with the transcript and recommendations letters.
5. Ask questions. Reach out to graduates of various programs —
   all schools have alumni lists and should be happy to provide this info.
6. Know what the school has to offer. Look into the available resources: student services, advisors, career advice, writing centers/workshops, etc.
7. Visit the campus of the school that you choose even though you will be a  virtual student.   — L.P.