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Dean's Letter

The College of Urban and Public Affairs (CUPA), established in 1976, is home to three exciting and highly regarded schools - the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government, the Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning, and the School of Community Health - and 12 centers and institutes focusing on research and public service. We offer nine degrees across the bachelors', masters' and doctoral levels and currently have an enrollment of approximately 1,600 students.

The College has a core of 72 faculty and also a substantial number of adjunct faculty from the community that supplement our teaching program and bring a wealth of experience to the classroom.

The Oregon MPH degree, a collaborative program with the Oregon Health & Sciences University and Oregon State University, is currently rated second in the county by U.S. News and World Report. A study in the Journal of Urban Affairs ranked the doctoral program in urban studies fifth in the nation.

The College is a significant force in shaping the future of cities in Oregon and around the country. Through our research and teaching, we aspire to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the issues and challenges facing a rapidly urbanizing world. We are uniquely situated to make a significant contribution through extensive multi-disciplinary approaches to the development of new knowledge and the translation of this knowledge for the public benefit.

I know of no other place in the country where under one roof exists urban planning, community health, governance, policy, and public administration as represented in our three schools. New relationships among these disciplines and professions leads to new knowledge and new approaches for realizing sustainable, livable communities. The College is where this can happen.

Since 1976 our college has awarded more than 7,300 degrees, slightly more than 40% being masters or doctoral level. Our graduates can be found in various planning, governance, administration and health positions around Portland, the metropolitan region, the state, and country. Some of our graduates can even be found on our faculty, teaching a new generation of students. We are very proud of the contribution all our graduates are making. And, if you live in the Portland region you can be pretty sure you know one of our graduates, or that your everyday life has been touched in some way by the important work they do.

So take some time to review our website and browse through some of the achievements and exciting programs of our three schools. If you are interested in civic leadership, innovative approaches to urban planning, new ways of thinking about community health, issues in criminal justice policy, or creative ideas about government and governance, then your time browsing will be well spent.

 

Lawrence Wallack, Dean