Next week (May 14^th- 17^th) the Columbia University campus will be bustling with commencement activities.  Graduation is a time of celebration, reflection and also particularly limited access to campus. A Columbia University ID card is required to enter campus only at specific points and during specific times. Guests of graduating students must have a ticket and graduating students must arrive at the appointed time to line up and prepare to walk onto the great lawn for the ceremony.

President Obama is the commencement speaker for Barnard College on Monday, May 14^th on the great lawn. As a result, campus security is heightened and many streets will be closed off to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

As you can imagine, a lot of planning, preparation and execution is required for such a large event and Columbia’s great lawn will hold hundreds of people for multiple events before the week is over. Commencement week 2012 is a website dedicated specifically to provide information about the graduation ceremonies being held all week.  You can even catch some of the commencement festivities on the campus webcam.

As a result, we advise anyone planning to visit SIPA during this time to make alternate arrangements. You are welcome to call our office or send an email to receive answers to your inquiries or make other visiting arrangements.

The commencement ceremony for SIPA is being held on Thursday, May 17^th. We wish our students the absolute best of luck and congratulations!!

I was elated last fall when I was selected to be one of nine people on a capstone project, poised to investigate land tenure issues and resolution strategies in the southern coast of Haiti with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Côte Sud Initiative (CSI). Now midway through the project and having just returned from our fieldwork trip to Haiti over spring break, I can give a little more insight to the capstone process from our perspective.

SIPA students don’t write a disseration or masters thesis to graduate- instead they participate in capstone projects or workshops. The capstone can make or break your second year spring. On the one hand, it can be a great opportunity to get hands-on experience working for a client on a real world setting, creating connections for future job opportunities and résumé-building skills. On the other, it also can eat up your time, as you feel you are working a full-time job on top of your other classes and commitments. And while some clients may be extremely demanding, others may be frustratingly absent, requiring a lot more guesswork on the part of the student group. For better or worse, catering to all sorts of clients provides important real-world skills.

Some capstone projects include domestic or international travel funded by the clients, while others can be done comfortably here in New York.  The EPD Capstone Workshops more reliably require travel outside the US, but this year more than 30 capstone project students traveled to South Sudan, Uganda, and Haiti among other places.

As an MPA in Development Practice student, a capstone project is not a graduation requirement for me as it is for most other SIPA concentrations. The MPA-DP equivalent to a capstone is the summer field placement, where students spend three months in the field, working with a selected organizations on targeted development projects. I so enjoyed my fieldwork in Uganda, however, that I was eager for more opportunities to tackle real world problems.

Our project aims to investigate the frequency, intensity, and reasons for land tenure conflict in Southern Haiti, examine what formal and informal institutions exist to address those conflicts, and understand what means individuals in rural communities actually use to resolve those conflicts. We also want to better understand what barriers may exist that prevent people accessing certain services, so that in our final report, we can recommend possible strategies for removing those barriers. This region is plagued by severe erosion caused by deforestation and annual hurricanes. While CSI is promoting agricultural improvements and tree-planting, they also want people understand people’s incentives for or against investing in land. Hence the land tenure investigation.

While I was initally concerned that nine people might be too many to work efficiently, we discovered that the amount of work we had to do to prepare for our week of travel and surveying over spring break was easier to tackle in pieces. We were able to divide and conquer the tasks of literature review, communicating with our client, seeking advice from academics around the country, working with our client in Haiti to organize field logistics, creation of a survey and analysis framework, budgeting, and applying for external funding.

Indeed, with only 10 days, as 8 people traveling in Haiti we were able to maximize our learning curve. Four members of our team focused on legal issues at the regional and national scale, carrying out interviews with land tenure experts, lawyers, notaries, judges, and surveyors in the southern city of Les Cayes and with NGOs and government organizations in Port-au-Prince. My four-person team focused on knowledge at the grassroots level, conducting interviews and focus groups with rural notaries, surveyors, justices, womens groups, farmers cooperatives, community leaders, and religious leaders in the villages of Port-à-Piment, Les Anglais, Tiberon, Chardonniers, and Coteaux.

We stayed in dormitories, hotels, and at the CSI guest house, and worked with two agro-forestry students from the American University of the Caribbean in Les Cayes. They were critical members of the team, helping us to set up meetings and translate interviews, and we were able to present our initial findings to a group of over 150 students at their school at the end of the week. We spent our days traveling and interviewing and our evenings translating and processing information into categories. The fact that we continued to enjoy eachother’s company after 10 days straight together is a testament to how great SIPA students are!

A big challenge for me was language. Reviving my rusty french took some effort, and giving presentations in another language was particularly difficult. It was also clear how important knowledge of the local creole would be if one were working on the ground in Haiti- the best stories we learned were those told in creole, recordings of which the AUC students helped us to translate in the evenings.

In one such telling story we heard during the week, a woman in Les Anglais sold her land rights to somone from another village in exchange for a sack of flour. She then proceeded to go up to the land and chop down all the trees on it, since they no longer belonged to her and she could make money from the charcoal from the wood. The sad reality in these communities is that the immediate promise of financial benefit often outweighs the uncertain gains from future investment (for economists out there, you know I’m talking about discount rates). We hope that the report we produce and present in late April will help shed light on some of these issues, and to help CSI as they move forward with their development work in the region.

Temp: 78°F/ 26°C, Sunny.  Humidity: 46%. Wind: N 0 mph.

The SIPA Admissions & Financial Aid Office continues to respond to email inquiries and calls about enrollment and financial aid.   We’re also speaking with many prospective candidates thinking about pursuing their Masters at SIPA next year.  In fact, we are running an information session later this evening (and every Friday at 12Noon).  It’s never too early to start researching programs… and funding sources.

It was great meeting so many wonderful candidates last Tuesday at our Admitted Students’ Day– heard from a lot of people asking about financial aid — of course, we wish we had money to offer everyone to study at SIPA but the reality is our first year fellowship resources is very limited.  I always encourage folks to research external scholarships as early as possible especially if you are thinking about pursuing your graduate studies at SIPA.

Once you’re here, there’s plenty to keep you busy (see Molly’s earlier post).  This week students are working on their capstone projects and preparing for finals.  But some took time out of their busy schedules and went to the SIPA Gala … Follies is also coming up.

On that thought, I’m going to actually step away from my desk for a moment and stroll down Amsterdam Avenue for a bite to eat… and of course to enjoy the gorgeous weather.

By Twisha Mehta and Molly Powers

When students list their reasons for wanting to go to SIPA, there’s one that reliably makes it into the top 5 list: living in New York City. The city that never sleeps, the concrete jungle that dreams are made of, home to the UN, to Wall Street, to the Statue of Liberty. There is an infectious energy in New York, and an excitement in knowing that the world is at your fingertips. Some students complain that it’s also one of the most expensive cities to live in. It’s true that dinner and a movie can easily cost more than $50 these days, but, as in any city, there are bargains to be found and plenty of adventure to be had on a student budget. To prove a point, a group of SIPA students headed out one weekend last fall to see how far $25.00 dollars could take us in the Big Apple.

We took the 1 subway from the Columbia University 116^th Street station to 14^th Street. Our first stop: Chelsea Market to have a cup of coffee and gape at all the expensive baked goods and sundries that our budget would not allow.  Then onto the High Line – a recently constructed urban public space in the meatpacking district. The High Line is an historic elevated railroad that has been repurposed into a pedestrian park decorated with public art and native species of plants and grasses. New York neighborhoods each have their own distinct flavor, and Chelsea is no different. The Highline juxtaposes industrial space with modern architectural elements. The elevated space not only gives a bird’s eye view of the neighborhood, but it also provides stunning views of the Empire State building and the Hudson River away from the bustle from the street below.

After strolling along the High Line, we headed uptown through Times Square, to the Bryant Park Winter Marketplace- a wonderland of winter fun and shopping. We grabbed some fresh kettle corn and mozzarepas and contemplated whether or not to take advantage of the free Bryant Park ice skating- skate rental is just $6! Instead, we opted to make our way towards Museum Mile for a touch of culture.

As we crossed through Central Park towards the Upper East Side, we spontaneously decided to take a rowing excursion in the Lake at 72^nd street. Everyone had a chance behind the oars as we followed turtles and took photos of ourselves in the beautiful fall foliage and blue skies. One hour later, we arrived on Museum Mile.

Museum Mile hosts some of the best museums in the world- ranging from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Jewish Museum to the African Art Museum to the Guggenheim. Take note here, that a critical companion on our journey today was our Columbia student ID. With the ID, we get free access and discounts to dozens of museums, theaters, movies, and events throughout the city. After our tour of the Guggenheim, we crossed back through Central Park in the evening and took the 1 subway line back up to Columbia.

New York City is definitely one of the greatest perks of SIPA. Living and studying the city not only offers you a spectrum of professional opportunities, but it is a cultural education in itself.

For the breakdown of our frugal budget:

Subway Fare: $9.00

Coffee: $4.00

Lunch/Snacks: $5.87

Boating in Central Park: $15.00 (Cost per person: $5.00).

Total Cost:  $23.87 

A beautiful day out in New York City with good friends- priceless!

Why did you attend Admitted Students Day?

I wanted to get a feel of the school; to literally feel how I felt on campus, the environment, and most importantly meet current students so that I could get their personal feedback. A lot of times a school sounds great on paper, but to me it is important to see how I fit in and if I felt it was a place I could thrive in. Admitted Students Day is a great way to meet current students and ask “real” questions.

What was the best information you learned?

The best information I learned was getting a better understanding of the concentration and specializations. During Admitted Students Day, I was able to meet the director of the Urban and Social Policy concentration and talk to students about the classes they were taking and their experience at SIPA overall.

How did it help you decide to come to SIPA?

Meeting the students and learning more about the concentration is what helped me decide to come to SIPA. I liked the flexibility of the concentration and the positive experience of the students.

What else did you do besides visit the school to make your decision?

As a student of color, I wanted to be comfortable in graduate school. The diversity of classes, students and the New York City experience led me to choose SIPA. I wanted to be able to fit in and feel comfortable in school and just being in New York City where there is a diversity in the population, I knew the dialogue would be stimulating and studying urban policy, there would be no better place. Moreover, SIPA has a student organization SIPA Students of Color (SSOC) and to me having a safe space to talk about issues that affect my community was important. I am now currently on the board of the organization.

What’s one word of advice you would give to a newly admitted applicant this year?

Network! SIPA Students of Color (SSOC) will be hosting a happy hour for admitted students on Monday April 9, 2012 at Havana Central. Come network with current students and get to know SIPA better!

Check here for more information about Admitted Students Day.  We hope to see you there!

When decisions go out each year, applicants will often contact our office to discuss their SIPA admission decision. Statements and questions like the following are not uncommon:

• I don’t understand why I was put on the waitlist at SIPA when I was admitted to all of the other schools I applied to. Can you explain why?

• I received a fellowship offer from another school but not from SIPA. Why didn’t I get SIPA fellowship funding?

• SIPA’s letter said that I should get more experience and apply again at a later time but other schools admitted me? Why?

• My decision letter from SIPA said I could benefit from additional English language study but I was admitted to other U.S. programs. Why?

• Why have I heard from other schools but not SIPA?

To offer some insight to these types of concerns…  If every single applicant applied to the same exact schools, were read by the exact same committee, and the committees shared the exact same budget then these questions might not exist.  Obviously, this is not what happens.

Policy schools are similar in many ways. We have similar core classes, faculty that study, teach, and practice common subjects, and we seek to prepare students for similar careers. However, each school differs in many ways when it comes to shaping an incoming class.

Each school has its own unique Admissions Committee structure. Each school has its own unique applicant pool. Each school has a different fellowship endowment and can choose to use it in different ways. Each school has different donors who set different criteria for awards. Each school has its own time lines.

The reality is each policy school is different in its own way and will make decisions based on its history, goals, preferences and yes, limitations.

In many areas, SIPA is ahead of the curve on paperless and wireless innovation. Classrooms are multimedia, occasionally even connecting lecturers and other classrooms from around the world. Your readings and the lion’s share of research materials are online, papers are submitted via a course dropbox, students collaborate on projects over google docs, lucid charts, and prezi.  But perhaps because SIPA students’ inboxes are so constantly brimming, when it comes to publicizing school-wide events, we tend to resort to old-fashioned forms of marketing, i.e. posters.

It is one of the great frustrations of my SIPA experience that each day as I walk from the 4^th floor to the 6^th floor café, I read about all the amazing things that are happening on campus that I won’t be able to attend because, oh yeah, I have to go to classes. A seminar on digital politics in Tibet. A film screening of Food Inc. by the SIPA Food Group. A speakers panel on Rio +20 with the UN Ambassador from Brazil. A public policy forum on voters’ rights with the NAACP President. A workshop on salary negotiation.  I find myself wishing that for a semester, instead of taking courses, I could attend every interesting panel or seminar. But then the courses are pretty good too.

Here’s a taste of what’s on the wall this week.

Humanitarian Negotiations Revealed: The MSF Experience

Monday, March 19 from 6pm to 9pm

Humanitarian negotiations are life-and-death issues for people in need, but they also raise troubling political and ethical dilemmas for the organizations that are engaged in them. In the forthcoming book Humanitarian Negotiations Revealed: The MSF Experience, published by Columbia University Press, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) takes a critical look at how its teams have negotiated to gain access to people in urgent need of lifesaving medical assistance in the 40 years since MSF was founded, including recent case studies from Somalia, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar.

Please join us at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs for a moderated panel discussion of these issues with John Fiddler, an experienced MSF aid worker; Sophie Delaunay, the Executive Director of MSF-USA; and the iconoclastic author David Rieff (A Bed for the Night). They will describe the often complicated process of negotiating with governments, armed groups, public health officials, international actors, community leaders, and local officials; as well as the struggle to define what compromises are acceptable in order to run programs in crisis zones.

Sponsored by Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, SIPA’s Humanitarian Affairs Program, and SIPA’s International Organizations Specialization.

SIPAWESOME TRIVIA NIGHT

Wednesday March 21, 9pm- Midnight at the Harlem Tavern

SIPA Students vs. Engineering School Students: who will win when the battle when analysts and engineers match wits? I guess we’re hoping that most of the trivia questions are not word problems, huh SIPA? $15 Ticket includes drink and food. Live music until 10, followed by trivia, with prizes for the winning team.

SHOOT THE WASTE

March 5- April 2

A Photo Competition for the best and worst examples of sustainability in New York and beyond. Awards Ceremony April 9 at 8pm.

1. Focus on objects, not people 
2. Upload all photos to the facebook page with your name, UNI, and a 1-2 sentence description of why the photo fits into its category
3. You must be the photographer, but the photo does not have to be recent. Look in past albums.
4. Open to everyone in the SIPA community. 

Sponsored by SIPA Food Group, Net Impact, and SIPA Environmental Coalition

One of the questions we have been asked by prospective candidates is what is the difference between our full time two year Master of Public Administration, Master of International Affairs and MPA in Development Practice programs so in response to your question, we are making our busy MPA/MIA and MPA-DP students available this Friday (March 23) from 12pm – 1:15pm  to share with you their backgrounds, why they chose the their particular program, as well as answer your pressing questions about each program.

So if you are in the New York City area and you want to spend a hour with us, please register for the session.  Hope to see you at SIPA on Friday.