Professors of practice add work experience to academic offerings
at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

A sturdy pair of walking shoes is not listed on the syllabus for Introducing the City (PAUS 3011), but when Richard Reinhard teaches the course, it should be. Reinhard is president of Central Atlanta Progress, a collaborative of nonprofit corporations that work to revitalize downtown Atlanta. He has joined a number of part-time instructors at the Andrew Young School who are elevating its academic offerings with equally rigorous exposure to contemporary practices.

Increasingly known as "professors of practice," these policy practitioners, many at the height of their careers, offer students unique perspectives on their coursework. "Our regular tenure-track faculty bring the theory and analytic modeling to the classroom," said Dean Roy Bahl. "Our professors of practice bring the real world experience. No policy school would be complete without them."

Every class period, Reinhard balances active discussion on assigned readings with a downtown walking tour or a guest lecture from an Atlanta business or government leader. "I want our students to hear from more than a dozen of the people who are at the center of shaping and molding our city," he said. "Although I don't believe harsh reality or pragmatism - a feel for what's going on now - are most important in class, these doses of everyday reality are an important complement to learning things from books."

Lloyd Nigro, chair of the PAUS department, believes professors of practice are highly credible because they've been out there doing their jobs, many for 20 or 30 years. "When we're teaching, we're focused on preparing our students for professional careers. They benefit from these instructors' good mix of instruction and experience," he said.

Leading Atlanta professionals teach in all AYSPS departments. Michael Bell, director of finance for DeKalb County, teaches Managing Public Money (PAUS 8501). Bell uses his experience as administrator of a $700 million county budget in teaching how to manage budgets while dealing with elected leadership. "I can relate procedures to real world experiences that will benefit how they make decisions," said Bell.

The realization of a dream has led human resource specialist Juliette Lane-Hailey, senior performance consultant for Randstad North America, to share her experience with students in Issues and Problems in Human Resource Management (PAUS 4211) this year. "Academic instruction lends a nice balance to my work," she said. "Our students come out with some new, fresh ideas that I find myself taking back."

The Aviation Management Program would not leave the ground without its Flight Crew, an accomplished group of active and retired aviation professionals led by Professor Richard Charles, who joined the Andrew Young School in 1998 after a long career in aviation management, marketing, engineering and flight instruction. In a program with 100 students, Charles said, his crew is essential. Members include Fred Elsberry of Delta Air Lines; Dick Gaiser, retired FAA attorney; Roger Kubler, former VP of Alaska Airlines; and David Schiff, flight instructor and aviation consultant. Joining the program this spring will be FAA attorney Russell Christensen.

"Aviation is not just an academic subject," said Dick Gaiser. "When I explain a particular area, I bring in my experience. Like tonight, when I'm teaching enforcement, I will add anecdotal stories of cases I've won and lost. Often my cases will spark their involvement."

Seasoned professors of practice have long brought their gifts to the Andrew Young School. Robert Wenger, senior economist at Southern Company Services, has been teaching economics courses since 1995. Incoming instructors bring new courses, like Sal Alaimo of the Girl Scouts, an AYSPS graduate who created a course on volunteer management he will teach in the spring.

What motivates these professionals to teach on top of their full-time job? "Sure, time-wise it puts me over the edge. But spiritually it renews me," said Reinhard. "Teaching is part of who I am and what I do. It has always been - I can't imagine not doing it."

Photos from top: Richard Reinhard and his class visits Hattie Dorsey, president and CEO of the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership; Students in Introcuding the City (PAUS 3011); Lloyd Nigro and Michael Bell; Dean Bahl and Rick Charles with Sally Fowler, PAUS administrative specialist and Susan Lind, an instructor in The Career Development Process (PAUS 3211).