Our Distinctive Public Affairs Mission
Missouri State has a public affairs mission that will influence your education in a positive way. The mission is about helping the community, being a leader and being informed about other cultures. You will find numerous options to engage in public affairs activities, which include volunteer opportunities, conferences, speakers' series, film series, and service activities. To put it simply, you'll have the opportunity to make a difference while you're at Missouri State.
Themes of the public affairs mission
The themes of the public affairs mission are community engagement, cultural competence and ethical leadership. Thanks to these areas of emphasis, you'll be able to better understand issues that affect your local community, the world at large and the environment.
Office of Citizenship and Service-Learning
The Office of Citizenship and Service-Learning helps the University integrate traditional classroom work with service to the community. Several graduate courses offer the option of a service-learning component – you may earn course credit while you're doing volunteer work for one of the many groups that partner with the office.
Campus Volunteer Center
The Campus Volunteer Center can help you become an active participant in the community by matching you with volunteer opportunities. More than 70 local and nationwide agencies list their volunteer needs with the center. Groups and individuals may sign up for one-day events or find ongoing projects.
Public Affairs Conference
Missouri State holds this conference on campus each April. Speakers and panelists who are renowned national and international experts discuss topics including citizenship, democracy, diversity, the economy and sustainability. The theme for the 2012 conference is "Culture of Connectivity".
Past speakers include:
- Les Garland, co-founder of MTV
- U.S. Senators David Pryor and Sam Brownback
- Nawal El Saadawi, acclaimed Arab scholar, feminist and activist
- Richard Berke, assistant managing editor of the New York Times
- Jessica Flannery, co-founder of Kiva.org (microlending website)
- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., senior attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council
- Joseph Boyce, former senior editor of the Wall Street Journal
