Student Organizations

Student organizations are an integral part of activities at the Ford School. Students organize groups to talk about common policy interests, to bring speakers to the School, to do community service, and to have fun. We encourage students to come together in these groups and the School often provides support for activities.

Here’s a listing of Ford School student organizations and contact information:

Student Affairs Committee (SAC)

Contacts:
Primary Contact Email – fspp_sac (append "@umich.edu")
Shereda Robinson – shereda
Jennifer Cecil – jrcecil
Ian Swedish – iswedish
Matthew Alemu – mwalemu

The mission of the Ford School Student Affairs Committee is to assist student organizations at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy through funding and guidance and to facilitate their activities on campus to promote a positive student experience. SAC also serves as the primary liaison between Ford School students and the School's administration.

Community Service Organization (Now part of SAC)

The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy Community Service Organization (CSO) strives to create opportunity for service for public policy students. We design days of service, on-going projects and fundraising events to support community organizations and to promote interaction between students, faculty and staff within the Ford School.

Students of Color in Public Policy (SCPP)

SCPP website

Contacts:
Zenia Lewis - zenial
Lishaun Francis – lffran

The mission of SCPP is to create an environment at the Ford School and within the University of Michigan campus community in which public policy students of color can succeed emotionally, academically, and professionally. SCPP meets regularly to provide a place for discussion of policy and personal issues and to organize activities. The organization, which welcomes all interested students, works closely with the School to develop programs for the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Symposium held at the University of Michigan.

Health Policy Student Association (HPSA)

HPSA website

Contacts:
Annie Huppert - annieh
Dikshya Brubaker - dikshyab
Tanya Wanson - twansom

The Health Policy Students Association (HPSA) is an organization whose purpose is to provide and support educational and professional development opportunities for all students interested in health policy. Our members come from all disciplines and degree programs, including public health, public policy, law, social work, business, medicine, dentistry, and nursing. HPSA is a place for students to participate in a number of health policy related events including, guest speakers, local and national level meetings, panel discussions, and a variety of social activities. Our organization provides opportunities for career enhancement, skill development and networking in the health policy world. We are also a student chapter of AcademyHealth, a professional health services and policy research organization located in Washington , D.C.

International Policy Students Association (IPSA)

IPSA website

Contacts:
Joe Donlin - jdonlin
Sidney Brown - sydneykb

IPSA was established to give students in international policy an informal setting for the discussion world events and to work with faculty in organizing the annual mid-winter study tour of a developing country. Much of our current work focuses on the trip and the related course (Public Policy 674) including selecting a country to study, planning the trip, and raising funds to support the trip.

Michigan Journal of Public Affairs (MJPA)

MJPA website

Contacts:
Josh Brammer - brammer
Kevin Herms - kherms

The Michigan Journal of Public Affairs (MJPA) is the student-run academic journal of the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan . The MJPA promotes dialogue on a wide range of public policy issues by publishing a diverse group of contributors, ranging from students to public policy professionals.

Ford School Queers and Allies (FSQA)

Contacts:
Linda Galib - lgalib
Josh Brammer - brammer

FSQA is a home for Ford School LGBTQ and allies. Its purpose is to promote a welcoming environment for the Queer community at the Ford School and advocate for awareness and action around Queer issues in the policy world and the Ford School.

Women and Gender in Public Policy (WGPP)

Contacts:
Cortney Watson - wcortney
Alana Ward - warda

Formed in 2002, Women and Gender in Public Policy engages the Ford School community in a dialogue about gender and related domestic and international public policies.  WGPP promotes professional development activities by faciliting communication and networking among current students, Ford School alumni, faculty, and working professionals to form a lasting community of policy professionals.

Women and Gender in Public Policy (WGPP) Alumnae Network

WGPP Alumnae website

Contact:
wgppalumniboard@umich.edu

This is a professional and social networking group established by alumnae of the School. It meets frequently to host speakers interested in how gender issues impact and are impacted by policy. WGPP Alumnae Network also hosts social gatherings on a regular basis.

Public-Private Sectors Club (PPSC)

The Public/Private Sectors Club (PPSC) is an organization that examines the influence that the public and private sectors' have on the development and implementation of public policy. Housed in both the Ford School and the Ross School of Business, PPSC is a network for MBA and MPP students interested in the interaction between business and government. PPSC members learn to leverage the potential of both sectors by organizing events such as discussion panels, brown bag lunches, faculty lectures, and internship/career sessions. Through these activities PPSC members are exposed to public-private partnerships in various sectors, to representatives working and recruiting in these sectors, and to alumni and faculty with similar interests.  

Domestic Policy Corps (DPC)

Contacts:
Laila Bernstein - lailab
Sarah Taylor - sjtaylor
Abigail Newcomer - abnewc

The Domestic Policy Corps (DPC) is a group of  Ford School students committed to gaining an understanding of policy issues in Southeast Michigan and seeking opportunities to apply classroom concepts to real-world policy challenges through a domestic policy exercise, local volunteerism and activities, and DPC-sponsored events.

Much of our current work focuses on planning the second annual domestic policy trip,  including selecting a site, securing non-profit or public sector clients, and raising funds to support the trip. The first annual domestic policy trip took place in February 2006; when a group of students traveled to Immokalee , Florida to explore the barriers to and opportunities for economic development in the community.

Environmental Policy Organization (EPO)

Contact:
Lisa Rothbard - lrothbar
Karen Salerno - karesale

Recognizing that many of the most pressing public policy issues in the coming decades are environmental ones, the Environmental Policy Organization (EPO) is a student-run organization that strives to raise awareness among the Ford School student body of these issues and their implications. EPO hosts regular brown bag meetings with professors and professionals involved in environmental policy issues, organizes local community clean-up projects and informative tours, and provides opportunities to network with other graduate students interested in the environment and public policy.

Future Leaders in Politics (FLIP)

Future Leaders in Politics is a professional learning and networking group for Ford School students interested in a career in public service. We bring in speakers to enlighten students about the crucial skills and trends that may affect their future careers.  In addition to workshops on negotiation, presentation, and analytical skills, Future Leaders in Politics also sponsors day trips that allow students to gain real-world training in the public sector and expand their network of contacts.

Association for Public Policy About Learning and Education (APPLE)

Contacts:
Lisa Rothbard - lrothbar
Karen Salerno - karesale

Recognizing the growing contingent of students interested in education policy at the Ford School of Public Policy, APPLE was established in 2002 to promote the discussion of and provide additional resources for the study of education policy issues at the University of Michigan . APPLE brings in speakers on education-related topics, such as Dr. Kenneth Burnley who spoke about his perspective on large, urban school districts as the CEO of Detroit Public Schools and Dr. Susan Neuman who addressed her work in education policy on the federal level. APPLE also advocates for a deeper focus on education issues within the Ford School faculty and through career services. In addition, APPLE helps its members learn about the field of education policy by hosting events with alumni who currently work in education and by creating an extensive list of interesting organizations for internships or jobs upon graduation. The organization also participates in “hands-on” activities, such as attending local progressive high schools to see the effects of policy first hand.

Ford School Consulting Club (FSCC)

Contacts:
Hilary Doe - dhilary
Claudia Munoz - ctmunoz

The FSCC is a club for Ford School graduate students with an interest in consulting.  The club will help students find information, meet recruiters, navigate the interview process, and make connections with Ford School Alumni in consulting.  The club will also provide resources and information on consulting in its many forms in for-profit, nonprofit, government, and international firms, agencies, and think tanks.  Similar to consulting clubs in other schools, FSCC members will gather together to practice case interviewing and learn how to use analysis techniques learned at the Ford School to solve problems in different industries and sectors.  The Ford School is unique among policy schools in that its highly quantitative curriculum and complex issue analysis techniques are extremely suitable for strategy, management, and operations consulting both in the private and public sectors.  The FSCC aims to help students make the transition from student to consultant.  The FSCC also endeavors to assist consulting firms in meeting interested students as well as in sharing new developments and unique or novel perspectives from the industry.


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