Public policy excellence
Mission & History
UD established Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration: youtube.com/watch?v=CZW_7hmsxdo
Mission
Named for the 46th president of the United States, the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Delaware prepares students with the knowledge, skills and values necessary to engage in research and public service activities to improve the quality of life in communities around the world. Our faculty, staff, students and alumni create and use interdisciplinary, nonpartisan research and empirically based analysis to inform effective decision-making and policy and to improve leadership and administration. We partner with organizations from all sectors to discover and foster innovative and equitable solutions that promote civic virtues and democratic values.
The Biden School and the Engaged University of Delaware reviews the history of the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration from 1961 to 2021. The focus is on the school’s accomplishments over its first sixty years, how they were achieved, and why they are significant. The analysis describes the challenges and opportunities that shaped the school’s development and its emergence as one of the nation’s leading public affairs schools. What began in 1961 as an experimental program supported by a single external grant emerged six decades later as one of the nation’s leading comprehensive schools of public affairs. That transformation unfolded during one of the most dynamic periods in the history of higher education when the public purpose of universities was expanded. The history of the Biden School is a story of institutional innovation, perseverance, adaptation, and resilience.
About the Author
Daniel Rich is University Professor of Public Policy Emeritus in the Biden School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Delaware. From 2001-2009, Dr. Rich served as University Provost, from 1996-2001, as founding dean of the College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy, and from 1991-1996, as dean of the College of Urban Affairs and Public Policy, now the Biden School of Public Policy and Administration.
History of the Biden School
1961: Ford Foundation Grant awarded for the establishment of an experimental University of Delaware program in Urban Affairs
1963: Census and Data System, which became the Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research (CADSR), established
1972: Urban Agent Program, which became the Center for Community Research and Service, (CCRS), established
1972: MA and PhD in Urban Affairs and Public Policy created
1973: Delaware Public Administration Institute, which became the Institute for Public Administration (IPA), established
1976: Master of Public Administration (MPA) program created
1984: Center for Historic Architecture and Engineering, which became the Center for Historic Architecture and Design (CHAD) established
1984: Center for Energy and Urban Policy Research, which became the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy (CEEP) established
1997: MA and PhD in Energy and Environmental Policy (ENEP) created
1997: School joins the UD College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy
2002: School is ranked among the top 50 U.S. schools of public affairs
2005: BS in Leadership transferred to the school, becomes the BS in Organizational and Community Leadership (LEAD)
2009: BS in Energy and Environmental Policy (ENEP) created
2010: MS and PhD in Disaster Science and Management (DISA) created
2011: School joins the UD College of Arts and Sciences
2012: School of Public Policy and Administration celebrates 50 years
2017: Biden Institute founded
2018: MA of Public Policy created
2018: School named for former Vice President and UD alumnus Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
2019: MA of Public Health (MPH) created with the College of Health Sciences
2020: Biden School becomes a freestanding professional school
2021: PhD in Urban Affairs and Public Policy renamed PhD in Public Policy and Administration
2021: PhD in Education and Social Policy created with College of Education and Human Development and Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice
Elected Official. Nonprofit Executive Director. Health Policy Researcher. Community Planner.
These are just a few examples of the positions filled by alumni of the Biden School programs. You bring the issues and causes you care about, we provide tools, support, and opportunities to help you make an impact.
For Employees
Connect
184 Graham Hall, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 bidenschool@udel.edu Phone (302) 831-1687