Is the U.S. Public Service Academy a Reality?

Yes, lots of schools throughout the country teach these courses; however, what these traditional colleges don't possess is the intensive leadership/character development AND overall mission for public service. Additionally, with the high cost of tuition at many colleges in the US, many students who would be enthusiastic about going into government work typically do not choose to do so because the government work pay is comparatively low to civilian pay - good luck paying off that college loan working for the gov't. The USPSA would be be modeled somewhat after the military service Academy system - 5 years of service in return for 4 years of an outstanding education...This would attract those high achievers who would like to go into public service.

I'm a West Point graduate and I think this is a fantastic idea that is long overdue. Those who say that a PS Academy is unnecessary because there are colleges that already fulfill this duty should also argue that the military academies are unnecessary since ROTC and OCS also fulfill the requirement for commissioned officers. Yet, those who would argue this fail to see the intangibles of service academies - strong focus on developing society's leaders, emphasis on character development, and shared values of service amongst ALL students at the institution. You won't find this at a "normal college." As is the case with many military academy graduates, I envision that USPSA graduates would go on to be inspirational leaders not only in their local communities, but within the national and global spheres as well.

I hope to see this pull through. It's much needed now more than ever.

ST of NM 2:19PM February 22, 2009