To catch the sparrow that has flown

Abstract

Like a sparrow that has flown, the sense of safety and invincibility that Americans used to enjoy was weakened by 9/11 and eviscerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ripple effects from these events demonstrate the need to equip students with the grit and resilience to deliver public services with compassion in the midst of uncertainty. To do so intertwines two subjects–emotional labor and the public encounter–and together they illuminate what is missing in traditional public administration education. At a time when the certainties of spreadsheets come up short, the public encounter becomes more important. Now is an opportunity to re-center our pedagogy and focus on the holistic nature of public service. Emotion and interpersonal competence are as important as rationality and cognitive competence. With attention to introductory, capstone, leadership, and HR courses, suggestions on how to integrate these subjects are offered.