Future policy leaders take the floor at BC legislature
August 18, 2025
In July, UVic Masters of Public Admin students tested their policy making skills in an innovative policy design course – PADR 505: Policy-making and Policy Communities with government partner, Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR).
The students were challenged with five policy questions that emphasized collaborative emergency panning. In five policy design teams, students worked collaboratively with EMCR policy analysts over the semester and presented their policy options and recommendations in writing and oral briefings at the Legislative Assembly of B.C. on July 30th 2025.
“This experiential approach to learning is core to the pedagogical ethos of in the School of Public Administration,” says Sarah Marie Wiebe, UVic professor.
“This learning beyond the classroom benefits both the students and analysts who team up together to address pressing policy challenges of our time, which is especially urgent during the current climate emergency. As an educator, I am so moved by their rigorous research, imagination and careful approach to collaboration.”
Wiebe created an innovative policy design approach to learning about collaborative emergency planning. The graduate students engaged in real-world governance and decision-making.
“Every week we would learn and engage with a new policy consideration from the academic side while meeting with our teams and policy analysts in order to build up to our final assignment. We were challenged to approach policy from a creative lens while grounding our work in meticulous research. It felt like a dry run for our future careers for sure! I also appreciated how available our assigned analysts and Professor Wiebe were to sit down with us and help round out our ideas,” says UVic student, Arene Kiritharan.
“Getting a chance to work with Dr. Sarah Wiebe’s PADR 505 students and to have them partner with 10 of my staff was invigorating. It gave my team a welcome reminder of the enthusiasm and diverse perspectives that students pursuing a degree such as UVic’s MPA can bring to challenging issues in emergency management, and I hope it afforded the class some insight into what it’s like to work in a public sector policy and legislative environment,” says Keith Preston, executive director of policy and legislation, Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness.
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program prepares tomorrow’s public sector leaders to lead the change needed to address complex challenges. The MPA on-campus program focuses on strategic awareness, analytical thinking, communication, professionalism and leadership to give you the versatile toolkit you need for a rewarding and impactful career.