Missions and Goals

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN—MILWAUKEE
School of Architecture and Urban Planning
Department of Urban Planning

MISSION AND GOALS

Adopted October 31, 2001

The mission of the Department of Urban Planning at UWM is to provide a nationally-recognized, professional, skills-oriented masters degree program through a strong core curriculum and opportunities for students and faculty to apply planning skills to address urban and regional issues.

Fulfilling this mission is accomplished by achieving the following goals.

1. Maintain a high-quality masters degree program by:

A. emphasizing a pragmatic, policy analysis approach to planning that focuses on municipal planning and the larger context in which planners work;
B. delivering a core of substantive knowledge based on evolving standards of practice, accreditation standards of the Planning Accreditation Board, and the certification requirements of the American Institute of Certified Planners;
C. developing students’ problem-solving and communication skills;
D. encouraging excellence in teaching using problem-based and service learning approaches that give students the opportunity to practice in courses the skills that will be required in professional practice;
E. providing areas of emphasis consistent with the mission of UWM as a major urban research university; and
F. using the Milwaukee metropolitan area as a teaching laboratory, through class projects and internships.

2. Attract a highly qualified and diverse student body, emphasizing recruitment within Wisconsin and the Midwest, but attracting students nationally and internationally through the reputation of our program and faculty.

3. Establish a national reputation for excellence through the faculty’s continued involvement in externally funded research and service, publication of research in peer-reviewed journals, and publication of monographs recognized for their contributions to the field of planning.

4. Apply the faculty’s expertise by forming partnerships with civic, voluntary, and professional organizations in order to address real planning issues through faculty service, applied research, and service learning activities with our students.

5. Build upon our recognized strengths related to urban revitalization and economic development, Geographic Information Systems, urban design, and transportation planning by encouraging collaborative work within and across programs, such as nurturing our joint degree programs, involvement in interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaborations, and other opportunities that reinforce our program’s strengths.

6. Increase awareness of urban planning as both a career choice and an important influence on the quality of life in cities, for example, by offering a limited number of undergraduate courses, engaging in outreach to pre-college students, and demonstrating the benefits of planning through both funded and unfunded community service activities.

7. Promote relationships with the professional community through involvement with alumni, the American Planning Association, and other practitioner organizations.

8. Promote lifelong learning and the professional development of planners through involvement in presentations and continuing education to planning professionals.