The Center for New Directions in Politics & Public Policy was created in the late 1990s at the initiative of a professor of Public Administration who was delivering courses on the Western Slope, Dr. Bob Clifton. The University of Colorado Denver’s Department of Political Science stepped up to form and host the new center focused on the political struggles embedded within the public policy process.
As an extended learning program committed to continuing and professional education of non-traditional students, New Directions established a Master’s program in Durango, CO, in 1997. It launched with 31 participants who attended weekend classes on the Fort Lewis College campus, many of them preparing for or advancing careers in small, rural local government management. In the 2000s and 2010's courses were delivered at campuses owned by CU Denver in south Denver and Parker.
With closer proximity to the state capital, the New Directions “MA in Political Science with emphasis in Politics and Public Policy,” leveraged local partnerships to provide students with opportunities to learn from practitioners and directly engage with public policy and political organizing in real-world settings. This led to a partnership with Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) and the establishment of a “Best and Brightest” Fellowship program. To this day, the DOLA Best and Brightest Fellowship places Master’s students in two-year, paid positions with rural or small local governments across Colorado. Students earn valuable work experience in the public sector, all while furthering their Master’s studies in the New Directions program, or at one of the other university programs since added to the DOLA partnership. New Directions' partnership with DOLA in developing the Best and Brightest fellowship received an award from the International City Manager's Association in 2004.
New Directions added an academic certificate in 2001, now known as the Public, Non-profit and Community Leadership Certificate.
In 2004, long-time Denver community leader Kathryn Cheever, PhD, took the helm and led the New Directions program for more than a dozen years until her passing in 2016. Dr. Cheever’s legacy lives on through the Cheever Scholarship, which is awarded to newly admitted New Directions Master’s students who demonstrate a record of civic engagement and public interest leadership.
At times New Directions has delivered online and virtual interactive courses to serve students across the state. Yet the program has remained committed to primarily delivering vibrant, in-person courses for students who work full-time or have to balance other responsibilities. Our signature weekend intensive courses are now taught in Denver but continue to serve students from along the Front Range.
In 2018, a Labor Leadership Certificate was launched to fill a gap in continuing education for labor leaders and other worker-justice advocates.
What began as a program centered on training civic leaders for careers in public service expanded to more intentionally respond to the needs of students who were also pursuing careers in non-profit, community or worker leadership. Local communities are interconnected ecosystems, and successful leaders navigate among and partner with the public, non-profit, and community sectors. Which is why the New Directions graduate degree is now "an applied MA in Political Science focused on Public, Nonprofit and Community Leadership."
Throughout its history, the New Directions program has increased students’ political awareness and developed their analytical skills. We've graduated leaders capable of understanding and navigating political forces, mobilizing and harnessing resources, and influencing public policy to make meaningful change in your communities. This “applied Political Science” approach prioritizes effective utilization of the political process for the betterment of society.
Hundreds of leaders in Colorado’s local governments, community-based organizations, and elected or appointed offices have earned their degrees or certificates from New Directions. You can learn more about some of our recent alumni here.