Council discusses internship partnership with Sul Ross MPA program to support city projects and succession planning

Dr. Jessica Velasco, associate professor and coordinator of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program and undergraduate political science program at Sul Ross State University, proposed a formal internship partnership between the university and the City of Alpine to give students project work tied to city needs.

Velasco described the MPA program as primarily online but noted many students have public-service backgrounds and could contribute to research and policy projects. She offered draft ideas for an advisory group that would include city council and staff representatives and said internships could be flexible to fit students’ schedules. “These are not ideas I’m married to. They’re just to start the conversation,” Velasco said.

Council members welcomed the proposal and suggested next steps: forming an advisory group and discussing possible stipends or housing support for students who come to Alpine. Council member Stevens said technical subjects such as water and wastewater are important project areas. Stevens and others asked Velasco to work with staff to identify suitable projects and suggested stipend ranges; Velasco said graduate fellowships at the university often run in the $1,000–$2,000 range and that stipends or housing support could be part of implementation discussions.

Next steps

Velasco said she will arrange a fall meeting to begin forming an advisory group and asked council to recommend representatives. Council asked Velasco to coordinate with the city manager’s office (Gio) and the deputy city secretary to schedule the first planning meeting and to scope possible pilot projects.