OPINION: Make SIPA STEM for all

By: Pedro Vormittag

An open letter to SIPA’s new Dean and to SIPASA’s new Board

A typical weekday for a SIPA student might range from thought-provoking discussions about state-of-the-art military strategy to figuring out the geopolitics of the energy transition; from coming up with new insights for education research to communicating policy through published words and video. Between assignments, papers and problem sets, we delve into a multidisciplinary mixture of management theory, political science, and a lot — I mean "a lot" — of economics and math.

The bulk of what we learn at SIPA, regardless of our choices for concentrations and specializations, fits perfectly into the definition of STEM — the set of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math courses that make students who take them, among other things, eligible for 3-year Optional Practical Training (OPT) after graduation. After the victories that granted students STEM status for students pursuing Energy & Environment (E&E) or International Finance & Economic Policy (IFEP) concentrations along with the Data Analysis and Quantitative Methods specialization (DAQA), the stage has been set for SIPA to make further strides in its standing among comparable policy schools.

Let’s make SIPA STEM for all.

While the STEM acronym has become jargon in the higher education industry, an official definition of what constitutes a STEM course of study is set by the United States Department of Homeland Security. Among the subjects contemplated in its latest STEM Designated Degree Program List, published in February of 2021, the range of topics covered in SIPA courses is overwhelming, such as management theory, food science, environmental studies, urban forestry, architectural building science and technology, digital communication and media/multimedia, mathematics and statistics, intelligence and strategy studies, behavioral sciences, sustainability studies, social psychology, forensic science and technology, geographic information science and technology, business statistics, and educational evaluation and research — to name a few.

Even by the excessively narrow definition of science and technology held by the DHS (as if the social sciences were not… science?), there are dozens of courses that perfectly fit into the STEM universe, not only at SIPA, but, also at Columbia Business School (CBS). For no other reason, in 2020 CBS accomplished STEM status for its full-time MBA Program and its Executive MBA (EMBA), with certification retroactive to the school’s May 2019 graduates. Similar moves have also been made by CBS’s fellow business and management schools such as Harvard Business School, Wharton, Chicago Booth, MIT Sloan, Stanford Graduate School of Business, NYU Stern, Yale School of Management, the Kellog School of Management, UC Berkeley Haas, and UCLA Anderson.

While the process of applying for STEM designation is a technical and bureaucratic one, within the mandate of SIPA’s administration, it is also in the immediate interest of the overall SIPA community of students and scholars. An ambitious lobbying effort led by those stakeholders, under the leadership of key student associations such as SIPASA and others, however, is the tip in the balance that within less than one year can bring about change that would otherwise take years.

There can be few more relevant priorities for SIPA’s administration than expanding the school's leadership among policy schools and strengthening the competitiveness of its students in the job market. For the new Dean, who will take office in the Fall of 2022, the expansion of SIPA’s STEM-designated programs must be at the top of the agenda. The Dean Search Committee put together by President Lee Bollinger and comprised of some of Columbia’s most prestigious scholars must make sure their choice is committed to the effort and to engaging with the SIPA community in the process.

As for SIPASA, the time has come to take action. Unfortunately, the Academic Chair is likely to remain vacant in the upcoming Board, since no student sought candidacy for the position. All the more reason for the whole General Board of SIPASA to actively engage in the advocacy effort of Making SIPA STEM For All. While the elections are still going on, all of the candidates across the ballot should commit to that agenda.

Expanding SIPA’s list of STEM-designated programs is a strategic goal within short-term reach and a winning choice for every stakeholder in our community. It’s now up to the School’s administrative, political, and academic leadership to harness this historical opportunity to take another step in the School of International and Public Affairs' mission to remain a powerhouse in the pursuit of global public interest.