Welcome and thank you for visiting our website.

The School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy (SUAPP) has been providing academic & community resources to the Memphis area since 1999.

As a school within the College of Arts and Sciences, our programs and research centers prepare the next generation of leaders to assume community leadership roles while partnering with existing community leaders to provide place-based research and engaged scholarship.

Our goal is to provide a physical resource and an interactive online resource for our students, alumni, Memphis residents and the greater MidSouth community to come together to share and solve many of the urban issues confronting our communities.

SUAPP's academic programs and research centers:

• Prepare individuals to assume community leadership roles
• Provide assistance with issues confronting communities
• Emphasize community oriented, multidisciplinary research within a global perspective

After more than 10 years of community research partnerships, engaged scholarship, and service learning focused on our local community, we thought it was time to gather information into one place. We have also realized that being part of the 21st century community means being an active participant in the regional online community as well.

Since our faculty and students are producing excellent new resources every day, we have started development on a new Urban Affairs Spotlight Blog to allow for more in-depth coverage. There you will find highlights from some of our projects, partners, faculty and students. We also strive to include useful links to stories and programs of local, regional and national importance in urban studies, public administration, city planning, social work, criminal justice, and fields related to our focus areas.

There are many exciting things happening at the University of Memphis like the Strengthening Communities Initiative, Adopt-A-Street program, and the work of the HCD Fellows and Nonprofit Leaders Student Association that are all making a difference in the community, and we want to make sure you know what is going on at SUAPP. 

Sincerely,
Stan Hyland, Ph.D.

Our Goal:

The School of Urban Affairs & Public Policy's goal is to link engaged scholarship, teaching, professional training, and outreach (including technical assistance) that makes a difference in the quality of life in Memphis and the Mid-South.

Interdisciplinary focus is integral to the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy's goals, which are achieved through the following objectives:

• Forging strong linkages with the community

• Encouraging collaboration among the units represented in the school

• Developing alliances with other units within the College of Arts and Sciences

• Pursuing grant opportunities and other funding resources

• Developing new opportunities in faculty, staff, and student scholarship and outreach

Three focus areas:

Community Based Action Research: Active areas with primary leadership include Human services (Division of Social work), Housing and Neighborhoods (CABANA, City and Regional Planning), Public Services (Public and NonProfit Administration), Public Safety (Criminology and Criminal Justice), Community Health (Criminology), Small Business Development (Regional Economic Development Center), Social Problems (Social Work), and Quality of Life (Planning & NonProfit Administration).

Civic Engagement and Leadership: Role and relationships among community institutions (government and non-profit), urban governance and accountability, social entrepreneurship human rights and civil society in city and regional change.  Each of the five units within SUAPP, as well as, CABANA, REDC, and the Policy Academy offers ongoing professional leadership and development programs.

Health: Active areas with primary leadership include  Comprehensive Data on Child Health (Criminology and CABANA) and Community-based health initiatives (CABANA).

Click here to view the SUAPP 2000-2010 Anniversary Report