FEI by the Numbers
The words "Harvard" and "case studies" conjure up the image of a glowering Professor Kingsfield in the movie "The Paper Chase" browbeating poor first year law students into reciting the details of obscure law cases. At the Kennedy School of Government's Senior Managers in Government summer program, class discussion is much livelier and the subject matter relatively painless to digest. Here are some of the case topics used this year:
The Federal Executive Institute, which is part of the Office of Personnel Management, is located on the grounds of the former Thomas Jefferson Inn in Charlottesville, Va. This structure, which was used as a setting for the epic 1950s film "Giant," starring James Dean, Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor, now is home to more than 700 students each year. The current curriculum is divided into four areas: Personal Leadership in Government; Transforming Public Organizations; Policy in a Constitutional System, and Global Perspectives and Public Action. Here are some statistics on this year's student body:
- 60% are from the Washington area
- 30% are women
- 13% are minority group members
- 35% are from the Defense Department
- 90% are married
- Median age: 50
- Average federal service: 20 years
Cases in Point
- The Achille Lauro Hijacking
- The Tobacco Settlement
- The CIA After Aldrich Ames
- Agriculture Secretary Glickman
- Confronts USDA's Civil Rights Problem
- The Forest Service's Effort to Cut Red Tape
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