About the School
The School of Community and Public Affairs (SCPA) is a place that connects policy to community.
Our students, staff and faculty make up an active and engaged learning environment that connects academic work to activism and community engagement. The School draws on diverse cultural backgrounds and disciplinary perspectives to think about the best ways to effect positive change in the world around us.
The values we embrace at The School
Putting theory into practice
We believe that the integration of theory and practice is the key to learning that is relevant and lasting. The School is a place where academic life and activism strengthen one another.
Students and faculty research and explore values such as:
- Social, and economic and environmental justice
- Equity
- Participatory citizenship and democracy
- Cultural pluralism
- Community-based practice
We offer an undergraduate internship in Community, Public Affairs and Policy Studies and a practical project or internship in the graduate diploma. Many of our classes involve experiential learning, from making podcasts to organizing public panels on current issues, and we encourage our students to connect their learning to their communities.
Our practical commitment to both French and English, as languages and environments, gives rise to a creative learning space of linguistic and cultural bridging.
Staying connected and engaged
Close relationships with Montreal-based community organizations, public and private institutions, and unions (including the School's External Board of Advisors, which is solely composed of members of the SCPA Alumni) ground the School in the “real world.”
Many faculty, fellows and staff are significantly involved in community and other public organizations. Frequent interaction between students and faculty fosters a rare collaborative learning experience.
Keeping students front and centre in our department
We are a student-centred unit. Class size is small to encourage sharing experiences, perspectives, and questions. Professors are accessible and know students’ names. The SCPA Students' Association has a rich history of activism and community involvement.
