Hampden-Sydney College (H-SC) and the college’s Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest have announced a new partnership with The University of Virginia Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, a recent H-SC press release cited.

Officials said in the release that the articulation agreement between the two institutions will encourage and facilitate the enrollment of qualified H-SC students into the Batten School Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree program.

The partnership extends a variety of benefits and incentives to students and alumni of various Wilson Center programs, the release noted, including the Wilson Leadership Fellows Program and the college’s leadership in the public interest and military leadership and national security minors.

In addition to an application fee waiver, the partnership establishes an annual fellowship of at least $10,000 for Virginia residents and at least $17,500 for non-Virginia residents in each of the MPP program’s two years for admitted students, officials highlighted in the release. Students may also earn additional assistantships, fellowships or other awards in their second year.

“Hampden-Sydney’s mission is to form good men and good citizens, and the Wilson Center builds on that foundation as we focus on preparing men of character for lives of consequence,” Wilson Center Director Ryan Pemberton said in the release. “We are thrilled that the shared vision of our two programs has resulted in this wonderful opportunity for our students, and we look forward to many years of collaboration with the Batten School.”

Batten School Dean Allan Stam also provided comment on the new partnership in the release.

“At the Batten School, we are dedicated to transforming students into change agents providing innovative solutions to pressing societal problems,” Stam said. “The Wilson Center shares this vision, and their programs are preparing students to be the leaders of tomorrow. We are delighted to forge this partnership and look forward to attracting some of Hampden-Sydney’s best to the Batten School for many years to come.”

The release stated that The University of Virginia Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy is authoring a new model of public policy education. Of the 250-plus schools of public policy and administration in the U.S., the Batten School has the distinction of being the only one explicitly committed to teaching leadership — how it works, why context matters in decision-making and which actions lead to tangible results. The school’s programs inspire students to act vigorously, effectively and ethically on behalf of the common good.

In conclusion, officials noted in the release that graduates of the Batten School are in high demand. They are recruited aggressively by government agencies, from the intelligence community to Congress, local interest groups and nongovernmental organizations and by private-sector employers, from consulting firms to investment-risk analysts. Students emerge from the Batten School understanding social responsibility and how to work collaboratively and successfully in real-world environments to achieve shared goals.

The release closed by encouraging readers to learn more at www.batten.virginia.edu.