Advisor FAQ
What are the required criteria to become a local PAA chapter?
Schools must be a NASPAA member, and have a staff or faculty member willing to serve as an adviser.
How can a school establish a PAA chapter?
Read the guidelines for establishing a local chapter
I’ve submitted an application to establish a local chapter, what happens next?
The PAA Application Review Committee and the National Council will review the application vote on it. NASPAA staff will notify the chapter of the decision and send a chapter charter if approved.
What is the role of a chapter advisor?
The chapter advisor provides input and guidance to student leadership, orders certificates, corresponds with NASPAA staff, and submits the annual report.
How many officers should my chapter have? Which positions should be filled?
Typically, chapters have a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. While your chapter can fill any position that you wish as per its Constitution, we suggest the roles and responsibilities of each position be tailored to the size and experience of your chapter. You can add chapter leadership positions as you find necessary, such as Activities Director, Webmaster, or Recruitment Chair.
How do I induct students?
Each chapter advisor shall set an induction process in accordance with their local constitution. After the eligible students are identified, the advisor will contact Kenneth E. Jernigan and Associates to order certificates and pins for eligible students.
Can a GPA of 3.69/4.0 GPA be rounded up to allow a student to be inducted into PAA?
Yes, chapters may round up a 3.69 GPA to allow the student to be inducted.
For students in dual-degree programs, is their overall GPA used to establish PAA eligibility or is it just the GPA for the public administration/policy degree?
For students in dual-degree programs, only their grades for the public administration or public policy degree are counted towards establishing PAA eligibility.
How do I order certificates for my inductees?
Visit www.kenjernigan.com/Pi-Alpha-Alpha/ and click on chapter orders. All orders must be placed at least 3 weeks prior to the date they are needed. Direct all questions about ordering to orders@kenjernigan.com.
My school isn’t accredited by NASPAA; can we start a chapter?
Any NASPAA member school, accredited or non-accredited, can start a PAA chapter.
Can a non-US school have a PAA chapter?
Any non-US school that is a NASPAA member can have a PAA chapter.
What are the costs associated with establishing a chapter?
Chapters will pay a one-time fee of $150 to NASPAA to establish a chapter. This should be submitted with the initial application.
Can chapters charge dues in excess of the individual membership fees?
The individual membership fee set by PAA is $50. However, local chapters are allowed to collect any additional dues or fees as they see fit.
Our university will not allow us to collect membership dues from students. How can students pay for their membership?
NASPAA will work with individual schools who cannot accept payment from students. Please contact NASPAA staff for details.
Can alumni join PAA?
If a student graduated with a 3.7/4.0 GPA or above, he/she can be inducted as an alumni member. The chapter advisor will submit the alumni’s name to www.kenjernigan.com/Pi-Alpha-Alpha and the alumni will receive a certificate and a pin.
My school did not submit the annual report; what should I do?
If you did not submit an annual report, please submit your annual report to NASPAA as soon as possible.
My school used to have an active PAA chapter, but we haven’t done anything in a few years. How do we become active again?
Contact NASPAA staff and provide an outline of the activities you will be undertaking in the coming year.