Academics for the Surreal World: Lessons on Living Like a S.O.B.

At the Clinton School, students partake in a series of core courses in addition to three large public service projects which comprise a full third of the UACS curriculum: the Practicum, International Public Service Project (IPSP), and Capstone. Core courses such as Decision Analysis, Law & Ethics, and Communications serve to provide students with a foundation on which they develop their field projects. Students further their expertise in chosen areas through a wide range of electives offered at universities throughout the U of A system.

Perhaps the most interesting lessons, however, are those learned as a student at the intersection of high-profile academia and normal life in Little Rock. Clinton School students are afforded an embarrassment of intellectual of riches and interesting opportunities, all of which must be balanced with writing papers, attending classes, & navigating financial aid.

During an average week, a student at UACS may:
-Learn a few more words in Swahili/Italian/Spanish/Chinese
-Color a paper doll (aka Flat Stanley) at the Governor’s Mansion
-Spend 15 hours working on their Practicum project in Marvel/Newport/West Memphis
-Introduce a world leader, TV host, or football player at the Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series
-Win another kickball game with the S.O.B.s (Students of Bill)
-Watch a classmate (or be the classmate) on KARK/ NBC Nightly News/Miss USA

However, the student must also likely:
-Maintain long-distance relationships with spouses, children, & friends on different continents
- Read hundreds of pages worth of text books & case studies in prep for class
-Wake up at 4:00 a.m. to study for the grilling by Dean Rutherford
-Go to sleep at 4:00 a.m. after working on their IPSP work plan for Joe
-Make lunch out of the left over hors d’oeuvres from the previous evening’s reception for ______
-Figure out how to make student loans cover rent, food, & gas


The extraordinary nature of matriculation at the Clinton School combined with the banalities of real life offers students a truly unique educational opportunity: Academics for the Surreal World. As my months in Tanzania pass, I'll try to share a few of the pearls of wisdom that have rolled my way over the past year.

Adam Penman as President Clinton and John Memmer as Dean Skip Rutherford, Halloween 2008