Defining Public, Service and Community: The Pillars of 
the Watts College 

Being in service to others is a cornerstone, not an afterthought, for the four schools that comprise the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions. The words public, service and community are listed in our college name because they describe the work we do. Yet, more fundamentally, these words direct how we do that work and who we do it for. These principles are also the foundations of American democracy, which seeks to provide all citizens with the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Our democracy is grounded in the shared ideal that all people have inherent worth and dignity, and in a democratic society, their perspectives are meaningful and worthy of consideration.

The Watts College models this aspiration in its unerring commitment to collaborating with and uplifting others to improve outcomes for individuals, communities and the public at large. Through successive convocation speeches, Watts College Dean Cynthia Lietz examined the concepts of public, service and community. The reflections that follow explore the values that sustain both strong communities and a healthy democracy: service to others, a commitment to the public good, meaningful human connection and an enduring sense of hope.