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Center for Applied Social Sciences
Mission Statement
The Center promotes and provides collaborative interdisciplinary innovation, research, and technical assistance consulting services which address social and public policy issues facing a global society.
Purpose
The overarching purpose of the Center is to expand human knowledge through innovation, research,
and creative activities through the varied expertise of the faculty by promoting entrepreneurial
enterprises, fostering collaborations with governmental agencies, private entities, and educational
institutions.
The Center assists agencies and communities by providing policy and problems analysis,
problem solving techniques, and provides educational and training services to community,
private, and governmental agencies. The Center provides innovative strategies which meet
unique needs of individual and organizational perspectives. Meeting unique needs and demands
through entrepreneurial approaches, the Center's focal point addresses:
- justice issues,
- social phenomena and social inequity,
- criminal justice system line level and administrative issues,
- human factors, decision-making, and field performance issues,
- human and national security issues,
- family and wellness issues,
- systems analysis, technology innovations and risk management assessments,
- agency personnel assessments and public policy issues facing governmental agencies and private
entities. - applied interdisciplinary research and public service projects through agency requests and/or
through faculty initiatives.
Services
Multi-tiered services are provided by Center faculty (research, innovate approaches/solutions, systems
analysis, life-long learning, technical assistance; data bases, collaborations, public policy issues) and
focus on:
- Research and evaluation services aimed at agency programs and technology in order to improve
agency effectiveness, - Provide innovative and creative services impacting agency policy and decision-making, and
recommend innovative strategies through research and analysis, - Create partnerships and collaborative relationships with educational institutions, government
agencies, private corporations, community organizations, and other faculty across campus
consistent with the goals and objectives of the Center, - Provides broad array of advanced information, data bases, communication, resources, and
networking opportunities into instructional and training settings organized and developed by the
Center, - Develop and deliver educational and training programs on continuing professional education
topics of interest to varying disciplines (Life-long learning), - Policy development and analysis, strategic advice, knowledge and risk management and
information sharing across jurisdictions through technical assistance strategies, - Develop unique research and technical assistance projects based on special needs requests, and
- Publish and disseminate scholarly research on professional discipline issues.
Agencies
The Center provides services to:
- Municipalities
- County Government
- Federal Government
- Private Companies
- Educational Institutions
- Risk Managers
- Training organizations
- Community Groups
To learn more about the Center for Applied Social Sciences and to determine how the Center may best serve your needs, please contact Dr. Darrell L. Ross, Department Head of Sociology, Anthropology, Criminal Justice, and Marriage and Family Therapy and Center Director, at (229) 333-5943 or dross@valdosta.edu.