The School of Public Affairs harked back to its founding mission—to train federal employees to help the nation navigate troubled times—when it hosted Classes Without Quizzes on October 10 for hundreds of furloughed public servants and others impacted by the longest government shutdown in United States history.
The daylong event featured 22 sessions taught by faculty from across campus on topics like leading through crisis, mastering everyday AI, and filmmaking at your fingertips, taught by School of Communications professor Larry Engel (pictured). SPA hosted the first Classes Without Quizzes during the 2018–19 shutdown.
“As faculty, we prepare students to become public servants, so this [was] a great way to give in the inverse and show our public servants all that we have to offer as an institution,” said Tricia Bacon, director of SPA’s Policy Anti-Terrorism Hub and a professor of justice, law, and criminology. Bacon, who worked in counterterrorism at the State Department for more than 10 years, led a session called “Who Gets Called a Terrorist?”
The Washington area is home to 330,000 federal workers—the largest concentration in the country, according to the Office of Personnel Management. One of them, Sara (not her real name), a longtime State Department employee, said she learned about the event from her boss, one of 3,000 Eagle alumni who work for the federal government in DC.
“I’m really focused on resilience and self-care, and being curious is one of the best ways for me to take care of myself right now,” Sara said. “I was drawn to the classes about mindful leadership so I can learn how to help my team navigate this.”
For others, the event was a chance to build community with people who were shouldering the stress and uncertainty that comes with a shutdown.
“I was just speaking with someone from USAID,” said Dave, a furloughed contractor. “It’s sad this is happening, but it’s great to make new connections and know you’re not alone.”
Greg Wright, SPA/MPP ’14, works at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Although the agency has faced threats of dismantlement since February 2025, it remained open during the shutdown, which stretched for 43 days.
Wright came to AU on his flex Friday off and appreciated the opportunity to learn more about AI and how changes in news media fueled the partisan division that contributed to the shutdown.
“It’s great to see the community [rallying] around us, whether it’s AU or elsewhere in DC,” he said. “This burnishes AU’s reputation as the public service university in DC and the country.”
AU conferred its first degrees in 1916 to three employees of the Department of Agriculture. Meanwhile, SPA was established in 1934 to train civil servants to implement President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s pioneering New Deal. The school was originally located in a building off F Street, as the downtown location was more convenient for government employees.
“Our mission has always been to promote the public good,” said SPA interim dean Alison Jacknowitz. “Classes Without Quizzes is not necessarily a tradition we’d like to have, but we’re proud to support federal workers during a very uncertain time.”
During her seminar, former AU president Sylvia Burwell drew on her experience as the 22nd secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and director of the Office of Management and Budget to offer tips for leading through crisis and disruption.
Before she launched into her presentation, someone in the packed lecture hall exclaimed, “It feels so good to be back in school after all these years!” Laughter wafted across the classroom—a welcome release.
“And here’s the best part,” Burwell replied with a grin. “No quizzes!”