The Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization. It is an international association and accreditation body of public affairs schools also known as schools of public policy and administration at universities in the United States and abroad. NASPAA is also the sole body in the United States recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as the accreditor of master's degree programs in public policy (MPP), public affairs (MPAff), and public administration (MPA). Its stated mission is to "ensure excellence in education and training for public service and to promote the ideal of public service." It administers the honor society Pi Alpha Alpha. History and mission Founded in 1970, NASPAA serves as a national and international resource for the promotion of excellence in education for the public service. Its institutional membership includes more than 280 university programs in the United States in public administration, policy, and management. NASPAA is also the accreditator of its member schools, seeking to promote the quality of education. It accomplishes its purposes through direct services to its member institutions and by: Developing and administering appropriate standards for educational programs in public affairs through its Executive Council and its Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation; Representing to governments and other institutions the objectives and needs of education for public affairs and administration; Encouraging curriculum development and innovation and providing a forum for publication and discussion of education scholarship, practices, and issues; Undertaking surveys that provide members and the public with information on key educational issues; Meeting with employers to promote internship and employment for students and graduates; Undertaking joint educational projects with practitioner professional organizations; and Collaborating with institutes and schools of public administration in other countries through conferences, consortia, and joint projects. NASPAA provides opportunities for international engagement for NASPAA members, placing a global emphasis on educational quality and quality assurance through a series of networked international initiatives, in particular the Network of Institutes and Schools of Public Administration in Central and Eastern Europe (NISPAcee), the Inter-American Network of Public Administration Education (INPAE), and the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA). It is also involved locally, directing the Small Communities Outreach Project for Environmental Issues, which networks public affairs schools and local governments around environmental regulation policy issues, with support from the Environmental Protection Agency. In 2013, NASPAA changed its name from the National Association