|
|
PA6610
Foundations of Public Administration
Course Syllabus
Last updated January 26, 2020
|
Term - 4, 2020(March 16 – May 17, 2020) |
For course syllabus posted prior to the beginning of the term, the instructor reserves the right to make minor changes prior to or during the term. The instructor will notify students, via e-mail or Blackboard announcement, when changes are made in the requirements and/or grading of the course.
TROY Online Courses at Troy University
All TROY Online courses at Troy University utilize the Blackboard Learning System.
In every TROY Online course, students should read all information presented in the
Canvas course site and should periodically check for updates-at least
every 48 hours. Remember: This is not a correspondence
course in which a student may work at his/her own pace. Each week there are
assignments, online discussions, online activities and/or exams with due dates.
Refer to the schedule at the end of the syllabus for more information.
|
|
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
|
INSTRUCTOR BIOGRAPHY: Professor of Public Administration; Malone D. Wallace Distinguished Faculty 2011. Formerly: Director, TROY 's Florida and Western Regions; Chair, TROY 's Department of Public Administration; Associate Regional Director for Academic Affairs, TROY 's Atlantic Region. Education: Ph.D. in Public Administration, Master of Arts in Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. Previous teaching: Virginia Commonwealth University; City University of New York; University of Maryland; Central Texas College; Columbia College; Saint Leo College. Professional background: Consultant, training developer and instructor for New York and New Jersey social service agencies. Graduate, FBI National Academy; thirty years law enforcement, personnel management, and training management experience. Certified Government Financial Manager; Executive Committee and former Treasurer, American Society for Public Administration, Section on Ethics and Integrity in Government (SEIGov); Past President: Florida Advisory Council on Military Education; Former Executive Committee member and Treasurer, National Association of Institutions for Military Education Services. Editorial Board member and manuscript reviewer for Public Integrity; Guest Editor for Public Integrity’s Symposium Edition on Military Ethics (2017). Doctoral dissertation examiner and invited Visiting Professor for the University of Pretoria’s School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA).
MPA eQuad
As an active MPA student you have access to the MPA eQuad located on your TROY Online Canvas Dashboard. The MPA eQuad is your immediate access point to information and links for, course concentrations, registration, MPA and TROY Online forms, major program requirements, professional opportunities, MPA program orientation, faculty advising, "Live" chat access and much more. Visit the MPA eQuad 24/7 for the latest program happenings and to review the available resources. Please take approximately 4 minutes to view this video link to find what the MPA eQuad can do for you: http://trojan.troy.edu/artsandsciences/politicalscience/mpa/how-to-access-eQuad-advising.htmlCOURSE INFORMATION:
Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course.
Course Description:
An overview of the history and intellectual foundation of public administration including the major ideas, developments, theories, concepts, and contributors to the growth of public administration and its practice in the United States. The student is introduced to the case analysis method.
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Describe the evolution of public administration (PA) and its role as an applied discipline for academics and practitioners.
- Differentiate among the various structures and functions related to public management across governments.
- Identify and explain cultural, ethical and diversity issues fundamental to the research and practice of public administration in a global world.
- Discuss civic engagement and participatory decision-making and the managerial and political issues pertaining to managing public information, including the role of technology.
- Identify key problems, create potential alternative solutions, and apply evaluative criteria in the selection and implementation of recommended alternative policy solution to the case study.
Students will be able to discuss the interaction of political and
administrative processes, the roles of administrators, and how theories and
concepts can be applied in resolving public problems.
Student Expectation Statement
• Interaction will take place primarily via the course discussion board supported
by email as needed. Weekly postings are required to the discussion board in
response to posted assignments. I will respond to each posting and provide general
responses to the class.
• In addition to instructor-student interaction, student to student interaction
is expected in the discussion board, and specific group assignments will be
posted that require such interaction. I assess that interaction by reviewing
the group discussion board I will create for each group.
• Students are to participate in this course by following the guidelines of
this syllabus and any additional information I will provide during the term.
• The student is expected to remain in regular contact with the instructor and
class via email or other communication means by participating in the discussion
forums, submitting assignments, and taking exams.
• TROY requires instructors to respond to students’ emails within 24 hours Monday-Thursday
and 48 hours Friday-Sunday, but I normally respond to all questions issues within
24 hours, and usually faster.
• As the instructor, I will communicate on the Canvas Announcements
page, in the discussion board for the appropriate week and/or via email. Check
your email, the announcements section of Canvas and especially the discussion
board area daily.
Internet Access
Since this is an on-line class, students must have access to a working computer and access to the internet. Students can use the TROY computer lab, a public library, etc., to insure they have access.“Not having a computer” or “computer crashes” are not acceptable excuses for late work. Have a backup plan in place in case you have computer problems.
Useful Web Sites for This Course:
See the External Links section in Blackboard.
TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER MATERIALS REQUIRED:
The textbook provider for TROY Online is Barnes & Noble. Please visit: http://troy.bncollege.com to access the bookstore
Students should have their textbook(s) from the first week of class. Not having your textbook(s) will not be an acceptable excuse for late work. Students who add this course late should refer to the “Late Registration” section of the TROY Online Policies and Procedures for further guidance.
a. Holzer, Marc and Schwester, Richard W. (2015), Public Administration: An Introduction, 2nd ed..
b.Shafritz, Jay M. andHyde, Albert C. (2017), Classics of Public Administration, 8th ed., Boston, MA: Cengage Learning (ISBN: 978-1-305-63903-4)
Recommended Additional Reading or Resources: Students should have access to a complete APA Style Guide for all written assignments. Also visit online resources I will provide to the class once the course begins.
Retention of Textbooks: You are required to apply concepts from the core courses in PA 6699. Accordingly retain your textbooks from this course to support work in the PA6699 Capstone in Public Administration Course.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Assignments
a. Class Preparation and Participation: Students are expected to read all assigned material and to participate in class discussion. Active participation will enhance understanding of the course material. Weekly Participation is required and failure to submit weekly discussions on time will result in significant grade reduction. While each week's discussion submissions will be graded on a 100 point possible scale, the class participation grade will not be entered until all seven week's of class discussions are complete. That grade is then computed based on a sum of weekly scores divided by the maximum score of 700 to arrive at a percentage grade for participation.
b. Presentations: Group Presentations: Students will be assigned portions of the Shafritz text for graded team/group presentations using PowerPoint® slides with story boards or notes pages containing the text of what you would say during a live presentation. Presentations, which will be used to support class discussion and must include a professional quality PowerPoint® presentation. Presentations must be posted as a link in the discussion board area for the appropriate week for which they are assigned.
c. Case Study Paper: Students must prepare and discuss a case study paper on one of the topics provided at the end of this syllabus or another appropriate pre-approved by the instructor no later than Week 3 of the course. Suggested topics are intended to allow students to become familiar with or improve case analysis skills. The case study/analysis topic chosen must be submitted for instructor approval via e-mail. Case study papers should represent the student's best effort in academic writing, and while length is not prescribed, a complete analysis that follows the cases analysis format (with section II modified in class to focus on course topics) must be submitted. Traditional academic style according to the APA style guide is required, and in the event a case analysis is used for the case study paper, the analysis must be completed in accordance with the modified case analysis worksheet available at this link: Modified Cases Analysis Worksheet.
d. Examinations: A final examination, designed to measure students' understanding of and ability to integrate course material will be administered during week eight of the term.
Examination Schedule and Instructions: A three to four hour closed book final examination will be administered during Week 8 of the course and will consist of complex essay questions and/or cases requiring students to explain and apply course concepts and case analysis methodology. The course final examination will not require a proctor, but it will be an online examination to be completed in Canvas with any necessary security arrangements to be detailed during the course. Specific dates and times of availability will be posted during the course.
METHOD OF EVALUATION AND ASSIGNMENT OF GRADES:
a. Grading Standard: |
b. Weighted Percentages: |
90-100 = A |
Class Participation /Discussion 25% (100 point/percent maximum) |
80-89 = B |
Group Presentation 25% (100 point/percent maximum) |
70-79 = C |
Term Project/Research Paper 25% (100 point/percent maximum) |
| 60-69 = D | Course Examination 25% (100 point/percent maximum) |
| 59 and below = F | |
FA |
“FA” indicates the student failed due to attendance. This grade is given to any student who disappears from the course for three or more weeks. See the Attendance section of this syllabus for additional information. |
COURSE POLICIES:
Weekly assignments must be posted to the discussion board by the submission
deadline. I do not permit attachments in the discussion board as the primary response mechanism except for the
group presentation. Instead, text should be pasted directly into the discussion
board submission to allow me and your classmates to read the material online
without opening another program. If you work off line, a link to the Word version of your document should also be included so I can verify formatting bcause at times there are formatting issues when you submit directly in the discussion board. The weekly discussion question assignments will be the primary
interaction mechanism for the course. Instructor comments and discussion of
student submissions will be provided each week. These assignments will assist
the student in preparing for the examination, all portions of which will have
been discussed in this manner.
Submit papers in Standard English using a 12-point format, 1-inch margins, and
double spacing in MS-Word format. Use the APA Research Style guidelines found at: http://www.troy.edu/writingcenter/resources.html
Failure to submit assignments on time will result in point deductions of a minimum of ten points per day for the first two days. Assignments submitted later than that point will receive a zero. Assignments should be posted to the appropriate discussion board area for the week by Sunday evening at 8:00 PM unless otherwise instructed. (note: Canvas and I operate on US Central).
eTROY Policies and Procedures
Be sure to become familiar with TROY Online policies outlined below buy clicking on the appropriate links in the Canvas course and accessing Policies and Procedures:
Method of Instruction
Student/Faculty Interaction Expectations
Internet Access Requirements
Technology Requirements
Technical Support Center
TROY E-Mail
Textbooks(s) and/or Other Materials Needed
Library Support
Honesty and Plagiarism Policy
Late Registration
Attendance Policy
Make-Up Work Policy
Incomplete Grade Policy
Non-Harassment Policy
Adaptive Needs (ADA) Policy
Faculty Evaluation
eTROY Contact Information
Site Map for Your Blackboard Course Site
To obtain a site map to enable students to navigate through the Canvas course,
please go to the Canvas course site and click on the “Start Here” button
found in the course modules area of the course. .
COURSE SCHEDULE/CALENDAR OF WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT:
(Any required weekly work is due by 8:00 PM, Sunday of the week in question unless otherwise posted, due dates are further explained in the discussion board area of the course): MATERIAL SUBMITTED AFTER THE DUE DATE WILL RECEIVE A GRADE PENALTY OF AT LEAST TEN POINTS PER DAY, and weekly assignment submitted more than two days late will receive a zero value. Weekly assignments will be posted in the Weekly Course Module in Canvas at the appropriate time, and will consist of weekly discussion questions for student submission in the corresponding Weekly Discussion Board for my review and response.
Week One: Public Administration an Indispensable Part of Society;
Organizational Theory and Management
Read: Holzer & Schwester, Chapters 1 & 2 and Shafritz as assigned. Review
the corresponding chapter slides in the Week 1 Learning Module
of the course, and in the discussion board respond to the questions posted in
the Week 1 Learning Module.
NOTE: Weekly postings are due by 8:00 PM Sunday evening of each week unless
otherwise instructed.
Week Two: Managing Human Resources; Public Decision Making
Read: Holzer & Schwester, Chapters 3 & 4 and Shafritz as assigned.
Review the corresponding chapter slides in the Week 1 Learning Module of the course, and in the discussion board respond to the questions posted
in the Week 2 Learning Module.
Week Three: Politics & Public Administration; Intergovernmental
Relations
Read: Holzer & Schwester, Chapters 5 & 6 and Shafritz as assigned.
Review the corresponding chapter slides in the Week 3 Learning Module a of the course, and in the discussion board respond to the questions posted
in the Week 3 Learning Module.
Week Four: Public Performance; Program Evaluation
Read: Holzer & Schwester, Chapters 7 & 8 and Shafritz as assigned.
Review the corresponding chapter sides in the Week 3 Learning Module of the course, and in the discussion board respond to the questions posted
in the Week 4 Learning Module.
Week Five: Public Budgeting; Public Sector Leadership
Read: Holzer & Schwester, Chapters 9 & 10 and Shafritz as assigned.
Review the corresponding chapter slides in the Week 5 Learning Module of the course, and in the discussion board respond to the
questions posted in the Week 5 Learning Module.
Week Six: Ethics & Public Administration; Technology & Public
Administration; Public Service & Popular Culture; The Future of Public Administration
Read: Holzer & Schwester, Chapters 11 -14 and Shafritz as assigned.
Review the corresponding chapter slides in the Week 5 Learning Module of the course, and in the discussion board respond to the questions posted
in the Week 6 Learning Module.
Week Seven: The Classics of Public Administration
Read: There are no weekly discussion questions this week to allow you to read Shafritz as assigned and prepare the assigned group presentation topic.
Group presentations are due by 8:00 PM Thursday evening of this week to allow other class members to respond. Students must respond to presentations posted by all groups except their own. The final exam will be available after the seventh week for completion during week eight.
Week Eight: There will be no weekly postings required to allow students to complete the final exam planned for the eighth week of the course.
Week Nine: Course project submission and final discussions.
(Projects are due by 8:00 PM, Wednesday evening of week
nine to allow for discussion)
Final Examination
Term Project Acceptable Case Analysis Topic Areas:
Remember that you are to select a current specific situation to examine to address a particular problem. Focusing on a local government situation simplifies the search for you, and searching in ASPA Smart Briefs or ICMA Smart Briefs may provide you with some ideas in areas to research.
Topic areas: Public policy, budgeting, administrative law, organizational theory or behavior, ethics, leadership, human resources or general management topics mmust be submitted for instructor approval by Week 3: Keep in mind that you need to identify a specific case or issue for examination, and avoid broad general topics.