MPA eQuad 

COURSE INFORMATION:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: A study of the philosophical and practical issues related to ethical decision making in the public sector. Emphasis is on the analysis of ethical problems and the development of analytical skills and values framework to act ethically in public service roles.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: The Student will be able to:

1. Distinguish various ethical models for decision making in a public sector setting: conceptual, philosophical, legal, political, organizational, and professional.
2. Articulate the differences between personal and public ethics.
3. Evaluate the applicability and effectiveness of various public sector codes of ethics. Demonstrate the ability to understand and implement codes of ethics.
4. Relate ethical issues confronted by administrators in the public sector at the individual and organizational levels, with special emphasis on the importance of integrity, professionalism, diversity, and social responsibility.
5. Evaluate ethical dilemmas in organizations and propose viable solutions and leadership strategies to foster an ethical climate.

DESIRED COMPETENCY:

Students will be able to recognize and analyze complex public sector ethical issues, identify potential solutions, and defend courses of action using case analysis methodologies.

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 and issues within 24 hours or faster.
• As the instructor, I will communicate on the Blackboard Announcements page, in the discussion board for the appropriate week and/or via email. Check your email, the announcements section of Blackboard 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:

Appropriate links will be providesd in Blackboard as needed.

TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS:

a. Bowman, J.S. and West, J. P. (2015). Public service ethics: Individual and institutional responsibilities. Los Angeles, CA. Sage Publications (CQ Press). ISBN: 978-1-4522-7413-3.
b. Menzel, D.C. (2017). Ethics management for public and non profit managers, 3rd. ed. New York, NY. Routledge, Taylor Francis Group. ISBN: 978-1-1381-9016-0.

The official textbook provider for the Global Campus/eTROY of Troy University is Barnes and Nobles.  The Website for textbook purchases is http://troy.bncollege.com.

Students should have their textbook from the first week of class. Not having your textbook will not be an acceptable excuse for late work. Students who add this course late should refer to the “Late Registration” section for further guidance.

PROFESSIONALLY SUGGESTED READINGS: Svara, James (2015). The Ethics Primer. Burlington, MA. Jones & Bartletl Learning. ISBN: 978-1-4496-1901-5 and Cooper, Terry L. (2012). The Responsible Administrator, 6th ed. San Francisco, CA. Josey Bass. ISBN: 978-0-470-87394-6..

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.

b. Presentations: Group Presentations: Students will be assigned portions of the Menzel text for graded group presentations using PowerPoint® slides with story boards/notes pages detailing what would be presented in a traditional class setting. Presentations, which will be used to support online discussion, must include a professional quality presentation using an appropriate computer presentation program. Presentations must be posted in the discussion board area for the appropriate week for which they are assigned. Analysis of the cases contained in assigned chapters must be part of the presentation.

c. Ethics Case Study/Analysis Paper: Students must prepare and discuss in class, a case study/analysis paper on a topic approved by the instructor. A topic must be submitted by week three of the course for instructor approval, and case analysis papers should be prepared in accordance with the TROY Case Analysis Worksheet (as modified in class) available at the following the link (Case Analysis Worksheet ) unless an alternative format is approved. Papers should represent the student's best effort in academic writing, using traditional academic style according to the APA style guide. The analysis paper will be used to judge student achievement of student learning outcomes identified above, using the assessment rubric available at this link: Assessment Rubric

d. Examinations: An 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 Blackboard with security arrangements to be detailed during the course.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT MATRIX

This table shows how each Student Learning Outcome is assessed by including the module of instruction, the specific course content, the learning strategy, and the assessment mechanism.

METHOD OF EVALUATION AND ASSIGNMENT OF GRADES:

COURSE POLICIES:

Submitting Assignments
Weekly assignments must be posted to the discussion board by the submission deadline. I do not permit attachments in the discussion board 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. The weekly 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. The American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines are the standards for writing and referencing papers in the MPA program. Use the APA Research Style guidelines found at: http://trojan.troy.edu/writing center/

Failure to submit assignments on time will result in point deductions. Assignments should be posted to the appropriate discussion board area for the week by Sunday evening at 8:00 PM unless otherwise instructed. (note: Blackboard and I operate on central US time).

eTROY Policies and Procedures

Click on the Syllabus tab at the Blackboard site that supports this course a link to the following important eTROY 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 Blackboard course, please go to the Blackboard course site and click on the “Start Here” button found in the course functions menu on the left.

COURSE SCHEDULE/CALENDAR OF WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT:

(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. Weekly assignments will be posted in the Weekly Assignment folder in Blackboard at the appropriate time, and will consist of weekly discussion questions and ethics scenarios for student submission in the corresponding Weekly Discussion Board for my review and response.

Week One: Introduction; Foundations of Public Service Ethics

Read Bowman & West Part I (Chapters 1-3) & Menzel as assigned; Review the related course slides in the Week 1 Assignment Folder and in the discussion board respond to the questions posted in the Week 1 assignment folder.

NOTE: Weekly postings are due by 8:00 PM Sunday evening of each week unless otherwise instructed.

Week Two: Individual Centered Approach to Ethics

Read Bowman & West Part II (Chapters 4 through 7) & Menzel as assigned; Review the related course slides in the Week 1 Assignment Folder and in the discussion board respond to the questions posted in the Week 2 assignment folder.

Week Three: Individual Centered Approach to Ethics (continued)

Read Bowman & West Part II (Chapters 4 through 7) & Menzel as assigned; Review the related course slides in the Week 1 Assignment Folder and in the discussion board respond to the questions posted in the Week 3 assignment folder.

Week Four: Institutional Approach to Ethics

Read Bowman & West Part III (Chapters 8 through 10) & Menzel as assigned; Review the related course slides in the Week 4 Assignment Folder and in the discussion board respond to the questions posted in the Week 4 assignment folder.

Week Five: Issues in Public Service Ethics

Read Bowman & West Part IV (Chapters 11 & 12) & Menzel as assigned; Review the related course slides in the Week 4 Assignment Folder and in the discussion board respond to the questions posted in the Week 5 assignment folder.

Week Six: Issues in Public Service Ethics

Read Bowman & West Part IV (Chapters 13 & 14) & Menzel as assigned; Review the related course slides in the Week 4 Assignment Folder and in the discussion board respond to the questions posted in the Week 6 assignment folder.

Week Seven: Choices and Strategies for the Years Ahead

Read Bowman & West Part V & Menzel as assigned; Review the related course slides in the Week 4 Assignment Folder and in the discussion board respond to the questions posted in the Week 7 assignment folder.

Prepare and submit group presentations of assigned Menzel text material

Group presentations are due by 8:00 PM Friday 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 and final discussions

(Projects are due by 8:00 PM, Wednesday evening of week nine to allow for discussion)