PLS 308
Public Administration
Summer I 2010
Course Objectives: |
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| This survey course is designed to give you a greater appreciation of the breadth and scope of public administration theory in order to improve your ability to effectively manage public and nonprofit organizations. Specifically, the course objectives are to: | ||||||||||||
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| These objectives will be met by introducing you to a variety of theories and conceptual frameworks as well as the related management tools and techniques that emerge from this research. The course will develop your critical thinking abilities through case analysis while the preparation of case memos and a group project will improve your ability to communicate your ideas and arguments in written form. | ||||||||||||
Readings |
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| The following book is required for this course and can be purchased at local book stores or through vendors on the Internet: | ||||||||||||
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| Additional required readings are on reserve in the library. A list of the reserve readings is provided on the course web site. Copies of the lecture notes and overheads used in class are also available on the class web site. | ||||||||||||
Expectations and Approach |
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| This is not a lecture-dominated class where the instructor speaks and the students passively listen. This is a seminar class where students take an active part in their learning through class discussions, group work, and case analysis. Course readings are supplemented with videos, occasional guest speakers, and other information available on the class web site. Part of your learning will be cognitive or factual in nature. However, much of what you learn in this course will involve developing your management skills, enhancing your self-awareness of the organizations in which you have worked, and sharing your experiences with others in the class. I encourage you to prepare yourself for, and be open to, the variety of ways that you can learn from this course. | ||||||||||||
| Group work will also play a part in your learning. Although you may prefer to complete assignments on an individual basis, teams often complete tasks more effectively than individuals and provide an opportunity to participate more than is possible in a larger class. Teams also provide an opportunity to work directly with and learn from your fellow classmates and allow you to observe how others analyze and solve problems. Moreover, work teams play an increasingly important role in managing today’s public and nonprofit organizations. Therefore, it is important for you to develop your ability to work effectively in teams. | ||||||||||||
| Another important part of your learning involves the analysis of case studies. Case studies are compilations of problem situations actually faced by public managers. A case places you into a real world situation and forces you to sort through and analyze various issues or courses of action. We will analyze a variety of cases in terms of their length and complexity. You will be asked to prepare a memo that responds to a specific question. Each memo is basically a role-playing exercise where your memo includes an analysis of one or more issues raised by the case. These assignments are described in more detail below. | ||||||||||||
Course Requirements |
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| Your grade in this class will be based on your ability to understand and apply the theories discussed in the course readings. More specifically, your grade will depend on your performance on the following course requirements: | ||||||||||||
Class Participation |
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Students are expected to complete the assigned readings and come to class prepared to discuss all readings, handouts, and assignments that are due. To ensure that students are prepared to discuss the readings, I will randomly ask students to summarize a reading, describe a theory, present their case memos, or present the applicable portion of the organizational analysis assignment. Each student should also be prepared to share with the class questions that the readings raised and be able to identify the most significant point or contribution that the author makes to the practice of public administration. While attendance may not be taken every class, poor classroom attendance may result in a failing participation grade since you cannot participate if you are not in class. Therefore, you should notify the instructor when you are unable to attend class or have to arrive late or leave early. If you should miss a session when a video is shown, it may be possible to make arrangements to view the film privately at the library or to borrow the video. In certain circumstances it may also be possible to make-up other in-class activities with a written assignment if frequent absences have become a problem. Your participation grade will also be lowered due to the frequent inability to respond to the instructor’s questions, poor class preparation, lack of enthusiastic participation in class exercises, or the failure to treat others in the classroom with respect (e.g., talking while others are talking, ridiculing other students, etc.). Simply put, in order to receive an “A” in this class you must be a civil, active contributor to class and not merely score well on exams and assignments. |
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Case memos |
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The analysis of case studies essentially is self-learning through simulated experience. Therefore, its success depends on the lively interchange of information, ideas, and opinions brought out in class discussion. Students are required to complete 5 memos based on cases of varying length and complexity. Since case analysis and writing memos may be a new experience, students can rewrite 2 memos and I will average the grades. Accordingly, students concerned about their final course grade should consider revising memos with poor grades. Failure to complete a memo results in a zero. Memo grades are reduced by a letter grade each day they are late. Each memo asks the student to respond to a specific question(s) and usually involves an element of role playing. Guidelines for analyzing cases and preparing memos can be found on the course web site. Your memos are limited to 2 single-spaced pages with 12 point font and 1 inch margins and must be in a standard memo format. A sample memo format can be downloaded from the course web site and most word processing software has templates that can be used. |
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Organizational Culture Assignment |
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| During the second week of class, each student will be randomly assigned to a group. Each group will be required to analyze the organizational culture of an organization in New Hanover County. There are no restrictions on the organization selected other than that it cannot be part of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Students are encouraged to select an organization that might be somewhere they are interested in working after graduation or will be easy to apply the concepts from the readings. The analysis will apply the concepts contained in the readings and prepare a short memo (no longer than 4 single-spaced pages). Each group will also make a short 5 minute presentation to the class. A detailed description of this assignment is posted on the course web site. | ||||||||||||
Exams |
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| There will be one mid-term exam and a take home final exam due at the end of the scheduled exam time. The mid-term exam will contain short answer and essay questions. A review sheet is posted on the class web site and will be updated to include a list of terms and concepts and potential essay questions. Students will have 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete the exam. The take-home final exam will be in essay form. Given the compressed nature of the course, students are advised not to procrastinate when it comes to doing the readings and preparing for the exams. | ||||||||||||
Grading |
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| All written work will be evaluated based on your analysis of the readings and cases, the organization of your ideas, the strength and substance of your arguments, your ability to properly apply the concepts discussed in class, and the quality of your writing (e.g., spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.). Failure to complete an assignment or failing to follow directions will result in a 0 for the assignment. The final course grade will be calculated based upon the following weights: | ||||||||||||
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Course grades will be calculated based on the following: A (920 – 1000), A- (900 – 919), B+ (880 – 899), B (820 – 879), B- (800 – 819), C+ (780 – 799), C (720 – 779), C- (700 – 719), D+ (680 – 699), D (620 – 679), D- (600 – 619), and F (0 – 599). In the event that an assignment is given a letter grade, points are allocated by using the midpoint of the grade range and multiplying it the number of possible points. For example, an A for a 5% memo would equal 95% of 50 points or 47.5 while a B+ would equal 89% of 50 points or 44.5. There is no rounding up or down.
All members of UNCW’s community are expected to follow the academic Honor Code. Please read the UNCW Honor Code carefully (as covered in the UNCW Student Handbook). Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated in this class. Be advised that I have a zero tolerance policy for cheating or plagiarism. Anyone caught cheating or plagiarizing an assignment will receive a failing grade for the course. |
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| Late Assignments/Incompletes | ||||||||||||
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Tentative due dates for course assignments are listed on the attached course schedule and are subject to change based on class progress and student preferences. You should check the course schedule and announcements pages on the course web site periodically for changes in due dates. Students may bring forward requests for changing the dates of major assignments for class approval with a minimum of one-week advance notice to the class.
Unless I have agreed in advance, all assignments are due at the beginning of the class period they are due. Informing the instructor of your intention to be absent does not waive your obligation to submit the work that is due. Late assignments lose one full letter grade per day they are late. An incomplete will only be granted when there are serious extenuating circumstances that occur after the withdrawal period. |
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| Disabilities, Respect, and Harassment | ||||||||||||
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Students with diagnosed disabilities should contact the Office of Disability Services (962-7555). Please give me a copy of the letter you receive from Office of Disability Services detailing class accommodations you may need. If you require accommodation for test-taking please make sure I have the referral letter no less than three days before the test.
UNCW has recently instituted a Respect Compact to affirm our commitment to a civil community, characterized by mutual respect. That Compact will soon be affixed to the wall of each classroom and can be accessed at: http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/pdc/documents/SeahawkRespectCompact.pdf. Students are expected to treat others in this class in accordance with this campus policy.
UNCW practices a zero tolerance policy for any kind of violent or harassing behavior. If you are experiencing an emergency of this type contact the police at 911 or UNCW CARE at 962-2273. Resources for individuals concerned with a violent or harassing situation can be located at http://www.uncw.edu/wsrc/crisis.html. |
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| Other Class Policies | ||||||||||||
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Cell phone use will not be tolerated in this class. Turn off your cell phones prior to class. If your phone rings, the Professor reserves the right to answer the call and/or to confiscate the phone.
Laptops may be used in this class. Laptop users should sit in the back row to avoid distracting others. Laptops will be banned from the classroom for the rest of the semester the first time any laptop user is seen engaging in non-classroom related activity. |
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Download a copy of the syllabus by clicking here |
