PSC 206: Public Administration

Fall Semester 2013

Monday – Wednesday – Friday

1:00 pm – 1:50 pm

ten Hoor 257

 

Instructor:                   Laura Merrifield Sojka

Office:                         tenHoor 320

E-mail:                        lmsojka@crimson.ua.edu

Office Hours:               Monday, Wednesday – 1:50 – 3:30 pm and by appointment

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

 

This course surveys the fundamental elements of public administration, with emphasis on ethics, organizational theory, personnel management, budgeting, governmental regulation, and democratic controls.  There are no prerequisites for this course. 

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

 

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

1.  Distinguish public administration from business administration and demonstrate knowledge about the nature and scope of public administration.

2.  Describe the role of federalism and intergovernmental relations in public administration.

3.  Identify the role of groups in public administration, including the roles of civil society, decision-making, and communication.   

4.  Apply selected organization theories, and describe the traditional and contemporary ideas surrounding organization structure. 

5.  Describe the policy process, including the effects of privitization and budgeting in public administration.

6.  Identify major personnel concepts, including theories regarding leadership, motivation, and describe personnel functions such as job design and performance evaluation. 

7.  Distinguish ethics and laws in public administration as they pertain to recruitment, selection, promotion, and information access. 

 

REQUIRED TEXTS

 

Shafritz, Jay M; Russell, E.W.; Borick, Christopher.  2010.  Introducing Public Administration.   7^th Edition.  Boston, MA:  Pearson Longman.

 

Additional materials, such as case studies, will be added.  These will be either supplied by me in class or available via electronic reserve. 

 

DISABILITY ACCOMODATIONS

 

If you have any special needs, you must contact the Office of Disability Services (348-4285).  You must also meet with me to arrange any necessary accommodations. 

 

ATTENDANCE/PUNCTUALITY

 

Class attendance is required to succeed in this course.  Lectures and discussions include materials that are not available in the text and you are responsible for all information presented. If you have missed a class, it is your responsibility to obtain the notes from a classmate, as I will not provide these for you. I will not post my lecture notes online. Regular attendance will provide you with all of the information necessary to succeed in this course.  You will be allowed four (4) un/excused absences without a grade deduction.  You are accountable for the material covered during your absence, per the late/missed assignment policy.  Each un/excused absence after the fourth unexcused absence will result in a one-point deduction from your final grade. 

Any changes to the course syllabus will also be announced in class. Please note that we will frequently have in-class assignments to enhance the learning process.  These comprise the participation section of a student’s final grade which can be significant and make-up opportunities are available only in highly unusual circumstances (please refer to late/missed assignment policy). If you are frequently absent, your grade will fall quickly.

 

LATE/MISSED ASSIGNMENTS

 

Late or missed assignments will be accepted only in very unusual circumstances.  You must contact the instructor within 24 hours of the assignment being due and provide documentation concerning the reasons why an assignment is late or why an exam was missed.  Assignments that are late/missed without documentation will not be accepted.  Expect that documentation may be verified for authenticity.  Forged or false documentation is considered a form of academic misconduct, and in these cases the instructor will follow the University of Alabama’s Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy guidelines. 

 

If an in-class assignment or exam is allowed a make-up, any make-up allowed will be in a format of my discretion (essay, multiple choice, oral examination, etc.).  If you must miss class due to an official University of Alabama function, you must contact me directly for make-up assignments prior to the date of absence.  No late work will be accepted after the last day of class for the semester. 

 

GRADING

The grades for this course will be based on a standard grading system.

 

Grade            %                            Grade            %                        Grade            %

A+                 98%                        B-                80%                        D               63%

A                   93%                        C+               78%                        D-              60%

A-                  90%                        C                  73%                        F             0-59%

B+                 88%                        C-                 70%

B                   83%                        D+                68%

 

ASSIGNMENTS

 

ASSIGNMENT            %        DUE DATE (Tentative)

Exam I                     25        September 27

Exam II                    25        October 28

Final Exam                25        December 13       

Case Study Paper      15        November 22

Participation             10        Throughout term

Total                       100

 

* EXAMS

Exams may be cumulative.  The format of exams may include any combination of the following types of questions:  multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank, and/or short essays.  Further instructions will be detailed prior to each testing date. 

 

If you are absent on exam day, in order to take the make-up exam, you must contact the instructor within 24 hours of the exam and provide documentation concerning the absence.  If you arrive after the first exam has been turned in, you will not be allowed to take the exam unless you can provide documentation concerning your lateness.  No exceptions.

 

* PARTICIPATION

Assigned reading material is a necessary component of this course.  Therefore, in-class assignments will be given randomly throughout the semester based on assigned readings/course content and will collectively constitute 10% of your overall grade.  Assignments may include, but are not limited to, case studies, pop-quizzes, group assignments and individual assignments (take home or in-class).  Case studies in particular are important to understanding the complex nature of public administration challenges and will be used to further illustrate concepts.  These will be made available by me prior to class but must be read by the student before they are discussed in class.  There is not a predetermined number of in-class assignments, given that quizzes may or may not be necessary throughout the term.

 

* CASE STUDY PAPER

One case study paper (to be discussed in detail later in class) will be a 3-5 page summary and analysis to a main concept we have discussed in class.  This paper is DUE IN CLASS on Friday, November 2^3rd, 2013.  Papers turned in after the deadline will be deducted by one letter grade per day (2:00 on Friday means a 10 point reduction; 2:00 on Saturday means a 20 point reduction; so on), no exceptions.

 

* EXTRA CREDIT 

Extra credit may be offered during the course at my discretion.  Opportunities for extra credit may include, but are not limited to, guest lectures, University events, and extra assignments.  Qualifications for extra credit will be explained if and when an event occurs and will be made available to the entire class.  There is no make-up for extra credit. 

 

CLASSROOM DECORUM

 

The Code of Student Conduct requires that students behave in a manner that is conducive to a teaching/learning environment.  Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.  Discussions of certain topics may involve opposing positions.  I expect all students to be respectful of others’ positions and opinions.  Students who engage in behavior that is disruptive or obstructive to the teaching/learning environment will be subject to disciplinary sanctions outlined by the Code of Student Conduct. 

 

I also expect students to be respectful of the class.  Please make sure personal electronic devices are off before entering the classroom.  Should your electronic device disturb the class or if you are suspected of text messaging during class, you will be asked to leave.  The use of computers in class is allowed. However, students who engage in non-class related activities on their computers will jeopardize the use of computers during class time for everyone.

 

Furthermore, no photographs, videos, or audio tapings are to be conducted in the class without either 1) a request for disability accommodation from the Office of Disability Services or 2) explicit permission from the instructor.  Lecture material is considered copyrighted.

 

ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT

 

The University expects from its students a higher standard of conduct than the minimum required to avoid disciplinary action.  Academic misconduct includes all acts of dishonesty in any academically related matter and any knowing or intentional help or attempt to help, or conspiracy to help, another student engage in academic misconduct.  If a student is suspected of any type of academic misconduct, the instructor will follow the University of Alabama’s Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy guidelines.  If you are unsure of what constitutes cheating or plagiarism, please refer to the University of Alabama Student Code of Conduct or ask me.

 

 

 

COURSE OUTLINE

 

This is the guideline for reading for the course.  The corresponding lectures and activities may carry over from day or week, but the assigned chapter(s) should be read by the assigned date.  Please note that this course schedule is tentative and may change as the course progresses throughout the semester.  Any changes made to this schedule will be announced in class. 

 

August 21 & 23                    Course Introduction, Pretest

                                          Chapter 1: Defining Public Administration

 

August 26, 28, & 30             Chapter 2: The Political and Cultural Environment of Public Policy

 

September 4 & 6                  Chapter 3: The Continuous Reinventing of the Machinery of Government

 

 

September 9, 11, & 13          Chapter 4: Intergovernmental Relations                 

 

September 16, 18, & 20        Chapter 5: Honor, Ethics, and Accountability

 

September 23, 25, & 27        Review

Exam I 9/27

 

September 30 & October 2 & 4  Chapter 6: The Evolution of Management and Organization Theory

                                                                       

October 7, 9, & 11                Chapter 7: Behavior and Motivation

 

October 14, 16, & 18            Chapter 8: Managerialism and Information Technology

                                          Chapter 9: Strategic Management and Government Regulation

 

October 21, 23, & 25            Chapter 10: Leadership

Review

 

October 28                          Exam II 10/28

 

November 4, 6, & 8             Chapter 11: Personnel Management and Labor Relations

                                          Case Study Writing Seminar

 

November 11, 13, & 15        Chapter 12: Social Equity

 

November 18, 20, & 22        Chapter 13: Public Financial Management

                                          Case Study Due 11/22

 

November 25                      Case Study Feedback

 

December 2, 4, & 6             Chapter 14: Program Audit and Evaluation

                                         Review

 

FINAL EXAM: Friday, December 13^th  – 11:30 AM – 2:00 AM