Political Science 5910 (13829): Advanced Public Administration

Syllabus for Fall 2007: Wednesdays 7:30-10:15 p.m.

Final Exam Review Sheet Posted Below

INSTRUCTOR:

Dr. Brett S. Sharp, Associate Professor of Political Science, is Director of Leadership Studies at UCO. He earned his Ph.D. in Political Science with emphases in American government, public administration, and public policy as well as a Master of Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma. He also received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science/Public Affairs with a minor in Religious Studies from Oklahoma State University. His current research focuses on administrative reform, leadership theory, religion and politics, public human resources management, public service ethics, music in politics, and academic testing.

            Contact Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 8:30-9:00 AM and Wed 6:30-7:30 PM (and by appointment)

            Office:             Liberal Arts Bldg 102-J (in Political Science suite)             Email: bsharp@ucok.edu

            Telephone:       (405) 974-5526 (with voice mail)                                         Fax:    (405) 974-3823

            Web Site:         http://www.libarts.ucok.edu/political/faculty/sharp        Classroom: LAR 116

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Analysis of contemporary public administration issues and cases related to citizen participation, decision making, ethics, public health, national defense, bureaucracy, organizational behavior, budgeting and finance, planning, policy analysis, leadership, privatization, management, and human resources. This course emphasizes case studies.

TEACHING METHODS/LEARNING EXPERIENCES:

This class depends on active student participation and includes several case studies and other in-class simulations. Classroom questions and discussion are strongly encouraged. Students will participate in classroom experiences and attend lectures which will orient them to basic concepts and information concerning the practice of public administration. Students are responsible, through self-study and reading assignments, to learn relevant administrative concepts and applications. Students will also present case studies over a variety of public administration issues and review a contemporary book in administrative theory. The student is responsible for retaining backup copies of all homework assignments turned in. The student should also be aware that some flexibility is retained in the syllabus to accommodate invited speakers and other learning opportunities. Students should also regularly check the professor’s web site for any class announcements.

TEXTS

Stillman, Richard J. (2007). Public Administration: Concepts and Cases (8th Ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. [Required]

Scott, Gregory M. & Garrison, Stephen M. (2006). The Political Science Student Writer’s Manual (5th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. [Recommended]

EVALUATION METHODS AND GRADING

            Instructor will determine course grades                             Grading components include:

            using the following scale:                                                                 Administrative Leadership Paper   20%

                            90 -100        =         A                                                         Reading/Case Study                       10%

                            80 - 89        =         B                                                         Reading/Case Study                       10%

                            70 - 79        =         C                                                         Reading/Case Study                       10%

                            60 - 69        =         D                                                         Midterm Exam                               15%

                              0 - 59        =         F                                                         Graduate Case Study                      10%

                                                                                                                        Final Exam                                     20%

                                                                                                                        Participation                                     5%

Course Schedule - Fall 2007

CLASS ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION

Attendance has its privileges. Class attendance is an important part of succeeding in this class and is expected of all students. Class time provides an opportunity for you to ask questions, clarify issues, and deepen your understanding of the concepts covered in the text. If you are absent, you are responsible for getting any notes, assignments, and schedule changes made on that day. If you come in late, you are responsible for seeing that the attendance record is correct.

Above and beyond the expected class attendance, students are required to complete the readings as assigned (see course schedule) prior to the beginning of the class period. Demonstrated mastery of the assigned readings through class discussion is necessary to earn full participation points.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERSHIP PAPER

Write a12-15 page, double-spaced typewritten report over an issue or situation involving the success or failure of administrative leadership. A connection with Oklahoma state or local government or nonprofit is preferred, but not required. Superior papers may be submitted to The New Plains Review to be considered for publication in a forthcoming issue dealing with leadership. This paper must properly cite source materials as appropriate. This paper may take the form of a traditional research paper, but it may also be in the form of a personal narrative or essay.

REQUIREMENTS FOR READING REVIEWS/CASE STUDIES

Each student will select three Readings and Case Studies from the textbook by Stillman (or from handouts distributed by the instructor) and prepare a 5-6 page summary and analysis of the contents for each. These reading/case reviews should also include 2-3 questions to be posed to the rest of the class in order to stimulate class discussion. Each reading/case review will be presented to the rest of the class according to the schedule as arranged with the instructor. Students are expected to make full use of visual aids and multimedia materials if available. Superior papers and presentations will demonstrate original research to update the relevant case study.

GRADUATE CASE STUDY

We will be showing Al Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth the second-to-last week of class. All of the graduate students should work together as a group and use this documentary as a take-off point to lead a discussion of global warming and make a coordinate presentation. You may divide up the work however you wish, but specifically, you should apply the principles of research design, threats to validity, and decision analysis to plan a coherent approach to tackling the global warming issue. You should agree from which vantage point you should take this policy issue (e.g. local, state, national, or international) and approach it from that perspective. Your work should be presented on the last day of regular class and should include an executive summary of your recommendations (1-5 pages).

EXAMINATIONS

There will be two exams during the semester. Both exams will be comprised of essay, short answer, and/or multiple choice questions. The final exam will be comprehensive. Make up examinations will not be offered except for documented emergencies. Even then, an alternate form of the examination will likely be substituted. In case of school cancellation due to weather or other reasons during the scheduled time for the final exam, university policy will be followed in the assigning of grades, which in the past has included the professor’s best judgment to what the student has earned up until that point. Therefore, your best interest is to not depend upon the final exam to make up for previously poor grades.

EXTRA CREDIT

Up to five (5) percentage points of the overall total may be earned by attending select events related to the study or practice of public administration. Typically, one point will be offered for each event.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Cheating = Failure (please refer to attached Academic Integrity Statement). Cheating is unacceptable conduct and will result in an automatic grade of “F” for the course, and be reported to Academic Affairs. Students are required to do all of the work for this class on their own. Copying answers to exercises or examinations from anyone constitutes cheating. Allowing another student to copy one’s answers will be treated as cheating. A student may discuss exercises and case briefs with others before preparing his or her own answers, but the answers must be each student’s own work product. Consulting with the instructor about any assignment does not constitute cheating and is encouraged.

The Political Science Department of the University of Central Oklahoma is asking all students taking political science courses to read the following Academic Integrity Statement. Our purpose in doing so is to ensure that all our students are aware of what is improper academic behavior.

Academic Integrity Statement

As members of the academic community, students are expected to recognize and uphold standards of intellectual and academic integrity. The Political Science Department expects that its students will conduct themselves honestly. This means, above all, that students submit for credit work that is the product of their own efforts. Principles of academic integrity require that all dishonest work be rejected as a basis for academic credit, and that students refrain from any and all forms of dishonorable conduct in the course of their academic work.

The examples and definitions given below are intended to clarify the standards by which academic honesty and integrity is judged. The list is merely illustrative of some of the more common infractions. It is not intended to be exhaustive. Any question a student has about what constitutes inappropriate behavior should be directed towards their instructor. The rule of thumb to follow is: If in doubt, ASK!

Definitions and Examples

Plagiarism - Plagiarism is presenting another person’s work as one’s own. Plagiarism includes not only the exact use of another’s words, word for word, but also the paraphrasing or summarizing of the works of another person without acknowledgment, including the submitting of another student’s work as one’s own. The student is responsible for understanding the legitimate use of sources, the appropriate ways of acknowledging academic, scholarly, or creative indebtedness, and the consequences of violating this responsibility. In case of doubt, give a citation of the author you are using. Failure to indicate the extent and nature of one's reliance on other sources is plagiarism. A plagiarized paper will result in a failing grade on the work in question, and perhaps, for the entire course.

Cheating on Examinations - Cheating on examinations involves giving or receiving unauthorized help before, during, or after an examination. Examples of unauthorized help include the use of notes, texts, or “crib sheets” during an examination (unless receiving instructor approval), or sharing information with another student either during or after an examination.

Falsification - It is a violation of academic honesty to misrepresent material or to fabricate information in an academic exercise or assignment (e.g. false or misleading citation of sources, the falsification of the results of experiments or of computer data).

Multiple Submissions - It is a violation of academic honesty to submit substantial portions of the same work for credit more than once without the explicit consent of the instructor to whom the material is being submitted the second time.

Reading Review/Case Study Presentation Schedule - Fall 2007