Dr. Brett S. Sharp, Assistant Professor, 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. He is currently the Associate Director of the Oklahoma Policy Research Center at UCO. He is an active member of the Oklahoma Academy and is the immediate past president of the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration. His current research interests include bureaucratic reorganization, public administration, and the role of religion in social service delivery.

Contact Hours:  Mon/Wed 10:00 - 11:00 AM; Wed 7:00-7:30 PM; Fri 9:00-10:00 (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

This course addresses the process of change and reform in American society emphasizing the role of information in the American political process. This course is intended to provide a broad introduction to the field of public policy analysis and program evaluation. The goals of this course are to better understand (1) the nature of public policy; (2) stages within the policy process; (3) the policy players; (4) basic methods of policy analysis and program evaluation; and (5) various specific policy subfields. Students will develop an appreciation of the role of science and professional knowledge in the problem-solving process. Students will also enhance research skills, including design, data collection, analysis, and report writing.

Students will read assigned textbooks and research relevant articles in order to orient them to basic concepts and information concerning public policy analysis and program evaluation. Students are responsible, through self-study, readings, independent research, and writing assignments to learn relevant concepts and applications related to the study of public policy analysis. Meetings (as arranged with the instructor) will take place periodically throughout the semester in order to discuss concepts and techniques addressed in assigned readings. Students are responsible for retaining backup copies of all homework assignments turned in and handed back. Students should regularly check the professor’s web site for any class announcements.

Patton, Carl V. & Sawicki, David S. (1993). Basic Methods of Policy Analysis and Planning (Second Edition). Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall [Required].

Theodoulou, Stella Z. & Cahn, Matthew A. (1995). Public Policy: The Essential Readings. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. [Required].

Fitzpatrick, Jody L., Sanders, James, R., and Worthen, Blaine R. (2004). Program Evaluation: Alternative Approaches and Practical Guidelines (3rd Ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon [Required]

Scott, Gregory M. & Garrison, Stephen M. (2002). The Political Science Student Writer’s Manual (4th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. [Required]

    90 -100 = A

    80 - 89 = B

    70 - 79 = C

    60 - 69 = D

    0 - 59 = F

    Meetings/Discussions     20%

    Research Paper             80%

Discussion of the assigned readings and independent research is an important part of succeeding in this course and is required of all students. Meeting with the instructor provides an opportunity for you to ask questions, clarify issues, and deepen your understanding of the concepts covered in the assigned readings. If you are unable to make a meeting as arranged, you are responsible for rescheduling at the instructor’s convenience and availability.

Each student will write a 25-30 page, double-spaced research paper for this course. You will choose a topic that directly relates to some aspect of public policy in the state of Oklahoma. Other than that one requirement, you may prepare your paper within any subfield of public policy or use any accepted research methodology. You must cite enough references to make your paper convincing. Superior papers will demonstrate a significant measure of original research and should be of sufficient quality to submit to a regional peer-reviewed political science or public policy journal (e.g. Oklahoma Policy Studies Review or Oklahoma Politics). Students must follow the American Political Science Association Author Date System (see discussion and examples in Scott & Garrison’s The Political Science Student Writer’s Manual). Selection of a research topic must be made by Friday, October 8 and subsequently must receive instructor’s approval. The first draft of the research paper (including title page, outline, first three pages, and list of references) is due by Friday, October 29.

The final draft of the research paper is due by 5:00 PM, Friday, December 10. Papers will be graded on topic selection, format, grammar, style convention, content delivery, analysis, research quality, and presentation. Please refer to the discussion of plagiarism in the Academic Integrity Statement attached to the syllabus as well as the section on Ethical Use of Source Material on pages 145-148 in The Political Science Student Writer’s Manual.

The University of Central Oklahoma complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. Students with disabilities who need special accommodations must make their requests by contacting the Coordinator of Disability Support Services, Ms. Kimberly Fields at (405) 974-2549. The DSS Office is located in the Nigh University Center, Room 415. Students should also notify the instructor of special accommodation needs by the end of the first week of class.

Based upon the Oklahoma Regents’ Statement on Course Workload and Homework [OSRHE 11-2-34], a college student should expect to spend 3 hours on average, on outside work for each hour spent in class. The message the Oklahoma Regents are communicating is that if you have a full-time job (30-40 hours) you should not at the same time maintain a full-time academic schedule (12-15 hours). If you expect to do well, plan to put in the time!

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. 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.

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!

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.