School of Public Affairs and Administration Fall 2017 Introduction to Public Administration 40:834:200:80 Saturday 9:00-12:15pm Dr. Lisa Mahajan-Cusack E-mail: lmahajan@rutgers.edu Office Hours: By appointment Required Textbook Holzer, M. & Schwester, R. (2016). Public Administration: An Introduction. Routledge, NY Additional readings will be assigned. Course Overview This course focuses on developing each student s comprehension of the history and foundation of Public Administration. The course will cover the economic, political, and social dynamics within the field of public administration as well as the management challenges related to human resources, finances, program development, evaluation, technology, and strategic planning. In addition, this introduction to Public Administration will consider public service as a personal and professional commitment when considering the ethics and values unique to this sector. The course will focus on how the public perceives government, public service, and public administrators. Using a variety of tools including; textbook and assigned readings, case studies, simulations, and hands-on experiential learning; students will be afforded an opportunity to advance their theoretical and practical knowledge of public administration. 1
Course Objectives By the end of this course students will be able to: 1. Define public administration and discuss its scope and environment 2. Identify the key milestones in the development of the public sector 3. Describe the functions of government and the role of public administrators in carrying out those functions. 4. Articulate the unique management strategies of public administration 5. Demonstrate advanced understanding of the public sector in terms of economic political, and social movements 6. Evaluate alternative theoretical approaches to the examination of public administration and of their respective strengths and limits 7. Critique various organizational situations from various public administration theoretical perspectives 8. Explain and identify the importance of ethics and accountability in public organizations Class attendance and participation Attendance is critically important for class participation. As such, students attendance and active participation are both desired and expected unless a documented excuse is provided. Missing two classes, will adversely impact your final grade (e.g., a B+ will drop to a B). Missing three or more classes without a documented excuse, your ability to pass this class will be placed in serious jeopardy. 2
Assignments Each class, students will be given a homework assginment due the next class meeting. These assignments will take the form of short essays and article analysis. Assigned readings will be supplemented with pertinent articles, videos, and case studies to bring theory into practice. The lectures and discussions are designed to elaborate on and clarify key concepts. The assignments are designed to provide students with an opportunity to think critically and to give an experience with basic management tools. A separate assignment sheet will be distributed with more specifics on each assignment. Individual written work will be evaluated using the following criteria: Theory How well can you apply the conceptual material offered in readings and lectures? Data How well do you utilize descriptive data to support your argument? Analysis How well do you integrate theory and data to create a coherent and logical argument? Organization How clear and well-organized is your presentation? Are all questions answered? Writing How well do you reflect professional quality in grammar and writing style? Formatting Assignments should be: written in a 12-point font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins, numbered pages, and no longer than the page limit specified for the assignment. Headings should include student s name, date and title of assignment, and course title One general guideline to consider is to favor depth over breadth. Mid-Term Exam and Final Exam Midterm Exam: written in-class exam Final Exam: in-class written and oral presentatiom. Grading Class Attendance & Participation (10%) Essays and Assignments (35%) Mid-term Exam (25%) Final Exam (30%) 3
Email Checking Policy If a student sends a comment or question, the instructor will try to answer the email within 24 hours. It is the responsibility of the student to check for incoming course related messages frequently throughout the week. Forgetting or being unable to check your email is not an excuse. Rutgers Blackboard System All materials and assignments for this course can be accessed on and downloaded from the Rutgers Blackboard Course. Emails will be sent to the class through Blackboard. Required assignments and reading Students are expected to complete all assigned readings before each class meeting. Class discussions will provide a venue to share insights gained from the assigned readings and to ask questions about issues of concern from the readings. Students also are responsible for reading all supplemental material assigned or provided. All assignments must be uploaded through assignments in Blackboard AND a hard copy submitted in class on the assigned due date. Assignments are to be in APA format (Times Roman, #12 Font, 1 inch margins), sent in either Word or Rich Text format, double spaced, and checked for clarity/conciseness of written thoughts, spelling, grammar, and sentence structure. All papers will be checked through TurnItIn. The following websites provide basic guidelines regarding the APA citation style: http://www.lcc.edu/library/help/citation/apaonline Should students find the need for help with reading, writing, or research skills, The Rutgers, Newark Writing Center, provides tutoring and workshops. The Writing center is located at: (CPS), Room 125 Contact Information: writenow@andromeda.rutgers.edu (973)-353-2571 Late assignments Late work will be accepted, however with a penalty of a full grade deduction for each day beyond the due date. As many of us have experienced, the computer or Internet connection will act up at the most critical time. Because things happen it s best not to wait until the last minute. 4
Grade Dispute If students have a grade dispute, they should submit a one-page appeal to the instructor presenting evidence for their case. The instructor will review and reconsider the original assignment. This review may lead to a grade increase, however, it may lead to a grade decrease based on the new overall evaluation. Grading Scale: A 89.5-100 B+ 84.5-89.49 B 79.5-84.49 C+ 74.5-79.49 C 69.5-74.49 D 59.5 69.49 F 59.49 or below Academic Integrity Policy Students must follow the school s academic integrity policy http://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu Properly acknowledge and cite all use of the ideas, results, or words of others Properly acknowledge all contributors to a given piece of work Make sure that all work submitted as his or her own in a course or other academic activity is produced without the aid of unsanctioned materials or unsanctioned collaboration Obtain all data or results by ethical means and report them accurately without suppressing any results inconsistent with his or her interpretation or conclusions Treat all other students in an ethical manner, respecting their integrity and right to pursue their educational goals without interference This requires that a student neither facilitate academic dishonesty by others nor obstruct their academic progress. Uphold the canons of the ethical or professional code of the profession for which he or she is preparing Please note that plagiarism and cheating will never be excused under any circumstances. Violation of these policies leads to immediate failure of the course. Be advised that all assignments will be checked for plagiarism using the online software. 5
Disability Services and Accommodations Students with any form of disability should inform me during the first week of class so that I can make reasonable accommodations where necessary. Rutgers University welcomes students with disabilities into all of the University's educational programs. In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, a student with a disability must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation: https://ods.rutgers.edu/students/documentation-guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus s disability services office will provide you with a Letter of Accommodations. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. To begin this process, please complete the Registration form on the ODS web site at: https://ods.rutgers.edu/students/registration-form. For more information, please contact Kate Torres at (973)353-5375 or in the Office of Disability Services in the Paul Robeson Campus Center, on the 2nd Floor or by contacting odsnewark@rutgers.edu. 6
9/9/17 Introductions Chapter 1 Topic: Public Administration An introduction to the study of public administration; definitions, essential characteristics of government, and how they interact with citizens will be explored. 9/16/17 Chapter 2 Topic: Organization Theory and Management A review of the terms associated with organization theory and management will be presented. From a historical perspective organization theory is discussed citing the major researchers who have contributed to this field of study in Public Administration. 9/23/17 Chapter 3 Topic: Managing Human Resources The identification, recruitment, and retention of a competent workforce is presented in this class. Public Service Motivation and the strategies to build a motivated workforce are discussed. Chapter 4 Topic: Public Decision Making Decision making theory and models will be presented as well as a discussion on dysfunctional decision making. 9/30/17 Chapter 5 Topic: Politics and Public Administration The realities of the bureaucratic process, discretion, and legislative power will be addresses as well as the role of the judicial system as the ultimate arbitrator. Chapter 6 Topic: Intergovernmental Relations The value of shared services and other inter-governmental strategies will be discussed including best practices and the expanded model of intra-governmental cooperation. 10/7/17 Chapter 7 Topic: Public Performance In analyzing information we will focus on how to interpret results, identifying and understanding key indicators, and looking at reports and ratios in an effort to improve performance. We will also consider social factors and the impact of public-private partnerships. 10/14/17 Mid-term exam 7
10/21/17 Chapter 8 Topic: Program Evaluation Program evaluation and the general logic model will be introduced. The collection and use of information in the context of program evaluation will be discussed along with various program evaluation models. Chapter 9 Topic: Public Budgeting The theory of budgeting and financial management in the public sector will be introduced. Budget process, type, and sources and uses will also be addressed. 10/28/17 Chapter 10 Topic: Public Sector Leadership We will discuss leadership theories and practice. 11/4/17 Chapter 11 Topic: Ethics and Public Administration We will discuss ethics and values in the public sector 11/11/17 Chapter 12 Topic: Technology and Public Administration The use of internal and external technology in advancing the delivery of public sector services and management will be considered in the context of performance improvement. Knowledge management, security, and organizational structure related to this topic will be reviewed. 11/18/17 Chapter 13 Topic: Public Service and Popular Culture The public image of public servants will be considered; stereotypes and realities. Chapter 14 Topic: The Future of Public Administration The future of public administration will be viewed through the lens of the history of public administration and through the lens of economic, political, social, and global perspectives. 11/25/17 NO CLASS 12/2/17 Final Exam Presentations 12/9/17 Final Exam Presentations 12/16/17 Final Exam written ** The instructor reserves the right to alter or amend the schedule or readings as needed. Students will be notified in advance of any changes. 8