Course Overview

P ADM 500 serves as the introduction to the field of public administration (PA) and to the MPA program at World Campus. It's designed to be a survey course that provides the foundation for further study in the field or a general understanding of public administration for students from similar fields. 

In this course you'll become familiar with the roles that public administrators play in a democratic society, the history and development of the field of PA, how complex organizations are managed and decisions are made, how public managers interact with one another and collaborate across sectors in society, the importance of ethical action and professional standards of conduct, and how external forces, such as globalization and information technology, are changing traditional assumptions and practices in PA. Most examples will draw upon the structure and processes of governance and economic organization in the United States.

There are no prerequisites for the course. Students will be enrolled from a wide variety of undergraduate majors. However, a familiarity with basic concepts of the social sciences, especially knowledge of American government and economics, is recommended. Working in large complex organizations in any sector of society should also give you insight regarding how such social entities work. Political experience, either through direct engagement in electoral politics or active citizenship, is also a plus but isn't required. Much of the activity within the field of PA has shifted away from the traditional focus on individual labor and performance and moved toward the work of groups and teams, whose members may be drawn from a single organization or from multiple different organizations. This course and the MPA program in general attempt to capture this new reality by incorporating requirements for group discussions and group activities. After the introductory lessons, each week’s topic provides an opportunity for you to work with your fellow students in group assignments and group discussions.

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Course Objectives

This course is designed to increase your ability to do the following:

• Identify major concepts, theories, and issues that have guided the development of PA.
• Develop a working vocabulary of the field.
• Become familiar with methods of analysis to guide informed decisions.
• Appreciate the multiple perspectives, values, and ethical challenges in the work of PA.
• Analyze contemporary issues that continue to change the field, and be prepared for future challenges, in particular the increased use of information technology and the demands for ethical action in an increasingly interdependent, globalized society.
• Communicate effectively in individual and group writing and reporting.

For more details on the course content, go to the Course Schedule.

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Course Materials

Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.

Library Course Reserves

This course requires that you access Penn State library materials specifically reserved for this course. You can access these materials by selecting Library Resources in your course navigation, or by accessing the Library E-Reserves Search and search for your instructor's last name.

The materials will be available in the University Libraries Course Reserves. All the other readings, except the chapters in the textbook, can be directly accessed via the links provided in the schedule.

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Technical Specifications

Technical Requirements

Operating System	Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems.  To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications.
Browser	Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Please note that Canvas does not support the use of Internet Explorer. Students and instructors should choose a different browser to use.    To determine if your browser is supported, please review the list of Canvas Supported Browsers. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites.
Additional Canvas Requirements	For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications.
Additional Software	All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Students will need a PDF reader, such as Adobe Reader.
Hardware	Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution Audio: Microphone, Speakers Camera (optional, recommended): Standard webcam - many courses may require a webcam for assignments or exam proctoring software.
Mobile Device (optional)	The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements.

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Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)

During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.

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If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.

For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!

One of the benefits of being a registered Penn State student is that you are eligible to receive educational discounts on many software titles. If you are interested in learning more about purchasing software through our affiliate vendor, please visit the Technology and Software page.

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Course Requirements

Performance in the course is evaluated in different ways. Discussions ask you to review concepts and consider their application. Analytical papers and narrated presentations require you to synthesize and apply concepts and communicate your ideas through different mediums. And a community-based learning project broadens your theoretical understanding through interaction with a public administrator. The knowledge and skills you’ll acquire in this course are also developed through a combination of individual activities and group interactions and projects.

The following are the course rules and requirements:

• For all assignments, late submissions will incur a 10% penalty per day; after three days, no late submission will be accepted without prior instructor approval.
• Utilizing rubrics is at the discretion of the professor, but all assignments will be judged on content and your ability to communicate clearly, regardless.
• Each assignment has a word count requirement. Going over/under the word count range will incur a penalty.
• We know most of you are balancing work, family, and school, and sometimes it gets really difficult to maintain that balance. Therefore, you are allowed a one-time, one-day grace period for a late assignment submission without having to provide an explanation.  Just send an email that you will be using your grace period BEFORE the due date. Remember, you only get one of these, so use it wisely.

Requirement 0: Orient Yourself to the Course (5 points)

Beginning with Lesson 1, you're required to (1) explore and familiarize yourself with Canvas and (2) introduce yourself to the class using VoiceThread. You'll find instructions on how to access and use these tools within the lesson. If you experience any difficulty using these tools, contact the IT Service Desk immediately, and then update your professor.

Requirement 1: Weekly Group Discussions (10 Points)

Beginning with Lesson 1, you're required to participate in reading analysis discussions. The first discussion may be a whole class discussion, but subsequent discussions will occur in groups. The professor will create the groups in the first week. Each group member will receive one point toward the final grade for each discussion evaluated positively by the instructor. Your contribution will be evaluated on an individual basis.

You're expected to make one initial post by 11:59 p.m. (ET) Wednesday and reply to the posts of at least two other students by 11:59 p.m. (ET) Sunday.

Your posts must meet the following requirements:

• Each original response to the questions for the week must be between 200–400 words and specifically reference some concept or content found in the course work for the week (with citation).
• Peer responses must be at least 100 words and be one or more of these types: (1) agreement with the post followed by extension, (2) an alternative perspective with rationale, or (3) a respectful challenge with counterargument.
• DO NOT USE OUTSIDE SOURCES. For this assignment, use ALL the assigned texts to better answer the questions.
• Support your observation with citations. Avoid assumption of knowledge you cannot possibly know (e.g., "most people believe...") and personal opinion statements (e.g., "I believe that...").

Evaluation: You're required to participate in discussion forums throughout the course. The discussion forums will be graded on your participation and the quality of your original post and your response to your peers.

Your post should demonstrate 

• your understanding of key concepts,
• a divergent viewpoint or challenge, and
• your skill in supporting your opinions.

All posts should be written at a graduate level and be fully proofread and grammatically correct. Writing assistance is available through Tutor.com.

There are many ways to contribute to a discussion forum. Here are some examples to get you started:

• If you think you know an answer, write your answer (be clear about which question you're answering), and explain why you believe that's the best answer.
• If you aren't sure of an answer, discuss possible answers and explain why you aren't sure, or provide any other thoughts you have about the question.
• If you think one question has been answered well by another student, reply to that answer to explain why you agree or to add to the answer.
• If you disagree with an answer, post a reply explaining why you've reached a different conclusion.
• If you think there are factors not being considered, point them out.
• If the discussion forum's questions bring other questions to mind, invite other students to think about your questions.

Requirement 2: Case Analysis Project (20 Points)

Using the ideas found in the required readings to drive your analysis, approach the case analysis paper as if you're a decision maker or an analyst briefing a superior.

• Do not exceed 2,000 words on the case analysis paper. More than 2,000 words will be considered overage and will negatively affect your grade. The following formula will determine the total points deducted: (Overage / 2,000) * 5.
• Late submissions will be penalized at 10% per day, and no late submissions will be accepted after three days late without prior approval by the instructor.
• The paper should answer the following:
  • What are the essential course issues described in the case? Issues represent current or emerging problems faced by individuals and groups in the organization and can be found in the course lessons (e.g., federalism, bureaucracy). Keep in mind that there are many issues in any given case, but not all of them are equally important. Focusing on urgent and important issues will probably serve you well.
  • What are the causes/factors producing the situation described in the case? What seems to be causing the key problems? Do the problems share a cause, or are they related in some other way? The linkages you make among causes/factors in the case are important. You may want to list, draw, or somehow represent the factors you see as important. You might find a visual representation helpful in capturing the core dynamics. The goal is to discern how and why the situation arose in the first place.
• Make sure that you provide citations to the texts and the readings.
• Provide recommendations, evaluation, or solutions. Be concrete and realistic, and support your observations with concepts and theories from your reading. Use the following questions to help you form your response. Don’t write your analysis in Q&A format, and keep in mind that not every question will be applied to each case:
  • What course of action would you adopt if you were involved in this situation? Why?
  • How does your solution address the underlying causes of the issues?
  • How would you implement your suggested actions?
  • What potential failure points do you need to anticipate?
  • What is the downside of your solution?
  • How would you monitor progress toward full implementation?
• Again, support your observations with textual/concepts/theories support.

The case analysis is worth a maximum of 20 points. Use the style guide for the American Psychological Association (APA) for proper citation format for all direct quotes and ideas. Graduate-level writing, grammar, and style as well as cogent and logical argumentation are expected and will be considered in the grading.

Requirement 3: News Brief Project (10 Points)

Each week covers a different topic. By the end of Lesson 1, choose a week that covers a topic that interests you, and sign up to research and present on that topic. Students will present on topics from Lessons 3 through 11, excluding the topics for Lessons 5 and 8. No more than four students may sign up for the same lesson/topic.

This assignment will draw on a real-life example currently in the news that relates to the readings for the lesson topic you chose to present on. For example, if the lesson’s readings are about public participation, you could present on a news story about participatory budgeting in New York City and discuss how well it's designed.

This is a research assignment. Build your literature review on the real-life news topic you chose to explore by researching relevant issues. You can draw from a variety of sources to complete your review, but you must provide at least 10 peer-reviewed journal articles as references, including the assigned readings of the lesson. In addition to these 10 articles, you can use books, websites, or any other authentic sources. Please do not use wikis or dictionaries as sources.

VoiceThread Presentation

Your presentation will be delivered via VoiceThread and should do the following:

1. Briefly summarize the event.
2. Emphasize the key points of news articles relevant to the topic of the lesson.
3. Make at least two points that establish links with the scholarly readings.
4. Provide a critical analysis of the arguments (for and against) made in the literature.
5. Present at least two questions about the story to investigate further, based on the reading.
6. Provide your thoughts on these questions.

The goal of the VoiceThread presentations is to present your research to the class. It should have no more than 10 slides, not counting the title and reference slides, and is capped at a total of 10 minutes. Each slide should be interesting and include bulleted text, rather than paragraphs of text. Your narration should also be interesting and flesh out the ideas presented in your slides. Do not read your slides.

Your presentation will be graded both on the content and overall quality of the presentation. For more information on using Voicethread to post your News Brief, consult the News Brief: Individual Voicethread Presentation Assignment link.

Submit your VoiceThread Presentation by 11:59 p.m. (ET) Sunday before the start of the lesson week you have chosen for your topic so that the class can review and respond your presentation during the lesson week. For example, if you're presenting for Lesson 3: Federalism and Intergovernmental Relationships, you should post the presentation by the end of Lesson 2. The current issue should be available for all students to view starting Monday of each week.

Late submission will carry a 10% penalty per day, and additional slides or running time will also incur a penalty.

Respond to Classmates (Point Deduction if Incomplete)

You must provide at least one comment on a minimum of five different topics presented by your classmates by the end of Lesson 11. If you fail to do so, you'll lose two Weekly Group Discussion points per comment missed, up to 10 points total.

Responses to classmate presentations must be at least 150 words and should be one or more of these types: (1) agreement with extension, (2) an alternative perspective with rationale, or (3) a respectful challenge with counterargument.

Requirement 4: Community-Based Learning Project (35 Points)

Interview an Administrator

For this project, you'll interview an individual in a leadership position in a government or nonprofit organization that you don't work for in any capacity. You'll then submit a written report analyzing your interview. This activity will require minimum of approximately 20–25 hours over the course of the semester and will be due by the end of Lesson 8. You're encouraged to begin working on this assignment as early as possible.

Required Steps

Following are the steps required to complete this project:

1. Find an organization and contact its leader to request an interview (plan for this to take about one hour). The person you interview should hold the title of CEO, director, or some other executive title and must be responsible for leading others. You can choose any type of public or nonprofit organization that works directly with and for the public. For example, you may choose to interview the director of a food bank or a police chief but not the sanitation department chief. Again, you must choose an organization you don't work for or have a professional connection with.

When calling a prospective person to interview, state your full name, the name of your school, and the reason you need to interview them. Then, ask the person if they would be willing to meet with you.

2. Plan your interview questions using the Guide to Interviewing for Administrator Interview Assignment. You're encouraged to change, add, or omit questions from the guide so that your interview questions are relevant for the administrator you plan to interview. You should also plan to record the interview using a video camera, audio recorder, or both. This recording will be useful while you write your paper.
3. Before conducting the interview, fill out the IRB consent form. You should also communicate your plans to record the interview and explain how you will use the recording. Ask the person's permission before recording. 
4. Conduct your interview.
5. Write a thank-you letter or note: After the interview, it's very important that you write the person a thank you letter or card. People like to think that their time is appreciated. It's polite and a positive way to end the interview process.
6. Review and transcribe your recording of the interview. Analyze this transcript and use it to assist you when writing your paper. You should plan to spend several hours creating the transcript.
7. Write a paper based on your analysis of the interview.

Guidelines

Use the following guidelines to structure and write your paper:

• Your paper must be no more than 2,000 words.
• Use headings and subheadings to organize your paper.
• Make sure to provide the required attachments (detailed later in the guidelines).
• Don't submit the consent form that you and your interviewee signed as an agreement.
• Don't mention any identifying information, such as the name of the individual you interviewed or the organization they work for.
• Please cite any sources you use in the paper following APA style. There is no minimum number of references required for this paper, but since this is analysis, not opinion, citations supporting your observations are required.

Format

Your paper should include the following sections.

Introduction: Provide information about the purpose of the interview. (What was the focus of the talk, and what important idea, challenges, or characteristics emerged as a result?) Include information about the organization, such as size, budget, vision, mission, or anything important for building context.

Method: Provide information about how the interview was conducted, such as the location, duration, and so on. Also, provide information about the demographics of the leader you interviewed, such as age, gender, past experience, education, and any other relevant information. Provide as much detail as possible to build context.

Analysis (Body of the Paper): In this section, discuss the details you learned in the interview. Probably the easiest way to organize all the information is to read through your notes and listen to the recording of the interview. You need to think about what the reader would like to know about the person you interviewed. Pick three main themes or ideas you talked about during the interview. These will become body paragraphs for your essay.

• Once you have identified the three main things you're going to talk about in your paper, you need to write an outline. Be selective, and focus on two or three specific themes. Use direct quotes when relevant; however, don't overuse them. Connect the real experience of the leader to the concepts and theories you've learned in this class. Present each theme with a clear title as a subsection. For example:
  • Body paragraph 1: First course lesson identified through the interview
  • Body paragraph 2: Second course lesson identified through the interview 
  • Body paragraph 3: Third course lesson identified through the interview
• Provide citations. There is NO NEED to use outside sources.

The strength of the interview is in finding the why behind the issues and actions. Ask follow-up questions accordingly, and include theoretical explanations found in the course texts or your research to help you analyze your subject’s choices.

Conclusion: Wrap up your paper by summarizing your findings and writing some concluding remarks about issues that appear in the interview.

Attachments: Please include the following attachments with your submission:

1. Reflection notes: Provide your observation on your learning in this experience, your impressions, the quality of your experience, and so on. What was the most important learning? Was there anything that surprised you or anything that impressed you?
2. Transcripts of the interview if recorded, or handwritten notes if a transcript of the recording isn't available.
3. List of interview questions that you developed beforehand for your reference. It's also called interview protocol in research methods.
4. Don't attach the IRB consent form, but please save it for your own protection.

Requirement 5: Group Issue Analysis Project (25 Points)

For this assignment, you'll work with your Issue Analysis group members to follow a news item, current event, or other relevant topic over the course of the semester.

Part 1: Initial Topic for Approval (Graded as Complete/Incomplete)

By the end of Lesson 4, for Part 1 of this assignment, your group will identify the news item, current event, or relevant topic you wish to track over the rest of the semester.

Your initial topic submission should include the following:

1. a headline from a legitimate news source (e.g., Wall Street Journal, Time, The Economist, CNN, CNBC, The Chronicle of Higher Ed);
2. a link to the item or source information;
3. a summary of the item (no more than 250 words);
4. an explanation of how the item relates to course themes thus far (no more than 250 words); and
5. team ground rules.

The total length of your submission should be no more than 1,000 words.

Part 2: Analysis Paper (20 Points)

Goal: As a group, you'll follow events over 6–7 weeks to understand and be able to describe the dynamics of the situation or topic. The topic you choose will need to be approved by your instructor in Issue Analysis Project Part 1.

Objective: Focus the paper on identifying a particular public administration problem. This problem may be the implementation of a new reform or public–private partnership, or anything else relevant to the issues covered in each week of the schedule.

Competencies: The focus of this assignment is to develop the following skills: 

• analyze a real-life event, applying concepts of public administration, and
• synthesize complex information gathered from various sources, and develop an unbiased and concise issue analysis.

Structure: You will create a 3,000-word issue analysis paper that will link the theories and concepts of the course with the real-life situation. 

Outline of the Paper: Your paper should adhere to the following outline:

• Introduction.
• Topic of the analysis.
• Detailed information about the news story/real-life situation.
• Challenges and opportunities linked with the concepts relevant to the story. (There should be at least three themes, concepts, or topics that you will use to analyze the situation.)
• Recommendations. (What would you do differently?)
• Conclusions.
• References. (Citations are required. There should be mix of scholarly peer-reviewed articles, books, and other nonscholarly sources, such as reports, websites, newspapers, etc.)
• Appendices are not permitted. Any visuals (such as graphs, charts, or figures) should be inserted into the text.

Part 3: Peer Evaluation (5 Points)

Five points will be awarded based on group members' evaluations of each other. Peer evaluation is important, as it gives the instructor insight into how well group members interact with their peers. In the final week, you'll have access to a peer evaluation form to be used for this purpose. The instructor will assign a point total that is the mean score of your group members' assessments.  In addition, ANY group member not contributing a Peer Evaluation will also have their peer review grade reduced by one point.  REMEMBER ONLY EVALUATE YOUR ISSUE ANALYSIS GROUP (NOT YOUR DISCUSSION GROUP).

Following are the four major evaluation criteria:

• actively participated in the discussion (e.g., frequently posted and commented with ideas, kept close contact with group members);
• exhibited a positive attitude through the process (e.g., provided constructive feedback, helped keep the group focused on the task);
• was wiling to be a real team player (e.g., was willing to take on responsibilities, respected group members' opinions, helped make decisions); and
• contributed to developing the group presentation (e.g., initiated and shared ideas/resources).

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Course Schedule

Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).

The schedule below outlines the topics we will be covering in this course, along with the associated time frames and assignments. Note that assignments are due based on North American eastern time (ET). This ensures that all students have the same deadlines regardless of where they live.

Note: The due dates for the assignments are noted in the Course Schedule section of this syllabus, below. Deadlines will be defined as 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the last day of the lesson time frame, unless noted differently.

Lesson 1: Public Administration as a Profession and Field of Study

Readings

Mosher, F. C. (1982). Changing concepts of the civil service: The first century and a half. Democracy and the public service (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press (Course e-Reserves). Shafritz et al. (2017). Chapter 1: Defining Public Administration. Introducing Public Administration, pp. 1–39. Frederikson et al. (2015). Chapter 1: Introduction: The Possibilities of Theory. The Public Administration Theory Primer, pp. 1–13 (Course e-Reserves). Cooper, T. L., & Bryer, T. A. (2007). William Robertson: Exemplar of politics and public management rightly understood. Public Administration Review, 68(5), 816–823 (optional).

Activities

Complete the basic steps in the Getting Started page. Review the syllabus and all course assignment requirements. Participate with the entire class in Lesson 1 Self-Introduction via VoiceThread. Participate in Lesson 1 Group Discussion. Sign up for a lesson topic for the News Brief Project. Your News Brief Presentation will be due before the lesson you choose. Begin planning for Interview an Administrator assignment due in Lesson 8.

Lesson 2: The Continuous Reinventing of the Machinery of Government

Readings	Shafritz et al. (2017). Chapter 3: The Continuous Reinventing of the Machinery of Government, Introducing Public Administration, pp. 85–138. Newcomer, K. E., & Kee, J. E. (2011). Federalist No. 23: Can the Leviathan be managed? Public Administration Review, 71(S1), S37–S46.
Activities	Participate in the Lesson 2 Group Discussion.

Lesson 3: Federalism and Intergovernmental Relationships

Readings

Shafritz et al. (2017). Chapter 3: The Continuous Reinventing of the Machinery of Government, Introducing Public Administration, pp. 86–92 (re-read). Shafritz et al. (2017). Chapter 4: Intergovernmental Relations, Introducing Public Administration, pp. 139–186. Conlan, T. (2006). From cooperative to opportunistic federalism. Public Administration Review, 66(5), 663–676. Agranoff, R. (2011). Federalist No. 44: What is the role of intergovernmental relations in federalism? Public Administration Review, 71(S1), S68–S77.

Activities

Participate in the Lesson 3 Group Discussion. Review and respond to News Brief VoiceThread (VT) presentations. You must respond to a minimum of five different topics presented by your classmates by the end of Lesson 11.

Lesson 4: The Political and Cultural Environment of Public Policy

Readings

Shafritz et al. (2017). Chapter 2: The Political and Cultural Environment of Public Policy and its Administration, Introducing Public Administration, pp. 40–84. Musso, J., Weare, C., Bryer, T., & Cooper, T. L. (2011). Toward "strong democracy" in global cities? Social capital building, theory-driven reform, and the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council experience. Public Administration Review, 71(1), 102–111.

Activities

Participate in the Lesson 4 Group Discussion. Review and respond to News Brief VT presentations. You must respond to a minimum of five different topics presented by your classmates by the end of Lesson 11. Submit your group Issue Analysis Project Initial Topic.

Lesson 5: Ethics and Accountability

Readings	Shafritz et al. (2017). Chapter 5: Honor, Ethics, and Accountability, Introducing Public Administration, pp. 187–230. O'Leary, R. (2009). When a career public servant sues the agency he loves: Claude Ferguson, the Forest Service, and off-road vehicles in the Hoosier National Forest. Public Administration Review, 69(6), 1068–1076.
Activities	Submit your case analysis paper.

Lesson 6: Public Service in Democracy: Managerialism

Readings

Shafritz et al. (2017). Chapter 8: Managerialism and Information Technology. Introducing Public Administration, pp. 319–360. Moe, & Gilmour. (1995). Rediscovering principles of public administration: The neglected foundation of public law. Public Administration Review, 55(2), 135–146.  West, D. M. (2004). E-government and the transformation of service delivery and citizen attitudes. Public Administration Review, 64(1), 15-27. Denhardt, R. B. and Denhardt, J. V. (2000), The New Public Service: Serving Rather than Steering. Public Administration Review, 60: 549–559.

Activities

Participate in the Lesson 6 Group Discussion. Review and respond to News Brief VT presentations.You must respond to a minimum of five different topics presented by your classmates by the end of Lesson 11.

Lesson 7: The Evolution of Management and Organization Theory

Readings

Shafritz et al. (2017). Chapter 6: The Evolution of Management and Organization Theory, Introducing Public Administration, pp. 231–272. Meier, K. J. (2015), Proverbs and the Evolution of Public Administration. Public Admin Review, 75(1), 15–24. Agranoff, R. (2006). Inside collaborative networks: Ten lessons for public managers. Public Administration Review, 66, 56. Retrieved from Zhang, M. (2009). Crossing the River by Touching Stones: A Comparative Study of Administrative Reforms in China and the United States. Public Administration Review, 69, S82-S87.

Activities

Participate in the Lesson 7 Group Discussion. Review and respond to News Brief VT presentations. You must respond to a minimum of five different topics presented by your classmates by the end of Lesson 11. If you have not started to work on the Community Based Learning Project (i.e., a paper based on the analysis of the interview), please do so. If you have, continue to work on it.

Community Based Learning Project Work Week

Readings	None
Activities	Continue to work on the Community Based Learning Project (i.e., a paper based on the analysis of the interview).

Lesson 8: Bureaucracy and Public Management

Readings	Shafritz et al. (2017). Chapter 7: Organizational Behavior, Introducing Public Administration, pp. 273–318. Gormley, W. T., & Balla, S. J. (2013). Chapter 3: "The Bureaucracy's Bosses" (Course e-Reserves) Wise, L. R. (2004). Bureaucratic posture: On the need for a composite theory of bureaucratic behavior. Public Administration Review, 64(6), 669–680.
Activities	Submit your paper based on the interview with an administrator.

Lesson 9: Leadership

Readings

Shafritz et al. (2017). Chapter 10: Leadership, Introducing Public Administration, pp. 390–414. Behn, D. R. (1998). What right do public managers have to lead? Public Administration Review, 58(3), 209–224. Williams, B. N., & Kellough, J. E. (2006). Leadership with an enduring impact: The legacy of Chief Burtell Jefferson of the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, DC. Public Administration Review, 66(6), 813–822. Riccucci, N. M., & Getha-Taylor, H. (2009). Managing the "new normalcy" with values-based leadership: Lessons from Admiral Loy. Public Administration Review, 69(2), 200–206.

Activities

Participate in the Lesson 9 Group Discussion. Review and respond to News Brief VT presentations. You must respond to a minimum of five different topics presented by your classmates by the end of Lesson 11.

Lesson 10: Program Audit and Evaluation

Readings

Shafritz et al. (2017). Chapter 14: Program Audit and Evaluation, Introducing Public Administration, pp. 556–587. Lavertu, S., Lewis, D. E. and Moynihan, D. P. (2013), Government Reform, Political Ideology, and Administrative Burden: The Case of Performance Management in the Bush Administration. Public Admin Review, 73(6), 845–857.  Andersen, L. B., Boesen, A. and Pedersen, L. H. (2016), Performance in Public Organizations: Clarifying the Conceptual Space. Public Administration Review, 76(6): 852–862. De Lancer Julnes, P.  (2006), Performance Measurement: An Effective Tool for Government Accountability? The Debate Goes On. Evaluation, 12(2), 219-235.

Activities

Participate in the Lesson 10 Group Discussion. Review and respond to News Brief VT presentations. You must respond to a minimum of five different topics presented by your classmates by the end of Lesson 11.

Lesson 11: Personnel Management and Labor Relationship

Readings

Shafritz et al. (2017). Chapter 11: Personnel Management and Labor Relations, Introducing Public Administration, pp. 415–463. Guo et al. (2011). Strategic human resources management in nonprofit organizations. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 31(3), 248–269.  Goodman, D., & Mann, S. (2008). Managing public human resources following catastrophic events: Mississippi's local governments' experiences post-hurricane Katrina. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 28(1), 3–19. Berman, E. M. (2015). HRM in development: Lessons and frontiers. Public Administration Development, 35(2), 113–127.

Activities

Participate in the Lesson 11 Group Discussion. Review and respond to News Brief VT presentations. You must respond to a minimum of five different topics presented by your classmates by the end of Lesson 11.

Lesson 11: Social Equity

Readings

Shafritz et al. (2017). Chapter 12: Social Equity. Introducing Public Administration, pp. 464-506. Frederickson, H. (1990). Public Administration and Social Equity. Public Administration Review, 50(2), 228-237. Ewoh, A. I. E. Ewoh (2013). Managing and Valuing Diversity. Public Personnel Management, 42(2),107-122. Guy, M. E. & Fenley, V.M. (2014). Inch by Inch: Gender Equity Since the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 34(1), 40-58.

Activities

Participate in the Lesson 12 Group Discussion. Review and respond to News Brief VT presentations. You must respond to a minimum of five different topics presented by your classmates by the end of Lesson 11.

Lesson 12: Strategic Management

Readings

Shafritz et al. (2017). Chapter 9: Strategic Management and Government Regulation, Introducing Public Administration, pp. 361–389. Martello, M., Watson, J. G., & Fischer, M. J. (2016). Implementing A balanced scorecard in A not-for-profit organization. Journal of Business & Economics Research (Online), 14(3), 61-74. Johnsen, Å. (2016), Strategic Planning and Management in Local Government in Norway: Status after Three Decades. Scandinavian Political Studies, 39(4), 333–365. Favoreu, C., Carassus, D., & Maurel, C. (2016). Strategic management in the public sector: A rational, political or collaborative approach? International Review of Administrative Sciences, 82(3), 435-453.

Activities

Participate in the Lesson 13 Group Discussion. Work on Issue Analysis Final Paper.

Concluding Remarks and Wrap-Up

Readings	None
Activities	Consultation/Q&A for Issue Analysis Project Final Paper: video conferences. This course utilizes finals week. Submissions of the Group Issue Analysis Paper and the Peer Evaluation are due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) though you may submit it earlier, of course.

Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.

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Academic Integrity

According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.

Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.

How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and others, as well as a civil community.

In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.

All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .

Student Responsibilities and Conduct

1. Students are responsible for online course content, taking notes, obtaining other materials provided by the instructor, taking tests (if applicable), and completing assignments as scheduled by the instructor.  As a general rule, students should plan on logging into the course at least three times per week and spending at least three hours per course credit per week on the course, e.g., if the course is three credits, the student should plan on spending at least 9-12 hours per week on the course, just as they would in a residence course.
2. Students are responsible for keeping track of changes in the course syllabus made by the instructor throughout the semester.
3. Students are responsible for monitoring their grades.
4. Students must contact their instructor (and teammates when working on any collaborative learning assignments) as soon as possible if they anticipate missing long periods of online time due to events such as chronic illnesses, death in the family, business travel, or other appropriate events. The instructor will determine the minimal log on time and participation required in order to meet course responsibilities. In the event of other unforeseen conflicts, the instructor and student will arrive at a solution together.
   1. Requests for taking exams or submitting assignments after the due dates require documentation of events such as illness, family emergency, or a business-sanctioned activity.
   2. Conflicts with dates on which examinations or assignments are scheduled must be discussed with the instructor or TA prior to the date of the examination or assignment.
5. Students are responsible for following appropriate netiquette (network etiquette) when communicating with their instructor and classmates. For reference, see the Academic Success Kit.
6. Behaviors that disrupt other students’ learning are not acceptable and will be addressed by the instructor.
7. For severe and chronic problems with student disruptive behavior, the following will be applied for resolution:
   1. Senate Committee on Student Life policy on managing classroom disruptions: Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
   2. Penn State Principles

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Policies

Late Policy

Late Assignments will not be accepted. It is your responsibility to contact the instructor prior to the due date of an assignment if you are aware of extenuating circumstances that will impact your ability to meet a deadline. The instructor will determine if alternative arrangements may be made.

Blank or Erroneous Assignment Submissions
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have uploaded the correct document to each assignment prior to the assignment due date. Please check your assignment submission immediately after uploading a file in Canvas to ensure that it contains content and is the correct file. If you notice an error, such as a blank or incorrect file, you must resubmit the assignment before the assignment due date. Similarly, you are responsible for ensuring that discussion forum initial posts are not blank and that any website URL submissions (such as links to documents, video recordings, etc.) have the correct sharing settings enabled so that they can be viewed by recipients. Any blank or erroneous submissions that you have not resubmitted by the assignment due date will receive a zero for the assignment.

Accommodating Disabilities

Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has resources for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contacts for disability services at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the SDR website.

In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.

Veterans and Military Personnel

Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.

Privacy Notice

In order to protect your privacy, course access is limited to those individuals who have direct responsibility for the quality of your educational experience. In addition to the instructor, a teaching assistant or college administrator may be provided access in order to ensure optimal faculty availability and access. World Campus technical staff may also be given access in order to resolve technical support issues.

One Year Course Access

Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.

Additional Policies

For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.

Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage.

If you have a crisis or safety concern, mental health services are available to you as a Penn State student. Crisis and emergency contacts are available, no matter where you are located:

• Anywhere in the United States: Call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also contact your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
• Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
• At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
• At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.