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 COURSE
OVERVIEW:This course introduces students to the fundamental issues in Public Management/Public Administration. We begin by clarifying key differences between public the private sector institutions. We then review the issues surrounding the selection of public employees in this country. After discussing how these selection criteria have been altered by such current practices as Affirmative Action and disability legislation, we investigate some of the key issues surrounding the management of public employees. Here we consider alternate theories of management, as well as some practical tools managers may employ to accomplish their objectives. Having surveyed public Management from the personnel perspective, we turn next to what is one of the most interesting responsibilities of public managers; measuring public sector performance. REQUIRED BOOKS:Gaebler and Osborne. Reinventing Government. Mosher. Democracy in the Public Service In addition to this required book, students will be required to purchase a packet of selected readings from journal articles, newspapers, and assorted other sources.
Course Mechanics:Public Management will be taught as a distance learning course. Students will be given a course syllabus with a set of discussion topics and corresponding assigned readings. Each week students will complete the assigned readings and respond in writing to a corresponding set of study questions that will be posted on the course Internet site. Student responses to these questions will vary in length according to the nature of the questions, and the depth with which the student feels able to respond. Upon completing written responses to the study questions, students will in turn post their responses to the course Internet site. A "due date" will be noted on every set of study questions. After reviewing the posted responses of fellow students to the study questions, seminar participants are expected to provide a written reply to two or more responses. These replies may take issue with any interpretation of the original reading assignment, challenge the views or opinions of the student writer, or comment on an additional insight or understanding of the source material generated by the student commentary. As a seminar participant, the instructor will also reply to student responses to the study questions, and be open to critique on any of his own commentary. As was the case with the original answers to the assigned study questions, replies by students to the work of other seminar participants will be posted on the course Internet site. These replies must be posted within three days after the due date listed on the assigned study questions. In addition to the on-line seminar described above, students in the course will be expected to conduct an in-depth taped interview with a public manager. In creating their interview questions, students are expected to draw heavily on assigned course readings and subsequent class discussion. The instructor must approve a student's choice of interview subject before the interview is set up. Except under special circumstances, Tarleton faculty, as well as managers in an agency where the student currently works, are inappropriate interview subjects. All work posted either by the instructor, or seminar participants will be posted on a course Web Board, that can be reached from the instructors web page found at www.tarleton.edu/~Price For seminar participants not familiar with use of the Web Board protocol, the instructor will hold a workshop on campus the first week of the semester. Attendance at the workshop, of course, is completely voluntary. Although we will conduct much of this course on-line. The instructor encourages seminar participants to set up faculty-student conferences where additional discussion/study of the course material can be accomplished. These can be arranged either by calling (254-968-9630), or emailing (Price@tarleton.edu). Course Grading Policies:The student's semester grade in this seminar will be determined largely (75%) by the quality of his or her weekly written work. This includes his/her answers to the study questions as well as his/her commentaries on the work done by fellow seminar participants. The remainder of the student's grade (25%) will be determined by the quality of his/her course interview. |
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