PUB 101: Public Administration

Course Description

This course will focus on the study of public administration in 21st Century America. Students in this course will become acclimated to core administrative topics, including: budgeting, ethics, and human resource management. Within the context of group dynamics, the course also explores time management, stress management, communication, and motivation. (3 credits)

Prerequisite

None

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

Understand the history of public administration and explain why it is a discipline worth studying.
Identify the relationship between federal, state and local governments.
Recognize ethical dilemmas and apply decision-making tools to solve them.
Explain how typical public and non-profit organizations are developed and structured.
Understand the basic tenets of strategic planning (including implementation and evaluation).
Provide an overview of the public budgeting process.
Understand the basics of public-sector Human Resources and labor-management.
Develop new strategies for time and stress management.
Use new communication and motivation skills to positively affect future group dynamics.
Evaluate and explore new trends in public administration.

Course Activities and Grading

Assignments	Weight
Discussions (Weeks 1-8)	40%
Case Studies (Weeks 4 & 8)	30%
Final Exam (Week 8)	30%
Total	100%

Required Textbooks

Available through Charter Oak's online bookstore

Denhardt, Robert and Denhardt, Janet (2014). Public Administration: An Action Orientation - Text Only. 7th ed. Wadsworth, Inc. ISBN-10: 1-133-93920-1 or ISBN-13: 978-1-133-93920-7

Course Schedule

Week	SLOs	Readings and Exercises	Assignments
1	1	Course Introduction Chapter 1: Personal Action in Public Organizations Chapter 2: The Political Context of Public Administration	Read assigned chapters Participate in the Discussions Review the Lecture material
2	2	Chapter 3: The Inter-organizational Context of Public Administration	Read assigned chapters Participate in the Discussions Review the Lecture material
3	3	Chapter 7: The Ethics of Public Service	Read assigned chapters Participate in the Discussions Review the Lecture material
4	4,5	Chapter 8: Designing and Managing Organizations Chapter 4: Planning, Implementation and Evaluation	Read assigned chapters Participate in the Discussions Review the Lecture material Submit Case Studies 1-2-3
4	4,5	Case Studies 1-2-3 Due SLO's 1,2,3
5	6	Chapter 7: Budgeting and Financial Management	Read assigned chapters Participate in the Discussions Review the Lecture material
6	7	Chapter 6: The Management of Human Resources	Read assigned chapters Participate in the Discussions Review the Lecture material
7	8,9	Chapter 9: Leadership and Management Skills in Public Organizations	Read assigned chapters Participate in the Discussions Review the Lecture material
8	10	Chapter 10: Administrative Reform, Productivity & Performance Chapter 11: Opportunities for the Future	Read assigned chapters Participate in the Discussions Review the Lecture material Submit Case Studies 4-5-6 Take the Final Exam
8	10	Case Studies 4-5-6 Due SLO's 5,6,7 Final Exam Chapters 1-12 SLO's 1-10

COSC Accessibility Statement

Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.

COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources

Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.