PLSC 515 – Public and Nonprofit Personnel Administration
Political Science Department
College of Arts & Sciences
Eastern Michigan University
Fall 2015
Gregory K. Plagens
601M Pray-Harrold
(734) 487-2239
gregory.plagens@emich.edu
Class Time: 6:00 to 8:40 PM, Thursdays
421 Pray-Harrold
Office Hours: 3:30 to 5 PM, T (P-H, 601M)
1 to 3:30 PM, W (P-H, 601M)
5 to 6 PM, R (P-H, 601M)
and by appointment
Course Description
This course examines contemporary practices and leadership challenges in public personnel
administration. The title of this course could be renamed “public and nonprofit human resource
management,” since many organizational leaders (and scholars) have come to view employees (or
volunteers) as vital resources that must be strategically managed in the same way as economic resources.
There is merit to their view, but many of the functions of a personnel or human resource department
continue to be routine administrative tasks, making the title of this course just as appropriate. You may
wish to reflect on the differences between administration and management of personnel (or human
resources) as the semester progresses.
The MPA Program’s mission at EMU is to prepare leaders for public and nonprofit organizations,
particularly at the local level. Attention is given to both sectors throughout the semester, but more is
known about personnel administration in the public sector because more research has been done in that
area. Some of the more innovative work being done in personnel administration is being done at the
national or state level. As a result, many of our readings will not be focused at the local level, but best
practices from the national and state level have influenced what happens in local organizations and will
continue to do so.
Course Objectives
Students will learn to do the following:
 conceptualize fairness and professionalism, relating them to public and nonprofit personnel
administration;
 identify significant historical events and legal issues in public and nonprofit personnel
administration;
 converse using discipline-specific concepts;
 connect public and nonprofit personnel administration to the mission of an organization;
 identify significant challenges in contemporary public and nonprofit personnel administration;
 critically think about contemporary public and nonprofit personnel administration.
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Course Resources
Required
 Naff, Katherine C., Norma M. Riccucci, and Siegrun Fox Freyss. 2014. Personnel Management in
Government: Politics and Process, Seventh Edition. Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press.

Additional readings will be made available in Adobe Acrobat form (pdf) on the course website,
which is housed within Canvas, the Learning Management System adopted by the university in
2015. Information about and access to Canvas can be found at the following URL:
http://www.emich.edu/elearning/students/canvas_support_students.php.
Course Activities to Meet Objectives
I have organized readings, discussions, lectures, exercises, exams and case studies to guide you toward
the objectives stated above. You are expected to read assigned material prior to the class when it will be
covered. This helps facilitate discussion and give you some context in which to consider lecture material.
In the event that I fall behind on material, you should continue reading as assigned. Reading before and
after class sessions will provide you with a deeper understanding of the material. Students are
encouraged to read strategically and with time constraints in mind. I’ll explain what I mean by this in
class.
Course discussions and lectures have been designed to simplify and illustrate ideas covered in the
readings. The activities of reading, listening and speaking are purposefully coordinated to help you
internalize the ideas being presented. Students who skip readings and count on me for the highlights are
less likely to learn the material. Students who skip class and rely on the readings will miss elaboration,
discussion and examples that will be useful to demonstrating competency through writing and exams.
You are expected to read, attend and participate in class. If you believe your personal circumstance warrants
an exception to this expectation, you should see me at the start of the semester to discuss your situation.
I need to assess your progress toward the stated objectives of the course, and to do this I will use exams
and short writing assignments. All students begin the course with a zero. I assume that you are entering
with no knowledge of the subject being covered. Your final grade will reflect your ability to demonstrate
understanding of the material presented.
Exams
The two exams will be of the same format: Both will be in-class exams that require you to identify terms
and respond to short-answer questions. The terms and questions will be provided to you weekly as we
begin covering material. A review session is scheduled before each exam, during which time you may ask
clarifying questions. I do not preview answers to questions that students draft, but you are encouraged to
begin writing out responses to the questions while the material is fresh in your mind (i.e., well ahead of
the exam). As part of the first review session, I will ask students to submit answers to sample questions,
which we will review in class to help you clarify what a thoughtful response looks like.
Exercises
There will be three exercises for you to complete this semester. Each is designed to deepen your
understanding of some part of the subfield of personnel administration. There are dozens of potential
exercises that you could complete that would be meaningful (in my humble opinion) to your education.
We will focus on only three.
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In the Fairness Exercise you will be asked to reflect on an exercise we completed in class together
and some supplemental reading. The purpose of the exercise is to draw attention to the many
ways that individuals will conceptualize fairness and to get you to think about what it means to
be fair in public and nonprofit personnel administration.
In Case Study 1: Government Regulation of Sex you will be asked to review a lawsuit where a
local government employee claimed to have been sexually harassed by a coworkers. The purpose
of the exercise is to introduce you to the challenges of understanding and applying existing legal
definitions of sexual harassment. A secondary purpose is to demonstrate the role of managers in
handling sexual harassment claims.
In Case Study 2: Personnel Conditions at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission you will
be asked to reflect on a government agency that has been found to be deficient in its personnel
operations. The purpose of the exercise is to get you to think critically about public personnel and
to apply what you have learned throughout the semester.
Several assessments will be used to determine progress toward course objectives.
1. Fairness Exercise (10 percent)
 Assigned: Sept. 10; Due: Sept. 17
2. Case Study 1: Government Regulation of Sex (15 percent)
 Assigned: Sept. 24; Due: Oct. 1
3. Exam 1 (25 percent)
 Date: Oct. 8
4. Exam 2 (25 percent)
 Date: Nov. 19
5. Case Study 2: Personnel Conditions at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (20
percent)
 Assigned: Nov. 12; Due: Dec. 10
6. Best Grade (5 percent)
 Your highest grade from the two exams and three assignments will be applied toward
your final grade at the weight of five percent.
Course Grades
Grading is on a letter scale from “A” to “F” for writing assignments Exams are graded on a numeric scale.
Course Assessments
 A Exceptionally High Order
97/100
 A92/100
 B+
88/100
 B Distinctly Above Average
85/100
 B82/100
 C+
78/100
 C Average
75/100
 C72/100
 D+
68/100
 D Below Average 65/100
 D62/100
 F Unsatisfactory (denoting failure)
55/100
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Overall Course Grades
 A Exceptionally High Order
93+
 A90-92
 B+
88-89
 B Distinctly Above Average
83-87
 B80-82
 C+
78-79
 C Average
73-77
 C70-72
 D+
68-69
 D Below Average 63-67
 D60-62
 F Unsatisfactory (denoting failure)
Below 60
Students who track their performance throughout the semester and wish to compute various possible
final outcomes will find the following formula for Microsoft Excel helpful:
 Final Grade = ( Fairness * 0.10) + (Case1 * 0.15) + (Exam1 * 0.25) + (Exam2 * 0.25) + (Case2 * 0.20) +
(BestGr * .05)
Course Policies
Classroom Conduct
Any successful learning experience requires mutual respect. Neither instructor nor student should be
subject to behavior that is rude, disruptive, intimidating, or demeaning. Views may differ on what counts
as rudeness or courtesy. If you are not sure what constitutes good conduct in this classroom, ask me. The
instructor has primary responsibility for and control over classroom behavior and maintenance of
academic integrity.
Class Attendance
Regular class attendance and active participation in classes are important elements in the learning
process. Students are at the university primarily for the sake of their intellectual growth and
development. Each student is personally responsible for the satisfactory completion of the coursework
required. This means specifically that you are expected to attend classes regularly, and that you are
responsible for the work assigned in class, the material covered in class and for participation in class
activities (including discussion and listening) designed as part of the learning experience. Students who
miss class regularly may have their final grade lowered by one or two full letter grades as a penalty for
not being part of the learning experience in the classroom.
University practice, as per the Ombuds Office, is as follows:
1. Students are responsible for notifying and communicating directly with their instructor(s) if they
miss class(es) for any reason, even in a crisis.
2. Students must work directly with their instructor(s) if they miss class for any reason and need to
discuss implications of their absence(s).
3. Students are advised to email instructor(s) immediately in cases of long-term medical
illness/hospitalization or the death of a loved one. Email communication will suffice until the
student and their instructor(s) can meet to discuss a plan forward.
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5.
6.
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Excused absences, exceptions and/or academic accommodations related to absences rests at the
discretion of the instructor.
In urgent absentee circumstances, faculty may request and/or receive University verification of a
death or long-term medical illness/hospitalization. In such cases, where faculty are seeking
University verification from a student, they must refer students to the Office of Student WellBeing (SWB).
If a student’s personal circumstances and/or nonattendance issues present so significant a
problem that instructors are unable to address them within the context of the course, students
should be referred to the Office of the Ombuds for options related to appropriate policies and
resources that can assist the student.
Class Participation and the Expression of Ideas
Class participation is expected and will add significantly to the learning environment. Please feel free to
ask questions or express ideas in class that are related to course content. I ask that you be respectful of
your classmates or me when disagreeing with their or my views. I also ask that you be respectful of the
learning objectives for the course when raising topics not obviously related. Please do not be offended if I
feel the need to draw our attention back to the course material as outlined for the semester.
Late (or Missed) Assignments and Make-Up Examinations
An important part of the university experience is professional socialization. In the professional world,
employees who fail to show up are often penalized financially or in other substantive ways. You should
expect the same treatment here. Therefore, exams are to be taken, and assignments are due, on the dates
announced in the syllabus. Any exception to these dates is to be agreed upon by me in advance. The
opportunity to make up an exam or to turn in a late paper will depend on the circumstances, and
students should be prepared to provide documentation, if asked, that substantiates the reason for the
absence or late paper. I reserve the right not to offer a make-up exam or to lower the exam grade of a
student who is offered one. Likewise, I reserve the right not to accept late assignments or to lower the
grade of a student whose assignment is accepted late.
Penalties for Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately passes off another's words or ideas without acknowledging
the source. For example, turning in another's work as your own is plagiarism. If you plagiarize in this
class, you will receive a zero on the assignment on which you are working and your case may be referred
to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (SCCS) for additional disciplinary action.
Please be aware that plagiarism can result in suspension or permanent dismissal from the university.
Plagiarism is different from misuse of sources, occasions when a writer does not properly cite a source,
misuses quotations, includes too much of an original source in a paraphrase or summary, or commits
similar unintentional violations of academic protocol. If you misuse sources, we will work together on
appropriately incorporating and/or citing the sources. The misuse of sources may result in work being
repeated, and a penalty for late work may be imposed.
University Services to Assist You in Learning
Disability Resource Center
It is my goal that this class be an accessible and welcoming experience for all students, including
those with disabilities that may impact learning in this class. Students who believe they may have trouble
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participating or effectively demonstrating learning in this course should meet with me (with or without a
Disability Resource Center (DRC) accommodation letter) to discuss reasonable options or adjustments.
During our discussion I may suggest you contact the DRC (240K Student Center; 734-487-2470;
drc@emich.edu) to talk about academic accommodations and the need for an accommodation letter. You
are welcome to talk to me anytime during the semester about such issues, but it is always best if we can
talk at least one week prior to the need for any modifications so that I can plan accordingly.
Writing Support
Depending on your needs, there are several options to help you develop your writing skills. Some are
available online, and some offer in-person consultation based on sample writing that you take with you.
If you have minor problems with punctuation or organizing paragraphs, or if you just want to write
cleaner, more concise text, my favorite book to help with this is now offered free online at
http://www.bartleby.com/141/. Alternatively, you can find a copy at your local library or for sale in the
usual places for books. The citation is as follows: Strunk Jr., William and E.B. White. 1918. The Elements of
Style. Ithaca, N.Y.: W.P. Humphrey. Newer editions are available than the 1918 edition. Any will work
nicely for you. The book is short and cheap.
If you require more serious help, or just want to work with a human being, please consider turning to The
University Writing Center, The Academic Projects Center or The Holman Success Center.
 The University Writing Center (115 Halle Library; 487-0694) accepts appointments or you may
drop in during regular hours, which can be found at http://www.emich.edu/uwc/. The UWC also
has several satellite locations across campus (in Owen, Marshall, Pray-Harrold, and Mark
Jefferson).
 The UWC can help you with the writing process, but it does not proof papers for
grammar and usage errors.
 The Academic Projects Center (116 Halle Library) also offers one-to-one writing consulting for
students, in addition to consulting on research and technology-related issues. Students can make
appointments or drop in during regular hours, which can be found at
http://www.emich.edu/apc/.
 The Holman Success Center offers a variety of programs to help you develop academically. Their
offerings and hours can be found at http://www.emich.edu/hsc/.
 The HSC will help you with proofing papers for grammar and usage errors.
Course Outline
PART I: INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION
Week One – Sept 10
Syllabus Review
Fairness
Lecture Resources
 Goodnough, Abby. 2013. “Tennessee Race for Medicaid: Dial Fast and Try, Try Again.” The New
York Times, March 24.
 Fineberg, Kenneth R. 2012. Who Gets What: Fair Compensation after Tragedy and Financial Upheaval.
New York: Public Affairs. (Chapter 3 and Epilogue)
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
Stone, Deborah. 2011. Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision Making. New York: W.W. Norton.
(Chapter 2)
Assessment
 Fairness Exercise Assigned
Week Two – Sept. 17
Political and Historical Foundations
Ideas and Ideals of Public Service
Required Reading
 Naff, Katherine C., Norma M. Riccucci, and Siegrun Fox Freyss. 2014. Personnel Management in
Government: Politics and Process. Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press. (Chapter 1)
Lecture Resources
 Wilson, James Q. 1989. Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It. New York:
Basic Books. (Ch. 8, People)
 Horton, Sylvia. 2008. “History and Persistence of an Idea and an Ideal.” In Motivation in Public
Management: The Call of Public Service, edited by James L. Perry and Annie Hondeghem, 17-32.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Assessment
 Fairness Exercise Due
Week Three – Sept. 24
Legal Framework
Professional Ethics
Required Reading
 Naff, Katherine C., Norma M. Riccucci, and Siegrun Fox Freyss. 2014. Personnel Management in
Government: Politics and Process. Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press. (Chapter 2)
 State of Michigan. 1908. “Constitution of Michigan.” Accessed November 12.
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/%28S%28bmwhd345kr2wekiw5wehxsr3%29%29/documents/histo
rical/miconstitution1908.htm. (Article VI, Sec. 22, only)
 Naff, Katherine C., Norma M. Riccucci, and Siegrun Fox Freyss. 2014. Personnel Management in
Government: Politics and Process. Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press. (p. 71-72 only)
 State of Michigan. 1973. “State Ethics Act: Standards of Conduct for Public Officers and
Employees (Act 196).” Accessed November 12, 2013. http://www.michigan.gov/mdcs/0,1607,7147-6881_13592-26139--,00.html#print
Lecture Resources
 Rosenbloom, David H., and Joshua Chanin. 2009. “What Every Public Personnel Manager Should
Know About the Constitution.” In Public Personnel Administration: Problems and Prospects, edited
by Steven W. Hays, Richard C. Kearney, and Jerrell D. Coggburn, 17-33. New York: Longman.
 Kim, Jungin, and J. Edward Kellough. 2014. “At-Will Employment in the States: Examining the
Perceptions of Agency Personnel Directors.” Review of Public Personnel Administration 34(3):218-36.
 State of Michigan. 2013. “Rules of Practice and Procedure State Board of Ethics.” Accessed
November 12, 2013. http://www.michigan.gov/mdcs/1,1607,7-147-6881_13592-26824-,00.html#print.
 Cooper, Terry L. 2006. “Administrative Responsibility: The Key to Administrative Ethics.” In The
Responsible Administrator, written by Terry L. Cooper, 80-105. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
 Pugh, Darrell L. 1991. “The Origins of Ethical Frameworks in Public Administration.” In Ethical
Frontiers in Public Management: Seeking New Strategies for Resolving Ethical Dilemmas, edited by
James S. Bowman, 9-33. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
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Assessment
 Case Study 1 Assigned
Week Four – Oct. 1
Strategic Public Human Resource Management
Strategic Human Capital Planning
Required Reading
 Pynes, Joan E. 2009. “Strategic Human Resources Management.” In Public Human Resource
Management: Problems and Prospects, edited by Steven W. Hays, Richard C. Kearney, and Jerrell D.
Coggburn, 95-106. New York: Longman.
 Naff, Katherine C., Norma M. Riccucci, and Siegrun Fox Freyss. 2014. Personnel Management in
Government: Politics and Process. Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press. (Chapter 3).
 Fox, Tom. 2015. “Federal Agencies Are Failing When It Comes to Managing Employees
Throughout Their Careers.” The Washington Post, Aug. 21.
Lecture Resource
 Selden, Sally Coleman. 2008. Human Capital: Tools and Strategies for the Public Sector. Washington,
D.C.: CQ Press.
Assessment
 Case Study 1 Due
Week Five – Oct. 8
Assessment
 Exam 1
PART II: PROCESSES OF PUBLIC PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION
Week Six – Oct. 15
Job Analysis
Classification
Required Reading
 Foster, Mark R. 2005. “Effective Job Analysis Methods.” In Handbook of Human Resource
Management in Government, edited by Stephen E. Condrey, 528-555. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
 Naff, Katherine C., Norma M. Riccucci, and Siegrun Fox Freyss. 2014. Personnel Management in
Government: Politics and Process. Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press. (Chapters 4: 131-52).
Lecture Resource
 Coggburn, Jerrell D. 2009. “Outsourcing Human Resources: Problems and Prospects for the
Public Sector.” In Public Human Resource Management: Problems and Prospects, edited by Steven W.
Hays, Richard C. Kearney, and Jerrell D. Coggburn, 308-324. New York: Longman.
Week Seven – Oct. 22
Recruitment and Selection
Required Reading
 Naff, Katherine C., Norma M. Riccucci, and Siegrun Fox Freyss. 2014. Personnel Management in
Government: Politics and Process. Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press. (Chapter 6)
Lecture Resource
 Gazley, Beth. 2009. “Personnel Recruitment and Retention in the Nonprofit Sector.” In Public
Human Resource Management: Problems and Prospects, edited by Steven W. Hays, Richard C.
Kearney, and Jerrell D. Coggburn, 79-92. New York: Longman.
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Week Eight – Oct. 29
Compensation (Wages and Benefits)
Required Reading
 Naff, Katherine C., Norma M. Riccucci, and Siegrun Fox Freyss. 2014. Personnel Management in
Government: Politics and Process. Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press. (Chapters 4: 153-82 & Chapter 5).
 Lipman, Joanne. 2015. “Let’s Expose the Gender Pay Gap.” The New York Times, Aug. 13.
Lecture Resource
 McGinnis Johnson, and Eddy S. Ng. 2015. “Money Talks or Millennials Walk: The Effect of
Compensation on Nonprofit Millennial Sector-Switching Intentions.” Review of Public Personnel
Administration, online June 1.
Week Nine – Nov. 5
Training
Discipline
Performance Management
Required Reading
 Naff, Katherine C., Norma M. Riccucci, and Siegrun Fox Freyss. 2014. Personnel Management in
Government: Politics and Process. Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press. (Chapter 7)
 Shafritz, Jay M., and Christopher P. Borick. 2011. Cases in Public Policy Administration. Boston:
Longman. (Chapter 22)
Lecture Resources
 Wilson, James Q. 1989. Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It. New York:
Basic Books. (Ch. 9, Compliance)
 Pynes, Joan E. 2009. Human Resources Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A
Strategic Approach. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (Chapter 10)
 Reeves, Zane T. 2010. “Mentoring Programs in Succession Planning.” State and Local Government
Review 42(1):61-66.
 United States Office of Personnel Management. 2008. Best Practices: Mentoring. Accessed March 3.
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/training-and-development/careerdevelopment/bestpractices-mentoring.pdf.
 U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board. 2011. “Making the Right Connections: Targeting the Best
Competencies for Training.” February. (Chapters 1 & 2)
PART III: KEY PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION CONCERNS
Week Ten – Nov. 12
Benchmarking
Metrics
Required Reading
 Ammons, David. 2005. “Benchmarking Performance.” In Handbook of Human Resource
Management in Government, edited by Stephen E. Condrey, 623-647. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Lecture Resource
 Hays, Steven W. and Robert Lavigna. 2009. “Human Resource Metrics in Government:
Measuring the Impacts of HRM.” In Public Human Resource Management: Problems and Prospects,
edited by Steven W. Hays, Richard C. Kearney, and Jerrell D. Coggburn, 160-178. New York:
Longman.
Assessment
 Case Study 2 Assigned
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Week Eleven – Nov. 19
Assessment
 Exam 2
Week Twelve – Nov. 26
Thanksgiving Holiday Break – No Class
Week Thirteen – Dec. 3
Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action
Required Reading
 Naff, Katherine C., Norma M. Riccucci, and Siegrun Fox Freyss. 2014. Personnel Management in
Government: Politics and Process. Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press. (Chapter 8)
Lecture Resources
 Hoyman, Michele M., and Lana Stein. 2005. “Sexual Harassment in the Workplace.” In Handbook
of Human Resource Management in Government, edited by Stephen E. Condrey, 423-439. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
 Pfeiffer, David. 2005. “Understanding the Americans with Disabilities Act.” In Handbook of
Human Resource Management in Government, edited by Stephen E. Condrey, 440-464. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
 Riccucci, Norma M. 2005. “A Practical Guide to Affirmative Action.” In Handbook of Human
Resource Management in Government, edited by Stephen E. Condrey, 403-422. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
Week Fourteen – Dec. 10
Legal Environment of Public Sector Labor Relations
Labor-Management Relations
Guest Speaker
 Bill Richards, Assistant City Manager, Farmington, Michigan (Retired)
Required Reading
 Kearney, Richard C., and Patrice M. Mareschal. 2014. Labor Relations in the Public Sector. Boca
Raton, Fl.: CRC Press. (Chapter 3: pgs 49-52; 60-84)
Lecture Resources
 State of Michigan. 1947. Public Employment Relations: Act 336.
 Pynes, Joan E. 2009. Human Resources Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A
Strategic Approach. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (Chapter 11)
Assessment
 Case Study 2 Due
Exam Week – Dec. 15-18
There will be no final exam.