URPA 5350 1
URPA 5350 Introduction to Public Administration
Spring 2011 Syllabus
School of Public and Urban Affairs
University of Texas at Arlington
Class Meetings: Wednesday: 3:00 p.m. to 5:50 p.m.@ UH08
Instructor Information:
Dr. Karabi C. Bezboruah
Office: University Hall 552
Phone: 817-272-0727
Mailbox: 19588
Office Hours: Monday: 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Email: bezborua@uta.edu (preferred mode of communication)
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This graduate level course introduces students to the field of public administration research,
inquiry, and practice by providing in-depth coverage of important topics that helped shape the nature of
public administration. Concepts such as the debates and discussions of public managers’ responsibilities
and preservation of public values will equip students with an understanding of the cultural, constitutional,
institutional, organizational, and ethical context of public administration through experiential learning.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. To provide a foundation of understanding of public administration in the context of managerial,
political, and legal arenas
2. To broadly survey the literature on and contributors to the theoretical and intellectual history of
public administration
3. To reveal the wide range of policy issues confronting public administration, today, and the
options available to address these issues.
To effectively accomplish this, class time will divided between lecture, seminar discussion, and class
participation. Preparation for class becomes important in a discussion setting; students are required to
complete the readings for each class meeting, and be prepared to participate in the discussion during
seminar. Attendance and punctuality are expected for each class meeting. If an absence is unavoidable, it
is the student’s responsibility to notify the instructor and indicate the reason for the absence.
COURSE OUTCOMES:
Through course lectures, active seminar discussion, organizational analysis, written resources and
prepared material, students should, by the end of this course, be able to:
1. Understand the various theories, concepts, and components pertaining to public administration
2. Demonstrate and exhibit understanding of the core issues of public administration
3. Identify and appreciate the unique governance and leadership issues.
4. Understand the criticality of ethics and accountability responsibilities in public administration.
5. Use critical thinking to evaluate real-life cases and scholarly literature.
6. Demonstrate effective writing skills in various formats (i.e., reflection papers & case reports) and
public speaking (presentations & seminar participation).
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Required Textbooks:
1. Introducing Public Administration by Shafritz, Russell, and Borick.
ISBN: 0205780504
(Referred to as SRB)
2. Public Administration: Concepts and Cases by Richard Stillman
ISBN: 0618310452
(Referred to as Stillman)
Recommended Additional Readings:
1. Classics of Public Administration by Jay Shafritz and Albert Hyde
2. Public Administration Review journal
Note: Class Notes will not be uploaded online or handed out in class. Students are responsible for
attending classes and taking notes.
COURSE GRADING
1. Public Service Project
Reflection paper 1
Reflection paper 2
Final report
Peer Evaluation
Presentation
05 points
05 points
10 points
05 points
05 points
30 points
2. Class Attendance & Assignments
Case study discussions
Case assignments
Class activities
Topic Review
Upholding class policies
05 points
10 points
05 points
10 points
05 points
35 points
3. Exam
35 points
Total
100 points
Grades Breakdown
A = 100–90% B = 89–80%
C = 79–70%
D = 69–60%
F = 59% below
Public Service Project with Local Government and / or Nonprofit Organizations
More details in class
Exam
You will have one comprehensive exam during the semester on April 13, 2011. It will
cover topics discussed in class, and will consist of multiple-choice, true or false, and essay
questions.
Case Assignments
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Students will choose a case described in one of the assigned texts and analyze it by
stating the problem, outlining the alternatives, and discussing the solution. 2 pages max doublespaced, Times New Roman 12 point font.
Topic Review
Students will select one topic from the syllabus and discuss it in-depth by using both
scholarly and non-scholarly sources and by citing examples from government or nonprofit
organizations. 2 pages max double-spaced, Times New Roman 12 point font.
CLASS POLICIES ( Graded as class participation)
Class Decorum: Absolutely No cell phones on
No text messaging
No laptops on
Civility and Politeness appreciated
Make-up exams: None
Late submissions: 1 point deducted for each day overdue
ATTENDANCE AND DROP POLICY: More than two (2) absences will negatively affect your final
grade. The drop policy is consistent with that listed in the 2008-2009 Graduate Catalog.
OTHER INFORMATION AND UNIVERSITY POLICIES
1. Dropping the Class: If you choose to drop this course at any point during the semester, please be
attentive to specific University calendar dates established for completing this process. It is the student’s
responsibility to complete the necessary paperwork according to the University’s schedule. Not doing so
will result in a failing grade.
2. Student Support Services: The University supports a variety of student success programs to help you
connect with the University and achieve academic success. They include learning assistance,
developmental education, advising and mentoring, admission and transition, and federally funded
programs. Students requiring assistance academically, personally, or socially should contact the Office of
Student Success Programs at 817:272-6107 for more information and appropriate referrals.
3. Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will
not be tolerated in any form at the University of Texas at Arlington. All persons involved in academic
dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may
include suspension or expulsion from the University.
“Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the
submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person,
taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the
attempt to commit such acts” (Regents’ Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter VI, Section 3,
Subsection 3.2, Subdivision 3.22).
4. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): If you are a student who requires accommodations in
compliance wit the ADA, please consult with the instructor at the beginning of the semester. Faculty
members are required by law to provide “reasonable accommodation” to students with disabilities, so as
not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. The student’s responsibility is to inform the instructor
of the disability at the beginning of the semester and provide documentation authorizing the specific
URPA 5350 4
accommodation. Student services at UTA include the Office for Students with Disabilities (located in the
lower level of the University Center) that is responsible for verifying and implementing accommodations
to ensure equal opportunity in all programs and activities.
5. Bomb threats: If anyone is tempted to call in a bomb threat, be aware that UTA will attempt to trace
the phone call and prosecute all responsible parties. Every effort will be made to avoid cancellation of
presentations/tests caused by bomb threats. Unannounced alternate sites will be available for these
classes. Your instructor will make you aware of alternate class sites in the event that your classroom is
not available.
6. Incompletes: Incompletes are given only in exceptional and very rare situations that involve Acts of
God and/or other things beyond the ability of the student to anticipate or overcome. Computer problems,
for example, do not constitute grounds for an incomplete, nor does misreading the syllabus.
7. Student Retention: The University of Texas at Arlington supports a variety of student success
programs to help you connect with the University and achieve academic success. They include learning
assistance, developmental education, advising and mentoring, admission and transition, and federally
funded programs. Students requiring assistance academically, personally, or socially should contact the
Office of Student Success Programs at 817-272-6107 for more information.
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Course Schedule: Class Agendas & Readings
(Subject to change by Instructor)
Week 1
Week 2
Jan 19
Course Overview and Objectives;
Navigating the graduate classroom; Effective writing & citing
Sources in a graduate environment; Group formation; Course
pretest.
Readings:
No readings scheduled for this class
Jan 26
Classical and Post-War Approaches of Management
Techniques in Public Administration
Readings:
SRB Chapter 1
Stillman Chapters 1 & 3
Waldo, Dwight. 1952. Development of Theory of Democratic
Administration, The American Political Science Review, Vol. 46,
No. 1 (Mar., 1952): 81-103
Simon, Herbert A. (1952), Comment on the article ‘development
of theory of democratic administration’ by D. Waldo, American
Political Science Review, Vol. 46 pp.494-6.
Week 3
Week 4
Feb 2
Decision-Making: Bureaucracy, Politics, and Power
Readings:
SRB Chapter 2
Stillman Chapters 2, 4, 7,8
Feb 09
Government Machinery
Readings:
SRB Chapters 3, 4
Stillman Chapters 3, 5
Reflection Paper 1 due today
Week 5
Feb 16
Readings:
Ethics in Public Service
SRB Chapter 5
Stillman Chapter 16
Thompson, Dennis F. 1985. The Possibility of Administrative
Ethics. Public Administration Review. (45): 555-561.
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Jos, Philip, Mark Tompkins, and Steven Hays. 1989. In Praise of
Difficult People: A Portrait of the Committed Whistleblower.
Public Administration Review (49) 552-561.
Week 6
Feb 23
Readings:
Evolution of Public Management
SRB Chapter 6
Deleon, L and Denhardt, R.B. 2000. The Political Theory of
Reinvention. Public Administration Review Vol.60 (2): 89-97
Kettl, Donald F. 1998. Reinventing Government: A Fifth-Year
Report Card. Washington D.C.: The Brookings Institution.
Executive Summary and Chapter 1
O’Toole Jr., Laurence J. 1997. The Implications for Bureaucracy
in a Networked Bureaucratic World. Journal of Public
Administration, Research and Theory Vol.7 (3): 443-459
Case Study assignment due today
Week 7
March 2
Readings:
Organizational Behavior
SRB Chapter 7
Stillman Chapter 6
Week 8
March 9
Readings:
Advances in Management
SRB Chapters 8, 9
Stillman Chapters 10, 13
Week 9
March 16
Spring Break
Week 10
March 23
Readings:
Public Financial Management
SRB Chapter 13
Stillman Chapter 12
Topic Review Due today
Week 11
March 30
Readings:
Public Personnel Management
SRB Chapters 10, 11
Stillman Chapter 11
Week 12
April 06
Readings:
Politics-Administration Implications
Stillman Chapters 14, 15
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Week 13
April 13
Final Exam
Week 14
April 20
Readings:
Program Evaluation
SRB Chapter14
Week 15
April 27
Project work/ Project Presentations
Reflection Paper 2 due today
Week 16
May 4
Final Project Report Due