Graduate Curriculum Committee Course Proposal Form
for Courses Numbered 6000 and Higher
Note: Before completing this form, please carefully read the accompanying instructions.
Submission guidelines are posted to the GCC Web site: http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/gcc/index.cfm
1. Course prefix and number:
PADM 6101
PADM 6101
2. Date:
November 3, 2011
3. Requested action:
X New Course
Revision of Active Course
Revision & Unbanking of a Banked Course
Renumbering of an Existing Course from
from
to
#
X
Required
#
Elective
4. Method(s) of delivery (check all boxes that apply for both current/proposed and expected
future delivery methods within the next three years):
Current or
Proposed Delivery
Method(s):
X
On-campus (face to face)
Expected
Future Delivery
Method(s):
X
Distance Course (face to face off campus)
Online (delivery of 50% or more of the instruction is offered online)
5. Justification (must cite accreditation and/or assessment by the graduate faculty) for new course
or course revision or course renumbering:
The MPA faculty have assessed the ability of our students to write, communicate, and
conduct both qualitative and quantitative analyses. This assessment has been conducted
as part of our student learning outcomes focus and as part of our evaluation of the new
accreditation standards of our accrediting body, the National Association of Schools of
Public Administration and Affairs (NASPAA). As a result of that assessment, particularly of
our capstone course - the MPA Professional Paper, the graduate faculty who comprise the
MPA Committee have determined the need to introduce a new course on analysis and
communication to be take prior to our existing quantitative research methods course. This
new course will help us address the required competencies of “To analyze, synthesize,
think critically, solve problems and make decisions” and “To communicate and interact
productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry.” The course was then
approved by the Graduate Faculty of the Department of Political Science.
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6. Course description exactly as it should appear in the next catalog:
PADM 6101 Analysis for the Public Sector (3) P: consent of instructor
Introduction to communication and analytical skills used in the public sector
7. If this is a course revision, briefly describe the requested change:
NA
8. Course credit:
Lecture Hours
3
3
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
Lab
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Studio
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Practicum
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Internship
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Other (e.g., independent study) Please explain.
s.h.
3
Total Credit Hours
9. Anticipated annual student enrollment:
s.h.
s.h.
15
10. Changes in degree hours of your programs:
Degree(s)/Program(s)
Changes in Degree Hours
MPA
No change in total hours, but a change in
required program courses
11. Affected degrees or academic programs, other than your programs:
Degree(s)/Program(s)
Changes in Degree Hours
NA
12. Overlapping or duplication with affected units or programs:
X Not applicable
Documentation of notification to the affected academic degree programs is
attached.
13. Council for Teacher Education (CTE) approval (for courses affecting teacher education):
X Not applicable
Applicable and CTE has given their approval.
14. University Service-Learning Committee (USLC) approval:
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X
Not applicable
Applicable and USLC has given their approval.
15. Statements of support:
a. Staff
X Current staff is adequate
Additional staff is needed (describe needs in the box below):
b. Facilities
X Current facilities are adequate
Additional facilities are needed (describe needs in the box below):
c. Library
X
Initial library resources are adequate
Initial resources are needed (in the box below, give a brief explanation and an
estimate for the cost of acquisition of required initial resources):
d. Unit computer resources
X
Unit computer resources are adequate
Additional unit computer resources are needed (in the box below, give a brief
explanation and an estimate for the cost of acquisition):
e. ITCS resources
X
ITCS resources are not needed
The following ITCS resources are needed (put a check beside each need):
Mainframe computer system
Statistical services
Network connections
Computer lab for students
Software
Approval from the Director of ITCS attached
16. Course information (see: Graduate Curriculum and Program Development Manual for
instructions):
a. Textbook(s) and/or readings: author(s), name, publication date, publisher, and
city/state/country. Include ISBN (when applicable).
Hughes, Michael A. and George F. Hayhoe. 2008. A Research Primer for Technical
Communication. New York, NY: Routledge and Francis, Group, Inc. 13:978-0-8058-6335-2
Meier, Kenneth J., Jeffrey L. Brudney, and John Bolte. 2012. Applied Statistics for Public and
Nonprofit Administration. (8th ed.) Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing. ISBN: 978-1-11134289-7
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IBM SPSS Statistics 19 Core System User's Guide. 2010. SPSS Inc.
Tufte, Edward R. 2007. The Cognitive Style of Powerpoint: Pitching Out Corrupts Within.
Cheshire, Connecticut: Graphics Press LLC. ISBN 978-0-9613-92154
Plus selected readings
b. Course objectives for the course (student – centered, behavioral focus)
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
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critique examples of professional communication designed for different
purposes
prepare a diverse set of written professional communications
apply APA citation methods appropriately
develop professional PPT presentations
conduct research literature searches
formulate research questions and hypotheses
demonstrate the appropiratenenss and applicability of qualitative and
quantitative research designs
apply basic descriptive statistical analysis concepts associated with
measurement as central tendency, reliability, validity, frequencies, and
variability
demonstrate how to prepare appropriate tables, graphs, and charts
using EXCEL
conduct beginning SPSS aanalyses
prepare and implement a survey research project
prepare research reports for presentation
demonstrate an understanding of the ethical issues of conducting and
communicating research
c. Course topic outline
1. Introduction: The Importance of analysis and communication for the
public sector
2. Professional roles and reponsibilities
3. Professional communication
a. Listening
b. Written communication
c. APA Citation Style
d. PPT Presentations
e. Group Presentations
4. Identifying and developing Good Research Question
a. Research Design
b. Hypotheses
5. Research Ethics
6. Qualitative & Quantitative Analyses
a. Definitions & Distinctions
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b. Qualitative Analyses
c. Quantitative Analyses
d. Gathering Data
7. Qualitative Analyses & Interpretation
a. Examples
b. Generalizability
8. Quantitative Analyses & Interpretation
a. Basic Descriptive Statistics
b. Measurement
i. Conceptualization
1. Reliability
2. Validity
ii. Operationalization
iii. Measurement
c. Frequencies
d. Measures of Central Tendency
e. Variability
9. Basic Quantitative Communication Tools
a. Tables
b. EXCEL
c. SPSS
d. Charts & Graph
10. Survey Research
a. Techniques
b. Interviews, telephone, online, focus groups
c. Questionnaire design
d. Sampling
e. Generalizability
11. Marshalling Evidence for an Argument
d. List of course assignments, weighting of each assignment, and grading/evaluation system
for determining a grade
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10 Weekly Assignments, including short papers, presentations, and
group projects - (5% each) = 50%
Two Exams (10% each) = 20%
Final Course Project = 20%
Participation = 10%
A = 90-100 %
B = 80-89 %
C = 70-79 %
Below 70 % = F
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