San Diego State University-Imperial Valley Campus
Course Syllabus and Schedule
Public Administration 301- Concepts and Issues in Public Administration
Fall 2013, Wednesday, 16:10 to 18:50, Room: Rodney Auditorium
Instructor: Richard C. Martin, Ph.D.
University Phone: 760-768-5681
Office : Faculty Office East 112
Office Hours: Monday 4:30PM-5:30PM, Wednesday 3:00PM-4:00PM or by appointment
E-mail: rmartin2@mail.sdsu.edu
(best way to reach me)
The instructor reserves the right to adjust the course design
I.
Course Description:
The purpose of Public Administration 301 is to introduce students to the concepts, issues and major topics in the field of public administration. The course looks at the theories and practices of public administration in different environments, as well as, the practical application through case studies. The class explores several components of public administration including the history of the field, organizational structure and stakeholders, collaborative processes, behavioral dynamics of individuals and groups, communications, budgeting, decision-making, relationship between bureaucracy and public interest, management and policy implementation. The course will serve as a basis for further study in public administration
II.
Student Learning Objectives: a.
Learn the history and evolution of the field of public administration b.
Grasp the works of leading administrative theorists c.
Develop an understanding between the theory and practice of public administration d.
Know the concepts of organizational structure and stakeholder analysis e.
Apply concepts of management and leadership to public organizations f.
Gain knowledge of how to institute collaborative processes between different organizations g.
Apply theories and concept of group dynamics within public organizations h.
Relate theories and concepts of goal setting, communications, and power to develop strategies for improving organizational efficiency i.
Develop skills related to policy development and implementation j.
Mature critical thinking skills needed by public administrators k.
Understand public administration problems in actual situations l.
Increase an individual’s ability to make decisions for public organizations
III. Course Format : The idea behind this type of course format is that the instructor creates an interactive learning environment where each person contributes input to the
1

group and that the time spent together is characterized by interactive learning. For you to get the most out of PA 301 requires high involvement and a commitment to trading ideas.
Class periods will include a combination of lecture, case exercises and group activities.
Clickers will be used. Discussion material will be drawn from the course text, current events and relevant work experiences.
IV. Evaluation
Student performance will be assessed in different ways during the semester. Evaluation will be based on the following elements.

Attendance

Class Participation

Exams
V. Course Requirements :
1.
Textbook : Public Administration 9th edition, Richard Stillman II , Cengage
ISBN: 10-0618993010
2.
Examinations: There will be four exams during the semester. The exams will be multiple choices. The exams will cover the material discussed in class as well as the assigned readings and cases. The exams may or may not be cumulative. Only the grades from the top three exams will be calculated into the grade point average. If a student misses more than one exam, those exam(s) will receive a grade of zero. There are no make-up exams. Further explanation of the requirements will be provided during the semester
3.
Case studies: Case discussions are a particularly important method for applying course material. Prior to class, students will read and be prepared to discuss the cases in class. Clickers will be used to record answers to case questions.
4.
Regular Attendance & Participation. Class attendance will be monitored. It is the participant’s responsibility to obtain materials for any missed classes from other students. Missing three sessions or more will be noted negatively: there are
NO EXCUSED ABSENCES for this purpose. Participation and attendance will be recorded via clickers. A student’s participation grade is affected by a student’s attendance.
5.
Preparedness : Read all materials as outlined in the syllabus as well as any handouts and be prepared to discuss in class. It is highly recommended that you read the assigned chapters before attending the class. It is the student’s responsibility to check blackboard on a regular basis, at least every couple of days.
2

6.
Appropriate Behavior : Students are expected to maintain civility in the classroom. No disrupting the class by whispering, and chatting to others, or working on other projects is tolerated. The same applies to cheating and plagiarism. Students must maintain respect for themselves and others in the class through appropriate language and body language. Failure to comply with behavioral codes of conduct will impact upon grades.
7.
Evaluation Criteria :
Class Attendance
Participation
Top Three Exams
8.
Grading Criteria:
10%
10%
80%
94-100
90-93
87-89
83-86
A
A-
B+
B
80-82 B-
77 –79 C+
73-76 C
70-72
67-69
63-66
60-62
C-
D+
D
D-
I will have discretion for adjusting the course grade by one grade category, (e.g. from D+ to C- or D) for quality class participation, excessive absence and/or frequent tardiness or disruptive behavior. I do not normally use this discretion; however, have used it to raise a participant to a C- or D. In addition, reduction in grades may be made for participants chatting to others during class lectures.
A grade of “WU” for a “withdrawal unauthorized” (formally “U”) indicates that you enrolled in a course, did not officially withdraw from the course, but failed to complete course requirements. For purposes of GPA computation, this grade is equivalent to an
“F”. If you attend a portion of a course and then, after receiving a failing grade, stop attending without officially withdrawing, you will receive a final grade of “F” rather than
“WU”
A grade of “I” for “incomplete authorized” is only given when a minor portion of required course work has not been completed and evaluated in the prescribe time period due to unforeseen, but fully justified, reasons. It is your responsibility to bring pertinent information to the instructor and to reach an agreement on the means by which the remaining course requirements will be satisfied. An incomplete shall not be assigned
3

when the only way you could make up the work would be to attend a major portion of the class when it is offered next.
4

Classroom Participation Rubric
Distinguished=100 Very Good 93-90 Proficient=89-80 Intermediate
-94
100% will be received if a participant attends
100% attendance Absent from two classes
=79-70
Absent from three classes
100% of classes and is:
Consistently contributes to class discussion
Misses no more than one class and
Consistently contributes to class discussion
Deficient below 70
Absent from four or more classes
Exhibits negative attitude towards course and class members
Class Attendance
100% attendance = 100%
-9% for each class missed
9. E -mail and Blackboard - Every student enrolled in PA301 is required to have a
ROHAM e-mail account that is linked to Blackboard. Students can login to web portal click button Roham/e-mail account. It is the student’s responsibility to check blackboard on a regular basis, at least every couple of days.
VI. Course Schedule:
Aug. 28 Review the syllabus, set expectations, getting to know each other, set the contract, participant information
Sept 4 Textbook Chapter 6: Concept of the informal group, norms, roles; reading
“Hawthorne and the Western Electric Company”, page 149; prepare case
“American Ground: Unbuilding the World Trade Center”, page 160
Sept 11 Textbook Chapter 3: The General Environment: The Concept of Ecology; reading: “The Ecology of Public Administration”, page 80; prepare case
“William Robertson: Exemplar of Politics and Public Management
Rightly Understood” page 87.
Sept. 18 Textbook Chapter 7, Key Decision Makers, reading, “Inside Public
Bureaucracy, page 172
5

Sept 25
Oct. 2
Oct. 9
Oct. 16
1st Exam
Textbook Chapter 8 Decision Making: The Concept of Incremental
Choice, reading “The Science of Muddling Through”, page 215, prepare case The Decision to Go To War with Iraq page 195
Textbook Chapter 10 Public Management: The Concept of Collaborative
Processes; reading “Collaboration Processes: Inside the Black Box”, page
286, prepare case “Government as Catalyst: Can it Work Again with
Wireless Internet Access”? Page 302;
Textbook Chapter 11: Public Personnel Motivation: The concept of the
Public Service Culture; reading “The Public Service Culture”, page 320, prepare case “Who Brought Bernadine Healy Down”, page 331;
2 nd Exam Oct. 23
Oct 30
Nov. 6
.
Nov. 13
Nov. 20
Nov. 27
Dec 4
Dec. 11
Textbook Chapter 1: The Search for the Scope and Purpose of Public
Administration; reading 1:1 “The Study of Administration”, page 6; prepare case ‘The Blast in Centralia NO. 5: A Mine Disaster No One
Stopped, page 31
Textbook Chapter 2: The Formal Structure: The Concept of Bureaucracy; reading “Bureaucracy” page 54; Textbook; prepare case “How Kristin
Died”, page 64
Textbook Chapter 12: Public Budgeting: The Concept of Budgeting as
Public Choice; reading “The Politics of Public Budgets. Public Budgeting
Exercise
3rd Exam
Textbook Chapter 9 Administrative Communication: The Concept of its
Professional Centrality”, pages 239-242
Textbook Chapter 13: Administrative Reorganization: The Concept of the
Tides of Reform; reading “The Tides of Reform Revisited: Patterns in
Making Government Work, page 375; Prepare case Expectations page 392
Textbook Chapter 4: The Political Environment: The Concept of
Administrative Power, pages 97-98; Textbook Chapter 5
“Intergovernmental Relations (IGR): The Concept of Opportunistic
Federalism, page 117-119, ; film The Energy Challenge
6

Dec 18 4 th Exam
7