SAMPLE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
content/goals/objectives/themes
CAROL SERON & NANCY ARIES, PAF 9120
Instructors’ Overview
This course examines the fundamental concepts and techniques for managing
government and nonprofit agencies. An effective manager must understand several
aspects of organizational life including the structure of organizations, the use of human
resources, the role of politics in decision making, and the organization's culture. In
addition, the class examines the interaction between organizations and the external
environment.
Students will develop a self-critical perspective on the managerial process. We
will explore ways to reflect on the values, biases, and “personal baggage” that we bring
to the task of work. We will give special consideration to the challenges of managing
organizations that reflect the rich diversity of American society. We begin this task with
the assumption that there are no clear “rules” or guidelines for being a “good” manager.
Rather the task is to develop reflective and critical skills for thinking about creative
solutions to organizational dilemmas.
At the end of the semester students will be able to 1) identify and describe key
issues impacting organizations; 2) formulate and evaluate alternative solutions to such
problems; and 3) learn verbally and in writing to present analyses of managerial problems
and their solutions.
BERT HANSEN, HISTORY 1000
Course description
This course, “Themes in American History,” is designed for students with little or no
background in American history. It provides an introductory examination of three
major episodes in American history from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries: the
American Revolution (1770s and '80s), the Civil War and Reconstruction (1850s, '60s,
and '70s), and the Great Depression and New Deal (1920s and '30s). Our goal is to
understand the shape of these major events, their key features, their contexts, and their
continuing relevance to contemporary culture, social life, and government.
Themes of the Course
 events of lasting significance
 structures of government: how and why they were established and shaped by their
origins)
 leaders and leadership
 movements organized by ordinary people to create social changes
 different groups' experience of the same situation
 ways that historians discover, interpret, and appreciate the past
HELAINE J. KORN, BUSINESS POLICY (BPL) 5100
Course Description and Objectives
Policy is the study of the functions and responsibilities of senior management, the crucial
problems that affect success in the total enterprise, and the decisions that determine the
direction of the organization and shape its future. The problems of policy in business,
like those of policy in public affairs, have to do with choosing purposes, molding
organizational identity and character, continuously defining what needs to be done, and
mobilizing resources for the attainment of goals in the face of competition or adverse
circumstances.
This course is designed to study the firm primarily from the perspective of top
management. Of principal concern to top managers are the relationships among the
organization, its strategy, and its environment. These relationships are complex,
uncertain, and subject to change. Top managers shape and guide these relationships. It is
they who make strategic decisions that change the organization’s capabilities, shift its
position in the environment, or lead the firm into a new business. Such a focus upon the
tasks of the top management will draw upon the interactions among the different
functional areas that you have already been introduced to in earlier courses (e.g.,
management, marketing, finance, accounting, information systems). Unlike other courses
that tend to focus on a single functional area of business, this course will concentrate on
the total business situation.
We will use several methods to accomplish the goals of this course. First, via
involvement in an interactive business simulation, we will have the opportunity to
analyze, develop, apply, and revise strategic decisions in a competitive environment.
Additionally, we shall tackle the complexity and ambiguity of strategic decision making
through discussions of case studies that provide rich descriptions of situations faced by
real companies that either fail or succeed. In order to obtain the full benefit of the case
approach, it is necessary that everyone come to class well prepared. This does not mean
that you must have solved the case, or are expected to have all the answers to the case.
Invariably, given the complexities of the real world, there is no single best answer.
However, it does mean that you should have thoroughly read the case and any other
assigned materials and that you have intelligently thought about the issues raised by the
case. In class, I will act as a moderator, questioner, and lecturer to help you gain a better
understanding of the strategic decision making process. By actively participating in class
discussions, you will sharpen your own insights, and those of your classmates. Thus you
will not only become familiar with the content of the course, but perhaps more
importantly, you will also learn to master the process of analysis that is a central aspect of
the effective strategic management of organizations.
DONALD H. SCHEPERS, BUS 9100
Course Objectives
This course is designed to introduce you to the larger environment in which business is
conducted, namely, the governmental, regulatory, social, and ethical environments of
business. The major objectives of the course are:
1. To provide a historical context for the integration and interaction of elements of
business and society.
2. To recognize trends and changes in the nature of interrelationships among these
diverse constituencies.
3. To analyze corporate policy decisions in light of these trends, and identify the specific
challenges facing modern management.
4. To assess the impact of environmental constraints on business competitiveness, and
the reciprocal impact of business activity on its various environments.
Conduct of the course
The course is a mixture of lecture and case exposition. Topics for the lectures are
indicated on the course calendar, with readings assigned. There are ten cases listed. The
first case will be conducted in class as a demonstration by the instructor.
The second case listed (Royal Trustco) will be a presentation by Ned Regan (see below).
The whistleblowing case will be presented by Larry Zicklin. All students are required to
submit a short (2 page max) write-up of their analysis the night of the presentation.
For the remaining seven cases (A-G), students will be randomly assigned to groups and
given case assignments. The group will present the case that night. Individuals are to
prepare themselves to interact in an oral presentation of the case in a “point-counterpoint”
format. A written summary (15 pages max) of your group analysis of the issues of the
case is due the night after the presentation.
The class format will begin with case presentation, followed by a discussion among class
members, and the group will be asked to conclude with its own final statement on the
issues of the case. Lecture will follow.
Individuals will also select one case they would like to analyze on their own. This will be
separate from the group case. That assignment (6 pages max) is due the night of the case.
Since everyone will have read the case, the case summary in any written report should be
minimal. I expect your analysis to include:
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market failures, and issues regarding imperfect competition;
stakeholder analysis;
corporate response (obligation, responsibility, responsiveness); and
issue intensity.
The paper should end with a statement on your opinion regarding the issues in the case.
The analysis should clearly lead to your opinion. Opinions that have no connection to the
prior analysis will result in a lower grade.
The format of all papers is as follows: 12-point font (either Arial or Times Roman); 1.25”
margins all around, double spaced. Your grade will be at the bottom of the last maximum
page limit. Title page (if you use one) and appendices are not included in the page limit.
Please note: all students are required to read all preparatory materials, including cases.
DAN WILLIAMS, PAF 9172
Course Description
This is the second of two course concerning conducting empirical research for public
affairs. It is widely accepted that new knowledge is found through empirical research.
This course emphasizes practices that are general among the social sciences: guidelines
for summarizing observations, drawing general conclusions from particular cases (know
as “induction”), and deciding when two events are causally related. Because of various
observational limits for differing kinds of phenomena, the sciences use differing specific
techniques. A portion of this course explores the variety of techniques available for
research. In this second course, focus is on more sophisticated techniques for data
analysis and on more developed approaches to design.
Learning Objectives
In this course you will learn how to conduct research including performing statistical
procedures that contribute towards empirical research for public affairs.
PAUL ARPAIA, HISTORY 1003
Course description, goals and objectives
The focus of this course is a survey of major socio-economic, cultural and political
changes in the world from 1500 to the present and the forces that shaped them. This
course is structured to make you, the student, an active participant. You will be
introduced to historical tools of analysis by practicing them on primary and secondary
sources. You will gain an understanding of some of the major theories why people, ideas
and things change over time, a basic competency in the ways historians communicate and
an awareness of how the tools of the historian can be applied to your own interests and
other disciplines including those in the business school.
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