Grading Policy
The final course grade will be determined based on the following breakdown:
- Chapter Quizzes: 20%
- Public Data Visualization: 30%
- Public Data & Accounting Project: 30%
- Exams: 20% (2 @ 10% each)
The final numeric grade will map to the final letter grade according to SUU’s standard number to-letter grade conversion scheme. Final grades ending in .5 or higher are automatically rounded up to the nearest whole percentage point.
A: 94-100
A-: 90-93
B+: 87-89
B: 84-86
B-: 80-83
C+: 77-79
C: 74-76
C-: 70-73
D+: 67-69
D: 64-66
D-: 60-63
F: 0-59
Chapter Quizzes
Each module has a corresponding quiz based on the chapter you are assigned to read from the required textbook. Each quiz is 5 questions. The quizzes should be done individually but they are open book. You will have one hour and one attempt to complete each quiz.
Public Data Visualization
This assignment will require students to explore the ever-changing world of Public Administration through technology. Students will collect publicly available municipal data and learn how to visualize it using Tableau Public (the free version). No prior experience is necessary and students will receive tutorials and guides on how to use the software.
Public Budgeting & Accounting
Students will build a simple departmental operating budget in Excel for a municipal or county department, using a provided dataset and guided template. Students will develop spreadsheet skills while thinking like public budget analysts: organizing line items, calculating totals, projecting costs, and identifying whether a department stays within a funding target. No prior experience is necessary, tutorials and guides will be provided. Students can use Excel, Numbers, or Google Sheets to complete the assignment.
Exams
There will be two exams, both of which are equally weighted. They will be given on Canvas, and the due dates are scheduled in the syllabus. The format of each exam will be multiple-choice and will include any material covered since the last exam. A study guide will be provided in advance. Exam material will cover concepts, theories, and results from the readings, as well as material from the lectures.
Exams may only be made up for excused for participation in formally sanctioned University events, or extraordinary events if they are accompanied by sufficient documentation within two calendar days of the absence. The instructor reserves the right to determine what constitutes an extraordinary circumstance as well as what shall be considered “sufficient documentation.” If they have been excused for their absence, students will have five working days to make up a missed exam. If there are extraordinary circumstances, which would prevent the student from making up the exam in five working days, the instructor must be informed of this fact prior to the expiration of the five day period. The instructor reserves the right to administer makeup exams of any format (multiple choice, short answer, essay), which may not necessarily correspond to the original exam’s format. If a student misses an exam and does not have an excused absence, the student will receive a zero for the exam.