Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

Public Human Resources Management (Online)

PADM 6500-70I

Course: PADM 6500-70I
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: Political Sci Criminal Justice
CRN: 32569

Course Description

This course provides MPA students with the knowledge and skills to supervise and manage employees. Topics include how to set performance expectations, motivate and coach for performance improvement, comply with HR rules/regulations, and incorporate staff needs into the budget process. (Fall [Online], Spring) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): MPA majors only

Required Texts

  • Evan M. Berman (8th Edition). Human Resource Management in Public Service. Thousand Oaks: Sage [9781071917916]

Learning Outcomes


By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Explain the role, functions, and challenges of human resource management in public-service organizations.
  2. Analyze HR issues involving legal, organizational, political, and employee considerations.
  3. Evaluate management practices that influence employee engagement, performance, and productivity.
  4. Apply HR principles and practices to real-world public-sector management challenges.
  5. Communicate HR analysis and recommendations effectively in professional written, oral, and digital formats.

Course Requirements

  1. Engagement & Professional Participation-Understand public-sector HR and the manager’s role in employee engagement.
  2. Application & Reflection Journal-Reflect on and apply HR concepts to public-sector management.
  3. Applied HR Analysis-Analyze real-world HR challenges and apply HR principles through case analysis and practitioner engagement.
  4. HR Memo & Professional Podcast-Research, analyze, and professionally communicate solutions to HR issues.
  5. Professional Career Portfolio-Develop and apply professional communication and career-readiness skills.

Course Outline


This course is designed to provide students with opportunities to understand, apply, and reflect upon the principles and practices of human resource management in public and nonprofit organizations. Course activities include professional writing, applied analysis, interaction with public-service professionals, reflection, collaborative problem-solving, and professional development.


Not every course activity is evaluated using a traditional point-based grade. Some activities are designed primarily for practice, preparation, reflection, or professional engagement and are graded Complete/Incomplete. Substantive instructor feedback and traditional point-based grading are focused on major assignments in which students demonstrate achievement of the course learning outcomes.


Pay attention to due dates.  Assignments need to be turned in by 11:59 pm on the due date. Late Submissions will be charged a 10% penalty per day. 


1-Engagement and Professional Participation — 10%

    1. Active engagement is an important component of an online graduate course. Throughout the semester, students will participate in activities designed to connect course content with the MPA program, public-service practice, classmates, and professionals in the field.
    2. Participation activities may include the course orientation, student introduction, Front Porch discussions, MPA lecture-series events, weekly lecture recordings, and other designated course or program events.

Most participation activities are graded Complete/Incomplete. A Complete indicates that the student participated in or completed the activity in a meaningful and good-faith manner and satisfied the requirements identified in Canvas.


Recorded course lectures are also an important component of the course. Students are expected to view assigned lectures and incorporate relevant lecture material into journals, discussions, analyses, and other course assignments where appropriate.


2-Application and Reflection Journal — 15%


Throughout the semester, students will maintain an Application and Reflection Journal addressing topics from the readings, lectures, and other course activities. Journal prompts are intended to encourage students to connect HR concepts with professional experience, public-sector management, and contemporary personnel challenges.


Weekly journal entries are graded Complete/Incomplete. A Complete is earned when a student submits a thoughtful, good-faith response that addresses the assigned prompt and demonstrates engagement with the relevant course material. Weekly entries are opportunities for practice and reflection and are not expected to represent polished academic writing.


Rather than receiving detailed instructor feedback on every weekly entry, students will periodically select journal entries for more substantive evaluation through two Journal Checkpoints. Students will identify entries that best demonstrate their application and understanding of course concepts. These checkpoints will be evaluated using a rubric and will receive instructor feedback.


At the end of the semester, students will complete a Final Journal Synthesis. This assignment will require students to review their work across the semester, identify significant HR concepts that influenced their thinking, demonstrate how their understanding developed, and explain how they anticipate applying these concepts in professional practice.


3-Applied HR Analysis — 30%


The Applied HR Analysis portion of the course provides students with two different opportunities to connect HR theory with public-service practice: a Public HR Case Study and a Public HR Practitioner Interview and Analysis.


Public HR Case Study


Students will complete an applied case study involving a significant human resource challenge in a public-service setting. The case-study process includes an Individual Case Analysis, followed by a Group Case Analysis/Discussion in which students collaborate to evaluate the situation and develop appropriate recommendations.


Following the group activity, students will complete a brief individual reflection considering how collaboration, additional information, and alternative perspectives affected their assessment of the case. The individual and group analyses receive substantive instructor evaluation. The concluding reflection is graded Complete/Incomplete.


The case study is intended to develop students' abilities to analyze complex personnel issues, apply HR principles, communicate recommendations, and work collaboratively with other stakeholders.


Public HR Practitioner Interview and Analysis


Students will also interview an individual currently working in public service who has meaningful responsibility for human resource or personnel functions. Appropriate interviewees may include HR directors or specialists, city or county administrators, department directors, school or higher-education administrators, public-safety administrators, nonprofit/public-service leaders, or supervisors with substantial personnel responsibilities. Students will identify an appropriate practitioner and prepare interview questions in advance. The interview should generally last approximately 30–45 minutes and may be conducted in person, by telephone, or through videoconference. Students will explore topics such as recruitment and hiring, employee retention and motivation, performance management, legal and policy constraints, the relationship between supervisors and HR professionals, contemporary workforce challenges, and lessons for new public managers.


Following the interview, students will complete a Public HR Practice Analysis connecting the practitioner's experiences with course readings, lectures, and HR concepts. Students will be expected to identify significant themes, compare theory with professional practice, and draw managerial lessons from the experience. Students must not include confidential personnel information, employee names, pending personnel matters, or other sensitive employment information in their assignments. Interview preparation and verification activities are graded Complete/Incomplete. The Public HR Practice Analysis is a major graded assignment and will receive substantive instructor feedback.


Students will also share a brief Advice from the Field contribution with classmates highlighting an important insight from their practitioner interview.


4-HR Memo and Professional Podcast Project — 35%


Students will complete an integrated professional project consisting of an HR Professional Memo and a Professional HR Podcast. These assignments provide an opportunity to research a significant human resource issue, analyze that issue from the perspective of public-service management, develop appropriate recommendations, and communicate HR knowledge to professional audiences.


The HR Professional Memo must follow the professional memo format and applicable requirements contained in the SUU MPA Style Guide. Students are expected to incorporate appropriate research, course readings, and lecture material and demonstrate graduate-level analysis rather than simply summarize an HR topic.


Students will also develop a professional HR training or educational podcast. The podcast is intended to translate HR knowledge into an accessible professional communication product that could be useful to managers, supervisors, employees, or other public-service professionals.


The project includes several developmental milestones, including topic selection, podcast planning, and peer review. These activities are generally graded Complete/Incomplete and are designed to help students make progress toward the final product.


The HR Professional Memo and Final Professional Podcast are major graded assignments and will receive substantive instructor evaluation using established rubrics.


5-Professional Career Portfolio — 10%


Professional development is an important component of the MPA program. Students will develop a Professional Career Packet consisting of a current résumé or curriculum vitae, a professional cover letter targeted toward an appropriate public-service or higher-education position, and a brief reflection describing revisions made as a result of professional feedback.


Students are required to work with the SUU Career Center and obtain feedback on their professional materials before submitting the final Career Packet.


The instructor's evaluation will emphasize the professionalism and appropriateness of the completed materials rather than duplicate the detailed editing and career-development services provided by the Career Center.


Students will also update their MPA academic/professional portfolio and submit the appropriate portfolio URL by the end of the semester. Career Center participation and portfolio submission are graded Complete/Incomplete. The completed Professional Career Packet is evaluated using a rubric.


Syllabus Disclaimer -
This syllabus is intended to provide a general plan for the course; however, it is not a contract. As the instructor, I reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus, including assignments, deadlines, policies, and topics, as necessary to accommodate the dynamic nature of teaching and learning. Any changes will be communicated clearly and in a timely manner.  

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Pay attention to due dates.  Assignments need to be turned in by 11:59 pm on the due date. Late Submissions will be charged a 10% penalty per day. No credit will be given after 5 days. 

Attendance Policy

This is an online course. We will hold occasional synchronous sessions, and you must attend the live session or view the recording.

Course Fees

No additional fees

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Religious / Conscience Belief Accommodation

RELIGIOUS / CONSCIENCE BELIEF ACCOMMODATION: In accordance with SUU Policy 6.7 Student Belief Accommodation, students may request, in writing, that their faculty accommodate their sincerely held religious or conscience beliefs. Students should provide their faculty with sufficient advanced notice, if possible within the first five (5) business days of the semester or session, or thereafter with good cause for requesting an accommodation after the first five (5) business days.

Faculty must provide a schedule accommodation or excuse an absence, in any course, for students to observe or participate in religious holidays or an organized activity conducted under the auspices of the student’s religious tradition or religious organization.

In courses that are required for graduation or for an academic major, a faculty member may accommodate a religious or conscience belief by modifying an assignment or examination if its content conflicts with the student’s belief. Faculty may decline the accommodation if it would fundamentally alter the course requirements. If declined, the student may request review by a neutral arbiter using the Belief Accommodation Request Form: https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv&layout_id=5

Questions go to Assistant Provost Jake Johnson at johnsonj@suu.edu.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.