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%
- 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.
- 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.