Leadership in the Public Sector

Units: 3

This introductory course is designed for students who are interested in exploring public sector leadership. Students will be introduced to fundamental concepts and assumptions of leadership, will evaluate methods for conducting adequate academic research on leadership, and will assess skills and approaches for good public and non-profit sector leadership, with a focus on leadership self-assessment.

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Units: 3

Nature and varieties of political leadership by elected and appointed officials in government, officials and volunteers in nonprofit organizations, and leaders of political movements and community groups. The course draws on literature in political science, self-assessment of student's leadership characteristics, and examination of outlets for political leadership activity.

GEP: Social Sciences

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Units: 3

This course will teach students to investigate political and policy related questions in a systematic and scientifically rigorous fashion. Students will become familiar with the basic toolkit of social science methodology, practice basic data analysis, and develop a research project. They will acquire the skills essential for evaluating the claims of others and for advancing sound arguments of their own. This knowledge is applicable in a wide variety of organizational research, needs assessment, program and performance evaluation.

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Units: 3

LPS 201 offers up an introduction to the ideals and paradoxes of humanitarian intervention, with a special emphasis on military responses to humanitarian crises. This course explores the history, animating ideals and contemporary paradoxes of humanitarian action and related military interventions. Throughout history and ever increasingly in the present, there is an intersection between military and humanitarian operations in conflict zones.

Offered in Fall and Spring

Units: 3

The course covers the basics of fundraising for public and non-profit agencies which include the agencies history, board development, event planning, and the motivation of the giver. In addition, the students will learn the elements of grant proposals related to public sector agencies. The work will include case studies, weekly lectures, discussion assignments, final exam and a special event planning proposal.

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

Perspectives on leadership dilemmas and strategies in a globalized, knowledge-based, network-dependent environment. Challenges of state and nation-building abroad. Trans-border policy concerns for the national, state, and local governments. Applications of soft power and public diplomacy. International interactions of non-profit and non-governmental organizations. International aspects of informal and grass roots activism.

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

Analysis of American political institutions and processes, including the constitution, political culture, campaigns and elections, political parties, interest groups, the media, the president, congress, the federal courts, and public policy. Discussion of contemporary and controversial issues in American politics. Emphasis on placing current issues in comparative and historical perspective where relevant.

GEP: Social Sciences

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Units: 3

State and local governments within the context of the American federal system. Special emphasis on federalism, the constitutional/legal relationships between state and local governments, and the institutions, organizational forms, and political processes in American state and local government.

GEP: Social Sciences

Offered in Fall and Spring

Units: 3

Decisive Leadership is a challenging course that will study, practice, and apply the fundamentals of leadership, values and ethics, personal development, decision-making, influencing and motivating others and team tactics in problem solving and mission accomplishment. Military officers, especially, enrolled in the LPS program will gain immediate benefit from the leadership self-assessments and new leadership strategies.

Offered in Summer

Units: 3

Students will explore personal and professional aspects of ethical leadership perspectives. They can look at ethical perspectives from a general overview, or they can choose to focus on ethical perspectives within their specific field, such as: business, entrepreneurship, engineering, or athletics. Students will use a variety of ethical frameworks to analyze ethical situations and how values held by leaders and organizations result in ethical impacts and outcomes. The course will address philosophical origins of ethical frameworks and how they relate to the current business and societal environment. Primary focus will be on supporting students in identifying their personal values and developing a values-based plan for their individual leadership style to help them succeed as a values-based leader in their fields.

Offered in Fall and Spring

Units: 3

This course will be an introductory course for the study of policy analysis, i.e. the systematic study of political-issue problems and alternative policy choices. An individual semester-long project will be completed by each student that identifies a policy issue of interest to the student and various alternatives to implement or improve the policy. Students will measure outcomes of their alternative choices and choose a course of action based on anticipated outcomes.

Offered in Fall and Spring

Units: 3

PA 332 is a fundamental, comprehensive course designed to provide a view of the major influence human resources management has in a productive public sector organization. Specifically, it examines the challenges of managing complex work systems in the political and institutional environments. Emphasis is given to the challenges facing the public sector in attracting and developing human assets in an environment of conflicting goals, stakeholder obligations and a highly aware electorate. With theoretical concepts established, the focus will shift to practical implementation tools to include recruitment, retention, compensation, and evaluation techniques.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Historical development, selection, and internal organization of the presidency and congress. Discussion of the relations between the branches and the influence of public opinion, interest groups and parties on the federal government. Analysis of the legislative process.

GEP: Social Sciences

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Units: 3

This course provides students with information regarding diversity and leadership in history as well as material and activities that foster an understanding of how diversity and leadership intersect in the public sector and how diversity can improve organizational effectiveness and performance. The concept of cultural competency is defined and evaluated as an important component of effective public sector leadership. Students will learn what it means to be a more culturally competent leader.

GEP: U.S. Diversity

GEP: U.S. Diversity, Equity, and In

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Criminal justice process and civil justice system in the American judiciary, including court organization and legal professionals such as police, attorneys and judges; formulation and implementation of policies by law enforcement and the courts; impact of political system upon police, attorneys and judges; interaction between public and legal professionals in judicial decision making.

GEP: Social Sciences

Offered in Fall and Spring

Units: 3

Introduction to public policy formulation and analysis, including agenda-setting strategies, problems of legitimation, the appropriations process, implementation, evaluation, resolution, and termination.

GEP: Social Sciences

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

YEAR: Offered Alternate Years

Units: 3

Administration in city, state and national governments: effectiveness and responsiveness, involvement in policy areas, and issues of ethics and responsibilities.

GEP: Social Sciences

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

YEAR: Offered Alternate Years