Faculty Contact Information:
Dr. Jeff Jackson
Address: CMR 402, Box 1961, APO AE 09180
email: jjackson@faculty.ed.umuc.edu
Home Telephone: 06371-619102 before 10 P.M.
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Consultation:
By email as needed.
Before or after class, or by appointment.
Class times: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Class dates:
29 & 30 January
12 & 13 February
26 & 27 February
12 & 13 March
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Required Texts and Readings:
Texts and readings used exclusively in this course--
Gomez-Mejia, L.R., Balkin, D.B. & Cardy, R.L. (2004). Managing human resources, (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall
Kauffman, N. & Massey, C. (2000). Human capital applications using Microsoft Office 2000. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Civil Service Reform Act 1978. Retrieved January 29, 2004 from http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/olms/complcsra.htm
Hatch Act. Retrieved January 29, 2004 from http://www.osc.gov/hatchact.htm
Pendleton Act of 1883. Retrieved January 29, 2004 from http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=48
Office of Personnel Management Strategic Plan 2002-2007. Retrieved January 29, 2004 from http://www.opm.gov/gpra/opmgpra/sp2002/appendices/statutes.asp
Text used in multiple courses --
American Psychological Association. 2001. Publication manual of the American Psychological Association, (5th ed.). Washington DC: Author
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Supplementary Readings:
Gutman, Arthur. (2000). EEO Law and Personnel Practices, (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publication, Inc.
Government Accounting Office: The Human Capital Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2004-2006 (http://www.gao.gov/sp.html)
Government Accounting Office: Performance and Accountability Report 2004 (http://www.gao.gov/sp.html)
National Security Personnel System: (http://www.cpms.osd.mil/nsps/index.html)
In addition, all graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library. The library contains a large number of full text academic journals that are free of charge and immediately available. The library homepage also contains a number of links related to improving students' research and writing skills.
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Recommended Journals:
I highly encourage students to subscribe to the Government Executive (www.govexec.com) which provides both a free magazine and daily emails containing pertinent and timely information regarding various aspects of the operation of the Federal government.
A variety of full-text, online, free-of-charge and pay-per-view academic journals are listed on the PA Webboard (http://webboard.ed.umuc.edu/~pa.)
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Course Description:
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Prerequisite: Undergraduate principles of management or permission of the Program Director. Provides students with an understanding of the problems, issues, and opportunities in managing the procurement, development, utilization, and maintenance of an effective, productive, and satisfied work force.
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Course Goals:
As a required course in the Management Track of the MPA, this course analyzes:
- Basic functions of HRM, including recruitment and selection, training and development, rewarding and compensating, layoffs and firing employees
- Role HRM plays in the strategic management and decision making of public, private and nonprofit organizations
- Strategies used to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of an organizations human resources
- Major theories that influence the practice of HRM, including motivation, teambuilding, problem solving, decision making, negotiation and conflict management
- Major U.S. public policies, laws and courts cases that structure the practice of human resource management in the public sector and differentiate it from the private sector
- Current issues facing HR managers and organizational leaders in the public, private and nonprofit sectors
- Current best practices employed by managers in public, private and nonprofit organizations
- Increased importance of the Internet and other electronic and technological solutions on-going training and development of employees as well as in the planning, implementation and evaluation of HRM
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Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course the student will be able to:
- Analyze the conflicting demands on human resource managers and the values that underlie those conflicting demands.
- Apply theoretical perspectives to practical problems in HRM.
- Investigate current issues and best practices in HRM
- Utilize electronic and technological solutions to realize basic HRM activities.
- Utilize electronic resources to find primary source documents, data, statements on best practices, and research articles related to issues in HRM.
- Develop and present viable strategies and/or policy recommendations relating to important HR issues.
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Grading Information:
Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:
A 91% and above
B 81 – 90%
C 70 – 80%
F Below 70%
Please note that Bowie State University does not use "D" for graduate students. The grade F(a) is used to designate academic failure. F(n) is used to designate failure for non-completion. Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog. Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center.
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Course Requirements:
Graduate school at the masters level focuses on helping students obtain the education needed for success as professionals in their chosen fields. Thus, UMUC-Europe Graduate Programs and Bowie State University share the common goals of promoting excellence in academic scholarship through thoughtful inquiry and the skillful application of knowledge and theory for the betterment of society. In order to maximize your graduate educational experience in general and this course in particular, you are required to:
Attendance: 8%
Team Project: 15%
Job Description: 10%
Mid-Term: 20%
Final Paper: 37%
Presentation: 10%
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Description of Course Requirements:
Successful graduate students in American universities dedicate approximately three hours of preparation/study time for every hour spent in the face-to-face classroom. Thus, the following course requirements were developed on the assumption that students would be prepared to spend approximately 150 hours of their own time working on them. In an 8-week term, that is the equivalent of a half-time job. Most 14-week graduate distance education courses require at least 10 hours per week of dedicated time, plus time spent in the virtual classroom.
Participate in classroom discussions: You are expected to come to class prepared to engage in all discussions in a professional and informed manner.
Attendance: One percentage point is earned for each full day of class attendance.
Team/Group Project: Crisis Resource Management. You and your group will respond to a scenario involving a significant HR issue and will present to the class your resolution to the problem. The group will be given a very short time to address multiple issues (including research, written submission, and class presentation). Due as discussed in class on the first day.
Job Description Development: Write a job description for your current position. Included in the description should be either general or specific details depending on your view of efficient organizational needs. Then develop a list of key (critical) skills, knowledge, and abilities required to be successful in the position (including personal attributes, experience, etc). Develop a rating scale which you could use to rate potential applicants in order from best-to-least qualified (specifying minimum qualifications). Lastly, develop a list of specific interview questions that you would use to explore applicant qualifications and develop a rating scale and incorporate it into the overall rating scheme.
Mid-term. The mid-term will consist of seven or eight essay questions of which the student must answer 4. Students will have 3 hours to complete exam.
The final paper: 18 to 22 pages. Two options are available. Option #1: Using your organization as the area of review, you will write a professional paper which analyzes two of the following topics as implemented in your organization (job descriptions, EEO, recruiting/selecting, appraisals/rewards, training, career development, compensation, and employee relations). The paper must demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the two topics and present how your organization handles each. The paper must discuss how the two areas are related, how they are linked to the organization's mission/success, and what improvements can be made (be creative, but base your recommendations on solid HR research). Think critically, support your arguements, and follow the APA guide. OPTION #2: Using either the Department of Homeland Defense, the Department of Defense, or the Internal Revenue Service, discuss in detail the basis/history of traditional personnel management as outlined in 5 U.S.C. and the traditional management approaches as provided by the Office of Personnel Management. Subsequently, discuss how the agency you have chosen has maintained links to the OPM and 5 U.S.C. rules and guidelines, where it has departed from those rules and guidelines, why, and with what effect. The intent of this paper is for the student to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the traditional personnel practices in the Federal government, where organzations are beginning to deviate from them, and why. Professor approval is required prior to proceeding with the assignment.
You are required to conduct professional-level research, including appropriately citing works of others and avoiding plagiarism. Resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC, UMUC-Europe or BSU), partially or in its entirety, is not acceptable in this course and will result in an automatic failure on the assignment.
Project Presentation: In-class presentations will be conducted on the last day of class. Each student will have 15 minutes (maximum) to present her/his work included in the final paper. Students are encouraged to rehearse the presentation before class to ensure that the 15 minutes allotted is not exceeded. All presentations end at 15 minutes.
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Course Schedule:
Saturday, 29 January 2005:
(1) Class orientation - Student/Professor introduction and syllabus discussion
(2) Chapter 1 & 2
(3) Writing Points
(4) Team Project (class issued)
Sunday, 30 January 2005:
(1) Team project presentation
(2) Chapters 3 & 4
(3) Handout: Modernizing Human Resource Management in the Federal Government: The IRS Model (2003)
Saturday, 12 February 2005:
(1) Chapters 5, 6, & 7
(2) Handout: Strategic Recruitment for Government: Ten Innovative Practices for Designing, Implementing, and Measuring Recruitment Initiatives in Government (February 2003)
(3) Handout: A Fresh Start for Federal Pay: The Case for Modernization (April 2002)
Sunday, 13 February 2005:
(1) Chapters 8, 9, & 10
(2) Government Accounting Office: The Human Capital Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2004-2006
(3) Government Accounting Office: Performance and Accountability Report 2004
(4) Job Descriptions DUE
Saturday, 26 February 2005:
(1) MID-TERM Exam
(2) Chapter 11 & 12
(3) Team Project (class issued)
Sunday, 27 February 2005:
(1) Team project presented
(2) Chapters 13, 14, & 15
(3) National Security Personnel System
Saturday, 05 March 2005: (NO CLASS MEETING)
(1) Final paper due electronically by 1200 (noon). Paper received after this time will be considered late and penalized one full letter grade.
Saturday, 12 March 2005:
(1) Chapter 16 & 17
(2) Handout: US OPM Strategic Plan 2002 - 2007
(3) Handout: Leadership for America: Rebuilding the Public Service (Volcker Commission, 1989)
Sunday, 13 March 2005:
(1) Class presentations
(2) SOCRATES: Course Evaluations
(3) Concluding comments
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Academic Policies:
The University has a license agreement with Turnitin.com, a service that helps prevent plagiarism from internet resources. I may be using this service in this class by either requiring students to submit their papers electronically to Turnitin.com or by submitting questionable text on behalf of a student. If you or I submit part or all of your paper, it will be stored by Turnitin.com in their database throughout the term of the University's contract with Turnitin.com. If you object to this temporary storage of your paper, you must let me know no later than two weeks after the start of this class. Please Note: If you object to the storage of your paper on Turnitin.com, I may utilize other services to check your work for plagiarism.
The official university policy on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty can be found at http://www.umuc.edu/policy/aa15025.shtml. Section I.C. states: "Faculty may determine if the resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC), partially or in its entirety, is acceptable when assigning a grade on that piece of course work. Faculty must provide this information in their written syllabi. If the resubmission of course work is deemed to be unacceptable, a charge may not be brought under this Policy and will be handled as indicated in the written syllabi."
Please refer to Description of Course Requirements for specific information on how resubmissions will be treated in this course and to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
Nondiscrimination
Students with Disabilities
Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center.
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Faculty Bio:
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Dr. Jackson has a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from Jacksonville State University, a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California. He has over 17 years experience in both the public and private sector in accounting, program/management analysis, and human resource managment. He is currently a senior management/operations officer and is an Associate Professor with the University of Maryland University College, having taught for UMUC since 2001.
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