The course will be conducted as a seminar -- that is, the course will survive on the contributions of seminar participants. Each participant is expected to come to class ready to critically analyze the reading and prepared to add to the ongoing class discussion.  The extent to which you bring your personal experiences and insights into the discussion will define the richness of the discussion.

Course requirements include class participation, an oral report, and a written paper.  All class meetings are mandatory.  If you must miss a class, please meet with instructor for alternative assignment.  Readings, of course, are critical.  It is expected that students will complete all reading assignments prior to class for which they are assigned.  Students are expected to be prepared to comment on the readings, and to integrate the readings into the ongoing discussion.  Since verbal communication is the keystone to public administration, students are required to complete an analysis paper (15 - 18 pages).  Finally, students will present their papers orally for the entire class.

Papers may deal with any topic in public administration, and must utilize course materials as well as appropriate additional resources.  The paper should state the issue or controversy clearly and concisely; discuss the issue in terms of public administration theory and practice; evaluate our knowledge and understanding of the issue; and reach some conclusions based on that knowledge.  Do not simply summarize what others have said on the issue -- evaluate their contributions in light of the evolving literature and make your own contribution.  The papers should be written in a scholarly format, typed double-spaced, according to academic protocol.

Class Resources:

Writing Guides and Resources:

MLA Online Style Guide -- CSUN
MLA Online Style Guide -- Purdue
Writing Manuals and Guides (Hanover College)
Harvard: The Writing Center
Purdue: Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Illinois Urbana: The Writers' Workshop

Plagiarism – Don’t Do It!

Plagiarism, whether intentional or not, is the most serious violation of academic life one can make.  Careers have ended over it.  Be sure you understand what plagiarism is, and how to avoid it.  University Policy dictates that anyone caught plagiarizing will receive a fail for the course and be referred to the Dean of Students for academic dishonesty.

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism.com reminds you that all of the following are considered plagiarism:

turning in someone else's work as your own;
copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit;
failing to put a quotation in quotation marks;
giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation;
changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit;
copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not (see our section on "fair use" rules); (http://www.plagiarism.org/learning_center/what_is_plagiarism.html)

To avoid plagiarism be sure to follow these rules:

Direct Quotation: Every direct quotation must be identified by quotation marks, or by appropriate indentation or by other means of identification, and must be promptly cited in a citation. Proper citation style for Political Science can be found here or here.

Paraphrase: Prompt acknowledgment is required when material from another source is paraphrased or summarized in whole or in part in your own words. To acknowledge a paraphrase properly, one might state: "to paraphrase Locke's comment . . ." and conclude with a citation identifying the exact reference. A citation acknowledging only a directly quoted statement does not suffice to notify the reader of any preceding or succeeding paraphrased material.

Borrowed Facts or Information: Information obtained in one's reading or research which is not common knowledge among students in the course must be acknowledged. Examples of common knowledge might include the names of leaders of prominent nations, basic scientific laws, etc. Materials which contribute only to one's general understanding of the subject may be acknowledged in the bibliography and need not be immediately cited. One citation is usually sufficient to acknowledge indebtedness when a number of connected sentences in the paper draw their special information from one source. When direct quotations are used, however, quotation marks must be inserted and prompt acknowledgment is required.  

(http://library.csun.edu/Research_Assistance/plagiarism.html)

Resources on Avoiding Plagiarism:

Plagiarism.org -- Great Resources on What Plagiarism is, and how to Avoid it
Learn about Plagiarism with Carlos and Eddie (UCLA)
Ways to Avoid Plagiarism Disaster (UCLA)
Things you don’t want to do (UCLA)

Public Administration as Social Science

The Academic Study of Public Administration is a subfield within the social sciences.  Click here to review the scientific method and assess what is "scientific" about public administration.  (From my Political Science research methods class.)