PMG480: Capstone: Applied Public Management Skills

PMG480: Capstone: Applied Public Management Skills
Credit Hours:
3
Contact Hours:
This is a 3-credit course, offered in accelerated format. This means that 16 weeks of material is covered in 8 weeks. The exact number of hours per week that you can expect to spend on each course will vary based upon the weekly coursework, as well as your study style and preferences. You should plan to spend 10-25 hours per week in each course reading material, interacting on the discussion boards, writing papers, completing projects, and doing research.
Course Description and Outcomes
In this capstone course, students will complete capstone assignments that address the program outcomes for the BS in Public Management. Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate what they learned throughout the public management program by applying leadership, critical-thinking, problem-solving and creativity skills to real-world situations. Students will also make use of the CSU-Global Career Center and develop a resume and career plan.
Course Learning Outcomes:
1. Develop a resume and career plan.
2. Navigate the CSU-Global career center.
3. Summarize your position on a controversial public management issue through research, effective written communication, and a review of the literature.
4. Identify leadership styles that are best suited to a particular professional context related to applied public management.
5. Evaluate sources of grant funding for effective financing within the public sector.
6. Evaluate the ethical, legal, and organizational influences of the effectiveness of communication during a crisis related to public management.
7. Develop a strategic or situational plan to address needs within a public management setting.
8. Create a list of qualitative and quantitative sources to use to maximize the effective application of principles and practices related to public management.
Participation & Attendance
Prompt and consistent attendance in your online courses is essential for your success at CSU-Global Campus. Failure to verify your attendance within the first 7 days of this course may result in your withdrawal. If for some reason you would like to drop a course, please contact your advisor.
Online classes have deadlines, assignments, and participation requirements just like on-campus classes. Budget your time carefully and keep an open line of communication with your instructor. If you are having technical SAMPLE
problems, problems with your assignments, or other problems that are impeding your progress, let your instructor know as soon as possible.
Course Materials
Textbook Information is located in the CSU-Global Booklist on the Student Portal.
Course Schedule
Due Dates
The Academic Week at CSU-Global begins on Monday and ends the following Sunday.
• Discussion Boards: The original post must be completed by Thursday at 12 midnight MT and Peer Responses posted by Sunday 12 midnight MT. Late posts may not be awarded points.
• Capstone Assignments: Assignments are due Sunday at 12 midnight MT.
Week #
Readings
Assignments
1
• Module 1 Content
• Discussion (25 points)
2
• Module 2 Content
• Capstone Assignment (100 points)
3
• Module 3 Content
• Discussion (25 points)
• Capstone Assignment (100 points)
4
• Module 4 Content
• Capstone Assignment (125 points)
5
• Module 5 Content
• Discussion (25 points)
• Capstone Assignment (100 points)
6
• Module 6 Content
• Capstone Assignment (125 points)
7
• Module 7 Content
• Capstone Assignment (125 points)
• ETS Proficiency Profile (50 points)
• Program Completer Survey (25 points)
8
• Module 8 Content
• Discussion (25 points)
• Resume and Career Plan (150 points)
Assignment Details This course includes the following assignments/projects:
Module 2
Capstone Assignment: Analyzing Literature and Effective Written Communication (100 Points)
For this assignment, you will use your research, analysis, and written communication skills.
Begin by locating three peer-reviewed articles in the CSU-Global library that address a controversial subject related to public management. Read each article and consider your own assessment of the issue.
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Then write a paper in the form of a letter to the editor of your local newspaper summarizing the three articles and concluding with your assessment of the controversial issue. Be sure to use effective written communication strategies to convey your ideas.
Your well-written paper should meet the following requirements:
• Be 3-4 pages in length
• Include at least three additional outside sources to support your assessment, in addition to properly citing information from the three articles chosen for review
• Be formatted according to CSU-Global APA and writing guidelines
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Module 3
Capstone Assignment: Leadership Styles in Applied Public Management Settings (100 Points)
Different leadership approaches work best in particular settings. For this assignment, you should review the leadership styles noted in the lecture for this module and review any related leadership theories explored throughout your studies at CSU-Global.
Then in a well-written paper, describe your professional setting, identify two or three leadership styles that are well suited to your particular professional setting, and explain how and why these leadership styles would work well in your setting.
Your paper should meet the following requirements:
• Be 3-4 pages in length
• Include at least three outside sources to support your ideas
• Be formatted according to CSU-Global APA and writing guidelines
If you haven’t had professional experience that you can use for this assignment, please consult your instructor as soon as possible to discuss how you will approach this assignment.
Module 4
Capstone Assignment: Financing with Grants (125 Points)
For this assignment, you will identify sources of grant money for use to finance organizations or operations within the public sector.
Using the resources mentioned in the module lecture and any other sources, select five grants that can be applied for use in the public sector.
In a well-written paper, tell how you would use each grant if awarded to overcome budgetary shortfalls in your professional setting. Also explain how you would ensure that funds were applied ethically and responsibly.
Your paper should meet the following requirements:
• Be 3-4 pages in length
• Include at least three outside sources to support your ideas
• Be formatted according to CSU-Global APA and writing guidelines
If you haven’t had professional experience that you can use for this assignment, please consult your instructor as soon as possible to discuss how you will approach this assignment.
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Module 5
Capstone Assignment: Ethical, Legal, and Organizational Influences on Public Management Crisis Communication (100 Points)
Choose and research a circumstance in which an organization had to communicate in a crisis related to public management. This can be an internal or external crisis and the communication can be internal or external or both. Be sure your research turns up sufficient information to support the requirements of this assignment.
In a well-written paper, provide a brief summary of the crisis and the organization’s communication efforts in response to the crisis. Then evaluate the ethical, legal, and organizational influences on the organization’s communication effectiveness (or lack thereof) in this situation.
Your paper should include quoted examples of the organization’s response, not just your own summary or opinion of how it responded. Your evaluation should then take those example responses and assess the legal, ethical, and organizational influences that may have influenced the final message. Although you may be basing some of your evaluation on your own “guess” at how these factors influenced the message, make it an educated guess and back it up with good critical thinking and outside sources supporting your evaluation.
If you have any questions about the assignment or about your choice of topics, contact your instructor as early in the week as possible.
Your paper should meet the following requirements:
• Be 3-4 pages in length
• Include at least three outside sources, in addition to properly citing information from the selected organization
• Be formatted according to CSU-Global APA and writing guidelines
Module 6
Capstone Assignment: Situational or Strategic Planning (125 Points)
For this assignment, you should select a setting related to public management. For this setting, you should create either a situational plan or a strategic plan. Your well-written paper should include the following:
• A brief introduction describing your selected public management setting
• An explanation of which approach you selected (strategic or situational plan) and why
• A 2-3-page plan to help address public management needs
• A description of financial resources required to carry out your plan
Your paper should meet the following requirements:
• Be 3-4 pages in length
• Be formatted according to CSU-Global APA and writing guidelines
Module 7
Capstone Assignment: Public Management Resources (125 Points)
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For this assignment, you will create a list of quantitative and qualitative sources to use to maximize the effective application of principles and practices related to public management. You should select five quantitative resources/tools and five qualitative resources/tools. These can be resources that you locate on the Internet, in the CSU-Global library, or even tools that you create, such as spreadsheets, to help you in your professional practice. For each resource/tool, you should include the following:
• List the resource/tool as an APA reference or provide an example if you created the tool
• Summarize how this resource/tool will help you effectively apply principles and practices related to public management
Your well-written assignment should meet the following requirements:
• Be 2-3 pages in length
• Be formatted according to CSU-Global APA and writing guidelines
ETS Proficiency Profile Assessment (50 points)
Take the ETS Proficiency Profile before midnight of Week 7. The ETS Proficiency Profile is a 36-question exam that measures critical thinking, reading, writing, and mathematics. You will not receive a grade for how you do on the exam, but will receive 50 points for completing it. The purpose of this exercise is to provide data to CSU-Global that will help improve courses, curriculum, and instructional practices.
A couple of tips before you get started:
1. Make sure to allow at least 40 minutes to complete the exam.
2. The exam can only be completed using the Internet Explorer browser on a PC. Mac users will have to find access to a PC.
3. Remember to use your CSU-Global email (first.last@csuglobal.edu) address when/if prompted.
4. Have your CSU-Global student six-digit ID number (not SSN) ready.
5. The session number for the exam is: 63312-8585174.
Click here to download detailed instructions for completing the exam.
When you are ready, access the exam by clicking the following URL:
http://proficiencyprofile.ets.org
Program Completer Survey (25 points)
Please complete and submit the Program Completer Survey. This 29 question survey replaces the Module 7 Discussion and is worth 25 points. Begin the survey by clicking on the “Start Survey” button below. Be sure to complete and submit the entire survey.
In order to receive the points associated with this assignment:
1. Click the “Submit” button.
2. Click “Print Screen” on the completion screen to which you are taken.
3. Save a copy of the screenshot.
4. Submit a copy of the screenshot to the Module 7 assignments area.
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Module 8
Resume and Career Plan (150 Points)
For this assignment, you will be submitting two separate documents—a resume and a career plan—each worth 75 points. You may base these documents on your own personal information or on fictional information, thereby keeping your personal information private. Either is an acceptable choice and you will not be graded based on whether you choose to submit actual or fictional information. The purpose of this assignment is to give you experience developing both a resume and a career plan. If you choose to use fictional information, you can then use what you’ve learned in this assignment to help you develop your own personal resume and career plan. If time permits, you can even develop your real resume and career plan and the fictional ones for the assignment simultaneously. If you have any questions or concerns about this assignment, please contact your instructor as early in the course as possible so they can be addressed.
Following are the specific requirements for each component of this assignment:
Resume:
Find a posting for a job that currently interests you and for which you are qualified. Using either your own information or fictional information, create a resume tailored to this job description. If you are creating this resume for a fictional person, you can feel free to add skills, experiences, or qualifications that you do not possess, in addition to creating fictional contact information, a fictional educational background, etc.
You may choose whatever type of resume seems most appropriate. Your resume should include the following elements:
• Contact information
• Qualifications
• Education
• Experience/History
You may also choose to include additional elements as appropriate and needed. Before submitting your resume, use the Capstone Resume Checklist and have at least one person read through it and check for errors in spelling, grammar and formatting. When you have the final version of your resume, convert it to a PDF format to submit for grading.
Career Plan:
Using the Career Plan Template, develop a career plan either for yourself or for a fictional person. The information in the career plan should be as specific as possible, even if you are developing it for a fictional person. You should fill out every section of the Career Plan Template.
Your final career plan submission should be well written and free of errors.
Course Policies
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In-Classroom Policies
For information on late work and Incomplete grade policies, please refer to our In-Classroom Student Policies and Guidelines or the Academic Catalog for comprehensive documentation of CSU-Global institutional policies.
Academic Integrity
Students must assume responsibility for maintaining honesty in all work submitted for credit and in any other work designated by the instructor of the course. Academic dishonesty includes cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, plagiarism, reusing /re-purposing your own work (see CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements for percentage of repurposed work that can be used in an assignment), unauthorized possession of academic materials, and unauthorized collaboration. The CSU-Global Library provides information on how students can avoid plagiarism by understanding what it is and how to use the Library and Internet resources.
Citing Sources with APA Style
All students are expected to follow the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements when citing in APA (based on the APA Style Manual, 6th edition) for all assignments. For details on CSU-Global APA style, please review the APA resources within the CSU-Global Library under the “APA Guide & Resources” link. A link to this document should also be provided within most assignment descriptions on your course’s Assignments page.
Netiquette
Respect the diversity of opinions among the instructor and classmates and engage with them in a courteous, respectful, and professional manner. All posts and classroom communication must be conducted in accordance with the student code of conduct. Think before you push the Send button. Did you say just what you meant? How will the person on the other end read the words?
Maintain an environment free of harassment, stalking, threats, abuse, insults or humiliation toward the instructor and classmates. This includes, but is not limited to, demeaning written or oral comments of an ethnic, religious, age, disability, sexist (or sexual orientation), or racist nature; and the unwanted sexual advances or intimidations by email, or on discussion boards and other postings within or connected to the online classroom.
If you have concerns about something that has been said, please let your instructor know.
Course Grading
12.5% Discussion Participation & Survey 67.5% Capstone Assignments 15% Resume and Career Plan
5% ETS Proficiency Profile
Grading Scale and Policies
A
95.0 – 100
A-
90.0 – 94.9
B+
86.7 – 89.9
B
83.3 – 86.6
B-
80.0 – 83.2
C+
75.0 – 79.9
C
70.0 – 74.9
D
60.0 – 69.9
F
59.9 or below
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