ETHICS, CULTURE, AND PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITY

COURSE DETAILS
Course Code: PA 7318 / POEC 7318
Course Title: ETHICS, CULTURE, AND PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITY
Semester: Spring 2011
Course Type: Online course taught via eLearning
Instructor: Dr. Wendy L. Hassett, Clinical Associate Professor
E-mail: via the mail icon on our eLearning course page or wendy.hassett@utdallas.edu
Phone: (334) 209-1311 or (334) 329-1083

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Public administrators at all levels are faced daily with decisions related to ethical questions. Every day in the news, we
are reminded of society’s growing concern about the morality of public officials. And while it is a subject that garners a
great deal of attention, it remains one of the most misunderstood concepts in government today.

Ethics is of central importance to the study of public affairs and strongly influences the quality of government and its
administration. Therefore, a significant responsibility rests on public affairs professionals to conduct themselves and
their organizations ethically. In order to do this, one must understand the nature of ethical dilemmas and be armed
with the knowledge to address them.

This applied class offers students a variety of tools, techniques, and principles aimed at preparing students for the
ethically-charged situations they will face in their professional work in the public sector. Course topics are essential
knowledge for contemporary government professionals and will be presented in the context of real-world situations.
This course challenges students to recognize and understand the ethical dimensions of public service and to discern
value-based conflicts that government administrators typically encounter.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

 To gain an improved understanding of the unique ethical obligations, responsibilities, culture, and values
associated with service in the public sector.

 To understand their personal approach to public service ethics and develop their ethical leadership integrity.

 To recognize ways ethical leadership at all levels can build better organizations.

 To enhance students' reasoning and analytical skills so in their professional work they will approach ethical
dilemmas and the values conflicts embedded in them with honesty, sincerity, and confidence.

 To explore dominant theoretical perspectives in the public sector ethics literature.

 To develop written communications skills through summarizing readings and analyzing cases.

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 REQUIRED READINGS

Cooper, Terry L. 2006. The Responsible Administrator: An Svara, James. 2007. The Ethics Primer for Public
Approach to Ethics for the Administrative Role, Fifth Edition. Administration in Government and Nonprofit Organizations.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

E-reserve journal articles cited in this Syllabus are accessible electronically via our eLearning course page.
NOTE: The password to access these articles will be available once you log on our course home page.

CITATIONS
In accordance with departmental standards, all citations should use Turabian, 7th edition. If you are not familiar with
this, pick up a copy of the following to keep on hand:

Turabian, Kate L. 2007. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 7th ed. Chicago: The
University of Chicago Press.

LIBRARY ASSISTANCE
UTD Library Contact: Carol Oshel, Reference/Distance Librarian; carol.oshel@utdallas.edu; 972-883-2627.

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

Journal- Each student will build a personal online Journal that summarizes the major message and concepts of the
lectures and readings. The required format is described herein. During the course, the Journal will assist you in
understanding and applying the readings within the context of course assignments. Your Journal is not a book report,
but rather a representation of what is important in understanding the readings. The intent of the Journal to capture
your thoughts about the ideas, facts, or issues presented and to summarize these in a form that will be useful to your
intellectual journey. The Journal should demonstrate your mastery of the material and its application in a thoughtful,
clear, and well-written narrative. Proper citations should be used.

Students compose their Journal via the eLearning course website. The link to the appropriate journal is located within
each weekly module. Journals are private and can only be viewed by the student and the instructor. Journals can be
edited until they are locked for grading as explained herein. Students are encouraged to keep up with their Journals
weekly. All Journals are visible to Dr. Hassett at all times. Do NOT USE the "DRAFT" feature to compose your
Journal. Important information about the Online Journal:

 Each week should have its own “box” in the Journal.

 Within that box, each entry should be clearly labeled.
 The “Subject” line should include the Week number.
 The text in your online Journal may be edited until it is locked for grading.
 Compose your entries in the online Journal as you complete the readings. In other words, you should
read the assigned reading/lecture, compose your Journal entry…read the next assigned reading, then
compose that entry, and so on. Completing the Journal elsewhere and pasting it in just prior to the
deadline is NOT RECOMMENDED.

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Each week, each student should make the following postings to the online Journal:

 Lecture Summary: Each lecture should be summarized. This summary should consist of just one paragraph.

 Reading Summaries: Each weekly reading assignment should be summarized.

 Each reading should have its own entry. (In other words, do not combine summaries of readings by
different authors into one entry.)
 Each reading summary should be completed in the same order as presented in the Syllabus.
 Each entry should consist of just a paragraph or two. Bulleted points are acceptable.
 Each entry should include specific quotes and page numbers to support your
statements/conclusions.
 Each entry should include the following LABELED sections:

 Full and complete reference. (See Turabian, 7th ed., Chapters 18 &19)
 Main argument. What are the author’s main points?
 Take-aways. What are your "take-away" points from this reading? Include at least two (2)
from each reading.

 Concept Synthesis: After completion of lecture entry and the weekly reading entries, each student should
compose one or two paragraphs that tie all of the assignments together. DO NOT RE-SUMMARIZE THE
READINGS HERE. Instead, compose your insights that show evidence that you really understood and
"connected" the readings. This brief composition should synthesize the major concepts of all the week’s
readings. This entry should demonstrate the high level of analysis typically expected in graduate classes. Be
sure to label this section as the Concept Synthesis. This section should be considered to be of the utmost
significance. It should offer a “big picture” view of the topic and may speak to the applications, costs, and/or
benefits of the topic examined. You may want to start by asking yourself:
 How do the readings assigned this week relate to each other?
 What new insights have I gained through these readings?
 What are my thoughts about this topic in light of the perspectives offered by these authors?

Journal Grading. Grading of the Journal is handled a bit differently than other assignments because it is locked (so no
more changes can be made) and graded at the BEGINNING of the week it is due. See the weekly assignments for more
details on this matter. The Journal will be graded at various intervals during the semester as described herein. Journal
grades are based on the instructions described in this section and on the degree to which each student demonstrates
that she/he has read and comprehends the material. Proper referencing and academic form should be used. Late
Journal submissions are not accepted. Once Journals are locked as described herein, they are graded as-is - even if the
Journal is empty.

Threaded Discussions- Learning, like almost everything, is more enjoyable when it is a shared experience. Threaded
discussions provide a way for us to share this learning experience together. Students are highly advised to read the
following description of these discussions and take careful note of the information to take full advantage of the
potential points available via these discussions.

The threaded discussions work this way: A discussion question is posted for each week it is due under the weekly icon.
Each week a discussion is assigned, you are expected to participate in the discussions that occur there. The active and
consistent involvement of each student is expected throughout the semester. Each student shall make one “main”
posting addressing the weekly question AND have at least one other "follow-up" posting demonstrating he/she is
engaged in the discussion as it occurs. I will post some final comments and thoughts at the end of the week.

Postings may begin as early as Monday morning and continue until midnight on Sunday. If a posting is made within ten
minutes after the deadline, there will be a one point deduction for each minute after midnight. Postings made after
12:10 am will be given a grade of 0. It is crucial that each student stays up to date on the readings in order to get
his/her postings completed on time. Each student is expected to participate in all of the threaded discussions. The
first threaded discussion posting during Week 1 is not graded.

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When posting a response, please keep the following guidelines in mind:

 For all discussion threads, students should be careful to respond to all aspects of the original question(s). We
will use two formats: threaded discussions and discussion posts.

 For THREADED DISCUSSIONS, do not pretend you are in a vacuum. Acknowledge and react to what
others have already said. Students are encouraged to support or take issue with points raised by
other students.

 For DISCUSSION POSTS, students should read all the posts, but should not respond to their
colleagues. Also, be sure to compose an answer independent of what others have said. In other
words, do not rely on what others have said for your post.

 Similar to the discourse in seminar classes, I am looking for only substantive contributions. Participants are
expected to have read the material in advance of their postings so they can share insightful comments,
criticism, and perspectives with the class. Some students may find it useful to compose the posting in a Word
document to facilitate editing prior to making the actual posting online. Be sure to include in your posting
specific references to the assigned readings (by author’s name, year of publication, and page number) and
the lecture to demonstrate your grasp of the concepts. In other words, you should demonstrate that you
have read and digested the assigned materials.

 The quality of the posting is more important than quantity. Two to four paragraphs should be sufficient to get
your point across.

 Your posting should include a descriptive and appropriate phrase (a title for your contribution, so to speak) in
the “Subject” field. This will help to organize the discussion.

 You are expected to be involved in the discussion throughout the week. You should visit the discussion several
times each week to keep up with the discussion taking place. Making one post is not adequate to receive full
credit. Each student should make one “main” posting addressing the weekly question AND have at least one
"follow-up" posting demonstrating he/she is engaged in the discussion as it occurs.

 A helpful hint: If someone makes reference to your contribution or takes issue with something you have
stated, you will want to respond before the time has elapsed for the week. If you do not respond, it is obvious
that you are not checking back on the threaded discussion as it develops.

 Since the threaded discussions are our class discussions, the same rules apply as in class. In general, these
include the following: become engaged in class discussion, be honest, don’t posture, be respectful, and don’t
ramble. In addition, each participant is expected to employ all conventions of good English composition,
including, but not limited to capitalization, grammar, spelling, punctuation, format, and referencing.

 Avoid "attaboy" posts. Posts that simply say you liked what someone else said or that you agree do not help
advance the discussion. While you may agree with someone and may certainly say so, you should also offer
something new, substantive, and insightful to the discussion to get credit for your contribution.

 During discussions, there may be professional disagreement. Do not make discussions personal. A
fundamental premise underlying both academic freedom and public administration is respect for the
individual. Disagree with respect – not with contempt.

 Do not get in a habit of waiting until the end of the week to make your posting. Each student will be expected
to make some “early in the week” postings. Grades will be reflective of when the posts are made.

 Do not post ahead of schedule. While it is acceptable (and encouraged) for students to work ahead of the
stated schedule, work should be posted only during the week it is due. In other words, students should not

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 post discussion threads or assignments in Week 10 during Week 9, for example. If students wish to compose
their assignments in advance, they should maintain those on their personal computer and post them only
during the week they are due. If this poses a problem, please let me know.

Grading Policy for Threaded Discussions: In grading the threaded discussion contributions posted by each student, I
will look for three (3) things:

1. How well you respond to the specific discussion question

2. How well you integrate the weekly readings into your answer.
Note: You may cite the lecture, but it does not fulfill the requirement to incorporate the weekly readings.
3. How well you respond/react to what others say (if required).

 Input that addresses all three items described above well will receive an evaluation of 90 or
higher (A).
 Input that addresses all items marginally or addresses only two of the three will receive an
evaluation between 80 and 89 (B).
 Input that addresses the items inadequately or addresses only one of the items will receive an
evaluation of 79 or below (C/D/F).

Reflection Papers - Reflection papers should be double spaced and 1-2 pages in length. Present your thoughts in a clear
and organized way, addressing the particulars of the respective assignment. Use the lectures, readings, and discussion
emerging from this course as reflection tools for your papers. Papers will be evaluated based on the degree to which
the student demonstrates an understanding of the reading material and an ability to apply it.

"Ethics in the News" Essay- The purpose of this assignment is to provide an opportunity to “connect” the concepts
discussed in the course with real-life ethical challenges occurring in today’s public sector organizations. For this
assignment, each student will write an essay describing and analyzing a recent situation that unfolded in a U.S.
government where ethical choices were at the heart of the issue. Ideas can be generated from newspaper articles,
government magazines, public sector reports, or other public sector publications. Cases that occurred where you
worked or where you have been involved at some level are not allowed. In other words, the case should be "new" to
you. Claim your case (and the date of the case) on the sign-up sheet on our course website.

The requirements for your essay are below:

 A U.S. government case is required.

 Be sure to choose a situation that clearly involves ethics.
 The case must have occurred in the last two (2) years.
 The case you choose should be supported by at least three (3) different reliable and objective sources that
document how the story unfolded.
 Only one student may select each case.
 The essay must consist of 2,500 – 4,000 words (not including references).

Organize your essay into the following sections:

Title Page: Include your name, date, essay title, and the names of the students who provided feedback on the
draft version of the paper. Include alongside each student's name a score the value their respective peer
review of 1-5 (1 being the least helpful and 5 being the most helpful).

Abstract: A one paragraph abstract of no more than 150 words should include the central question considered
by the essay, the findings, and the conclusion. (hint: If you are unfamiliar with writing an abstract, review a
few abstracts that precede articles published in Public Administration Review.)

Context: Describe the organization, location, and the context for the case.

Competing Issues: What were the competing issues at work in this case? Identify and discuss each one.
(Example: Common good vs. Duty)

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 Players and Positions: Who were the players on each side? Describe the background of each person you
identify. Explain why you believe they took the position/decision they did.

Culture: Describe how the organizational culture played a role in the case. Analyze your assertions in terms
of our readings, evidenced by references.

Outcome:
What was the catalyst for exposing the case publicly?
How was the situation resolved?
What were the consequences of the choices that were made?
Do you believe this was the best outcome? Why or why not?

Personal Advice: If you had been asked to advise a key player in this case, what would have been your five (5)
talking points? Identify the person you choose to advise. Support each point with references to our readings.
(Please number each talking point.)

Personal Insight: How did this assignment enhance your understanding of government ethics and the
material presented in this course?

References: Include a complete list of the references used in this essay.

There are two stages to this assignment.

Stage One: The Draft. Each student will circulate his/her essay draft to two class members for their review and critique.
Do not copy me on your critiques, but please let me know if you do not receive your two critiques on your work. This
process will give you the opportunity to professionally critique the work of others and revise your work based on
suggestions of your colleagues (a time-honored technique used in the peer-review process of academic journals). In
addition, it will expose you to two interesting case studies. As a result of this peer-review process, all case studies will
be held to a high standard. Special note about the Draft: While the peer-review process is not a graded assignment,
late submissions will result in an automatic two (2) percentage point deduction from your final course grade.

Stage Two: The Final Essay. Submission of your revised/final essay.

Grading: The criteria used to judge this assignment will heavily depend on the following:
 The comprehensiveness of your research into the case.
 The extent to which you synthesize the course material and ethics literature in your analysis.
 The degree to which you offer insights into the case.
 The organization, quality of the writing, proper citations, length of the report, and overall presentation of the
case, per the guidelines identified herein.

COURSE GRADE
This course includes a variety of assignments designed to develop your personal and professional ethical understanding.
Assignments will be evaluated not on a student's moral character or personal values but on the degree to which a student
successfully fulfills course assignments and demonstrates mastery of the course material. While failure to successfully submit
some assignments will result in point deductions not shown here, the following are the main components of the course grade:
Orientation Quiz 2%
Reflection Papers #2 & #3 (5 points each) 10%
Reflection Paper (#4) 13%
Final Essay 15%
Two (2) Journal submissions (10 points each) 20%
"Ethics in the News" Essay 25%
Three (3) Threaded Discussions (5 points each) 15%
100%
A final course grade will be assigned based on the following scale:
90-100 points = A; 80-89 points = B; 70-79 points = C; 69 or below = F.

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 LATE WORK
Threaded discussion - Postings should be made during the week they are due. If a posting is made within ten minutes
after the deadline, there will be a one point deduction for each minute after midnight. Postings made after 12:10 am
will be given a grade of 0.

Journals - Journals should be written throughout the semester on our course home page. They should not be
composed elsewhere and pasted just prior to the deadline. Therefore, LATE JOURNALS will not be accepted. Once the
Journals are locked for grading, there may not be any changes or additions. No exceptions. If a Journal is empty when
it is locked for grading, it will be given a grade of 0. Emailed Journals will not be accepted.

Other Deliverables - All other late assignments will receive a deduction of ten percentage points for each week or
portion thereof following the due date. Exceptions may include a mutually agreed arrangement made in advance or
bona fide emergencies (be prepared to supply documentation). Problems with your personal computer (such as
computer “crashes”) or sudden loss of internet access at your home do not count as an emergency. Review the
schedule in this Syllabus. If there are conflicts, please discuss them with me ASAP.

Please let me know is something significant happens to you during the semester that could interfere with your
submitting class assignments on time (death in family, loss of job, etc.) If you plan to submit an assignment late, be
sure to let me know. Students should make every effort to submit all final required course assignments by midnight on
Sunday of the last week of class as identified in this Syllabus. Late final course assignments should be the exception
and will be penalized as “late work” as described herein. However, under no circumstances should students submit
an assignment for credit after the last day of “final exams” as identified in the official University Academic Calendar
for the applicable semester.

eLEARNING AND COMPUTING ASSISTANCE

For help with your computer-related questions, you have two options available. For assistance with eLearning issues,
contact the eLearning helpdesk at 1-888-588-3192 available to you 24/7. Live web support is also available via the
eLearning Helpdesk website. The UTD Computing Helpdesk provides technical assistance with problems on UTD Net ID
accounts. Phone support is available at 972-883-2911. Email support is available at assist@utdallas.edu. You can also
use the live web support available during their hours of operation.

INSTRUCTOR AVAILABILITY
One of the most important ways to be successful in this course is to have your questions answered in advance of your
submission of assignments. So, if you have a question and this Syllabus does not answer it for you, ask me! You can
contact me in a number of ways:

Option #1: E-mail. This is likely our best method for communication. Please use the mail feature of our course in
eLearning to contact me. I will generally respond to e-mail within 1-2 working days. If our course is not available to
you, you may email me at the UTD email address on page 1 of this Syllabus.

Option #2: Phone. Feel free to call me at the phone numbers listed on page 1 of this Syllabus.

UNIVERSITY COURSE POLICIES

Student Conduct & Discipline

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations for the orderly and
efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and each student organization to be
knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern student conduct and activities. General information on
student conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered
students each academic year.

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The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of recognized and established
due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of
Texas System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the university’s
Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the
Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU
1.602, 972/883-6391).

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship. He or she is expected
to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and administrative rules.
Students are subject to discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or off
campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

Academic Integrity
The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because the value of an
academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is imperative
that a student demonstrates a high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to applications for
enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or material that is not one’s own. As a
general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying
academic records. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other source is
unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This
course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.

Email Use
The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between faculty/staff and
students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues concerning security and the identity of
each individual in an email exchange. The university encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only
to a student’s UTD email address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it originates
from a UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all
individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each student with a free email
account that is to be used in all communication with university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at
UTD provides a method for students to have their UTD mail forwarded to other accounts.

Withdrawal from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level courses. These dates and
times are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration procedures must be followed. It is the student's
responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any
student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you
choose not to participate in the class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities, of the university’s
Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments of academic
responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to resolve the matter with the instructor,
supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”).
Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot be
resolved at that level, the grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the respondent’s
School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the respondent, the student may
submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not resolved by the School Dean’s decision, the student
may make a written appeal to the Dean of Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and

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convene an Academic Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic
appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to
students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the
rules and regulations.

Incomplete Grade Policy

Per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at the semester’s end and
only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An incomplete grade must be resolved within eight (8) weeks
from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the required work to complete the course and to remove the
incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed automatically to a grade
of “F.”

Disability Services
The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities equal to those of their
non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and
Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22, PO Box 830688, Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments necessary to eliminate
discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary to remove classroom prohibitions against
tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment
requirement may be substituted (for example, a research paper versus an oral presentation for a student who is
hearing impaired). Classes enrolled students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible
facilities. The college or university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or mobility
assistance.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an accommodation. Disability
Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members to verify that the student has a disability and
needs accommodations. Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor after class or
during office hours.

Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for the travel to and
observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are exempt from property tax under Section
11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated. The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon
as possible regarding the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed
to take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length
of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any missed exam
or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who fails to complete the exam or assignment within
the prescribed period may receive a failing grade for that exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of observing a religious
holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has been given a reasonable time to complete
any missed assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief
executive officer of the institution, or his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into
account the legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief
executive officer or designee.

Off-Campus Instruction and Course Activities

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law and University policies and
procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities. Information regarding these rules and regulations may be found
at the website address below. Additional information is available from the office of the school dean.
http://www.utdallas.edu/Business Affairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm

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These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.

SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNMENTS

All weeks on this Syllabus run from Monday morning through midnight the following Sunday. All assignments are due
during the week, with on-time submission no later than midnight on Sunday, Central Time.

Week TOPIC
1 Online Course Overview Reminder…these items should be completed during January 10-16, 2011.

Assignments:

1. Go through the Lecture in Week 1 module. Note: This first lecture does not need to be included in your Journal.
2. Introduce yourself to the class via the Discussion POST (see below.)
3. Begin the Week 2 readings this week so you will be in sync with class work and will be able to post
intelligently to the threaded discussion next week.
4. Compose your online Journal entries for the Week 2 readings.
5. Carefully review the "Ethics in the News" Essay assignment described in this Syllabus. Begin your
search for a story. Once you decide on one, stake your claim to it via our course website.
6. In the Week 1 module, read "Expectations."
7. After you carefully read the Week 1 lecture, the entire Syllabus and Expectations, complete the
graded Orientation Quiz. It is only available during Week 1.

Discussion POST: Post to the Threaded Discussion for Week 1 a brief professional biography
(approximately 50 words) to introduce yourself to the class. Note: This first discussion posting is not graded.

2 Course Introduction

Reflection Paper #1: Complete the Moral Competency Inventory (MCI) available for free at
www.moralcompass.com. Take your time with this, answering the questions thoughtfully and honestly.
Analyze your results and write a Reflection Paper on your personal-professional ethical perspectives. As a
part of this analysis, answer the following:

 How do you see the highest competencies playing out in your life? Give an example.

 How do you see the lowest competencies playing out in your life? Give an example.

 What relationship do you see (if any) between your personal decision making and professional
decision making in a public sector work setting?

Submit this paper privately per the instructions in this week’s learning module. NOTE: While this assignment is
not graded, late or poor (including incomplete) submissions will result in an automatic two (2) percentage point deduction from the
final course grade. Therefore, give this assignment the same level of consideration as any graduate-level assignment.

Readings:
Cooper - Chapter 1

Svara – Chapter 1

E-Reserves:
Bailey, Stephen. 1964. Ethics and the Public Service. Public Administration Review 24(4). 234.

Richardson, William and Lloyd Nigro. 1987. Administrative Ethics and Founding Thought:
Constitutional Correctives, Honor, and Education. Public Administration Review 47(5). 367.

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 Terry L. Cooper. 1984. Citizenship and Professionalism in Public Administration. Public
Administration Review, Vol. 44, Special Issue.

Gulick, Luther. 1990. Reflections on Public Administration, Past and Present. Public Administration
Review 50(6). 599.

Threaded discussion: Share with the class a situation that required you to make a decision with
ethical implications or overtones. What you contribute to the discussion should illustrate one point
from the readings as evidenced by references/citations. An experience working for a public agency is
preferred. Private sector examples are also acceptable. If you do not have an experience to share,
share a story that meets the criteria above that is told in a newspaper or magazine. Remember to
analyze the case using our readings. HINT: Be sure to read the section in the Syllabus on grading threaded discussions
BEFORE you make your first "main" post.

3 Ethical Concepts

Reflection Paper #2 (Graded Submission): Read the news story available via the link in this week's
learning module. Analyze the ethical components of situation. Which ethical concepts from this week's
lecture play out in this story? How? Explain how the Week 2 & 3 readings speak to the issues you have
identified. Submit your paper privately per the instructions in this week’s learning module.

Readings:
Cooper - Chapters 4 & 5

Svara - Chapter 2

E-Reserves:
Brumback, Gary B. 1991. Institutionalizing Ethics in Government. Public Personnel Management
20(3) 353 - 364.

4 Values, Beliefs, and Ethics

Readings:
Svara – Chapter 3

E-Reserves:
deLeon, The Professional Values of Public Managers..., Public Personnel Management 23 (Spring,
1994), 135-152.

Thompson, Dennis F. 1985. The Possibility of Administrative Ethics. Public Administration Review
45(5). 555.

Dobel, J. Patrick. 1990. Integrity in the Public Service. Public Administration Review 50(3). 354.

Frederickson, H. George and David K. Hart. 1985. The Public Service and the Patriotism of
Benevolence. Public Administration Review 45(5). 547.

Discussion POST: (This is a POST, so do not reply to the contributions of others.)

Conduct some research on conflict of interest in government and find a case that interests you. Based
on the readings and lectures so far, offer the class a synopsis of the story told in the media. After
briefly describing the case, provide an analysis of the following as shown in numbered paragraphs:
1.) What competing values and beliefs (from Week 4) and ethical concepts (from Week 3) were likely in
the mind of the main character? What evidence did you find to support your assertions? How did
those competing values play out in this case?
2.) Which two (2) authors from Weeks 3 & 4 best inform your analysis? Explain.
*** Be sure to cite the articles you used.

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5 Ethical Choices

Reflection Paper #3 (Graded Submission): Compose a memorandum (in proper form) as the public health
officer described in the scenario in Cooper (Chapter 5) "Politics and Toilets." After giving a brief
background of the key issues, lay out the plan you would take to address the matter. Use your readings to
support your approach as evidenced by in-text references.

Readings:
Cooper - Chapter 5 and 6

Svara – Chapter 6

PA Senator Indicted - Link to this article is in this week's learning module

E-Reserves:
Levitan, David. 1942. Political Ends and Administrative Means. Public Administration Review 3(4).
353.

6 Organizational Culture

Readings:
E-Reserves:
Frederick, W.C. 1988. The Culprit is Culture. Management Review August 48-55.

Johnson, Craig. 2008. Meeting the Ethical Challenges of Leadership: Casting Light or Shadow, Third
Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Chapter 9: Creating an Ethical Organizational Climate.

Bolman, Lee G. and Terrence Deal. 2003. Reframing Organizations, Third Edition. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass. Chapter 12.
REMINDER: Your final Journal will be locked for grading at 8AM on Monday of next week. Be sure you
summarize these readings in your Journal THIS week.

7 Journal Graded (Covering Weeks 2-6)

Be sure to have your Journal complete and ready to be graded by 8 AM on MONDAY of this week.
FAIR WARNING: Journals will be “locked” when grading begins. At that point, you will not be able to
make changes. Grades will be assigned based on the status of the Journal WHEN GRADED. To be safe,
be sure your Journal is ready to be graded by 8 AM on Monday of this week. Late Journals are NOT
ACCEPTED.

8 Codes of Ethics

"Ethics in the News" Essay Draft. Send the draft of your Essay to the two (2) students whose last
names follow yours alphabetically. Be sure to use the eLearning course mail feature to send your case
study directly to these individuals before the end of this week. NOTE: Failure to submit a complete essay draft
as instructed herein will result in an automatic two (2) percentage point deduction from the final course grade.

Readings:
Svara – Chapter 5 & review Appendices 1-6

E-Reserves:
Review Appendix I in Thompson, William N. and James E. Leidlein. 2009. Ethics in City Hall.
Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Chandler, Ralph Clark.1983. The Problem of Moral Reasoning in American Public Administration:
the Case for a Code of Ethics. Public Administration Review 43(1): 32.

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 Monypenny, Phillip. 1953. A Code of Ethics as a Means of Controlling Administrative Conduct.
Public Administration Review 13(3). 184.

Bowman, James and Claire Connolly Knox. 2008. Ethics in Government: No Matter How Long and
Dark The Night. Public Administration Review 68(4). 627.

9 Cases for Consideration

No Lecture this week.

"Ethics in the News" Essay Critiques. Review the drafts you received and prepare your constructive
critiques. You will send your critiques to your colleagues in Week 11. Each final submission will show
the names of the reviewers.

Readings:
Cooper - Chapter 7

Svara - Chapter 7

Medicare Fraud Case in Florida - Link to this article is in this week's learning module

E-Reserves:
Rugeley, Cindy and Montgomery Van Wart. 2006. Everyday Moral Exemplars: The Case of Judge
Sam Medina. Public Integrity. 8(4): 381.

Cases *:
On E-Reserves:
Thompson, William N. and James E. Leidlein. 2009. Ethics in City Hall. Sudbury,
Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
 Chapter 10: Boss, We’ve got a Problem

In this week's learning module:

 Mayor Snead's Decision
 The Law Suit

*JOURNAL NOTE: Instead of summarizing all of these cases in your Journal, discuss your
perspective on just one in your Journal. Cases will assigned by dividing the class by the first letter
of last name. Be sure to specifically cite the assigned readings in your analysis.
A - H: Boss, We’ve got a Problem
I - N: Mayor Snead's Decision
O - Z: The Law Suit

10 SPRING BREAK

11 Leaders, Leadership, and Ethics

"Ethics in the News" Essay Critiques. Send your critiques of the essays you received directly to the
respective authors via our course private mail. Do not copy me on your critiques, but let me know if
you do not receive the two (2) critiques on your work by midnight on Sunday of this week. NOTE: Failure
to submit a complete essay critique as instructed above will result in an automatic two (2) percentage point deduction from the
final course grade.

Readings:
Cooper - Chapter 8

continued...

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 E-Reserves:
Behn, Robert D. 1998. What right do public managers have to lead. Public Administration Review
58: 209-224.

Geuras, Dean and Charles Garofalo. 2005. Practical Ethics in Public Administration, second edition.
Vienna, VA: Management Concepts. Chapter 11: 251-255; 261-276

Menzel, Donald. 2006. Ethics Management in Cities and Counties. Public Management 88
(Jan/Feb) 20-25.

O'Toole, James. 1996. Leading Change: The Argument for Values-Based Leadership, pp 79-142.

Threaded discussion: For this week's discussion, we will look at government leaders and how they
have influenced their organizations. We will look at the good, bad, and the ugly, so to speak. Once
again, we will divide the class alphabetically.

A - L: The Good - Offer the class the details of a recent story involving a government leader
(appointed or elected) whose ethical decision(s) influenced his/her organization for the "good." Your
information can be based on either personal experience or the news.
Answer: What benefits were realized or felt?
What can we learn from this story?

M - Z: The Bad & Ugly - Offer the class the details of a recent story of a public affairs leader
(appointed or elected) whose questionable ethical decision(s) negatively influenced his/her
organization. Your information can be based on either personal experience or the news.
Answer: What repercussions were realized or felt?
What can we learn from this story?

Be sure to make one "main" post and at least one follow-up to either discussion board during the
week. As always, be sure to specifically cite the assigned readings in your posts. IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure
to read all the cases presented before making your post. Only one student may select a case.

12 Diverse Perspectives and Approaches to Ethics

"Ethics in the News" Essay Revisions. Make your revisions based on the critiques you received.

Readings:
Cooper - Chapter 9

Svara - Chapter 4

E-Reserves:
Bruce, Willa. 1994. Ethical People are Productive People. Public Productivity and Management
Review 17. 241-252.

Goodsell, Charles. 1992. The Public Administrator as Artisan. Public Administration Review 52(3).
246.

Frederickson, H. George. 2000. Can Bureaucracy Be Beautiful? Public Administration Review 60(1).
47.

Brady, F. Neil. 2003. ‘Publics’ Administration and the Ethics of Particularity. Public Administration
Review 63(5). 525.

McSwain, Cynthia and Orion White. 1987. The case for lying, cheating and stealing. Administration
& Society 18(4). 411-432.

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13 Facing the Future
No Lecture this week.

Readings:
E-Reserves:
Denhardt, Robert and Janet Vinzant Denhardt. 2000. The New Public Service: Serving Rather Than
Steering. Public Administration Review 60(6). 549.

Box, Richard, et.al. 2001. New Public Management and Substantive Democracy. Public
Administration Review 61(5). 608.

Kane, John and Haig Patapan. 2006. In Search of Prudence: The Hidden Problem of Managerial
Reform. Public Administration Review 66(5). 711.

Goodsell, Charles. 2006. A New Vision for Public Administration. Public Administration Review
66(4). 623.

Reflection Paper #4 (Graded Submission): Based on the readings, lectures, assignments, and
discussions to date, think about your own conclusions regarding ethics. Compose a unique, personal
statement of what ethics means for you. Your submission will not be viewed by the class.

DISCUSSION: Select five (5) value-laden one-word concepts that are most important to you. Examples
include terms such as respect, competence, reliability, integrity, honesty, loyalty, accountability, self-
restraint, fairness, courage, humility, caring, duty, honor, confidentiality, and common good. These
are suggestions only. You are encouraged to use terms not on this list. Discuss each concept in light of
our readings. Demonstrate that your analysis is informed by our readings by using in-text references.

STATEMENT: Compose a personal statement of what local government ethics means for you. This
should consist of 2-5 sentences. Be sure to include the five (5) value-laden concepts you chose. Show
these concepts in BOLD text.

REFERENCES: Conclude your assignment with a complete reference list in proper academic form using
your Turabian text.

14 Conclusion

"Ethics in the News" Essay DUE. Submit your REVISED essay to Dr. Hassett via the instructions in this
week’s module. Be sure to include the names and scores of the two class colleagues who provided
feedback for your assignment.

Readings:
Cooper - Chapter 10

Svara - Chapter 11

E-Reserves:
Guy, Mary E. 1991. Using High Reliability Management to Promote Ethical Decision Making. In
Ethical Frontiers in Public Management: Seeking New Strategies for Resolving Ethical Dilemmas,
ed. James S. Bowman, 185-204.

Stewart, Debra. 1985. Ethics and the Profession of Public Administration: The Moral Responsibility
of Individuals in Public Sector Organizations. Public Administration Quarterly 8(4). 487.

Lewis, Carol. 2006. In Pursuit of the Public Interest. Public Administration Review 66(5). 694.

REMINDER: Your final Journal will be locked for grading at 8AM on Monday of next week.

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15 Journal Graded (Covering Weeks 8-14)

Be sure to have your Journal complete and ready to be graded by 8 AM on MONDAY of this week.
FAIR WARNING: Journals will be “locked” when grading begins. At that point, you will not be able to
add to or edit your Journal. Grades will be assigned based on the status of the Journal WHEN GRADED.
Again, to be safe, be sure your Journal is ready to be graded by 8 AM on Monday of this week. Late
Journals are not accepted.

16 Final Assignment Due

Final Essay: This assignment will be available on our course page during this week only. Be sure to
budget ample time for this. Look for it to appear in this week’s learning module.

Complete a Course Evaluation.

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