College of Arts and Sciences

Political Science Department

Master of Public Administration Program

eTroy

PA6604 XTIA

Workforce Planning and Staffing

COURSE SYLLABUS Term 5

Specific Dates TBD

For a course syllabus posted prior to the beginning of the term, the instructor reserves the right to

make minor changes prior to or during the term. The instructor will notify students, via e-mail or

Blackboard announcement, when changes are made in the requirements and /or grading of the

course.

eTROY Courses at Troy University

All eTROY courses at Troy University utilize the Blackboard Learning System. In every eTROY

course, students should read all information presented in the Blackboard course site and should

periodically check for updates-at least every 48 hours. Remember: This is not a

“correspondence course” in which a student may work at his/her own pace. Each week there are

assignments, online discussions, online activities and/or exams with due dates. Refer to the

schedule in the syllabus for more information.

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Instructor: Dr. John E. Dunning

Home Office Address: 200 Cobia Drive, Yorktown, VA 23692-2922

Phone: (757) 898-4960

Troy Email Address: jdunning@troy.edu

Office Hours: Monday – Friday (9AM-5PM EST),

If I am not in my home office please leave a voicemail for a return call. I will respond to your

email within 24 hours.

MPA eQuad

As an active MPA student you have access to the MPA eQuad located on your eTroy Blackboard

page under "Organizations". The MPA eQuad is your immediate access point to information and

links for suggested course sequencing, course concentrations, registration, MPA and eTroy

forms, major program requirements, professional opportunities, MPA program orientation,

faculty advising, "live" chat access and much more. Visit the MPA eQuad 24/7 for the latest

program happenings and to review the available resources. Please take approximately 4 minutes

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to view this video link http://www.screencast.com/t/M1lEiJpBlf to find out what the MPA eQuad

can do for you.

ELECTRONIC OFFICE HOURS Electronic office hours will be by appointment during the week from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM EST

and from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EST via Collaborate or Blackboard IM. Send an email and ask

for a specific time to meet during these hours.

INSTRUCTOR PROFILE

PhD, Public Policy and Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University, VA

MPA, Master of Public Administration, Auburn University, AL

BA, Psychology, Lawrence University, WI

Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL

Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL

COURSE INFORMATION

Prerequisites: PA 6624 Public Human Resource Management

Course Description:

The course studies the theory, principles, and legal requirements for effective workforce planning,

recruitment, selection, and employment in public and non-profit organizational settings. The course

provides an in-depth analysis of tools, techniques, and statistics concepts applied to the fundamental

human resources functions of workforce planning and staffing. Prerequisite: PA 6624

Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Explain and apply basic approaches to human resource planning and their relation to achieving

organizational objectives.

2. Identify sources of information used for human resource planning and personnel selection.

3. Describe the job analysis process and explain its role in recruiting and selection.

4. Describe recruitment strategies for creating a diverse talent pool of qualified candidates.

5. Develop a staffing plan and compare and contrast the value of different assessment methods for

identifying a candidate’s suitability for employment.

6. Apply the concepts of validity, reliability, and associated statistical measures to various steps in the

staffing process.

7. Explain the legal implications associated with employment testing, interviewing, and selection

processes.

8. Demonstrate the ability to apply human resources staffing strategies to support achievement of

organizational objectives

Desired Competency:

Students will be able to apply concepts, processes, practices, and major quantitative techniques in support

of workforce planning and staffing in a public and non-profit organizational setting.

Student Expectation Statement

The student is expected to participate in the course via email exchanges with the instructor, by

reading the assigned readings, submitting comments to the discussion forums, submitting

assignments, and completing exams on or before posted due dates. Students are expected to

check their emails daily and the Blackboard postings at least every 48 hours.

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Internet Access

This is an on-line class. Students must have access to a working computer and access to the

Internet. “Not having a computer” or “computer crashes” are unacceptable excuses for late work.

Have a backup plan in place to insure access should you have computer problems.

Useful Web Sites for This Course

See the External Links section in Blackboard.

TEXTBOOK(S) AND/OR OTHER MATERIALS NEEDED

Heneman, H.G., Judge, T.A. & Kammeyer-Mueller, J. D. (2012). Staffing Organizations (7th

Ed.). Boston. MA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. ISBN: 0078112680

The textbook provider for is MBS Direct. The Web site for textbook purchases is

http://bookstore.mbsdirect.net/index.htm.

PA 6604 Strategic Staffing Plan Workbook – a course workbook available on Blackboard

COURSE SCHEDULE

Text Abbreviation: HJK (Heneman, Judge & Kammeyer-Mueller

Week 1

Topic Staffing Models and Strategies

Readings HJK Chapter 1

Introductions Blog Post your biography on the Individual Biographies blog NLT

Wednesday.

Lecture (Bb

Collaborate)

Course Expectations

Ask the Instructor Use this forum to ask any questions relating to the course.

Discussion Board This week there are two discussion forum options. The first is Staffing

Your Own Job and the second is Chapter Questions. See the Week 1

Activities sheet for forum options and questions. Initial posts are due

NLT Thursday and responses are due NLT Saturday.

Quiz Syllabus Quiz and Chapter 1 Quiz – complete quizzes NLT Saturday.

Week 2

Topics Legal Compliance

Planning

Readings HBK Chapters 2 & 3

Bb Collaborate Discussion of your Staffing Plan

Discussion Board Chapter 2 Discussion Questions (See Week 2 Activities sheet)

Staffing Plan Complete and Submit Exercise # 1 (See Staffing Workbook)

Quiz Chapter 2 & 3 Quiz - Complete NLT Saturday

Week 3

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Topic Job Analysis & Rewards

Reading HBK Chapter 4

Scenario Analysis Chapter 4 – Maintaining Job Descriptions (See Week 3 Activities

sheet)

Lecture Job Analysis – The Foundation of HR

Discussion Board Chapter 4 Discussion Questions (See Week 3 Activities sheet)

Quiz Chapter 4 quiz. - Complete NLT Saturday

Week 4

Topics Staffing Activities: Recruitment

Internal Recruitment

External Recruitment

Readings HBK Chapters 5 & 6

Lecture The Staffing Process

Scenario Analysis Chapter 6– Succession Planning for a CEO (See Week 4 Activities

sheet)

Staffing Plan Exercise # 2 (See Staffing Workbook)

Quiz Chapter 5 & 6 Quiz. Complete NLT Saturday

Week 5

Topics Staffing Activities: Selection

Measurement

External Selection I

External Selection II

Readings HBK Chapters 7, 8 & 9

Lecture The Importance and Use of Measures

Discussion Board Discussion Questions from Chapter 8 and 9 (See Week 5 Activities

sheet)

Quiz Chapter 7, 8 & 9 quiz complete NLT Saturday

Week 6

Topic Internal Selection

Decision Making

Readings HBK Chapters 10 &11

Scenario Analysis Chapter 11 – Utility Concerns in Choosing an Assessment Method

(See Week 6 Activities sheet)

Staffing Plan Exercise # 3 (See Staffing Workbook)

Quiz Chapter 10 & 11 quiz - Submit NLT Saturday

Week 7

Topic Final Match

Staffing System Management

Readings HBK Chapters 12 & 13

Staffing Plan Complete Exercise #4 (See Week 7 Activities sheet)

Lecture A Summary of Staffing Ethical Issues

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Discussion Board Post and respond to Instructor Questions on Discussion Forum.

(Initial post NLT Wed – response NLT Sat) (See Week 7 Activities

sheet)

Quiz Chapters 12 & 13 - Submit NLT Sat

Week 8

Topic Retention Management

Readings HBK Chapter 14

Staffing Plan Complete Exercise #5 and Submit Plan (See Staffing Workbook)

Scenario Analysis Managerial Turnover: A Problem? (See Week 8 Activities sheet)

Lecture What Do I Need to Know for the Final?

Quiz Quiz - Chapters 14.submit NLT Sat

Week 9

Topic Staffing Organizations

Special Actions Final Exam

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Strategic Staffing Plan (340 points) (General Instructions for Project)

The plan will be completed in a series of five collaborative weekly exercises that will integrate

the Student Learning Outcomes, the concepts from the text and a county government

organization that will serve as the case for analysis. A PA 6604 Strategic Staffing Workbook

designed by the instructor is available in Blackboard as a guide. Dates for submission of each

exercise are included in the course schedule and the workbook. Teams will collaborate on the

exercise using wiki’s and then submit the exercise results using the Blackboard Assignments

tool. The following are the major components of the plan.

The following are the major components of the plan.

The Organization: Mission, Goals, Challenges, Strategies

Human Resources and Staffing Strategies

Human Resource Planning

o Forecasting Requirements and Availabilities

o Replacement and Succession Planning

o Planning for Diversity

o Impact Analysis

Job Analysis and Rewards

o Methods

o Rewards

Staffing Actions

o External Recruitment

o Internal Recruitment

o Selection and Measurement

o Assessment

Retention Management

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Discussion Board Participation – 40 points each (200 points)

This assignment provides the opportunity to exchange ideas about the important concepts and

issues related to staffing in organizations. During weeks 1, 2, 3, 5, & 7 the instructor will post

questions on your Group Discussion Board. The questions relate to the readings and lectures.

Every student posts an initial response to the instructor’s questions. Every student will also

respond to two other class members in their discussion group. More than two responses are

encouraged along with an appropriate reply. In addition to answering the question, initial posts

will consist of (1) a reference to the text or staffing resource and (2) a reference to personal

experience or observations. Responses must either consist of a reference to the text or staffing

resource or a personal observation. The discussion period is from Monday through Saturday.

Every Monday there will be new discussion questions. The instructor will grade comments and

questions using the grading rubric posted in the Grading section on Blackboard. Each week’s

discussion board activity will be worth 40 points. A late initial post or late response will result in

an automatic deduction of 10 points. Note: For Week 1 the full grading standards based on

references will not apply.

Scenario Analysis – 30 points each (120 points)

This assignment provides the opportunity to apply the concepts from the chapters to a staffing

situation. You will be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of the concepts. At the end of

each chapter there is a scenario with 3 – 5 questions. During weeks 3, 4, 6 & 8, the instructor will

choose four scenarios for analysis. You will prepare answers to these questions, then go to the

Weekly “test” and enter your answers in the appropriate “text blocks” and press submit. These

will be reviewed and graded by the instructor using the grading criteria/matrix listed in the

Grading folder on Blackboard.

Chapter Quizzes – 10 points each (140 points)

There will be quiz on eight of the weeks that cover the assigned readings. This assignment

provides the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of the key concepts from the chapters.

This is a multiple choice test that covers key points in the chapters. Each question in the quiz has

a “topic” area to indicate where in the chapter the answer is located. Access to the quiz and

scenario will close at the end of each week on Sunday evening at 11:30 PM EST.

Final Examination: Case Analysis (200 points)

`This will be a case analysis exam that will assess the 8 Student Learning Outcomes through 16

questions relating to the strategic staffing process completed in your course project. The specific

questions that must be answered are standardized and are available in the study guide folder on

Blackboard. This will be a 4 hour non-proctored exam using the Blackboard exam system. The

exam will be taken during the dates of March 4 – 7.

METHOD OF EVALUATION AND ASSIGNMENT OF GRADES

Assignment Values

Activity Percent of Final Grad Points

Weekly Chapter Quizzes (14) 14% 140

Scenario Analysis (4) 12% 120

Discussion Board (5) 20% 200

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Strategic Staffing Plan (1) 34% 340

Final Exam (1) 20% 200

Total 100% 1000

Assignment of Grades

Grade Level Percentage

A 90-100

B 80-89

C 70-79

D 60-69

F 59 and under

FA “FA” indicates the student failed due to attendance. This grade is given to any

student who disappears from the course for three or more weeks. See the

Attendance section of this syllabus for additional information.

COURSE POLICIES

Submitting Assignments

The Strategic Staffing Plan exercises will be submitted using the Assignments Feature in

Blackboard or as an MSWord Document attached to an email to the instructor. Weekly

assignments pertaining to scenario analysis and final exam will be submitted using the

Blackboard “exam” system. Responses to other weekly assignments will be posted on the

discussion board as directed.

The Strategic Staffing Plan will be written in Standard English using a 12-point format, 1-inch

margins, and double spacing in MS-Word format. The American Psychological Association

(APA) guidelines are the standards for writing and referencing papers in the MPA program.

Please note that specific guidelines on the staffing plan paper content and format are contained in

the Blackboard “Staffing Plan” link.

Use the APA Research Style guidelines found at: http://troy.troy.edu/writingcenter/research.html

Failure to comply with assignment deadlines will result in point deductions. See specific

deductions under the assignment topic listed above.

Make-Up Work Policy

Missing any part of this schedule may prevent completion of the course. If you foresee difficulty

of any type (i.e., an illness, employment change, etc.) that may prevent completion of this course,

notify the instructor as soon as possible. Failure to do so will result in failure for an assignment

and/or failure of the course. If the instructor has not heard from you by the deadline dates for

assignments, exams, or forums, no make-up work is allowed unless extraordinary

circumstances existed, such as hospitalization. Requests for extensions must be made in advance

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and accompanied by appropriate written documentation if the excuse is acceptable to the

instructor. "Computer problems" are not an acceptable excuse.

Incomplete Grade Policy

Missing any part of the Course Schedule may prevent completion of the course. If circumstances

will prevent the student from completing the course by the end of the term, the student should

complete a request for an incomplete grade. Note: A grade of incomplete or “INC” is not

automatically assigned to students, but rather must be requested by the student by submitting a

Petition for and Work to Remove an Incomplete Grade Form. Requests for an incomplete grade

must be made on or before the date of the final assignment or test of the term. The form will not

be available after the last day of the term. A grade of “INC” does not replace an “F” and will not

be awarded for excessive absences. An “INC” will only be awarded to student presenting a valid

case for the inability to complete coursework by the conclusion of the term. It is ultimately the

instructor’s decision to grant or deny a request for an incomplete grade, subject to the policy

rules below. An incomplete cannot be issued without a request from the student. To qualify for

an incomplete, the student must:

Have completed over 50% of the course material and have a documented reason for

requesting incomplete (50% means all assignments/exams up to and including the mid-

term point, test, and/or assignments.)

Be passing the course at the time of their request.

If both of the above criteria are not met an incomplete cannot be granted.

An INC is not a substitute for an “F”. If a student has earned an “F” by not submitting all the

work or by receiving an overall “F” average, then the “F” stands.

Standards of Conduct and Plagiarism

The awarding of a university degree attests that an individual has demonstrated mastery of a

significant body of knowledge and skills of substantive value to society. Any type of dishonesty

in securing those credentials therefore invites serious sanctions, up to and including suspension

and expulsion (see Standards of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures section in The Oracle: The

Troy University Student Handbook and the University Wide Regulations section in the Troy

University Graduate Catalog). Examples of dishonesty include actual or attempted cheating,

plagiarism, or knowingly furnishing false information to any university employee.

Be sure to review the Troy Plagiarism Statement Approved by the Academic Steering

Committee (June, 2011), which may be accessed in Blackboard under the Syllabus Button.

Remember, paraphrasing means keeping 2-3 of the original words and putting the rest of the

material in your own words – this still requires a citation. A direct quote uses quotation marks

and the appropriate citation.

The penalty for plagiarism will result in 0 points for that assignment and may include zero in the

course. Be sure to review the Troy Plagiarism Statement Approved by the Academic Steering

Committee (June, 2011), which may be accessed in Blackboard under the Syllabus Button.

eTROY Policies and Procedures

Click on the Syllabus tab at the Blackboard site that supports this course for a list of important

eTROY Policies and Procedures.

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Course Design/Assessment Matrix

This table shows how each Course Learning Objective is assessed by including the module of

instruction, the specific course content, the learning strategy, and the assessment mechanism.

This matrix provides a “course map” to enable students to track the methodology used to support

each learning objective. This provides an overview of the course. Additional information and

detail will be provided by the instructor in course handouts and on Blackboard.

PA6604

Assessment Matrix

This table shows how each Student Learning Outcome is assessed by including the module of

instruction, the specific course content, the learning strategy, and the assessment mechanism.

Student Learning Course Objective

Module

Content

Learning Strategy

Assessment 1

Explain and apply basic approaches to human

resource planning and their relation to

achieving organizational objectives.

Week 1 Ch. 1 Staffing

Models and

Strategy

Class discussion

forum and chapter

quiz.

.

Grading of

discussion

forum postings,

quiz and final

exam.

2

Identify sources of information used for

human resource planning and personnel

selection.

Week 2 Ch. 3 –

Deciding

whether to

use flexible

staffing.

Class discussion

forum and staffing

plan exercise and

chapter quiz.

Grading of

discussion

forum, staffing

exercise, quiz

and final exam.

3

Describe the job analysis process and explain

its role in recruiting and selection.

Week 3 Ch. 4 –

Conducting a

job

requirements

or job

analysis

Class discussion

forum, analysis of a

scenario and chapter

quiz.

Grading of

discussion

forum, quiz and

final exam.

4

Describe recruitment strategies for creating a

diverse talent pool of qualified candidates.

Weeks 4 Ch. 5 and 6

Recruitment

Analysis of case

scenario and staffing

plan exercise and

chapter quizzes.

Grading of

scenario

analysis,

staffing

exercise,

quizzes and

final exam.

5

Develop a staffing plan and compare and

contrast the value of different assessment

methods for identifying a candidate’s

suitability for employment.

Week 4 Ch. 4 Job

Analysis and

Rewards

Analysis of case

scenarios, class

discussion, chapter

quiz, and staffing plan

exercise

Grading of

scenario

analysis,

exercise, quiz

and final exam.

6

Apply the concepts of validity, reliability, and

associated statistical measures to various

steps in the staffing process.

Weeks 5

& 6

Ch. 7

Measurement

and Ch. 11

Decision

Making

Analysis of case

scenarios, chapter

quizzes, and staffing

plan exercise.

Grading of

scenario

analysis,

exercise,

quizzes and

final exam.

7 Explain the legal implications associated with

employment testing, interviewing and

Weeks 5 Ch. 7

Measurement

Class discussion

forum, chapter

Grading of

discussion

10

selection processes. and Ch. 8

External

Selection

quizzes, and staffing

exercise.

.

forum, exercise,

quizzes and

final exam.

8 Demonstrate the ability to apply HR staffing

strategies to support achievement of

organizational objectives.

Week 8 Ch. 14 Analysis of a case

scenario, staffing

exercise and chapter

quiz.

Grading of

scenario

analysis,

staffing

exercise, quiz

and final exam.

Competency .

Students will be able to apply concepts,

processes, practices, and major quantitative

techniques in support of workforce planning

and staffing in a public and non-profit

organizational setting.

Weeks 2-9

All Textbook

readings,

assigned case

scenarios and

article

analysis

work.

Analysis of all case

scenarios, class

discussions, chapter

quizzes and

completion of staffing

exercises.

Grading of all

discussion

forums, staffing

exercises,

scenario

analysis

postings and

final exam.