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: [email protected]
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.
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