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PA 6650 GOVERNMENTAL
BUDGETING & FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT COURSE SYLLABUS
Last Updated November 6, 2016 |
For 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.
TROY Online Courses at Troy University
All TROY Online courses at Troy University utilize the Blackboard Learning System.
In every TROY Online 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 at the end of the syllabus for more information.
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INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
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INSTRUCTOR BIOGRAPHY: Professor of Public Administration and Malone
D. Wallace Distinguished Faculty 2011. Formerly: Director,
MPA eQuad
As an active MPA student you have access to the MPA eQuad
located on your TROY 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 TROY
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 to view this video link to find out what the MPA eQuad can do for you: http://trojan.troy.edu/artsandsciences/politicalscience/mpa/how-to-access-eQuad-advising.html
COURSE INFORMATION:
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Course Description: A survey of concepts, principles, processes, and practices in governmental budgeting at national, state, and local levels and the interrelationships of planning, programming, and budgeting strategies.
Student Learning Outcomes: (See matrix attached at the end of this syllabus for the schedule of integrating these outcomes into the course delivery)
Desired Competency:
Students will review, analyze and apply concepts involved in developing public
sector budgets in an organizational context, and will demonstrate understanding
of the structure and development of such budgets.
Student Expectation Statement
- Interaction will take place primarily via the course discussion board
supported by email as needed. Weekly postings are required to the discussion
board in response to posted assignments. I will respond to each posting and
provide general responses to the class.
- In addition to instructor-student interaction, student to student interaction
is expected in the discussion board, and specific group assignments will be
posted that require such interaction. I assess that interaction by reviewing
the group discussion board I will create for each group.
- Students are to participate in this course by following the guidelines of
this syllabus and any additional information I will provide during the term.
- The student is expected to remain in regular contact with the instructor and
class via email or other communication means by participating in the discussion
forums, submitting assignments, and taking exams.
- TROY requires instructors to respond to students’ emails within 24 hours
Monday-Thursday and 48 hours Friday-Sunday, but I normally respond to all questions
or issues within 24 hours, and usually faster.
- As the instructor, I will communicate on the Blackboard.com Announcements
page, in the discussion board for the appropriate week and/or via email. Be
sure to check your TROY email, the announcements section of Blackboard and
especially the discussion board area frequently.
Internet Access
Since 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 not acceptable excuses for late work. Have a backup plan in place in case you have computer problems.
Useful Web Sites for This Course:
See the External Links section in Blackboard.
TEXTBOOK(S) AND/OR OTHER MATERIALS REQUIRED
Lee, R.D. Jr., Johnson, R.W. & Joyce, P.G. (2013). Public budgeting systems (9th ed.).Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett. (ISBN: 978-1-4496-2790-4)
Guess, George M. & LeLoup, Lance T. (2010) Comparative Public Budgeting: Global Perspectives on Taxing & Spending. Suny Press. (ISBN: 978-1-4384-3308-0)
NOTE: While I provide invidual book ISBN numbers, if you use the following book bundle ISBN with Barnes and Noble you can obtain both books in a bundle at significant savings: 9781284212440
The textbook provider for TROY Online is Barnes & Noble. Please visit: http://troy.bncollege.com to access the bookstore.
Students should have their textbook by the first week of class. Not having your textbook(s) will not be an acceptable excuse for late work. Students who add this course late should refer to the “Late Registration” section of the eTROY Policies and Procedures for further guidance.
You are required to apply concepts from the MPA core courses in PA 6699. Accordingly, retain your textbooks from this course to support work in the PA 6699 Capstone in Public Administration course.
Required Additional Reading
None
Recommended Additional Reading
Students should have access to a complete APA Style manual for all writing assignments.
Visit Federal Agency Web pages, particularly the Office of Management and Budget the Congressional Budgeting Office and the Government Accountability Office Web sites, which are provided as links in the course.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Assignments:
a. Class Preparation and Participation: Students are expected to read all assigned material and to participate in class discussion. Active participation will enhance understanding of the course material. Weekly Participation is required and failure to submit weekly discussions on time will result in significant grade reduction.
b. Group Presentations: Students will be assigned portions of the Guess and LeLoup text for graded group presentations using Powerpoint® slides with story boards/notes pages detailing what would be presented in a traditional class setting. Presentations will be used to support online discussion and must include a professional quality presentation. Presentations must be posted as attachments in the discussion board area for Week 7 before the stated due time and date.
c. Budget Project/Case Analysis Term Project: As the term writing project, students using case analysis concepts and methods will obtain and analyze the designated local budget provided via a provided link in Blackboard. The budget will be used to prepare the required written assignment in which students will be required to analyze the selected budget by answering specific questions, and as their case analysis assignment, complete a budget cutting exercise with accompanying written description and justification. The budget project instructions may be accessed at this link: Budget Project .
d. Examinations: An examination, designed to measure students' understanding of and ability to integrate course material will be administered during week eight of the term. Specific dates, times, and access information will be posted once the course is underway.
Examination Schedule and Instructions: A three to four hour closed book final examination will be administered during Week 8 of the course and will consist of complex essay questions to explain and apply course concepts and case analysis methodology. The course final examination will not require a proctor, but it will be an online examination to be completed in Blackboard with security arrangements to be detailed during the course.
METHOD OF EVALUATION AND ASSIGNMENT OF GRADES:
The course grade is a compilation of scores achieved on the four course
elements noted under the grading scale below. All work is graded on a 100 point
scale. Those scores are then multiplied by the percentage weights noted below.
Weekly homework is valued at a maximum of 100 points per week, with the
participation grade being an average of the scores for the seven weeks of weekly
discussion requirement. Late work is assessed a penalty of at least 10 points
per day, and a zero value will be awarded for assignments later than day 3.
Weekly homework scores are not computed into the course grade book total
weighted score until after all weekly work due dates have passed. Students can
view their progress in the Blackboard grade book at any time. The final course
weighted score will tell students what their course grade will be in accordance
with the grading standard below.
a. Grading Standard: |
b. Weighted
Percentages: |
90-100 = A |
Class
Participation/Attendance 25% |
80-89 = B |
Group Presentation 25% |
70-79 = C |
Term Project 25% |
60-69 = D |
Course Examination 25% |
59 & below = F |
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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
Weekly assignments must be posted to the discussion board by the submission
deadline. I do not permit attachments in the discussion board except for the
group presentation and the term project. Instead, weekly discussion text should
be pasted directly into the discussion board submission to allow me and your
classmates to read the material online without opening another program. A link
to the MS Word version (if used) of the post should be included so I can access
the original in the event of formatting issues in Blackboard. The weekly
assignments will be the primary interaction mechanism for the course.
Instructor comments and discussion of student submissions will be provided each
week. These assignments will assist the student in preparing for the
examination, all portions of which will have been discussed in this manner.
Submit papers 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. Use the APA Research Style guidelines found at: http://www.troy.edu/writingcenter/resources.html
Failure to submit assignments on time will result in a minumim of a ten point per day deduction. Assignments should be posted to the appropriate discussion board area for the week by Sunday evening at 8:00 PM unless otherwise instructed. (note: Blackboard and I operate on US Central Time).
TROY Online Policies and Procedures
Click on the Syllabus tab in the Blackboard Course site that supports this course and follow the link to the following important eTROY Policies and Procedures:
Method of Instruction
Student/Faculty Interaction Expectations
Internet Access Requirements
Technology Requirements
Technical Support Center
TROY E-Mail
Textbooks(s) and/or Other Materials Needed
Library Support
Honesty and Plagiarism Policy
Late Registration
Attendance Policy
Make-Up Work Policy
Incomplete Grade Policy
Non-Harassment Policy
Adaptive Needs (ADA) Policy
Faculty Evaluation
eTROY Contact Information
Site Map for Your Blackboard Course Site
To obtain a site map to enable students to navigate through the Blackboard
course, please go to the Blackboard course site and click on the Start Here
link found in the course functions menu on the left.
COURSE SCHEDULE/CALENDAR OF WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS
(Weekly discussion questions and any additional instructions will be posted in the appropriate Weekly Learning Module in Blackboard)
Week
One: Introduction to Budgeting, the Public Sector, Government &
the Economy
Read Lee & Johnson Chapters 1 - 3, review the corresponding chapter slides
in the Week 1 Learning Module of the course, and in the
discussion board respond to the questions posted in the Week 1 Module. NOTE:
Weekly postings are due by 8:00 PM Sunday evening of each week unless otherwise
instructed.
Week
Two: Introduction to Budgeting, the Public Sector, Government &
the Economy (Continued)
Review Lee & Johnson Chapters 1 - 3, review the corresponding chapter
slides in the Week 1 Learning Module of the course, and in
the discussion board respond to the questions posted in the Week 2 Module.
Week Three: Budget Cycles and Revenue
Read Lee & Johnson Chapters 4 - 6, review the corresponding chapter slides
in the Week 1 Learning Module of the course, and in the
discussion board respond to the questions posted in the Week 3 Module.
Week Four: Budget Preparation
Read Lee & Johnson Chapters 7 & 8, review the corresponding chapter
slides in the Week 4 Learning Module of the course, and in
the discussion board respond to the questions posted in the Week 4 Module.
Week Five: Budget Approval
Read Lee & Johnson Chapters 9 & 10, review the corresponding chapter
slides in the Week 4 Learning Module of the course, and in
the discussion board respond to the questions posted in the Week 5 Module.
Week Six: Budget Execution & Financial Management
Read Lee & Johnson Chapters 11 & 12, review the corresponding chapter
slides in the Week 4 Learning Module of the course, and in
the discussion board respond to the questions posted in the Week 6 Module.
Week Seven: Capital Budgeting & Finance;
Intergovernmental Relations
Read Lee & Johnson Chapters 13 - 15, review the corresponding chapter
slides in the Week 7 Learning Module of the course, and in
the discussion board respond to the questions posted in the Week 7 Module.
Prepare group presentation of assigned chapters in the Guess and LeLoup text.
Group presentations pertaining to assigned chapters of the Guess & LeLoup text are due by 8:00 PM Friday evening of this week to allow other class members to respond. Students are to respond to presentations posted by all groups except their own.
The final exam will be available at the end of Week Seven for completion during week eight.
Week Eight: There are no discussion questions for this week to allow students to complete the final exam, unless there is a need for make-up work.
Week Nine: There will be no weekly postings required to allow students to complete their course project, and for class discussion of the projects.
(Budget projects are due by 8:00 PM, Wednesday evening of week nine to allow for grading and discussion)