PPA Advisory Board Meeting, May 12, 2006

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PPA Advisory Board Meeting, May 12, 2006

• Assessment Summary

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PPA Graduate Themes and Objectives

• THEME 1. COMMUNICATION.
• Objective 1a. Oral Communication Students will
  be able to present opinions, theories, and
  research findings orally.
• Objective 1b. Writing Students will be able to
  produce focused, coherent, and grammatically
  correct written communications applicable to
  government and nonprofit management.
• Objective 1c. Teamwork Students will be able to
  collaborate effectively in team processes.
• Objective 1d. Interpersonal Students will be
  able to demonstrate skills in personal
  interaction.

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PPA Graduate Themes and Objectives

• THEME 2. THE CONTEXT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION.
• Objective 2a. History Students will demonstrate
  knowledge of the history of public
  administration.
• Objective 2b. Politics Students will be able to
  explain how the political processes of the United
  States influence public management.
• Objective 2c. Theory Students will be able to
  explain the key elements of public administration
  theory, organizational theory and organizational
  behavior.
• Objective 2d. Diversity Students will
  demonstrate awareness and sensitivity to a
  diverse public.
• Objective 2e. Careers Students will understand
  the careers available in public administration
  and how to prepare for them.

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PPA Graduate Themes and Objectives

• THEME 3. CRITICAL THINKING.
• Objective 3a. Theory Application Students will
  be able to apply theories to policy and
  administrative situations.
• Objective 3b. The Scientific Method Students
  will be able to explain the scientific method and
  apply it to a policy or management issue.
• Objective 3c. Problem Solving Students will be
  able to structure problems and apply a systematic
  problem solving approach.

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PPA Graduate Themes and Objectives

• THEME 3. CRITICAL THINKING.
• Objective 3d. Ethical Reasoning Students will be
  able to describe and apply a range of ethical
  perspectives to ethical dilemmas inherent in
  Public Administration.
• Objective 3e. Data analysis Students will
  demonstrate ability to analyze qualitative and
  quantitative data.
• Objective 3f. Argumentation Students will be
  able to organize and defend an argument.
• Objective 3g. Reporting Students will integrate
  the elements of theory, methods, problem
  structuring, ethics, analysis, and argumentation
  to generate reports usable in government and
  nonprofit management.

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PPA Graduate Themes and Objectives

• THEME 4. CORE PUBLIC MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES.
• Objective 4a. Policy Process Students will
  understand the stages and processes of policy
  making.
• Objective 4b. Policy Analysis Students will
  demonstrate the ability to formally structure
  problems, forecast expected policy outcomes,
  recommend preferred policies, monitor observed
  policy outcomes, and evaluate policy performance.
• Objective 4c. Budgeting Students will be able to
  develop budgets and know when to apply which
  budgeting approaches.
• Objective 4d. Human Resources Management
  Students will demonstrate the ability to perform
  core and strategic human resources functions.

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PPA Graduate Themes and Objectives

• THEME 4. CORE PUBLIC MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES.
• Objective 4e. Public Management Students will be
  able to effectively design work, delegate tasks,
  manage contracts, assess performance, and
  implement programs.
• Objective 4f. Leadership Students will be
  demonstrate an understanding of human behavior,
  leadership, and organizational theory to guide
  and inform leadership activities.
• Objective 4g. Information Technology Students
  will be able to effectively use information
  technology to accomplish administrative and
  policy tasks.

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Assessment Procedures

• TEAM-BASED LEARNING
• The Department adopted a team-based, collective
  approach to assessment in 2002-2003.
• A team structure was chosen in order to
  facilitate problem solving, information sharing,
  and collective learning among the faculty.
• The Departments team-based outcome assessment
  process is cyclical, involving planning meetings,
  program implementation, data gathering, and data
  analysis meetings.

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Assessment Procedures

• OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT PROCESS
• Fall - Planning Meetings - Assessment
  Improvements.
• Year round - Program Implementation (teaching,
  support)- Program Improvements.
• Year round - Data gathering
• Winter, Spring - Data analysis meetings -
  Feedback

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Assessment Activities, 2005-2006

• Since communication and analysis are critical to
  our MPA model, the Department chose to examine
  the following objectives during the 2005-2006
  academic year
• Objective 1a. Oral Communication.
• Objective 1b. Writing.
• Objective 1c. Teamwork.
• Objective 3a. Theory Application.
• Objective 3c. Problem Solving.
• Objective 3e. Data analysis.
• Objective 3f. Argumentation.
• Objective 3g. Reporting
• Objective 4b. Policy Analysis.

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Assessment Activities, 2005-2006

• The Department assessed these objectives during
  Winter 2006 in PPA 502, Program Evaluation PPA
  503, The Public Policy-Making Process and PPA
  691, Policy Analysis.
• The instructor for these courses developed (with
  Departmental input) scoring rubrics for the
  writing assignments in PPA 503 and PPA 691 and
  the midterm and final test content in PPA 502,
  PPA 503, and PPA 691.

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Assessment Activities, 2005-2006

• Conclusions
• 1a (oral presentation) 90 acceptable standards.
• 1b (Writing) 80 to 90 acceptable standards.
• 1c (teamwork) 71 acceptable (NEEDS EXAMINATION
  BY DEPARTMENT)
• 3a (Theory Application) 83 acceptable.
• 3c (Problem solving) 82 acceptable (culminating
  project) 98 acceptable (PPA 503) (PROBLEM
  STRUCTURING AND ORGANIZATION NEED HELP IN
  CULMINATING).
• 3e (Data analysis) and 3g (Reporting) 94
  acceptable.
• 3f (Argumentation) 86 acceptable (IMPROVEMENT
  OVER LAST ASSESSMENT IN 2004)
• 4b (Policy Analysis) 84 acceptable on exams.