Syllabus - Fall 2009
HRM 5351 - Human Resources and Public Policy
(Formerly HRM 351)

Excluding textbooks, the information on this syllabus is subject to change.  For the most
up-to-date syllabus, check this site on the first day of classes. 

This is a three-credit graduate level course and is one in a series of elective courses in the Human Resource Management program. The Human Resource Management program is part of the online Master of Professional Studies degree offered through the University of Connecticut's Center for Continuing Studies.

The developer of this course is Dennis Lee.

Course Title: Human Resources and Public Policy (HRM 5351)
Credits: 3
Instructor: Mark E. Sullivan, Ph.D. Associate Extension Professor

Email: Mark.Sullivan@Uconn.edu

For special permission to register for this course, contact Donna.Campbell@uconn.edu. Include your Peoplesoft ID number and reason for taking the course.

This course examines the government's influence on the workplace and the impact of public policy on the practice of human resource management. The course is geared towards developing a better understanding of public policy frameworks, processes, and analytical methods and their impact on human resource issues, problems and challenges, and the resulting actions required in the practice of human resource management. In addition, the course will explore the role of senior human resource management executives in impacting policy formation.

By the end of the semester, students will be able to:

• Describe the importance of public policy to the practice of human resources.
• Describe the sources of policy formation, the stages in the policy-making process, and methods of policy analysis.
• Use the policy analysis framework to analyze complex human resource issues and problems.
• Develop broad-based policy recommendations on HR issues.
• Monitor the public policy process on current issues impacting HR.
• Research, analyze, and evaluate the impact of specific policy development/changes on HR in general and on specific HR practices.
• Forecast future policy issues, their potential impact on HR, and plan action to impact policy formation.
• Prepare well-reasoned and researched professional HR position papers on the key policy issues confronting the field today.

Grading

Module Assignments	30%
Discussion Participation	20%
Policy Paper #1	25%
Policy Paper #2	25%

This is an applied knowledge course. You will need to actively participate in research, analysis and evaluation of current human resources policies. Most of your reading for the course will be generated by your research and your student peers' research, analysis and evaluation. To be successful in this course, you will need to be an active learner.

The final course grading scale is as follows:

Grade	Letter Grade	GPA
97-100	A+	4.3
93-96	A	4.0
90-92	A-	3.7
87-89	B+	3.3
83-86	B	3.0
80-82	B-	2.7
77-79	C+	2.3
73-76	C	2.0
70-72	C-	1.7
67-69	D+	1.3
63-66	D	1.0
60-62	D-	0.7
<60	F	0.0

 

You are responsible for acting in accordance with the Student Code, available at http://www.dosa.uconn.edu/student_code.cfm. 

Required Text:
This text is available through a local or online bookstore,

Bardach, E. (1996). The eight-step path of policy analysis: A handbook for practice (available as a used text; not needed until Module 3).

Additional readings will be available in the course.

• Word processing software
• Adobe Acrobat Reader

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Module 1. Public Policy and Human Resource Management

1. The Importance of Public Policy in HRM
2. Practical Principles for Policy Analysis

Module 2. Overview of the Policy Analysis Process and Defining The Problem

1. Basic Steps in Policy Analysis
2. Defining the Problem

Module 3. Assembling Evidence

1. Sources of Data
2. Literature Review
3. Evaluating Data and Information

Module 4. Constructing The Alternatives and Selecting the Criteria

1. Developing a comprehensive List of Alternatives
2. Reduce and Simplify Alternatives
3. Evaluation Criteria Used in Policy Analysis
4. Weighting Conflicting Evaluative Criteria
5. Practical Criteria

Module 5. Projecting the Outcomes and Confronting the Tradeoffs

1. Causal Modeling
2. Estimating Magnitudes
3. Developing Scenarios
4. Constructing the Outcomes Matrix
5. Confronting Tradeoffs

Module 6. Making a Recommendation and Communicating the Recommendation

1. Problems in Selecting Best Policy
2. Methods of Selection
3. Communicating the Recommendation

Module 7. Application of Policy Analysis to HR Issues

1. Selected HR Topics
2. Student Presentation of Policy Analyses and Discussions

Students will be provided an opportunity to evaluate instruction in this course using the University's standard procedures, which are administered by the Office of Institutional Research.