Course Syllabus
Topics in Public Affairs O’Neill Online Week 2026
Instructor: Trent Engbers
Office During Connect Week: TBD
Phone before connect week: 812-477-1432
Phone during connect week: TBD
Email: tengbers@iu.edu
This is a project class that requires collaboration with other O’Neill Online students under the guidance of O’Neill faculty. It introduces you to several of the O’Neill faculty teaching in the O’Neill Online program. The class also includes a number of lectures provided by faculty, community leaders and client representatives. It is expected that you will attend all of these sessions and do any required reading assigned by the instructors or speakers.
For the project itself, consider yourself a member of a professional consulting firm that has been hired to advise Washington County. Your firm was chosen specifically because of your affiliation with Indiana University’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Your role is to work with the agency representatives from Washington County Community Foundation to develop a new kids center in Washington County. Please see the O’Neill Online Week 2026 Project Description for further details.
You will do most of the required work for the project collaboratively, within a small group. You will work in one of three such teams, variously tasked to focus on each of the project areas.
Several of you will have the opportunity to take leadership roles in presentation or the production of the final project. Students who have participated in O’Neill Online week in the past should defer leadership roles to students who are new to the course.
Deliverables will include team progress reports and discussion on Wednesday afternoon, August 8th; a practice presentation on Thursday at 4:00 pm, the final presentation to the clients and their guests on Friday morning, August 10th; and a written final report and executive summary due by August 17th. You are also required to submit a Peer/Self Evaluation and a Reflection Assignment by August 17th.
O’Neill Online Week Learning Outcomes
Participation in the class will result in a number of critical learning outcomes. These will vary somewhat based on each student’s educational level and experience. Minimally, they include, but are not limited to, students being able to:
- Work productively on a complex project as part of a diverse group, requiring students with very different backgrounds and skills to work together in a collaborative learning format
- Improve and enhance project management skills
- Coordinate complex project elements and deliverables across multiple groups
- Integrate the production of deliverables in oral and written form
- Improve and enhance self-learning skills to quickly become familiar with subject matter that is not part of one’s original training
- Effectively address interdisciplinary, interrelated issues that generally arise in professional positions
- Articulate the role of both formal and informal professional consultants in public affairs, management, and policy contexts
- Develop and apply data analytic strategies
- Develop strategies to improve community development
- Effectively condense complex reports and recommendations in an executive summary
- Improve and enhance both oral and written communication skills
Course Grading Criteria
The instructor will utilize the following weightings for deliverables to determine final grades:
Wednesday Progress Report 2%
Thursday Practice Presentation 3%
Friday Presentation 25%
Executive Summary 10%
Final Written Report 30%
Peer/Self Evaluation 10%
Class Participation 10%
Reflection Assignment 10%
Course Elements
Progress Reports (due Wednesday 8/8, 3:30-5:00 PM) Each team will meet with Trent Engbers to provide a 20 minute oral update on its progress during a scheduled portion of this hour. It is expected that you will come to the meeting prepared and with at least a general outline of your presentation.
Practice Presentation: (Thursday 8/9, Time: TBD) Practice presentation meeting all requirements for the Final Presentation, attended by Trent.
Final Presentation (due Friday 8/10, 10:30-12:00 am, Washington County) All three teams will pool their efforts into a comprehensive presentation to Washington County clients and their guests. Time will be allotted for the presentation itself, and for a detailed Q&A session. Not all individuals will be expected to present, but any and all should be prepared to field questions. A well constructed PowerPoint slide deck is expected for this presentation.
Final Written Report and Executive Summary (due 8/17, 11:59pm) All three teams will pool their efforts into an integrated Final Report of not less than fifteen pages (double-spaced), detailing and explaining your recommendations to Washington County, to be submitted electronically via Canvas. A one- to two-page Executive Summary of the report’s contents must accompany the Final Report. Note that the Executive Summary is a critical part of the final requirements for the class and is worth 10% of the final grade.
Peer/Self Evaluation (due 8/17, 11:59pm) Each individual participant must submit an evaluation of his/her own performance and that of his/her team members. The form for this purpose will be provided to you electronically via Canvas.
Reflection Assignment (due 8/17, 11:59pm) Self-reflection assignment concerning learning outcomes is due at the end of the class. The form for this purpose will be provided to you electronically via Canvas.
Readings
Readings (to be completed before arriving in Bloomington) will be provided to you via canvas.
Additional readings may be added as they become available prior to or during Connect Week
Course Summary:
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