Course Syllabus

Instructor:     Tim Berry

Cell:                317-501-2510

Email:             berryti@iu.edu

 

Class Meeting: Wednesday’s  5:30 – 8:00 pm  O’Neill School 277

 

Office Hours:   I am typically only on campus on Wednesday evenings as I commute from and work from the north side of Indianapolis.  I am available by appointment or after class each week.  Additionally, I can schedule time for a teams meeting or phone call to discuss questions or concerns outside of these times.  I encourage you to text me to connect, I try to check my check my IU email once daily. 

 

Required Reading:  The Bill of Obligations:  The Ten Habits of Good Citizens  By: Richard Haass

This book is available on Amazon and anyplace books are sold.

 

Additionally, each week there will be links in the syllabus to readings and videos – you are expected to read/watch these prior to the scheduled class time each week. 

 

Course Description: Many people want to contribute in some positive way to their community, country or cause.  This contribution can be called “Public Service” which is an important institution pursued widely and valued globally.  The course examines its historical evolution, relationships to world religions and philosophies, motivations, values and outcomes.

Weekly Topics and Reading Assignments

Please ensure that you have read all readings prior to the scheduled class

 

August 26                  Week 1                       Course, Instructor and class introductions – Why are you here?  What is your story, What is Public Service and why is it important? 

 

September 2             Week 2                       Public Service and Civic Engagement

Phi Beta Kappa’s Key into Public Service: The Call to Serve,  June, 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_MUOjOpFMA

September 9            Week 3                       Historical Significance of Public Service

Conversation with a Public Servant and Community Engagement initial responses due

Franklin, Benjamin. (1787). Dangers of a Salaried Bureaucracy. https://www.bartleby.com/268/8/12.html

 

What we can learn from the history of public service https://www.govloop.com/can-learn-history-public-service/

A Nonpartisan Model for Developing Public Service Leaders, Harvard Business Review, April 20, 2020 (SEE ARTICLE IN FILES SECTION OF CANVAS)

America Needs a Rebirth of Public Service, The Atlantic, May 4, 2020  (SEE ARTICLE IN FILES SECTION OF CANVAS)

 

 

 

September 16                      Week 4                       Philosophical and Religious Foundations of Public Service

Wells, Samuel, Being With Sam Wells: Being with - Bing video

King Jr, Dr. Martin Luther, Letter from a Birmingham Jail Letter from Birmingham Jail, by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (letterfromjail.com)

Horan, Daniel, The Church teaches that purpose of government is the common good, Period.  The National Catholic Reporter January 20, 2021  https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/faith-seeking-understanding/church-teaches-purpose-government-common-good-period

 

September 23                       Week 5                       Philosophical and Religious Foundations of Public Service

Guest Speaker:  Brenda Gerber Vincent, Greater Fort Wayne Inc.

The Preface and Part 1:  The Crisis of our Rights Based Democracy from The Bill of Obligations

Video: Lieberman, Joseph. (2014). A Life in Judaism, A Career in Public Service. October 29. (No transcription is available for this content so watch the video from minute 15 to minute 36). https://blogs.yu.edu/news/a-life-in-judaism-a-career-in- public-service/.

 

Graham, Gordon & Evans, Bryan. The Mission of the Church and the Role of Advocacy  Discussion Paper – July 2002  Read Chapters 1 & 2 https://place.asburyseminary.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=engaginggovernmentpapers

 

September 30           Week 6           Motivations for Public Service

Obligations I, II and III from The Bill of Obligations

The Volcker Alliance:  Preparing Tomorrow’s Public Service https://www.volckeralliance.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Preparing%20Tomorrow%27s%20Public%20Service_0.pdf

 

 

October 7                  Week 7                       Motivations in public service:  civil service and community service

First two hours of certified volunteer effort due (2)

The Preface and Part 1:  The Crisis of our Rights Based Democracy from The Bill of Obligations

Obligations I, II and III from The Bill of Obligations

The Volcker Alliance:  Preparing Tomorrow’s Public Service https://www.volckeralliance.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Preparing%20Tomorrow%27s%20Public%20Service_0.pdf

 

 

October 14                Week 8 

Graham, Gordon & Evans, Bryan. The Mission of the Church and the Role of Advocacy  Discussion Paper – July 2002  Read Chapters 1 & 2 https://place.asburyseminary.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=engaginggovernmentpapers

Obligations IV, V and VI from The Bill of Obligations

Konrath, S. H., O’Brien, E. H., & Hsing, C. (2011). Changes in Dispositional Empathy in American College Students Over Time: A Meta-Analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 15(2), 180–198. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868310377395DOI: 10.1177/1088868310377395

 

 

 

October 21                Week 9           Conversation with a Public Servant Presentation (20%)  Both written paper and oral presentation are due during this class period – ensure that you focus on their story, their why, understanding and communicating their community impact and future objectives

 

October 28                Week 10        Motivations:  Self Interest, Public Interest, Other Interest

 

Guest Speakers:  Mayor Brandon Sakbun – City of Terre Haute & Mayor Chris Jensen – City of Noblesville

CLASS WILL MEET IN THE COMMUNITY ROOM OF BRISCOE HALL

Obligations VII, VIII and IX from The Bill of Obligations

Morning Consult report on Generation Z at “Understanding Generation Z: How America’s Largest, Most Diverse, Best-Education, and Most Financially-Powerful Generation Will Shape the Future,” December 2019. https://morningconsult.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Morning-Consult-Understanding-Gen-Z.pdf

 

Batson, C. D., Ahmad, N., and Tsang, J., 2002. “Four Motives for Community Involvement” Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 58: 429-445 https://doi.org/10.1111/1540-4560.00269

 

 

November 4              Week 11        Chapter X and Conclusion from The Bill of Obligations

Wolfe, Alan (1998) What is Altruism? in Ott, J.S., & Dicke, L.A. (Eds.). The Nature of the Nonprofit Sector (4th ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780367696559. May, 2022.

 

Milken Institute Corporate Philanthropy:  Strategies to Serve Communities, May 3, 2022https://milkeninstitute.org/video/philanthropy-corporate-serve-communities

 

 

November 11                        Week 12       

Who Makes our Government Work – Presentation/discussions

 

 

November 18                        Week 13       

2023 Indiana Civic Health Index 2023-Indiana-Civic-Health-Index-Report.pdf (inbarfoundation.org)

 

https://www.thepolicycircle.org/brief/whats-whys-civic-engagement/ (Read the overview and watch the video)

 

December 2              Week 14        Test

Please submit video of your Community Engagement by this date.  We will have classroom discussion on these during December 9 class.

 

December 9              Week 15        Community Engagement Presentation (20%) 

Everyone should be ready to discuss during this session. 

 

Week of December 14 –     FINAL EXAM – there is no final exam scheduled for this course

***************************************************************************** “The above schedule is subject to limited change in the event of extenuating circumstances.  Changes will be communicated in class and through Canvas.”

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