Course Syllabus

This page provides highlights from the course syllabus

Meet your instructor

• Welcome, my name is Cheryl Hughes, MBA and I am a Senior Lecturer with O'Neill-SPEA.  I have been with O'Neill-SPEA since 2008 teaching courses in Human Resouces, Leadership and Management.  I look forward to an amazing semester.

  Email: ckhughes@iu.edu

  Phone: 812-855-2844  

  Office location: SPEA 335 (note:  Note A335 which is a classroom)

  Office Hours:  By Appointment (students will schedule Zoom or face-to-face office hours by emailing the professor. I found this more respectful of your time and eliminates students waiting outside my office for long periods of time)

Course Description

SPEA-V 373 Human Resource Management in the Public Sector (3 cr.) The organization and operation of public personnel management systems, with emphasis on concepts and techniques of job analysis, position classification, training, affirmative action, and motivation.

Human Resource Management (HRM) is best defined as “the policies, practices, systems, and work culture that influence employee’s behavior, attitudes, and performance.” Regardless of whether it’s a departmental function or managerial skill-set, HRM is an essential component of every organization’s success. Students who intend to pursue a career in management must be concerned with the concepts and techniques needed to carry out the complicated “people” aspect of their jobs. This course provides both a conceptual and pragmatic framework for understanding the management and operation of HRM techniques and systems in public organizations.

 Learning Outcomes 

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

Course Teaching Goals and Objectives:

Recruitment, Selection, and Staffing: Students can articulate basic principles of staffing strategies, their relationship to labor supply and demand, and select and apply legally and practically appropriate recruitment and selection techniques according to basic principles of validity and reliability.

Employee Development: Students can articulate the components, and their value, of employee training, development, job design, and job enrichment.

Compensation and Benefits: Students can summarize basic components of compensation plans and performance evaluation systems, assess potential deficiencies, and compare elements as they relate to organizational objectives.

Workplace Culture, Employee Relations, and Performance Management: Students can recognize and relate the connections between and among employee and labor relations practices; principles of inclusion and diversity; approaches to performance management; health, wellness, and safety initiatives; and their impact on workplace culture and organizational outcomes.

Employment Law: Students can apply, articulate compliance with, and respond to changes in, labor laws across the employee lifecycle—including staffing, compensation, employee and labor relations, health, and safety—to ensure organizational legal compliance.

Information Literacy: Through discussion, assessments, and writing exercises students can compare HRM practices and policies from varying perspectives, articulate the role of technology in HRM, synthesize information, evaluate source credibility, and draw conclusions based on their evaluation of content.

Course Requirements 

Required Text and Materials

One e-text book is required for the course.  The e-text will be available on your Canvas Course site.

E-Text book:  IU E-Text book (Unizin Engage)  Lussier, Robert N, Hendon, John R.

(2018). Human Resource Management, Functions, Applications, and Skill Development. 5th Ed. Sage.

I will provide you with additional materials, which will enhance your knowledge of Hiring and Selection in public, private, and nonprofit organizations. Additional readings will be posted to this class’s Canvas Module Tab.

Technical Requirements

You will need the following in order to participate in this course:

• You will need the following in order to participate in this course:

  • Desktop or laptop computer
  • Paper and Pen or Pencil (bring to each class session)
  • Reliable Internet connection
  • Webcam 
  • External microphone or headset with built-in microphone
  • Some way to make and post a simple video (e.g., using a webcam, or a smartphone)
  • Access to Canvas
  • Access to Kaltura
  • Use of phones, laptops, or other devices for non‑course activities is prohibited during class. (Note: No phones should be out or in use during class.)

Technical Support

For additional help with technical issues, consult:

• University Information Technology Services (UITS) (human support)
• IU Knowledge Base (IUKB) (documentation for IU applications and services)
• Canvas Student Guide
• IUware (download free software)

Course Assessment & Grades

Course assessment:

See Canvas Modules/Assignments for a full list of assignments for this course.

Submitting assignments

Assignments will be submitted on Canvas/Assignments, unless otherwise instructed by instructor.

Assignments will be submitted through Turnitin on Canvas

How will I know how I’m doing in this course?

Grades will be posted in Canvas within 72-96 of the due date unless otherwise indidcated by instructor. The Canvas Grades tool shows the grades given to individual assignments as well as your calculated course grade based on the assignments that have been graded thus far. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact me.

Use of generative AI (such as ChatGPT) in this class

Using AI to assist in completing assignments will be allowed only in the following ways:

• ChatGPT may be used to find sources.

All other use of AI are prohibited. You are permitted to use the free version of Grammarly and Microsoft Word’s spelling and grammar tool. 

If you use AI in an unauthorized manner, you will be committing plagiarism* and will be subject to penalties in this class and sanctions by Indiana University. 

WARNING: Submitting any questions, assignments, notes, slides,  or other instructor-produced course materials into Generative AI without permission is a violation of the faculty member’s exclusive rights and will be reported to the Dean of Students as academic misconduct.

*Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as presenting someone else’s work, including the work of other students, as one’s own. Any ideas or materials taken from another source for either written or oral use must be fully acknowledged, unless the information is common knowledge. Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, & Conduct. (emphasis added)

Grading Scale

Your assignment and course grades will be determined using the following scale:

Grading Scheme

Late Work 

Late Submission of Assignments

Due dates for all assignments can be found on the Canvas-Assignments tab. Pay attention to the Assignments tab, any changes or adjustments will be reflected on this tab.  Failure to submit an assignment by the due date/time will result in a 10% deduction of the assignment’s point value up to 24-hours past the deadline.  After a 24-hour period a grade of “0” will be assigned.

Please make sure you are aware that the “due” date is different from the “available until” date in Canvas.  

Note:  This does not apply to exams.  Exams are due as noted on Canvas.

There are no make-up examinations or assignments unless there are qualifying circumstances.

• Students will work with the Student Care Team:  An attendance memo is a notice sent by the Student Care and Resource Center on behalf of the Dean of Students office to instructors to alert them of an absence during an emergency. They will require documentation to verify your absence and will not share the reason for the absence with your instructors.

• The situations that qualify for an attendance memo are student hospitalizations, the death of an immediate family member, or similar crisis moments that prevent the student from contacting their professors directly. If your situation does not qualify for an attendance memo, please reference the student responsibility information and contact the Student Care and Resource Center at 812.856.CARE or email iucare@iu.edu.
• An attendance memo cannot be made for absences that occurred in the past but are meant to communicate in the present moment.
• Attendance memos are not necessarily required by all instructors. You may find that you can communicate with your instructors without the assistance of an attendance memo.

What should I do after an attendance memo is sent?

• An attendance memo does not excuse a student’s absence or coursework. It is up to each instructor to decide whether to excuse an absence and if alternative arrangements will be required.
• As soon as students are able, they are responsible for being in contact with their instructors to determine the next steps for addressing missed class time and coursework.
• The Student Care and Resource Center supports students by ensuring they have all the appropriate campus and community resources to be safe, healthy and successful. To get connected, please submit a Care Referral.

 Course Assessment & Grades Attendance and In Class Activities

Students who seek accessibility measures (accommodations) due to temporary impairments, which AES (Accessible Educational Services) defines as including, but not limited to, “broken bones, sprains, concussions, and appendicitis,” should be referred to Accessible Educational Services.

Attendance and In-Class Activities/Participation

Attendance & Participation Policy

Attendance Expectations

Regular attendance is required and will be recorded each class session. Students may earn up to 2.5 points per class for attendance.

There are 27 scheduled class sessions, excluding Labor Day and Thanksgiving week.

Students are granted three (3) discretionary absences for the semester. These absences may be used for any reason; however, students are encouraged to plan wisely.

Participation Expectations

Students may earn up to 2.5 points per class for participation. Active, constructive engagement is expected.  Note: these points are not automatic.  Students must participate to earn points, level of participation will determine how many points earned each class session.

Points may be deducted for:

• Arriving late or leaving early (unless approved prior to class or an emergency)
• Excessive entering and exiting of the classroom during class.
• Lack of participation
• Use of phones, laptops, or other devices for non‑course activities (Note: No phones should be out or in use during class.)

Students are expected to contribute meaningfully to class discussions and activities. See Attendance and In-Class Activities/Participation for more detail.

 After the three allowed absences, the remaining 26 sessions count toward the attendance/participation grade. Students will begin the semester with full points, the professor will deduct points as necessary throughout the semester.

Attendance 27 sessions × 2.5 points = 67.5 total possible points.

Participation 27 sessions x 2.5 points = 67.5 total possible points

Make‑Up Policy for In‑Class Activities/Assigments

*If a student uses one of their three excused absences on a day when in‑class activity points are assigned, those points may be made up within five (5) days of the missed class session. Unless otherwise noted in the assignment. In class activity/assigment points are in addition to participation points. 

Students who seek accessibility measures (accommodations) due to temporary impairments, which AES (Accessible Educational Services) defines as including, but not limited to, “broken bones, sprains, concussions, and appendicitis,” should be referred to Accessible Educational Services.

Guest Speakers

Public, nonprofit and private sector officials and executives may be invited to speak to the class. The dates and subjects will be announced according to guest availability, and the schedule and syllabus will be revised accordingly.

Attendance will be taken during guest presentations and material from these presentations may appear on an exam, quiz or assignment.  When guest speakers are visiting our classroom.  Respecting our guests, students are to arrive on time and remain seated.  No entering and leaving the classroom during the Guest speaker visit.  Students will earn Guest Speaker Activity points not only for attendance day of the guest visit but also for participation.  Points earned for attendance and points earned for participation.  Please note: if you have a condition or need to leave during a guest speaker meet with me at the start of the semester so that you can be accommodated and not lose points.  Further see the Accessible Education Services office for additional support. 

 What is Participation?

In-class participation is:

• Raising and answering questions.
• Sharing ideas, observations, and personal experiences.
• Pointing out relevant data.
• Generating potential solutions.
• Relating and synthesizing the ideas of others.
• Pointing out relationships to earlier discussions.
• Helping others develop their views and ideas.

In-class participation is NOT:

• An opportunity for the instructor to appear more knowledgeable than you.
• An opportunity for the most extroverted or vocal students to continually offer their ideas while everyone sits there quietly.
• Asking about course administration topics.  Those should be asked outside of class via email, office hours, or schedule a private Zoom meeting.

In-class participation is an opportunity to:

• Make class interesting.
• Explore ideas both closely to and sometimes tangentially related to the topic for the day.
• Substantively engage course material that is complex.
• Examine issues from multiple perspectives.

• Practice speaking in front of a large group conveying complex thoughts/ideas.
• Discuss topics about which you are uncertain in a safe environment. No one should be “afraid to be wrong” in this course. Also, if you are confused or have questions, it is likely others do too. Speak up.