Administration and Supervision Graduate Courses

ADM 710 Introduction to Public Administration (3)
This course is a basic introduction to public administration for professionals working in public sector and non-profit agencies. Topics include the role of bureaucracy in the political process, theories of public organizations, bureaucratic discretion and accountability, policy implementation, and the changing nature of public administration. This course is designed to use lectures, student presentations, group discussion, and field assignments. The ultimate goal of the course is to help students develop a solid understanding of public administration theory and practice.

ADM 711 Basics of Management (3)
Presents basic management principles and concepts. Topics include: the historical evolution of management thought and practice; effective techniques for planning, decision making, problem solving, information management, and reporting; organizing and staffing; and principles of budget administration. Technology in the workplace, supervision of diverse individuals and groups, and interpersonal communication styles are featured.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

ADM 712 Decision Support Systems for Managers (3)
The course focuses on the use of computer-based systems to assist human decision making. Students will learn about a) human decision making in the organizational context, b) the methods that can be used to support it, and c) the issues associated with the use of computer-based systems that deliver the relevant technology. The course will focus on decision support systems for individuals, although a group decision support system will also be discussed.

ADM 713 Budgeting in Public Sector and Non-Profit Organizations (3)
This course examines the philosophical, political, and practical issues that surround the allocation of funds to publicly supported and not-for-profit agencies, institutions, and other entities. The course of study involves exploration of the structure of government in the United States at the federal, state, and local levels, along with various theories and strategies for raising and distributing public funds, especially within the educational sector. Case studies of public and private educational institutions provide capstones for student achievement.

ADM 714 Strategic Leadership and Management (3)
This course will provide students with an introduction to strategic leadership, strategic analysis, strategic planning, organizational structure and culture, performance based management, and organizational development and change. The focus is on developing innovative and ethical change aspects capable of utilizing internal and external environmental data to lead organizational transformation in complex organizations.

ADM 715 Economics for Managers (3)
The purpose of this course is to provide students with an introductory overview of the knowledge base in microeconomics and macroeconomics, with an emphasis on the concepts administrators will utilize in practice. At the completion of this course, the student will have first-hand practice critically analyzing common economic concepts such as supply and demand, prices, the price system, markets and market structure, utility, production and costs, marginal analysis, economic indicators, monetary and fiscal policy, international trade and data, opportunity costs and other pedagogies. Critical thinking skills will be gained through understanding of the underlying theoretical basis for these concepts, how they are interrelated with each other and with the overall economy, and how they are applied in policy decisions is also introduced in this course. In addition, students will, through examples based on business and government policies, obtain an introductory understanding of how these concepts are applied in everyday situations, providing additional critical thinking, communication and analytical skills.

ADM 716 Quality Management in Public Sector and Non-Profit Organizations (3)
This course focuses on core principles of quality management in public and non-profit agencies; for example, customer focus, continuous improvement, employee involvement, and process improvement. Students analyze case studies and design a field project to gain first-hand knowledge of how to implement quality management principles. Students will also learn about the Baldrige National Quality Award program.

ADM 717 Capstone Experience in Public Administration (3)
The Masters in Public Administration Capstone Experience engages students in field-based activities that allow them to apply what they have learned in their program of study. This field-based learning activity is offered under the guidance of a program faculty member and a field-based mentor. Students may also include this experience in their Personal Learning Plans that they develop at the beginning of their program of study. Students may design their Capstone Experience in a variety of ways, including designing it as a research project, as an internship, or as a team-based project. No matter how the experience is organized, students must document what they have learned in their program of study and in the Capstone Experience. Documentation will be submitted in the form of a comprehensive portfolio. Students will meet as a group in a seminar format periodically throughout the semester.

Prerequisite: Completion of all required courses and completion of at least two of the three elective courses, and a 3.0 grade point average.

ADM 788 Organization and Administration of the American Education System (3)
Provides an introduction to the organizational structure of the American educational system at the federal, state, and local levels; governance patterns; policy; finance; administrative roles and relationships; and current trends and issues. Particular attention is given to the organization and administration of deaf and hard of hearing people within the context of the larger system.

ADM 794 Successful Grant Writing: From Ideas to Proposals (3)
Successful Grant Writing: From Idea to Proposal Working in a highly interactive environment, participants will gain hands-on experience in how nonprofits, state agencies, and other can develop successful applications for federal, state and private funding. Topics will include: Dos and Don'ts of proposal writing; importance of building relationships with funders; researching funding opportunities; creating a needs statement; defining goals and objectives; developing an evaluation plan; establishing an action plan; preparing a budget; tailoring proposals to specific audiences; and keeping track of grant requests.

ADM 795 Special Topics (1-3)
Grading System: letter grades only.

ADM 796 Executive Communication Skills (3)
Grammar is not the problem! Attitude is! This seminar helps the administrator avoid the tics plaguing his or her memos, letters, and position papers--tics such as taking forever to get to the point at hand; using marathon sentences to say what could be said in a dash; mixing metaphors and misplacing modifiers; burying the antecedents of pronouns in the underbrush of prose; and masquerading behind the obscurity of the passive voice. Analysis of style and tone of writing.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

ADM 799 Independent Study (1-3)
Grading System: letter grades only. Individualized course of study focusing on particular problem not covered in regular courses.

Prerequisite: Appropriate level of matriculation, permission of instructor and Special Independent Study Form.

ADM 809 Theory of Management and Leadership (3)
Theory follows practice. The application of classical management thought; the conundrum of power, authority, and responsibility; the principles of motivation; the option of Japanese management thought; the influence of personality type; and the ingredients of leadership training--all are interwoven into a masterful tapestry that contributes to the development of each participant's emerging management philosophy. Leadership styles are measured and demonstrated in weekly events.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

ADM 810 Public Policy and Persons with Disabilities (3)
The focus of this course is on the history, development, implementation, and analysis of those social policies designed to reconcile concerns and to overcome obstacles faced by those citizens of this democracy who happen to have disabilities. The major activity of the seminar will be the analysis of a national policy relative to the provision of services to people with disabilities.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

ADM 821 Issues in the Administration of Programs for People with Disabilities (3)
This course focuses on current issues of import and emerging trends in the management of special education programs from federal, state, and local perspectives. Concentration is on the broadest understanding of disabilities. Each topic covered in the seminar will begin with a review of the historical trends, theoretical underpinnings, philosophical foundation, and sociological bases of that topic in order to develop management practices that can be coherently and consistently implemented on a daily basis.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

ADM 822 Executive Management Skills (3)
The theory and application of the following managerial skill repertoires are presented: interviewing techniques, resume writing, time management, stress management, meeting management, parliamentary procedure, conflict management, and assertiveness training. Several case study leadership events are presented. Attention is given to actual management problems that are currently being experienced by the participants.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

ADM 834 Program Development and Evaluation in Special Education and Human Services (3)
This course focuses on the design, development, and evaluation of programs for individuals with disabilities. Topics to be covered in this course include interpreting policy statements into relevant programmatic goals and objectives; determining organizational components and functions; establishing staffing patterns; setting up program-based budgets; and formulating ongoing process evaluation, product evaluation, and cost analysis plans. Students will be required to submit a proposal in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP), thereby increasing their managerial skills through simulation of an actual grant-writing experience.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

ADM 837 Interpersonal and Group Behavior in Organizations (3)
The emphasis of the course is on interpersonal and group behavior in organizations. Through experienced-based learning activities, small group discussions, and short lectures, students learn about interpersonal interactions and dynamics in an organization setting. Topics include power and politics, decision making, conflict, and organizational culture.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

ADM 838 Organization Development and the Management of Change (3)
This course focuses on the processes of organization development and the management of change. In the course students learn how to diagnose organizational problems and how to plan ways to solve the problems. The process of change management is explored in depth. The course uses a combination of structured activities, small group discussions, and short lectures. Because of the nature of the course, active student participation is essential. It is designed for current or future administrators in schools, universities, and public sector organizations.

Prerequisite: Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

ADM 839 Organization Theory and Design (3)
Students are introduced to principles of organization theory and design. They examine topics such as organization design; the external environment of organizations; the impact of organizational goals on organizational effectiveness; organizational technology; organizational bureaucracy; classic organizational structures; the impact of structure on innovation, change, information, and control, decision-making in organizations; power and politics; integrating all parts of an organization; and organizational learning and renewal. This course, when combined with ADM 838, ADM 840, and ADM 841, provides students with solid preparation for managing the process of organizational improvement.

Prerequisite: ADM 838 or Permission of the Instructor.

ADM 840 Organizational Diagnosis (3)
This course teaches students how to plan and conduct a comprehensive organizational diagnosis for the purpose of improving organizational performance. The classic diagnostic procedures of interviewing, surveying, observing, and artifact analysis are taught. Students learn to diagnose 'root' problems related to an organization's work processes, its social 'architecture,' and its relationship with a broader environment. Students also learn how to choose effectiveness criteria for diagnosing organizational performance, accessing the quality of work life, how to reorganize and diagnose data into useable feedback for decision makers, and how to conduct a feedback/action planning meeting. The ethics and politics of organizational diagnosis are also examined. When combined with ADM 838, ADM 839, and ADM 841, this course provides future managers of education and human service organizations with solid preparation for managing organizational improvement processes.

Prerequisite: ADM 838 and ADM 839; or Permission of the Instructor.

ADM 841 Redesigning Organizations (3)
This course is an advanced course in organizational improvement that expects students to apply what they learned from ADM 838, ADM 839, and ADM 840. Students learn a systemic and systematic model for transforming professional organizations into high performing learning organizations by making simultaneous improvements in three sets of key organizational variables; the organization's work processes, its social 'architecture," and its relationship with its external environment. Students design an organizational improvement intervention in a real or fictitious organization.

Prerequisite: ADM 838, ADM 839, and ADM 840 or Permission of the Instructor.

ADM 842 Advanced Seminar in Educational Administration (1-3)
This seminar focuses on issues and trends in educational administration and supervision. The particular issues and trends are determined at the beginning of each course in collaboration with the students.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

ADM 845 Curriculum Development (3)
This course is designed for the educational leader and deals in-depth with the place of schooling in the American experiment (which is American society), the nature of curriculum, theories of curriculum, and important trends at the early childhood, elementary, and secondary levels in general education; provides a curricular and instructional basis for educational courses which are a part of the future leader's program of studies; and includes trends and issues in classroom organization, program development, curriculum design, instructional options, and strategies of assessment. With this knowledge, the curriculum leader can be an agent of change.

ADM 855 Field Experiences (3)
An individual set of experiences designed to give the graduate student in administration an understanding of the operation of several different education-related organizations.

ADM 858 Supervising and Evaluating Teaching (3)
This course provides students with an introduction to concepts and principles for supervising and evaluating teaching. Through experienced-based learning activities, small group discussions, and short lectures, students examine basic models of supervising teaching, two advanced models of supervision (clinical and diagnostic), basic supervisory skills for observing teaching, and basic skills for conducting supervisory conferences. The course also provides students with an introduction to concepts and principles of teacher evaluation and staff development. Through experienced-based learning activities, small group discussions, and short lectures, students learn about evaluating teaching, conducting performance evaluation conferences, and developing staff development plans based on the results of evaluation.

Prerequisite: Teaching Experience and Permission of Instructor.

ADM 860 Ethics in Management (3)
A classical seminar offered every other spring semester during even-numbered years by a team of three to four instructors. The nine-evening, once-a-week seminar covers the gamut of ethical concerns dealt with by line and staff administrators. Instead of traditional papers and examinations, the seminar requires class participation.

ADM 862 Gender Issues in Management (3)
A classical seminar that alternates with ADM 860 and is offered every other spring semester during odd-numbered years by a team of three to four instructors. The nine-evening, once-a-week seminar involves outside lecturers addressing various issues confronting women administrators. Instead of traditional papers and examinations, the seminar requires class participation.

ADM 865 School and Community Relations (3)
This course focuses on current issues of importance and emerging trends in the creative leadership and management of the school, community and homes in order to achieve successful support for programs. Concentration is on the broadest understanding of special program relations and diverse publics, including people who are disabled. Each topic in the seminar will begin with an overview of the theoretical underpinnings, current practices and strategies in order to develop effective public relations practices that can be coherently and consistently implemented.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

ADM 880 Human Resource Administration (3)
Designed to assist school administrators and educators in developing legal literacy skills through an orientation to the U.S. legal system: local, state, and federal government roles in education; church-state controversies in schools; law in compulsory education and curriculum; student rights; desegregation; mainstreaming; teacher rights; collective bargaining; tort law in education; and school finance law. Considerable reading and class participation are expected.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

ADM 888 Higher Educ Organ & Admin (3)
The historical development of universities, colleges, and community colleges; philosophies and objectives of the various kinds of institutions; governance of public and private higher education; organizational structures; funding of higher education; administrative roles and functions; improving administrative effectiveness; and standards, accrediting bodies, and evaluation criteria and processes will be covered.

ADM 890 Internship (3)
The internship requirement for the degree programs within the department is sometimes waived in the advisory process, pending evidence the student can produce. The advisor(s) reserve the right to determine the weight of such written evidence attesting to breadth and depth of administration experience prior to entry into the program. The internship itself involves a minimum of 360 clock hours of work within an administrative context in any education or human services setting. A written proposal on how the internship will be designed is required before the start of the semester in which it will be done. The department has proposal guidelines available.

ADM 895 Special Topics (1-3)
Grading System: letter grades only.

ADM 899 Independent Study (1-3)
Grading System: letter grades only. Individualized course of study focusing on particular problem not covered in regular courses.

Prerequisite: Appropriate level of matriculation, permission of instructor and Special Independent Study Form.

ADM 900 Dissertation Research (3-6)
Available only to Ph.D. students in the Department of Administration and Supervision. Minimum of six credit hours required.