The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

PUBLIC SERVICE LAW AND ETHICS

PSPS 3620 – CRN 49910 - FALL 2018
COURSE SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR​: Dr. Michelle Evans, Assistant Professor

Dept. of Political Science & Public Service

EMAIL/PHONE​: michelle-evans@utc.edu​423-425-5370

OFFICE HOURS Tue & Thur 1:30-2:30; 4:30-5:00 (also available by appointment)

LOCATION 304 Pfeiffer Hall

CREDIT HOURS​: 3 hours

DAY/TIME (Face-to-Face) Tuesdays & Thursdays, 3:05-4:20pm

LOCATION Classroom: Hunter 304

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION: ​This course examines the basic and emerging legal responsibilities impacting the public
sector by studying laws and regulatory issues impacting governments, nonprofit agencies, and governing boards. Students
focus on essential legal requirements, theories of effective governance, and ethical considerations.

PRE- OR CO-REQUISITES: ​None.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:​ By the end of this course, students will be able to:

LO1 Identify and define major approaches to ethics and how they apply to public administration and nonprofit
sectors
LO2 Explain the differences between low road and high road approach to ethics and how these are impacted by
citizen expectations
LO3 Describe and discuss loyalty, whistleblowing, and dissent and the conflict between these concepts within the
public sector.
LO4 Explore the conflicts between administration and professional responsibility, and the ethical dilemmas that may
result from these conflicts
LO5 Explore contemporary ethical issues such as transparency, accountability, and citizen/donor expectations for
public service and nonprofit organizations and personnel
LO6 Analyze administrative decision-making and real world dilemmas through the lens of ethics philosophical
frameworks
LO7 Analyze and assess professional codes of conduct which govern public administration and nonprofit sector.

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS:

● Bowman, James S., & West, Johnathan P. (2015). Public Service Ethics: Individual and Institutional
Responsibilities, 1​st​ Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: CQ Press/SAGE Publications, Inc.
st​
● Martinez, J. Michael (2009). Public Administration Ethics for the 21​ Century. Santa Barbara, CA:
Praeger/ABC-CLIO.
● Access to Amazon Prime Video or Netflix recommended.
ADDITIONAL READINGS/COURSE MATERIALS:
There will be a number of additional readings throughout the semester. I will post the PDFs or links for the materials in
Blackboard or via the UTC online library. Students are responsible for accessing and reading all additional
materials/course materials. Below is a summary of SOME of the readings:
● Adam, Guy (2011). The Problem of Administrative Evil in a Culture of Technical Rationality. ​
Public Integrity,
13(​3), 275–286.
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 ● Cooper, Terry L. (2012). ​The Responsible Administrator: An Approach to Ethics for the Administrative Role​. San
Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
● Dorff, Elliot N. (2005). Nonprofits and morals: Jewish perspectives and methods for resolving some commonly
occurring moral issues. In David H. Smith (Ed), ​ Good Intentions: Moral Obstacles and Opportunities​(pp.
103-126). Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
● Gifford, Bill (2012, Jan 5). It’s not about the lab rats. ​
Outside Magazine​.
● Grobman, Gary M. (2015). ​Ethics in Nonprofit Organizations, 2nd ​ ​ Edition​. Harrisburg, PA: White Hat
Communications.
● Guy, Mary E. and Ely, Todd L. (2018​). Essentials of Public Service: An Introduction to Contemporary Public
Administration.​Irvine, CA: Melvin & Leigh Publishers.
● Johnson, Craig E. (2015). ​Meeting the Ethical Challenges of Leadership: Casting Light or Shadow​. Thousand Oaks,
CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
● Kinsky, Emily, Drumheller, Kristina, & Gerlich, R. Nicholas (2014). Weathering the storm: Best practices for
nonprofits in crisis. ​International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing 19​ (4), 277-285.
● Lewis, Carol W. & Gilman, Stuart C. (2012). ​ The Ethics Challenge in Public Service: A Problem Solving Guide.​
San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
● Lister, Dianne (2013). The appearance of impropriety. In Janice Gow Petty (Ed), ​ Nonprofit Fundraising Strategy: A
Guide to Ethical Decision Making and Regulation for Nonprofit Organizations​(pp. 17-34)​ .​Hoboken, NJ: John
Wiley & Sons, Inc.
● O’ Leary, Rosemary (2010). Guerrilla Employees: Should Managers Nurture, Tolerate, or Terminate Them? ​ Public
Administration Review, 70​(1), 8–19
● O’Leary, Rosemary (2017). The Ethics of Dissent: Can President Trump Survive Guerrilla Government?
Administrative Theory & Praxis, 39​(2), 63–79.
● Plant, Jeremy F. (2018). Responsibility in Public Administration Ethics. ​ Public Integrity​, 1–13.
● Rhode, Deborah L., & Packel, Amanda K. (2009). Ethics and Nonprofits. ​ Stanford Social Innovation Review 7​(3),
29-35.
● Rothschild, Joyce (2013). The fate of whistleblowers in nonprofit organizations. ​ Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector
Quarterly, 42​(5), 886-901.
● Svara, James (2015). ​The Ethics Primer for Public Administrators in Government and Nonprofit Organizations​ .
Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning
● Tempel, Eugene R. (2013). Tainted Money. In Janice Gow Petty (Ed), ​ Nonprofit Fundraising Strategy: A Guide to
Ethical Decision Making and Regulation for Nonprofit Organizations​(pp. 79-110)​ . ​Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley &
Sons, Inc.

OPEN DOOR POLICY: ​My door (virtual or real-world) is open to any student that has questions or concerns. I have
included the office hours for all of my courses at the top of this syllabus, but I am always willing to try and schedule
additional times to meet as long as you email me. And of course you may contact me at any time by email
(​Michelle-Evans@utc.edu​).

TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS:​ Internet access and ability to navigate UTCLearn course structure. Computer with
word processing program is highly recommended. I use Microsoft Word as my preferred program. All papers and
assignments submitted online should be saved in a format that I can access via Microsoft Word.

TECH SKILLS REQUIRED FOR COURSE:​ Students must be able to access and utilize the UTCLearn course
components. At least a basic ability for word processing programs is essential. Other skills that will significantly help you in
this course (and your future employment) are Microsoft Excel basic knowledge, ability to create pie charts & bar graphs (at a
minimum).

TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT:​ If you have any problems with your UTC email account or with UTCLearn, contact IT
Solutions Center at 423-425-4000 or email ​itsolutions@utc.edu​.

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COURSE ASSESSMENTS & REQUIREMENTS: ​The following items will make up your course grade. Please note the
weighted total for each item when you are estimating your final grade.

Learning Objective Assessment % of Final Grade

Participation
n/a Nonprofit Expo Attendance Points
LO1, LO2, LO3, LO7
and others 2 Mini Tests (15% each) 30%
LO5, LO6 Group Project: Lance Armstrong Case Study 15%
LO4, LO5, LO6, LO7 Research Paper 20%
LO4, LO5, LO6 3 Mini Papers (10% each) 30%
All Participation 5%
Total 100%

COURSE ASSIGNMENT DETAIL:

th​
Nonprofit Expo​ – Students will be required to attend the Nonprofit Expo on September 25​ from 12:30-2:30pm in the UC
Center Chattanooga Rooms. This will count as your “participation” points for that day (no in-class session).

Mini Tests​– There will be two (2) scheduled mini tests to ensure comprehension of basic concepts and responsibilities worth
15% of final grade each. The first test will be in class and likely to include a combination of multiple choice, short
answer, and essay. The format of the second test is TBD, but likely will be short answer and essay.

Class Participation –​ Roll will be taken each class. Students who arrive after attendance has been taken or leave before
attendance is taken will be marked absent. I will not deduct points for a missed class, BUT… you will need to keep up
with the assigned readings and be present to be eligible for participation points for given class.

Group Project ​– You will work in small groups to research and analyze the Lance Armstrong case. You will be required to
watch the documentary ​Stop at Nothing: The Lance Armstrong Story​and then conduct your own outside research as
background to the case. Each group will prepare a written case analysis and be prepared to provide a short summary to
the class for discussion and debate. Further information will be posted in BB.

Mini papers ​– Papers should be 2 pages, 1.5 spaced, well written, properly cited and referenced using APA style as
appropriate.
❑ Mini Paper #1 – Ethical Frameworks: Discuss (or debate) at least 3 ethical frameworks covered in class and the
assigned readings. Then use those framework to assess the contemporary issue of ​ same sex marriage​ OR
President Trump’s immigration/deportation policy​ from a public administration perspective.
❑ Mini Paper #2 – Movie Night – Select (and watch) one of the movies below and discuss/evaluate it using the
concepts discussed throughout the semester. Some starting areas of discussion include: utilitarianism, moral
relativism, loyalty, whistleblowing, dissent, organizational ethics, professional responsibility.
o And the Band Played On (1993)
o Spotlight (2015)
o Lone Survivor (2013)
o Eye in the Sky (2015)
o Snowden (2016)

❑ Mini Paper #3 – Loyalty, Professional Responsibilities, or Administrative Evil: Discuss the O’Leary and
Adams/Balfour articles and their relevance to public service ethics, professional norms of behavior, and the
relevance in today’s public administration and nonprofit sectors. Pull in discussion of how you might behave as
an employee in those situations, or how you might react if you were a manager/leader.

Research Paper ​– You will prepare a 9-11 page, well written and researched paper that analyzes a notable scandal in the past
two decades. Papers should include a summary of the background information, and analysis of the scandal through the lens
of topics discussed in this class. I will post more details in BB along with some starting questions/topics that you should

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address within your paper. This paper will serve as your final exam substitute and will be submitted during the scheduled
final exam time.

TIMING AND FORMAT OF WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS​: Students must turn in all graded assignments by the
beginning​of class, unless otherwise noted. Written assignments should be typed in .doc format, 12-point font, 1.5 spaced
and handed in to the instructor. All written assignments should be checked for grammar and spelling as such errors will
deduct from grade. All written assignments should include appropriate reference and comply with UTC’s plagiarism
standards.

EXTRA CREDIT: ​Occasionally special events come up at the university that are relevant to the course subject or
department majors. In those cases, I will ​sometimes​offer students the opportunity to earn back some missed participation
points or a small bonus on a future test. Opportunities, if applicable, will be announced in class and in the UTCLearn course.

COURSE GRADING INFORMATION:

Course Grading Policy: ​If you have questions about your course participation or grades, please feel free to make an
appointment to discuss the situation. In answer to FAQ/complaints:
➢ Remember that final grades are WEIGHTED (see percentages listed above). If you need help figuring out
your weighted grade, there is a ​short tutorial on computing weighted grades on YouTube​that is helpful.
➢ Make sure to carefully follow the directions listed for each assignment and in the preceding syllabus
section. If I’ve included something in the instructions, then it is something that is important to me (or a hint
to you) and could result in point deductions.
➢ If you are unclear about something when trying to complete an assignment, make sure to ask me. Worse
case I will remind you to read the syllabus. But better to ask than risk losing points or going off in the
wrong direction.

Instructor Grading Response Time: ​I try to get assignments/tests graded as soon as possible, and always aim for less than
a week. But occasionally there may be delays, so please be patient.

Instructor Email Response Time: ​I tend to check my email quite frequently but please understand that professors have
many outside commitments (and pretend to have a private life), so there may be times when I cannot respond
immediately. So don’t wait until the last minute to ask that crucial question related to papers, projects etc. In
general, I try to respond within 24 hours. If you have not heard from me by that point you may want to POLITELY
resend an email in case your original correspondence got overlooked.

GRADING SCALE​: A = 90-100; B = 80-89; C = 70-79; D = 60-69; F = 59 or less.

A (90 – 100%) = Excellent; all expectations met or exceeded; explicitly demonstrates thorough understanding; no substantive
shortcomings or only minor shortcomings; presentations are well organized, help other students learn course content, and add
value above existing course content; writing is well organized and adheres to rules of grammar, spelling and syntax with no
or very few exceptions.

B (80 – 89%) = Good; most or all expectations are met; explicitly or implicitly demonstrates good, if not thorough,
understanding; only minor substantive shortcomings; presentations are well organized and help other students learn course
content; writing is generally well organized and mostly adheres to rules of grammar, spelling and syntax.

C (70 – 79%) = Satisfactory; directions are followed, most expectations are met but with at least one significant shortcoming;
despite any shortcomings, demonstrates basic level of understanding; presentations demonstrate understanding of the content
but do little to help other students learn the content; writing is organized well enough and with enough technical accuracy to
be understandable.

D (60 – 69%) = Passing, but less than satisfactory; directions only partially followed; more than one significant shortcoming;
deficiencies indicate only the most rudimentary level of understanding; presentations demonstrate poor preparation and do
not contribute to other students' learning; and/or writing is difficult to understand.

F (0 – 59%) = Failing; not completed or directions not followed; deficiencies indicate lack of understanding; presentations
are a waste of class time; and/or incoherent writing.

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COURSE AND INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES:

LATE/MISSING WORK: ​No make-up tests or assignments will be allowed except where required by university policy or
extreme exceptions (as discussed in the next section). Students are highly encouraged to complete assignments early
in the week to avoid unexpected situations. If you have an ​emergency​(see below) that would cause you to miss a
deadline you may email your paper/assignment as a placeholder to prove you completed it on time, and then bring a
printed copy to the next class or my office as soon as possible.

PERSONAL EMERGENCY OR ILLNESS POLICY: ​In case of emergency, such as serious illness or a death/illness in
the family, please notify me as soon as possible. Extensions and/or make-up exams ​ may​be considered, at the
discretion of the instructor, for students with a valid and verifiable excuse. However, extensions/make-up exams
will be considered ​only​for extreme and unexpected situations.

STUDENT CONDUCT POLICY: ​UTC’s Academic Integrity Policy is stated in the S ​ tudent Handbook​
. Make sure to read
the Academic Integrity course policy listed near the end of the syllabus.

HONOR CODE PLEDGE​: I pledge that I will neither give nor receive unauthorized aid on any test or assignment. I
understand that plagiarism constitutes a serious instance of unauthorized aid. I further pledge that I exert every
effort to ensure that the Honor Code is upheld by others and that I will actively support the establishment and
continuance of a campus-wide climate of honor and integrity.

ATTENDANCE & TARDINESS POLICY:​ Students are expected to prepare for and attend every class (see discussion
under grading assessment). Course attendance is important, but so is arriving on time. Arriving late to class is
disruptive and disrespectful to your classmates (and instructor). Make sure to be on time for class. If you are going
to be late for class, please do not come – students that arrive late will counted as absent for that session.

COMMUNICATION/EMAIL:​ UTC assigns each student an official university email. For security reasons, the University
uses only this email address. Therefore, I will communicate with each of you via the official UTC email address.
Make sure to check this email daily to ensure that you see all course announcements and can respond in a timely
manner to any emails I may send. If you have any difficulty accessing your account, please contact the Help Desk at
423-425-4000.

CELL PHONE AND COMPUTER POLICY:​ Cell phones are prohibited in class. Students caught using cell phones
during class will not receive attendance/participation credit for the day. Repeated violations will result in students
being asked to leave the class session. Students may use a laptop during class to take notes. However, if I start
seeing laptops being used for any other purpose the laptop policy will be revised and their use by ALL students will
be prohibited. ​Note: Please be considerate of your classmates and your instructor and make sure to silence
your phone before class starts.

COURSE PARTICIPATION/CONTRIBUTION: ​Attendance AND participation are part of the course grade. To
maximize your learning (and maximize your grade) you should do the required readings BEFORE class (even if they don’t
make sense at the time), show up, pay attention, take notes, participate in discussion, and take notes as applicable. If you do
those things you will master the material and have a stress-free semester. If you still have questions, make an appointment
with me or set up a study group with a couple of classmates.

COURSE LEARNING EVALUATION: Course evaluations are an important part of our efforts to continuously improve
the learning experience at UTC. Toward the end of the semester you will receive a link to evaluations and are expected to
complete them. We value your feedback and appreciate you taking time to complete the anonymouse evaluations.

COURSE ENVIRONMENT & EXPECTATIONS: ​I am here to help guide you through this course and, hopefully,
stimulate your curiosity for learning. Think of this course as a partnership. I will be responsible for providing ongoing
feedback throughout the course and individualize the feedback whenever possible. You will be responsible for completing
your assignments with honesty, integrity, and respect for your fellow classmates (and instructor). We will work together to
create a safe and comfortable learning environment where you should feel free to participate and ask questions. In order to
create this environment, remember the following:

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➢ Freedom of thought, speech, and mutual respect​. Always demonstrate respect for your classmates, instructor, and
guests. This includes respecting the opinions and contributions of all course participants. Our learning process is
best served by an atmosphere where everyone feels free to express their views while respecting the views of others.

➢ There must be a clear respect for diversity of participants​including respect for gender, race/ethnicity, religion,
disability, age, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, as well as culture, beliefs and personal values.

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TEACHING STRATEGIES:​ This course will include the following teaching strategies: lecture, audiovisuals (generally
power point presentations and web navigation), student-led discussion and analysis of hypothetical situations both by
individual students and in group format. This syllabus and, frankly, any component of the course, is subject to change. Each
student is responsible for keeping informed of changes, new materials and the like. Changes will be made via Blackboard,
usually by using the Announcements page. Students will be responsible for reading assignments distributed during class as
questions on tests might be pulled from said assignments.

STUDENT RESOURCES & ACCOMMODATIONS: ​The university has a number of accommodations and resources
available to you. There are links in UTCLearn for key resources, but I am including some of the key ones here as well.
Please feel free to contact me if you feel you need assistance in find resources for other issues as well.

ACCOMMODATIONS: ​If you are a student with a disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) and
think that you might need special assistance or a special accommodation in this class or any other class, call the
Disability Resource Center​(DRC), at 425-4006 or come by their office, 108 University Center.

COUNSELING CENTER:​ If you find that personal problems, career indecision, study and time management difficulties,
etc. are adversely impacting your successful progress at UTC, please contact the ​
Counseling and Career Planning Center
via their website or by calling 425-4438.

VETERANS SERVICES:​ The office of Veteran Student Services is committed to serving all the needs of our veterans and
assisting them during their transition from military life to that of a student. If you are a student veteran or veteran
dependent and need any assistance with your transition, please contact the ​ UTC Green Zone​or ​ UTC Veteran Student
Services​. These sites can direct you the necessary resources for academics, educational benefits, adjustment issues,
veteran allies, veteran organizations, and all other campus resources serving our veterans. You may also contact the
coordinator of ​Veteran Student Programs and Services​directly at 423.425.2277. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.

SEXUAL MISCONDUCT, TITLE IX & OTHER STUDENT SERVICES​:​​UTC is committed to creating and
maintaining a learning, living, & working environment free from sexual misconduct, relationship violence, and stalking.
The university offers a variety of services for students in need via the ​
Title IX Coordinator ​
.

SCRAPPY’S CUPBOARD: ​Emergency food assistance and referrals for UTC students is available via UTC ​Scrappy’s
Cupboard​. Students are also welcome to come talk with me confidentially if you need assistance.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Public administrators and nonprofit organizers are standard bearers for the public faith and the public purse whether through
tax dollars or public donations and are therefore held to a higher standard of ethical behavior. All UTC students are expected
to be honest and principled in all their course work however, much like public sector employees, it is essential that public
administration students hold themselves to a higher standard.

Students are responsible for ensuring that they understand and follow these standards. Students should be familiar with the
University’s Honor Code, which can be found at the ​ UTC Dean of Students​ . Students should adhere to the Honor Code at all
times and for all assignments, exams and projects. ​If, at any time, you have questions or doubts as to whether or not you are
plagiarizing, check with your instructor before you complete your paper.

Citations/plagiarism​: ​You will need to properly cite all non-original ideas and not just direct quotations. Quotations are fine
within your papers but use them sparingly. On the other hand, do not go sparingly with your citations. ​ I prefer that you use
the APA Stylebook for citation formats. ​Free resources related to the APA Stylebook​can be found online​ . I have also
posted links for APA resources in UTC Learn. P ​ lease note, I am strict about plagiarism​​ and I frequently spot check
assignments and papers with plagiarism software. By this stage of your college career you should have received training in
proper writing and citation styles but if you haven’t then you need to seek them out.

IMPORTANT!!! ​Students who violate academic integrity or plagiarism standards will

automatically fail the assignment and are subject to all additional penalties as detailed in the
Honor System section of the Student Handbook, including failure for the class, referral to the
Honor Court, probation and/or expulsion.
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 PSPS 3620 – Public Service Law and Ethics

The instructor reserves the right to adjust the schedule as necessary if class is progressing too quickly or too slowly. Changes
will be announced in class and an updated schedule will be posted in BB.
Date(s) Topic & Readings Assignment
W1 Expectations & Syllabus Review; Overview
Aug 21&23 ● Lewis & Gilman PDF and Bowman Ch 1

W2 Ethics Overview – Why Study?

Aug 28 & 30 ● Bowman Ch 2 & 3

● Plant PDF

W3 Approaches to Ethics
Sep 4 & 6 ● Bowman Ch 4 & 5

● Martinez Ch 1

W4 Ethical Frameworks
Sep 11 & 13 ● Bowman Ch 6

● Johnson PDF

● Grobman PDF p15-21

W5 Ethical Frameworks Mini Paper 1 (Thur)

Sep 18 & 20 ● Bowman Ch 7

● Martinez Ch 2

W6 – Sep 25 Nonprofit Expo in the UC Chattanooga Rooms 12:30-2:30pm. Attend Expo

W6 – Sep 27 Professional Norms/Responsibilities
● Bowman Ch 11

● Cooper PDF (Ch 4 p71-88)

● Martinez Ch 3

W7 Professional Norms/Responsibilities/Transparency
Oct 2 ● Svara Ch 5 PDF

● Guy Ch 10 PDF

W7 - Oct 4 In-Class Test Test 1

W8 Professional Norms/Organizational Ethics/Appearance of Impropriety
Oct 9 ● Bowman Ch 8 & 9

● Lister PDF

W8 – Oct 11 Online Class BB assign

W9 – Oct 16 No class on Oct 16 (Fall Break)
W9 – Oct 18 Nonprofit Ethics Issues
● Rhodes/Packel PDF

● Grobman PDF p39-44

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 ● Good Governance PDF

W10 Nonprofit Ethics Issues – Reputation Management/Tainted Money

Oct 23 & 25 ● Temple PDF

● MT Attorney General PDF

● Optional: Skim Dorff PDF

W11 - Oct 30 Nonprofit Ethics Issues/Evolving Issues Armstrong Grp Proj

& Nov 1 ● Watch Stop at Nothing Doc, Read Giffords PDF and outside research (Thur)

● Kinsky et al PDF

W12 Evolving Issues – Whistleblowing/Loyalty/Dissent Mini Paper 2 (Thur)

Nov 6 & 8 ● Bowman Ch 10

● Rothschild PDF

W13 Nov 13 Evolving Issues – Whistleblowing/Loyalty/Dissent

● O’Leary PDF1 and PDF2 (skim the redundant beginning section)

W13 Nov 15 Online Class. Test 2

W14 Nov 20 Evolving Issues – Loyalty/Dissent/Adminstrative Evil
● Adams/Balfour PDF

W14 Nov 22 No class - Thanksgiving

W15 – Pulling it Together Mini Paper 3 (Tue)
Nov 27 & 29 ● Bowman Ch 15; Martinez Ch 5

W16 – Dec 6 Final Project Drop off – Dec 11 – 3:30-5:30pm Research Paper

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