Course Syllabus - PADM 7335: Urban Management

Ross Hall 118

Instructor:        Bryan Day

Cell Phone:        501-519-1950

Email:                bryan.day@att.net        bmday@ualr.edu

Class Meets:        Wednesdays from 6:00 p.m. – 8:40 p.m.

“In local government, it's very clear to your customers - your citizens - whether or not you're delivering. Either that pothole gets filled in, or it doesn't. The results are very much on display, and that creates a very healthy pressure to innovate.”  - Pete Buttigieg, US Secretary of Transportation; former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana

Course Purpose

This course is designed to provide a basic introduction to local government with an emphasis on urban management. Today cities face a myriad of problems and challenges, and elected officials and professional managers must carefully analyze each issue and develop a strategic approach to identify common sense and practical solutions. Local government officials often must solve these problems while facing competing interests, limited financial resources and State and Federal mandates. During this semester, we will learn about urban management, public policy, planning and development, decision making, human resources, budget and finance and leadership. Utilizing the textbook, current events, guest speakers and other select resources, by the end the course, class participants will have a basic understanding of urban management and hopefully develop a sense of the future of urban management.

Textbook        

England, Pelissero, Morgan. 2017.   Managing Urban America – Eight Edition. CQ Press

Additional Resources

Although there is only one textbook for this course, there are several helpful websites for you to use. These include, but are not limited to the International City Managers’ Association (www.icma.org), the National League of Cities (www.nlc.org),  the National Association of Counties (www.naco.org), the Arkansas Municipal League (www.arml.org), the Association of Arkansas Counties (www.arcountied.org), the City of Little Rock (www.littlerock.gov), and Pulaski County (www.pulaskicounty.net).  You are encouraged to also establish a Google alert for “local government” news. These current events will help you better understand the issues facing local government today. There are also several publications that will provide good information on local government management. These include Governing Magazine (published by Congressional Quarterly), Public Management (published by the International City/County Management Association), and the Public Administration Review.

Course Requirements 

To be an effective professional, one needs to display the following attributes: 1) punctuality and timeliness, 2) good listening skills, 3) good writing skills, 4) effective presentation skills, and 5) the ability to engage in meaningful conversation. This course has been designed to strengthen these attributes.

• Class Participation (20%) Class attendance and participation is expected. While in class, students are expected to be prepared to discuss the weekly assignment; to practice active listening; and to engage  in conversations with fellow students and guest.

• Case Study (10%) Each student will present two case studies on a local government issue to the class.   Students will be expected to verbally present a summary of the case study to the class and lead a conversation about the case study. Summaries should include what the case study is about, why it is important, and how it impacts local government. Students will submit a written summary of the case study on the night of the presentation. These summaries should be a maximum of two double-spaced pages using 12-point font.

• Midterm Exam (20%) There will be a mid-term exam covering materials from the assigned textbook. The exam will be an essay exam where a range of topics that have been covered in class will be presented for discussion and review. Students will be given several questions to choose from.

• Class Presentation (30%): Elected officials often rely on professional staff to research and provide them with the information they need to make decisions that are in the best interest of the community. Students will research a current public policy issue and prepare a memorandum and presentation on the issue they have chosen. Public policies to consider include but are not limited to social media and freedom of speech, economic development, homelessness, infrastructure, urban planning trends, public safety, public-private partnerships, bike friendly communities and public transportation, public finance, and technology. Students must present their idea to the instructor no later than September 15, 2021. The instructor will make suggestions on the topic and give final approval to proceed. The memorandum should include a summary, background on the issue, options to consider, including potential costs, legal ramifications, public reaction, etc. The memorandum should conclude with a recommendation and implementation suggestions. The memorandum should be no more than eight double-spaced pages using 12-point font. Supporting documentation may be included beyond the eight pages. The class presentations should last between ten and fifteen minutes, followed by a maximum of five minutes of discussion. PowerPoint or other visual aids may be utilized but are not required.

• Final Exam (20%) There will be a final exam covering materials from the assigned textbook. The exam will be an essay exam where a range of topics that have been covered in class will be presented for discussion and review. Students will be given several questions to choose from.

Grading System 

The grading system for this course will be: (A – 90% and above); (B – 80% - 89%); (C – 70% - 79%); (D – 60% - 69%); (F - 60% or below). The assignment of letter grades in this course is the responsibility and discretion of the instructor.

Students with Disabilities

It is the policy and practice of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to create inclusive learning environments consistent with State and Federal law. If you have a disability that requires accommodations, please contact me and we can work through the Disability Resource Center (DRC) to identify and create reasonable accommodations. The DRC can be reached by calling 501-569-3143 (V/TTY) or 501-683-7629. For more information, please visit the DRC website at ualr.edu/disability 

Academic Integrity (from the University’s Webpage)

The university has developed certain regulations to make possible an orderly academic environment where all members of the community have the freedom to fully develop. Academic dishonesty cannot be condoned or tolerated in the university community. Such behavior is considered a student conduct violation and students found responsible of committing an academic offense on the campus, or in connection with an institution-related or sponsored activity, or while representing the university or academic department, will be disciplined by the university.

For more information on academic integrity, please visit: ualr.edu/deanofstudents/index.php/home/academic-integrity/