Courses

Special Topics Education in Newark examines the history of education in Newark, New Jersey from the 1950s to the present in the larger context of the history, sociology and politics of urban education and urban educational policy and reform in the United States, New Jersey and Newark. Among the topics to be discussed are the limits and possibilities of urban educational reform; the relationship between poverty and schooling; and a number of policies and reforms that have affected education in Newark. These include: 1. Deindustrialization, white flight, housing policies and the decline of Newark in the 1950s; 2. The decline of the Newark Public Schools in the 1960s; 3.The 1987 State Takeover Law and state takeover in 1995; 4. School Finance Reform: Robinson v. Cahill and Abbott v. Burke; 5. The Effects of a Superintendent: Clifford Janey (2008-2011) and Cami Anderson (2011-2015); 6. The $100 million gift from Mark Zuckerberg, and its processes and effects; 7.  The rise of the charter school sector in Newark: are they more effective?; 8. Postsecondary education and the attempt to raise college attendance and graduation of Newark High School graduates; 9. The return to local control (2017-2018): has the district made progress? Through readings of books, journal articles, and research reports and guest lectures by a number of individuals who have been a major part of the history of education in Newark, students will understand what has happened to education in Newark over the last 70 years and the limits and possibilities of educational reforms in the city. 

This course covers such topics as public sector organization theory and behavior at the micro and macro levels, networking, and interorganizational relations.

Technology and Public Administration explores the implications of information management technologies for public and nonprofit managers, including: the role of eGovernment, citizen engagement through Web 2.0 and social media, digital service delivery, cyber security awareness, the exploration of how policy and technology intersect, and how technology can be best managed through various governance models.

 Government and private organizations are recognizing the benefits of data driven decision making. As such, all business and strategic operations of this era are deploying technologies to improve data integrity in order to better serve its constituency. The course introduces various technologies public organizations may use to collect, manage, and disseminate information used to inform and administer public services.

The Arts and Culture of Public Service focus on the connection between arts and cultural program and community building, based on the perspective that arts and cultural programs can be a vehicle of community change and enhancement. This course will examine the role that arts and cultural programs played in community development and consider that arts and cultural programs a vital part of our public service commitment.

This course introduces students to the public policy process and to the institutions and actors involved. These include legislative bodies, chief executives, administrative agencies, courts, interest groups, advocacy coalitions, and the media. Students study the stages in public policymaking: identifying and describing public problems, agenda setting, policy decision-making, policy design, implementation, evaluation and policy learning. Activities in the course include policy development research, preparing policy memoranda, and policy analysis. On completing this course students are expected to be able to effectively use evidence to guide their participation in, and contribution to the policy process, with insight into different policy types and tools, while appreciating the relevance of context (social, economic, historical, political, and technological) toward developing effective policies.

This course will introduce students to the cultural, social, political, economic, and environmental elements and complexities of urban communities from a domestic and international perspective. Students will examine topics such as poverty, healthcare, education, environmental sustainability, employment opportunities, transportation networks, gentrification, and current social challenges. Through the lens of public service, students will explore the interconnectedness of world efforts in provoking the social, economic, and human service needs of local communities from an international comparative course of study.
Note: English Composition 355:101 and 355:102 recommended

(previously Administrative Transparency)

This course will address historical and current issues surrounding the concepts, theories, practices, and impacts of open government. A critical perspective on governmental transparency, accountability, and participation policies and reforms is presented. Students will learn the theory and art around accessing government information to inform their careers in government or nonprofit organizations. Students will be critical consumers of government information considering issues of politics, ethics, and inclusion to better understand what information is, and is not, readily available to them.