Faculty Contact Information:
1. Telephone: 0033-(0)3-88-22-21-10. I live in France and the first two numbers indicate the country code and the following 0 is only used when calling within France. Otherwise, drop the first 0 when dialing. I have an answering machine and will be able to contact you within 24 hours within the week.
2. Email: My email address is: priceb@faculty.ed.umuc.edu. With the number of students in class writing to me about various issues, it may be helpful to include a summary of any previous correspondence to help my memory. | |
Consultation:
| Consultation is available by either email or telephone, although email is probably more reliable as I will also be commuting a lot. | |
Required Texts and Readings:
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Supplementary Readings:
Much of the material used during to discuss the development of the research plan will come from:
General Accounting Office (1991). Designing Evaluations. (GAO-PEMD-10.1.4). Washington, D.C.: Author. Retrieved February 7, 2004 from http://www.gao.gov/special.pubs/pe1014.pdf.
Other possible guides for assisting with students' research projects can be found at http://www.gao.gov/.
All graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library to obtain the various resources necessary to develop a Professional Paper. | |
Recommended Journals:
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Course Description:
| Prerequisite: Advancement to candidacy in the M.P.A. program and successful completion of the graduate PA comprehensive examination. This course will explore the methods and models for policy analysis and program evaluation; methods of collecting and analyzing evaluation data; processes for linking evaluation to policy formulation and program management. Emphasis is on how to conduct formative evaluations of government programs. Students are also able to make the appropriate distinctions between the administrative systems that make government programs work as well as how the impact of these programs on the quality of life in society is measured. Students produce a professional paper within their chosen area of interest. This course is graded Pass (P) or Fail (F) and is normally conducted over two terms. | |
Course Goals:
Bowie State University requires all graduate students to complete an advanced research paper. In Europe, this requirement serves as a capstone to the students' programs of study. As such, it is designed to assist students in all degree programs to move beyond the classroom by consulting with experts from their chosen professions and engaging in professional activities. Students are encouraged to participate in the professional associations most likely to either disseminate or publish the results of their advanced research projects. UMUC Europe Graduate Programs faculty and staff refer to these projects as Professional Papers. UMUC Europe Graduate Programs contribute to the professional development of their graduate students by publishing final drafts on a dedicated web site and providing funding to attend professional conferences. Additional information on these initiatives may be found at www.ed.umuc.edu/graduate/.
Definition of a Professional Paper:
- A Professional Paper is based on research conducted solely by the author. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Academic, professional, or trade journal articles,
- Case studies,
- Policy analyses, policy proposals, project management reviews, and program evaluations,
- Pre-procurement or pre-implementation analyses of new technologies or best practices,
- Grant proposals, and Responses to Requests for Proposals (RFPs). This final example is consistent with the type of papers written for the UMCP M.A. in Counseling and Personnel Services.
- The length, style, and format of the final draft of any Professional Paper are defined largely by the nature of the audience and the standards employed in that particular segment of the profession. Audiences and venues for publication and dissemination of final drafts may include but are not limited to:
- The readership of academic, professional, or trade journals, including online journals,
- Conferences conducted and organized by professional associations such as ACA or EB-ACA, ASPA, ICMA, AOM, ACM, AITP,
- Political institutions (Congress, state legislatures, regulatory boards, city councils, school boards, state mental health boards, etc.),
- Management teams (government and non-profit agency directors, boards of directors, CEOs and CIOs, schools principals, etc.), and
- Funding organizations (National Science Foundation, National Institutes for Health, National Institute for Mental Health, Rand Institute, Hoover Institute, etc.).
- Any Professional Paper, written for UMUC Europe Graduate Programs, regardless of audience, length, style, or format, uses the APA citation style and reference style.
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Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course the student will be able to accomplish the critical tasks of developing a professional paper, including to:
- Identify a relevant research question and developing a strategy to answer that question (see the Professional Paper web site for examples of proposals).
- Identify the audience most interested in the question (examples listed above).
- Identify literature and other sources of expert information on the question.
- Present the research question, the research design, the target audience, and a broad outline of the final paper (called The Proposal) to peers and a subject matter expert.
- Obtain permission from UMUC officials to use human subjects if the research design warrants.
- Obtain written permission from the management of the organization(s) involved with the research. Examples include, but are not limited to, military units, government contractors, DODDs schools, and restricted websites.
- Evaluate feedback received and making changes to the proposal as appropriate.
- Execute the research design.
- Write the Professional Paper that clearly and accurately reports the research findings in a format that meets the needs of the audience.
- Present a draft of the Professional Paper to peers and a subject matter expert.
- Evaluate feedback received and making changes to the final draft as appropriate.
- Submit the final draft to the target audience.
The student will receive 3 semester hours of credit toward his or her master's degree upon successful completion of the course. The role of the student is to:
- Initiate and complete each of the critical tasks in a timely manner,
- Be the sole executor of the research design and author of the Professional Paper,
- Cite all sources of expert information according to the APA style guide,
- Present and defend the proposal, progress reports, working drafts, and the final draft in a timely manner,
- Engage in discussions with the subject matter expert, the classroom instructor, and graduate student peers in a professional manner,
- Evaluate feedback received and make appropriate changes to the proposal, the research design, the literature review, the report of findings, the discussion, and the recommendations,
- Evaluate feedback received and make appropriate changes to the length, style, and format of the Professional Paper, and
- Provide Graduate Programs with an electronic copy of the final draft of the Professional Paper and the documentation from the subject matter expert.
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Grading Information:
This course is graded on a Pass or Fail basis only. Students who successfully complete the work in this course receive a Pass, which indicates a minimum grade of B. Students who do not successfully complete the requirements receive a grade of Fail.
The grade F(a) is used to designate academic failure. F(n) is used to designate failure for non-completion. Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the available online at UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog. Hard copies of the catalog are available in your local Education Center. | |
Course Requirements:
Graduate school at the master's level focuses on helping students obtain the education needed for success as professionals in their chosen fields. Thus, UMUC-Europe Graduate Programs and Bowie State University share the common goals of promoting excellence in academic scholarship through thoughtful inquiry and the skillful application of knowledge and theory for the betterment of society.
In order to maximize your graduate educational experience in general and this course in particular, the following are required:
- Research Proposal---------------------------- 10% (if late: 5%)
- Literature review with research assumptions - 10% (if late: 5%)
- First Draft of Research Paper --------------- 20% (if late: 10%)
- Identification of appropriate venues for
publication or dissemination------------------ 5% (if late: 2%)
- Final Draft of Research Paper---------------- 40%
- Participation in the review of other proposals
and final paper------------------------------ 10% (if late: varies based on proportion late)
- Timely replies to class inquiries ------------ 5% (if late: varies based on proportion late)
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Description of Course Requirements:
Research Paper: A research paper must define the problem or research area of interest, explain the relevance of the topic in relation to current affairs, and provide some indications of what will happen in the future. Evaluations will be based on content, presentation, and quality of expression. Papers are expected to meet or exceed accepted graduate-level English and scholarship standards. Papers must conform to the APA documentation style. To aid the student in succeeding, the course provides the student with multiple checkpoints and opportunities to receive feedback from the instructor and other students.
Research Proposal: A one to two page paper containing a clear statement of:
- the purpose of the research, research questions, and preliminary thesis;
- the boundaries of the research area;
- an outline of the research sub-topics;
- the methodology used, i.e. literature or field research;
- a preliminary reading list.
Literature review and research assumptions: A 5 – 6 page paper summarizing the academic and professional literature most relevant to the student’s topic and making explicit the student’s theoretical and conceptual assumptions.
First Draft: A full-length paper that students are expected to submit for discussing their interim results with the group and accept/provide constructive criticism from/for other group members in the course of paper preparation.
Identification of appropriate venues for publication or dissemination: A written statement following the literature review and first draft discussing a variety of possible venues for publication or dissemination of the student's research findings.
Final Draft Presentation: Participants will present their research findings and conclusions to the class using appropriate audio-visual and handout materials.
Class Participation: The essence of a seminar is the exchange of information among peers. Thus, members of the group will be expected to interact on each other's research areas in class plus via the Internet. That interaction should also involve positive comments and recommendations on how research topics can be strengthened. | |
Course Schedule:
Deadlines for Submissions
The following is a list deadlines for the papers class. A single asterisk (*) indicates that you will submit the assignment in your individual section (the study group that I created for you and me to work alone on your paper) and in a class conference thread. Students will be assigned the task of commenting on others' posts in the class conferences, so these posts will constitute the class participation component of your grade. Otherwise, a double asterisk (**) indicates that you submit only in your individual section.
12 April 2004
Selection of Topic and Subject Matter Expert.
* posted in both individual section and class conference thread
26 2004
Research Proposal.
* posted in both individual section and class conference thread.
3 May 2004
Students provide feedback on fellow students' research plans.
10 May 2004
Literature Review and Research Assumptions
* posted in both individual section and class conference thread. Also submitted to Subject Matter Expert with Research Plan for review.
31 May 2004
First Draft due
* posted in both individual section and class conference thread. Also submitted to Subject Matter Expert for review.
14 June 2004
Students provide feedback on their fellow students' first drafts.
21 June 2004
Identification of appropriate venues for publication or dissemination
** posted in individual section and submitted to Subject Matter Expert.
27 June 2004
Final Paper given to Course Instructor and Subject Matter Expert for review and recommendations.
12 July – 16 July 2004
Presentation of Final Copy for signing by Course Instructor and Subject Matter Expert
23 July 2004
Final copy (both in paper and MS Word format) and signed cover sheet submitted to Graduate Office.
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Academic Policies:
Please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog or from your local Education Center, for information on the following:
- Academic Integrity
- Course Load
- Exception to Policy
- Grade Appeal Process
- Make-up Examinations
- Nondiscrimination
- Students with Disabilities
Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center.
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Faculty Bio:
| For those of you curious about my professional background, I am a Collegiate Professor, teaching both undergraduate psychology and graduate counseling classes for Maryland. I grew up in the Ozarks of Missouri and have all my degrees from Midwestern institutions (Central Missouri State, University of Kansas, and Iowa State University). This is my fifth year teaching for UMUC in the overseas division, having first taught in Okinawa, then transferring to England where I was the Resident Graduate Professor (a.k.a. faculty advisor) for the Counseling Program until moving to France. Prior to joining Maryland, I was a licensed psychologist providing outpatient counseling and supervising a community mental health services’ program within a medium-sized detention center. My two major professional interests include the interface between mental health policy and law and cross-cultural issues in counseling and psychology. I consider my most significant early adulthood experience being a two-year service in the Peace Corps in the Central African Republic, where I opened the gates to my wanderlust that has not yet retreated. | |