Topic Memo
Students will select a specific human services organization and prepare a report on the overall management and administrative function including philosophy, structure, programs, etc. The focus should be how human resources functions and how human resources should be a strategic player in the human services agency. (If you work for a human services organization, you may select your current organization, but a formal letter of permission should be acquired).
Research should be gathered from meetings with managers at the selected human services organization, podcasts, organizational publications, and/or other published material. The project is to be individually completed. This is a policy analysis paper and not an employee analysis paper.
Since no surveys or individual interviews are required, nor will be conducted with employees, the Saint Leo Institutional Review Board (IRB) process will not be necessary. However, if any human subjects are involved in the analysis of the program, then a proposal will be sent to the IRB at Saint Leo University for approval before any research is conducted using human subjects.
One or two pages that summarize the topic selected by the student. The Topic Memo has three purposes. (1) The Topic Memo helps the student begin planning for data needs, sources of information, and structure of the Final Report. (2) The Topic Memo encourages the student to identify a human services organization that they will study. (3) The Topic Memo provides an opportunity for the instructor to review and approve the students topic.
REQUIRED TEXT
Pynes, J.E. (2013). Human Resources Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations. 4th Ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. ISBN-13: 978-1118398623 (paperback). ISBN-10: 1118398629. ISBN 978-1-118-46032-0 (SPDF). ISBN 978-1-118-46034-4 (ePub).
