Course Syllabus


Print Syllabus
Course ID: PAD107
Title: Public Finance Administration
Modality: Internet
Credit Hours: 3.00

Course Section Information

Institution: Rio Salado College

Section: 22828

Term: Spring 2015

Start Date: 1/12/2015

Weeks: 8

Last date to withdraw: None

Instructor: Joshua Cintron

Course Materials

       There is no textbook for this course.

Course Description and Competencies

Official Course Description
Basic overview of public finance system for state and local government. Includes budgeting processes, revenue and funding sources involving taxes and revenue forecasting. Also covers capital planning, debt management, performance measurement, financial statements, and auditing.
Official Course Prerequisites
None
Official Course Competencies
  1. Explain the public finance system for state and local government.
  2. Describe various stages in the public finance arena.
  3. Summarize the major differences between public and private finance.
  4. Explain the state and local budgeting process.
  5. Describe the methods of budget control.
  6. Explain public procurement practices.
  7. Describe the major tax structures and tax policies.
  8. Explain the revenue forecasting process.
  9. Summarize the capital planning process and capital projects.
  10. Describe the concepts of debt management.
  11. Identify and describe the process for performance measurement.
  12. Describe the major financial statements in the public sector.
  13. Define auditing.

It is expected that students will complete the course competencies by also accomplishing the following college competencies:

  • The student will demonstrate the ability to write effectively as the means to higher order thinking and a more critical understanding of experience. In keeping with this goal, he or she will be able to follow directions, generate sufficient content, organize his or her thoughts coherently, adhere to the conventions of correct mechanics and sentence structure, and use correct terminology and rich vocabulary in the fulfillment at the college level of his or her writing assignments.

  • The student will demonstrate the ability to analyze information, evaluate material, use inference to draw conclusions, use deductive reasoning, and use inductive reasoning at a college level.

Course Requirements

  1. You must complete all course assessments listed in your online gradebook to be eligible for a passing grade. Check the link on the Course Homepage for due dates.
  2. You are allowed to submit your assignments, including quizzes, only one time unless you have permission from your instructor to resubmit an assignment.
  3. You are expected to write at a college level. Use the grading matrix (if applicable) to see how your assignments will be evaluated. Edit your work carefully before submitting it to your instructor.
  4. Keep a copy of all assignments that you submit.
  5. Contact your instructor if you have any questions while you are enrolled in the course.
  6. Assignments must be submitted by the specified due date. If you find that you need an extension on an assignment, contact your instructor before the scheduled due date. Individual instructors will determine whether or not to grant the extension. If you do not apply for an extension, or an extension is not granted, your instructor will decide whether or not to accept the work and if points will be deducted.
  7. Each student must submit his or her own original work, as outlined in the plagiarism section in the syllabus. Plagiarism can include, but is not limited to:
    • submitting work that is not your own
    • submitting work that is copied directly from another source such as another student, a Web site, or a print source without proper citation
    • submitting work that is paraphrased or summarized from another source without proper citation.
  8. Assignments must include information summarized in your own words and personal examples in addition to quoted information from properly cited sources.
  9. You must earn an average of 60% or higher on the exam(s) and/or Midterm/Final Project(s) in order to be eligible to pass the course.

Time Requirements

Remember that this is a three credit-hour class. As such, you will need to dedicate significant time to this course. Plan to spend at least three hours on course content and at least six hours on homework for a total of at least nine hours each week. Be prepared to double your weekly class and study time if you choose an accelerated calendar.

Grading Procedure and Scale

Grading Procedure

 

There are 240 possible points for this course
7 short-answer essay assignments at 20 points each = 140 Points
1 open-book final project = 100 Points
Total = 240

Grading Matrix for Short-Answer Essays

Grading Matrix for Open-Book Final Project

Grading Scale

Letter grades for assignments, examinations, and the course will be determined by the following scale:

216 - 240 points = A (90% - 100%)
192 - 215 points = B (80% - 89%)
168 - 191 points = C (70% - 79%)
144 - 167 points = D (60% - 69%)
0 - 143 points = F (0% - 59%)

Please Note: The grading procedure for this course is based on the total number of points possible.

The grading scale is administered equally to all students in the course. Do not expect to receive a grade higher than that earned by your total points. There will be no "point adjustments" made for such things as "class participation" or other subjective factors.

Please note: Extra credit is not available for this course.

Exams

There is a required "open-book" graded project that serves as a final exam for this course. Please review the "Grading Procedure and Scale" portion of your syllabus for details. Your course materials give specific information about this summative assessment and make suggestions for preparing for this assessment.

You must complete and submit your open-book project by the end of your last week in this course. Refer to your course calendar.

  1. You must complete and submit this open-book project by the date specified on the course calendar. This open-book project is the Final Exam. Your instructor may assign you an "F" in the course unless you have made arrangements with your instructor for an extension.
  2. You may submit your open-book project (Final Exam) early if you have completed all of your other assignments ahead of schedule and you have your instructor's permission to do so

Final Grade Options

  • Letter grade (A, B, C, D, F) - awarded if the student completes all work, including any exams.
  • Extension (in lieu of Incomplete grade) - Students may request an extension because of illness or other extenuating circumstances, if they have been doing acceptable work. The instructor will define the requirements and timelines to complete the course. Please Note: Instructors are not obligated to give extensions.
  • Withdrawal-Students may submit a withdrawal request on or prior to the “Last Date to Withdraw” indicated in their RioLearn Gradebook.  

    Students should not contact their instructor to request a withdrawal. A student wishing to withdraw from a class within the stated timeline must do so by visiting my.maricopa.edu. In extreme circumstances, students do have the option of requesting a complete withdrawal from the college by providing Student Enrollment Services with appropriate documentation.

  • Credit/No Credit Option (P/Z) - This course may be taken on a credit/no credit basis. If interested, See detailed information about the (P/Z) option.

Hints for Success

Your success in this course will depend, to a great degree, upon how much effort you devote to carefully reading your lessons. Be sure to review the learning objectives for each lesson. Take the time to write the definitions for all of the key terms. The following Suggestions for Preparing Your Essays can also significantly increase your performance and final grade.

Suggestions for Preparing Your Essays

During this course, you will be learning numerous concepts and terms. As the former students of this course will tell you, the structure of the course makes this challenge easy to accomplish. We have structured this course to make your learning experiences practical and interesting, and you will find that the knowledge you gain from this course will be useful throughout your entire professional life. You will demonstrate your knowledge, understanding, and competency by submitting eight short-answer essay assignments and by completing a take-home summative assessment.

You should use the following format for all of your essays:

  1. Use the content of your lesson instruction as your primary resource.
  2. Grading will be based upon the quality of your analysis and how clearly you present the information within your answers. You are expected to incorporate key terms and concepts you have learned in this course. Points will be deducted for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. You should start with a brief outline for each answer, create a rough draft, and then produce a final draft.

Each essay should consist of:

  1. An Introduction paragraph, which contains a minimum of two sentences that introduces your answer to the reader and establishes a foundation for the remainder of your answer.
  2. Body paragraph(s), which present the major content of your answer. Each body paragraph consists of at least two sentences. Most students include two to three body paragraphs with three or four sentences within each body paragraph.
  3. A conclusion paragraph, which contains a minimum of two sentences and summarizes the major points contained in the body paragraphs.

    Be sure to re-state the essay question you have selected (in bold type). This will help you to ensure that you fully answer the question. Single-space your essay answer. Your instructor will provide you with valuable feedback concerning each essay.

Remember to use your own words. Try to avoid using quotes or paraphrasing other sources. If you use a quote or paraphrase from a source, you must give proper credit to the source by using the American Psychological Association (APA) format. There are numerous Websites available to you that will show you how to use the APA format. Simply type in "APA format" and conduct your search.

Submitting Assignments

All assignments are listed under the "Reading Assignment" box and in the "Assessing Your Learning" section. 

Note to students: Keep a copy of everything you submit.

Copyright Acknowledgements

Some images used in courses are licensed as follows: Accunet/AP Multimedia Archive, http://www.clipart.com, http://www.jupiterimages.com, EBSCO Image Collection.

Microsoft Office 365

Office 365 is the latest version of Microsoft’s productivity suite, and includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and more. It is available for offline and online use to best prepare you for class and your academic journey. As long as you are currently enrolled as a student at one of the Maricopa Community Colleges, you’ll be able to use this software for free.

To get your Office follow these simple steps:

  1. Go to https://login.microsoftonline.com/ and enter the following information:
    1. Username: Your Maricopa email address (i.e. MEID@maricopa.edu)
    2. Password: Password you use to log into your Maricopa email account
    3. Click Sign in
  2. Follow the instructions on the installation screen.

You will need your school email account to sign in.

Important Note: The Office 365 provided by Maricopa Community Colleges is for personally owned (home) computers and devices.

Submitting Assignments

Note: Your lessons will provide course specific instructions for submitting your assignments. Please carefully read all assignment instructions before you submit your work to your instructor.

All assignments are listed under the “Readings, Resources, and Assignments” and in the “Assessing Your Learning” sections of the lesson. All lessons can be accessed from the Course Section Home Page.

Quizzes: You are expected to complete the quiz once you access the link in the lesson. Please make sure you have answered all questions prior to clicking the Submit button.  Once submitted, you will not be able to access the assessment again.

Essay Assignments:  Unless instructed otherwise, it is recommended that you compose your essays in a word processing program, then copy and paste into submission box. Be sure to carefully proofread all written work before submitting. Also, make sure to properly cite and reference all sources. Failure to do so, will result in loss of points, lowered grade or course failure.

Midterm or Final Exams/Projects:  You can only complete or submit Midterms and Finals once, therefore, please be sure to carefully review before completing or submitting your work.  For objective exams, make sure you have answered all questions prior to clicking the Submit button. Note: Please keep a copy of everything you submit.

Late or Missing Assignments

Assignment due dates are listed in the Gradebook. If you need additional time, you must submit an due date change request through the Due Dates tab in the Gradebook.

Students must complete all assignments and assessments to qualify for a passing grade.  If any assignments have not been completed by the course end date, a failing grade will be issued.

Course Completion Policy

A student who registers for a Distance Learning course is assigned a "start date" and an "end date." It is the student's responsibility to note due dates for assignments and keep up with the course work.

If a student falls behind, she/he must contact the instructor and request an extension of her/his end date in order to complete the course.

Course end date extensions are only allowed in situations where the student has made consistent progress throughout the course and has three or fewer assignments remaining at the course end date. Instructors are not obligated to approve end-date extension requests.

Originality of Written Assignments

Students are expected to submit work that is primarily original in nature. Failure to do so is a violation of the Maricopa County Community College District Academic Misconduct Policy. What does this mean?

  • Quoted Passages - If you quote work from a source, a maximum of 20% of the essay may be quoted. Quoted material should support your original work, not replace it. All quoted work must be surrounded by quotation marks, should end with an in-text citation that includes the page number(s), and correspond to a reference listed at the end of the essay.

  • Combined Quoted, Paraphrased and/or Summarized Passages - You can use paraphrased and summarized information for a portion of your essay provided you include a proper in-text citation(s) along with a reference list. All quoted, paraphrased, and /or summarized material must support your original work. Therefore, no more than 50% of a written assignment may be quoted, paraphrased, and/or summarized - even if properly cited, from the work of others. This would not constitute original work.

  • Plagiarism Detection - All essays submitted at Rio Salado College are compared with previously submitted work to ensure students are submitting original work. You may not submit work that another student has previously submitted in a course as this violates the Academic Misconduct Policy.

  • Assignment Sharing Web Sites - Posting or using content from Web sites where students share their assignments is considered plagiarism as it violates the Academic Misconduct Policy and will result in academic discipline.
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools - Turning in content created by AI essay generators or other types of AI platforms violates academic misconduct and will result in academic discipline.
Tutoring - If you need assistance writing college-level essays, Rio Salado College provides free online and in-person tutoring. Please see the Tutoring Web Site for hours and locations.

Submitting Assignments

Online Submission Platform

The assignment due dates in this course are structured to complete all the lessons over the span of the course. Regular and consistent progress is expected in the course through the submission of assignments. The submission of an assignment can be no earlier than 7 days prior to the due date. Consult your course gradebook for specific due dates. Assignments/acknowledgments must be submitted through the online submission platform unless otherwise directed.

Final Grade Options

  • Letter grade (A, B, C, D, F)

  • Extension (in lieu of an incomplete grade): Students may request an assessment extension because of illness or other extenuating circumstances, if they have been doing acceptable work. Assessment extensions may extend up to two weeks beyond the established course end as indicated in the gradebook. Please Note: Assessment extensions are given at the instructor’s discretion. Instructors are not obligated to give extensions.

  • Withdrawn Failing (Y) – Students may be removed from their classes with a Withdrawn Failing (Y) grade for non-participation, which counts like an F in GPA calculation.

  • Withdrawal (W) - Students may submit a withdrawal request on or prior to the "Last Date to Withdraw" indicated in their RioLearn Gradebook.

  • Instructors are unable to submit a withdrawal (W) on behalf of a student. A student wishing to withdraw from a class within the stated timeline must do so by visiting View My Classes/Schedule in the Student Center, and selecting Drop Classes. In extreme circumstances, students do have the option of requesting a complete withdrawal from the college by submitting a "Request for Complete Withdrawal From All Courses" available under the Records heading on Rio’s Important Forms page.

    Before withdrawing, students should consider contacting their instructor and/or Rio's Counseling Services to see what options are available to help them stay in class.

    STUDENTS – STOP Before You Drop! A withdrawal request is irrevocable, and may affect future Financial Aid, Visa status, Veteran benefit eligibility, scholarship eligibility and may delay graduation. Please be sure that it is the right option for you before submission.

    STOP BEFORE YOU DROP

  • Credit/No Credit Option (P/Z) - Some courses may be offered with a credit/no credit option which, if offered, would be identified in the Grading Procedure and Scale section of this syllabus. See detailed information about the (P/Z) option here.

  • Note: Choosing the P/Z option is a permanent change to the gradebook. A P/Z grade will not be changed to a letter grade after the course end date.

Regular and Substantive Faculty-Student Interaction

The Rio Salado College faculty provide learners with frequent opportunities for regular and substantive interaction, which are critical components of a quality online program. At a minimum, faculty teaching online courses for credit monitor weekly due dates and initiate contact with students, post course announcements and/or "From Your Instructor" (FYI) notes that are academic and relevant, respond to academic inquiries within 72 hours, and provide detailed, personalized, and timely feedback. In addition, faculty regularly engage in synchronous and/or asynchronous interaction with students via tools such as discussion boards, rubrics, voice threads, video conferences, audio recordings, phone calls, email and/or text messages, social media, and online collaboration software. Though faculty members are responsible for initiating interaction, providing academic information, and facilitating learning, Rio students are responsible for remaining in regular contact with their instructors and engaging with the course content as active participants in the educational experience.

Requirement for Active Class Participation

Withdrawal for Non-Participation (Y) – Students need to communicate regularly with their instructor and engage in academic activities as determined by the instructor and department. Students may be removed from their classes after 14 days of non-participation with a Withdrawn Failing (Y) grade, which counts like an F in GPA calculation.

If you receive financial aid of any kind, it is your responsibility to protect your eligibility to receive financial aid by meeting the active participation requirements of this class.

Pregnant and Parenting Students

Students will not be discriminated against on the basis of a disclosed pregnancy. This includes discrimination against a student based on pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from any of these conditions. As a result, a pregnant or parenting student (a student during a defined postpartum period lasting up to 8 weeks after delivery), may be provided adjustments so they are able to access and participate in their educational program or activity.

Please visit the Working with Pregnant and Parenting webpage to learn more about this policy, reasonable adjustments and complete the Pregnancy Adjustment Form. If you have questions about the policy, please contact Rio Salado College’s Title IX/504 Coordinator Tafari Osayande at o.tafari.osayande@riosalado.edu or (480) 517-8196.

In the event of certain pregnancy-related medical complications, contact Disability.Services@riosalado.edu or call (480) 517-8562 for assistance in providing accommodations/academic adjustments.

Basic Needs

If a lack of basic needs such as food, transportation, school supplies, etc. is affecting your participation and/or performance in this course, please contact the Rio Salado Counseling Department at 480-517-8785 or via email at counseling.receptionist@riosalado.edu.

For additional services and resources:

Rio Salado College Counseling and Career Services
Maricopa Basic Needs and Community Resources

Library Services

The Rio Salado Library is committed to student success and provides a variety of materials and services to enhance student learning. Utilizing Rio’s online library for your research is the best way to ensure that your sources are validated, authoritative, and appropriate for college-level coursework. The library's Video Tutorials page provides instruction on how to use the online library to find books, articles, ebooks, and more. Librarians are available to help you at all times via our Ask a Librarian live chat service.

Please note that when library materials (e.g., articles, ebooks, and streaming media) are integrated into your lesson content, you will see the notation “…provided to you through the Rio Salado Library.

Academic Misconduct

Academic Misconduct includes cheating, conspiring to cheat, soliciting to cheat, attempting to cheat, plagiarism, fabrication on an assignment, or other forms of dishonest presentation.

Posting assessments on an unauthorized web site, soliciting assessment answers and the unauthorized acquisition of assessments, assessment answers, or other academic material is cheating. Turning in content created by essay generators or other types of artificial intelligence platforms is also academic misconduct.

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the use of paraphrase or direct quotation of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. It also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling or sharing of term papers or other academic materials. Information gathered from the Internet and not properly identified is also considered plagiarism.

We expect every student to produce his/her original, independent work. Any student whose work indicates a violation of the MCCCD Academic Misconduct Policy (including cheating and plagiarism) can expect sanctions as specified in the college catalog.

Rio Salado College uses software that uncovers plagiarism from student to student and other data sources on the Internet. If a student is found to have plagiarized content, grade consequences will be applied in accordance with departmental policies.

Civility Policy

The faculty of Rio Salado place a high value on the importance of general ethical standards of academic behavior and expect that communication between students and instructors or among students shall maintain the level of formality and mutual respect appropriate to any college teaching/learning situation.

Language or behavior that is rude, abusive, profane, disruptive, or threatening will not be tolerated. Activity of this type is Academic Misconduct as defined in MCCCD Policy AR 2.3.11. Students engaging in such behavior will be removed from the course with a failing grade. Additional sanctions may be applied pursuant to AR 2.3.11.

Honors Program

If you are taking this course for Honors credit, you must complete all assessments, including the Honors Project(s). The Honors Project(s) are listed in one or more lessons of the course and are designated for "Honors Students." Failure to complete the Honors Project(s) will result in a failing grade in the course and a loss of Honors credit.

Honors students are also enrolled in a non-credit Honors Achievement Award (HAA) or Presidential Honors Scholarship (PHS) section within RioLearn to submit co-curricular activity submissions. Co-curriculars must be completed in order to receive funding.

The Honors Department is here to support you! Connect with the college and other Honors students in our INSCRIBE community.

The Honors Department is available to provide additional resources and support to support your journey. Please contact the Honors department at RioSalado.Honors@riosalado.edu.

Classroom Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) and its associated colleges are committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities to students with documented disabilities (e.g. mental health, attentional, learning, chronic health, sensory, or physical). Visit district.maricopa.edu/mandatory-drs-title-ix-syllabus-statements for more information.

Religious Accommodations

Rio Salado College will reasonably accommodate the religious needs, observances, and practices of their students, when requested and the requests are made in accordance with the procedures set forth in ND-4. Any student may request a religious accommodation by making a written request for an accommodation to the appropriate faculty member using the Religious Accommodation Request form. To the extent possible, requests must be made at least two (2) weeks before the requested absence from class due to religious holiday or day of observance.

Addressing Incidents of Sexual Harassment/Assault, Dating/Domestic Violence, and Stalking

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, MCCCD prohibits unlawful sex discrimination against any participant in its education programs or activities. The District also prohibits sexual harassment—including sexual violence—committed by or against students, District employees, and visitors to campus. As outlined in District policy, sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking are considered forms of "Sexual Misconduct" prohibited by District policy. Visit district.maricopa.edu/mandatory-drs-title-ix-syllabus-statements for more information.

Student Solution Center

Rio Salado College is dedicated to a quality learning experience and has provided the Student Solution Center webpage as a resource for students to raise issues to our attention. We look forward to the opportunity to provide an equitable solution for all involved parties. For grading or instructional issues, students should first contact their faculty member(s) in accordance with the Instructional Grievance Process. For non-instructional complaints, students may contact Institutional Integrity and Compliance by submitting the non-instructional complaint form, emailing studentcomplaints@riosalado.edu, or calling 480-517-8505. Students may also contact their state regulatory agency; the Arizona SARA Council; and/or the Higher Learning Commission to escalate their concerns.

Change of Address

Please notify Course Support at (480) 517-8243 or 1-800-729-1197 or by email at course.support@riosalado.edu. Please include your name, student number, phone number, and new address including city, state, and zip code.

Contact Us

Please see the following page for contact information.

Disclaimer

Course content may vary from this outline to meet the needs of this particular group.

Rio Salado College Copyright

Course Content © Copyright 2021 Rio Salado College. All Rights Reserved.