They permit the evaluation of a student's academic performance thus giving essential feedback to the student, as well as to those who have a need to judge the student's ability. Also they direct student energy into areas considered appropriate by the instructor. This instructor also seeks to avoid student test uncertainty and encourage the possibility of group-shared experiences. Therefore, the pool of possible exam questions are known from the first day of class so that students can focus upon those questions as the class evolves. In preparing for the exams students are encouraged to form study groups.
Exams are closed book, closed notes.
Each paper will focus on one aspect of organization theory and its application to a specific public administration topic. Each student shall meet with the instructor at the beginning of the course to agree upon a research topic. A one page prospectus outlining the research project, including a research design and preliminary list of sources, is due at the third class. Dennis M. Daley received B.A.'s in History and Government from Montana State University, an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Montana, and his Ph.D. in Political Science from Washington State University. He has taught on the faculty of Mankato State University, Iowa State University, the University of Mississippi, and North Carolina State University.