MGT5003 Syllabus Palm Bay Summer 2025-2.docx

Florida Tech

Public Finance

MGT 5003 Summer 2025

Palm Bay Cohort

Dr. M. Moore

Course Dates: 19 May 2025 through 11 July 2025

Class Meetings: Thursday from 6-9:10 PM

Dr. Miriam Moore

Phone: 321-536-9546

Email: mmoore@fit.edu

Textbook:

Mikesell, J.L. & Ross. J.M. (2025). Fiscal Administration, 11^th Edition. Cengage Learning.

Textbooks can be purchased from the MBS Direct web site located at: http://direct.mbsbooks.net/fit.htm Links to an external site.

Course Description and Goals:

MGT 5003 Public Finance is an introduction to public sector budgeting, financial management, and fiscal analysis. The course will cover the fiscal role of government in a mixed economy encompassing federal, state and local fiscal management in U.S. governmental settings. The course is broad and enjoyable and will cover the roles of government in public finance, major revenue systems and credit policies and sources, characteristics of federal state and local budgeting, basics of fiscal analysis, concepts and terminology in financial reporting, and capital budgeting, debt issuance, debt management, and trends and challenges in intergovernmental fiscal relations.

Course objectives: This course is about taxing, borrowing, and spending. It builds on the financial management skills acquired in the core and is designed to provide the basic tools of financial and budget analysis needed for a career in finance or public management, including consulting, or for service as an appointed or elected official or a voluntary board member.

This course is divided into two blocks of instruction:

Financial theory - which is concerned with the sources and uses of funds, including taxing, borrowing, and the cost of capital, and cash budgeting.

Budgeting - including the budget process, operational budgeting, and capital budgeting.

Use of Technology: In today's business environment, the use of technology is not optional. For this class you must monitor your CANVAS account. If you do not wish to monitor this email address you may have mail sent to this address automatically forwarded to another address. The assignments will require the use of MS Office Excel, Power Point, and Word.

Grading Grades will be assigned based on performance on formal assignments as included in this schedule or revisions of this schedule, and class participation as outlined above. Grades will be based upon the percentage of earned points from the total possible, including bonus points, and will be assigned on a 10-point scale (90 – 100 = A; 80 – 89 = B; etc.)

ADMINISTRATION

Use of best writing practices always enhances your final written document. For example, the following factors will generally contribute to the professionalism of a document:

No spelling errors
Good paragraph structure
Good sentence structure – correct grammar
Consistent use of appropriate fonts
Consistent application of formatting style

Assignments and Expectations:

Each student is expected to submit all assignments in accordance with the assignment instructions and the assignment schedule outlined in this Course Syllabus, or as updated by the instructor. Student assignments must reflect the work and original contribution of each student. Group assignments must reflect the work and original contribution of each student and the group.

All assignments submitted for grading must be in Microsoft Word (papers) and PowerPoint (presentations) format, 12-point font size, preferably Times New Roman font style. Students must be able to produce a copy of all the work submitted if requested.

Assignment Submission Instructions:

All assignments must have the student or team’s name on the first page of the Microsoft Word document.
Late assignments will not be accepted without the instructor’s previously approved permission.

Each student is expected to participate fully in all class activities, including discussions, individual and team assignments, papers, and presentations. Students are expected to spend time outside formal class lectures and discussion sessions developing their skills and knowledge on the subject matter.

Academic Honesty: The Florida Institute of Technology has very specific policies regarding cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty. These policies are available on the university web site. I take academic honesty very seriously and in accordance with university policies, any form of academic dishonesty will put the student’s grade for the course at risk and may lead to additional disciplinary measures. Students are expected to maintain complete honesty and integrity in academic experience both in and out of the classroom. Any student found guilty of dishonesty in any phase of academic work will be subjected to disciplinary action. At the very minimum, cheating will result in a grade of “Zero” for the exam or assignment on which the student has created.

Plagiarism is cheating and it is your responsibility to understand how to properly use and cite the works of others in your research. See documents available on the Evans Library web site for guidance.

The following online APA manual can be printed, three-hole punched, and placed in a binder for easy reference:

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html

Student Absences on Religious Holy Days: Students who must miss class and other required activities, including examinations, for the observance of a religious holy day should discuss the situation with me prior to missing class. Students remain responsible for all work.

Attendance Policy: Academic engagement is crucial for achieving success in this course and in your broader academic journey. Actively participating in instructional activities such as discussions, assignments, and collaborative exercises deepens your understanding of the course material and reinforces key concepts aligned with the course objectives. This engagement will enhance learning and help you retain and apply knowledge more effectively.

Interacting with your instructor and classmates provides a dynamic learning environment where you can ask questions, share perspectives, and challenge your thinking. These interactions encourage critical thinking and help you connect theoretical concepts to real-world applications, leading to a stronger grasp of both objective content and required competencies.

Corrections: Any corrections in Canvas, projects, or homework grades should be brought to my attention as soon as possible.

Drops and Withdrawals: 29 June is the last day to drop a class without a grade of F, and the last day to resign without receiving a WP or WF.

Course Schedule: The course schedule accompanying this syllabus is tentative and subject to change. Announcements concerning any changes will be made in class and posted on Canvas. The student is responsible for finding out about any changes made to the schedule.

Correspondence: Emails are my preferred correspondence mode for class issues such as grade corrections and simple questions about policies or assignments. All correspondence should be submitted through Canvas email. If you need to call me when I am not in my office, you may try my cell between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm.

Miscellaneous Policies: Each student is expected to behave in a way that is respectful of the class. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from class and loss of points for missed work. Each student is expected to arrive in class prepared to participate fully. Assignments (except for quizzes or exams, as applicable) will be returned and you should keep them if you anticipate a need to have your grade verified. I attempt to adhere to the included schedule but reserve the right to change the schedule and assignments as needed to accomplish the objectives of the course. I will make every effort to announce changes to the schedule in class a week before they are to take effect and to email changes to the students via their Canvas email accounts.

What is Title IX? Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972 is the federal law prohibiting discrimination based on sex under any education program and/or activity operated by an institution receiving and/or benefiting from federal financial assistance.

Behaviors that can be considered sexual discrimination include sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, relationship abuse (dating violence and domestic violence), sexual misconduct, and gender discrimination. You are encouraged to report these behaviors.

Reporting

Florida Tech can better support students in trouble if we know about what is happening. Reporting also helps us to identify patterns that might arise – for example, if more than one complainant reports having been assaulted or harassed by the same individual.

Florida Tech is committed to providing a safe and positive learning experience. To report a violation of sexual misconduct or gender discrimination, please contact titleixcoordinator@fit.edu or David M. McMahan, J.D., the Title IX Coordinator at dmcmahan@fit.edu or 321-674-7386.

* Please note that as your professor, I am required to report any incidents to the Title IX Coordinator.

Academic Accommodations: Florida Tech is committed to equal opportunity for people with disabilities in the participation of activities operated/sponsored by the university. Therefore, students with documented disabilities are entitled to reasonable educational accommodation. The Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR): supports students by assisting with accommodation, providing recommended interventions, and engaging in case management services. It is the student's responsibility to make a request to OAR before any accommodation can be approved/implemented. Also, students with approved accommodation are encouraged to speak with the course instructor to discuss any arrangements and/or concerns relating to their accommodation(s) for the class. Telephone: 321-674-8285 / disabilityservices@fit.edu / https://www.fit.edu/student-success-support-center/accessibility-resources/

Item	Type of Course Requirement	Effort	% of Course Grade
1	Class Participation Attendance Discussion	Individual	10%
2	Individual Assignment Essays	Individual	25%
3	Research Presentation	Individual	25%
4	Final Paper	Individual	40%
	Total		100%

Class Attendance & Participation = 10%

Short Essay = 25%

PowerPoint Presentation = 25%

Final Paper = 40%

Short Essay: Please retrieve a peer-reviewed academic journal article from the University Library Databases that addresses an issue in Public Finance/Public Budgeting. Examples of peer-reviewed academic journals in the multidisciplinary applied field of public administration are the Public Administration Review (PAR) and Administration and Society. Please write a three-page double-spaced briefing on the article with the inclusion of both in text citations and a reference list using APA format. The purpose of this writing exercise is to brief me on the contents of the article while providing your thoughts on the budgeting and finance process(es) discussed.

In Class PowerPoint Presentations: Each week, students will brief the class on a relevant issue from the textbook readings by giving the class a 15–20-minute PowerPoint presentation briefing. The inclusion of real-world Public Finance examples from the Federal, State, or Local levels of government are expected in the weekly briefings.

The Power Point should include a cover slide, reference slide, and 5-8 informational slides. All sides are expected to be relevant to the topic. Speaker notes should be included on all informational slides.

Final Paper: There are pervasive themes present throughout the course. Your challenge for the final research paper is to select three of these lessons or themes and tie them together in a creative and meaningful way that is demonstrative of critical thinking and then construct a final paper around these three lessons.

Write a ten-page paper addressing the three most important lessons (the weekly takeaway lessons) you have learned during this course. Real world examples should be included.

Provide a minimum of seven references using APA 7th edition citations form and style. Use those sources, which may come from the textbook, journal articles, and other scholarly sources, as in-text citations in your final paper.

Paper Outline:

Introduction
Take-Away Lesson 1
Take-Away Lesson 2
Take-Away Lesson 3
Synthesis

Course Schedule:

22 May

Textbook Readings:

Fundamental Principles of Public Finance.
2. The Logic of the Budget Process.

29 May

Textbook Readings:

Budget Methods and Practices.
4. Federal Budget Structures and Institutions.