GPS Courses

This course focuses on the agencies and processes of the corrections system. Students will learn about community and institutional corrections. They will also learn about organizational structure and management. Current issues in corrections will be considered, as will the effects of technology on correctional agencies, personnel and offenders. Students will explore current research and methods within the fields of community-based and institutional corrections to determine their efficacy. Students will work on policy improvement initiative to inform the future of corrections stakeholders.

This course examines the important issues and challenges in security today. Students will explore the history of private security and its interconnectedness with public law enforcement and private industry. Students will examine current security threats and challenges including financial, physical, or cyber-threats, in practical and theoretical terms. Based on their research and active involvement with professionals in the security industry, students will evaluate the efficacy of current and emerging practice to determine best practices for the future of security in its various forms.

The course addresses the need for technology managers and leaders need to cope with complex systems that continue to evolve while under development and during deployment. Unlike traditional project management, technology projects require one to incorporate continuous change and accept scope creep. Sound processes have greater flexibility, include a more focus on teams, efficiency, and better communication. Frequently, servant leadership approaches are advantageous.

Provides knowledge and capabilities to extend general risk postures of an organization to the cyber areas. It aligns enterprise views, policy formulation, together with legal compliance, acquisition considerations, and principles relating to integration with external parties. In addition, the course integrates technology and strategy within the cybersecurity arena with threat modeling, with all other areas of the firm, and extended information stakeholders beyond the firm’s boundaries.

This course acts as an introduction to concepts and teaching practices associated with teaching English as a second language across the K-12 grade span in the mainstream classroom. Concepts covered include theories and applications of best practice in working with those who are learning English as a second language, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and applied linguistics. Students will take away theoretical foundations in what works with ELLs in the classroom that can be applied to the classroom settings.

This course examines current teaching strategies to ensure that instructional materials meet appropriate mandates for content and learning goals, and which also address student’s diverse needs, abilities, and experiences.

The purpose of Children’s Literature is to examine the literature, including the historical perspective, used for pre-kindergarten to the early adolescent (grades pre-K to 8). This course will emphasize current children’s literature and award-winning prose and poetry, using best practices in literacy along with instructional strategies and techniques that motivate students. In addition, participants will plan the literature curriculum, use literature within content areas, and analyze the current research in children’s literature.

This capstone course is designed to give students opportunities to take on the role of researcher by reflecting and applying theory to practice, a process known as action research. According to Sapp, action research is a practical experience in systematic problem solving designed to result in positive change (1994). This type of research method requires the student to identify and document the existence of a problem in his/her own setting. Based on a scholarly review of current literature, the student must then propose and implement a plan to solve or improve the problem. This results in the researcher developing a system to evaluate the effectiveness of his/her solution. All core classes must be completed and this must be one of the last three courses.

This capstone course is designed to give students opportunities to take on the role of researcher by reflecting and applying theory to practice, a process known as action research. According to Sapp, action research is a practical experience in systematic problem solving designed to result in positive change (1994). This type of research method requires the student to identify and document the existence of a problem in his/her own setting. Based on a scholarly review of current literature, the student must then propose and implement a plan to solve or improve the problem. This results in the researcher developing a system to evaluate the effectiveness of his/her solution. All core classes must be completed and this must be one of the last three courses.

Reliable and valid information sources and accurate databases inform health care decisions. This course offers a best-practices framework to the integration of information technology with health care administration. Topics include hardware and software applications, data extrapolation and manipulation, and other strategic approaches to information services.

Students are exposed to the principles and techniques of collective bargaining. Topics include references to national and state statutes and cases of precedential value, preparation for bargaining, scope of the bargaining process, use of impasse procedures, unfair labor practices, and the role of the grievance procedure under a collective bargaining agreement.

This course builds leadership and management skills that facilitate the effective execution of objectives where stakeholders and resources come from multiple areas, locations, budgets, and organizational substructures. To facilitate the execution of projects and processes to achieve objectives, the topics include the use of persuasion, motivation, emotional intelligence, cultural intelligence, and influence to ensure the delivery of resources and processes. Students will demonstrate leadership and management of teams and groups across multiple locations, structures, and multiple levels of formal authority. The control, communication, and interaction of data, information, knowledge, and learning lead to an introduction of range of associated meta-topics.

Complex business situations are analyzed in this course, with particular attention given to the development and analysis of strategic business plans. MBA core courses must be complete and this must be one of the last three classes completed.

This course will bring in components of managing the organizational change process, along with making the transition from average performance to outstanding performance as a company. The course will have a significant component on corporate consulting and also cover the stress on individuals caused by change. Current business trends, including acquisition, the knowledge work generation, outsourcing, working from remote locations, and the temporary workforce will also be covered.

This course considers the key dimensions of a school’s financial manager as well as the principles and practices associated with school budgets. The generation of financial statements and the management of inflows and expenses, line items, payroll, and the appropriate management of key budget personnel are discussed. The role of the school budget in yearly planning and control are explored within the context of the leadership function of a school’s chief financial officer.

Teachers will participate in a clinical model (small group and 1:1 setting) to help transition developing readers into literate learners. Participants will assess and assist children in grades K-8 who are having difficulties in orchestrating literacy processes to be effective readers and writers. There will be an emphasis on research-based assessment practices/analysis and implementing interventions that focus on how students process, which will result in an increase in student achievement in text level data over the course of six weeks.

Participants will gain an understanding of federal and Maine special education law. This course is designed and intended for teachers and special education administrators, principals, assistant superintendents and superintendents. The course includes review current cases and trends in special education law with an opportunity for case analysis.

The complexity of today’s health care reimbursement and payment systems requires an in-depth understanding of health insurance mechanisms, public funding sources, managed care functions, and the wide array of reimbursement options. This course includes a required, function-specific research project.

This course examines the breadth of the health care value chain, including all critical players and elements. Strategic procurement and the management of health care supply chains are a critical function in the daily delivery of quality health care. Efficient practices require communication and negotiating skills, as well as the organizational skills necessary to manage input/supplier matrices.

A major function of human resource departments is to ensure that employees are properly trained to perform their assigned tasks. This course introduces students to the training and development process. Additionally, performance review and evaluation is discussed as part of the overall career development plan.

This course intends to build on a thorough project management foundation to include detailed insight into large projects, projects with diversified stakeholders, multi-location, and international projects. Topics including portfolio theory and information economics are designed to enhance previous learning and extend to project portfolio management and project management office functions

Through the use of videotapes, case studies, and discussion, students examine the political, economic, educational, and sociocultural factors that serve as catalysts for the development of global markets. Additional topics covered include market- entry strategies, international marketing research, advertising and promotion in foreign markets, and distribution channels.

This course examines the ethical issues individuals face in organizational and managerial settings. Questions of economic policy and business practices intertwine with ethical, moral, legal, social, and psychological issues. Emphasis is placed on dealing with ethical dilemmas.