ArizonaStateUniversity
School of Community Resources & Development
Center for Nonprofit Leadership & Management
Volunteer and Human Resources in Nonprofit Organizations
NLM 540 – 3 Credit Hours
Wednesday 5:40 - 8:30 PM,
Fall 2006
Instructor: Kara Rosseaux, M.A. SPHR
Office Hours: By appointment
Classroom: UCENT 219
Phone: Work: (602) 263-1727 Cell: (602) 909-0410; Email:
Course rationale: The voluntary nature of much of the work in the nonprofit sector is one of its distinguishing characteristics. This course is designed to introduce theories, research, and practice for managing personnel/human resources (for both paid and volunteer staff) in nonprofit settings. The course explores the behaviors and cognitions of participants in nonprofit organizations, the motivational and personnel programs required by the organization, and the managerial strategies for effective human resources management.
Course Goals: This course provides an opportunity to explore management trends and issues currently affecting the sector for both paid and volunteer staff. Through research and analysis students will:
● Gain understanding of the unique nature of human resources management in the nonprofit sector.
● Understand the value and principles of strategic human resource management for nonprofit organizations.
● Explore the similarities and differences inherent in staffing structures for volunteers and/or paid staff.
● Develop an understanding of management techniques for enhancing the effectiveness of personnel (paid and volunteer).
●Understand the varied roles of staff (paid or volunteer) in nonprofit organizations and the factors involved in decision making concerning how best to staff various functions.
Required Texts:
Pynes, Joan E. (2004). Human Resource Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations. 2nd Edition, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Ellis, Susan J. (1996). From the top down: The executive role in volunteer program success. Energize, Inc.: Philadelphia, PA.
Instructional Rationale: Learning requires active involvement of students; students are responsible for their own learning; students share in the responsibilities for instruction.
Through focused reading, discussion, writing and participation in hands-on group exercises students are expected to build complex conceptual frameworks that will expand their understanding of human resource trends and issues in the nonprofit sector. As major topics in the course are examined, students will seek to discover connections, relationships, multiple causes and effects within and among topics.
Course Requirements: Students are expected to read all required assignments prior to the class period during which they will be discussed and to actively participate in class discussion of those readings and related issues. Students will be responsible to read and understand all materials assigned and provided as part of class.
Regular class attendance and participation is expected. Structured in-class discussions of course concepts and their application will require each student’s active participation and count toward course participation grade.
1. Articles – (100 points) Four 25 point current event articles from local or national publications with human resource implications. Students will write a 1 page synopsis of the impact (why is this newsworthy), for each article. Discussion will be held as time permits in class. Additional guidelines will be provided in class.
2.Issue Paper (150 points) – This paper will examine a broad reaching societal issue with significant HR implications. Students will be expected to examine the different perspectives and political, social and economic positions as they relate to HR. They will assess the impact of those and formulate a recommendation as to a course of action. Additional guidelines will be provided in class.
3. Interview (100 Points) – Students will select a non-profit or governmental organization that utilizes volunteers in their provision of services and conduct an in-person interview to understand the design of their volunteer program. The outcome of this interview will be an oral presentation to the class. Additional guidelines provided in class.
4. Debate (50 points) – Students will be assigned a team and debate a relevant HR controversial topic. Expectations forthe criteria for the debate will be shared in class.
5. Quizzes (50 points) – Five 10 point quizzes will be given over the course of the semester .
6. Participation (50 points) – This will be based upon your preparation and participationin classroom discussions, including attendance.
Grading System:
Grading will be based upon the total number of points earned for the semester:
Grade Percentage
A = 90 – 100%
B = 80 – 89%
C = 70 – 79%
D = 60 – 69%
E = 59% and below
NOTE: Assignments are considered late if turned in any time after the class period of the assigned due date. Late assignments will lose 10% for each day past the due date. Students will be told in class the due dates for all assignments.
Volunteer and Human Resources in Nonprofit Organizations
Fall 2006
DateTopicReading Activities
8/23Introduction
Review of Assignments
8/30Human Resources ManagementPynes: 1Discussion
VolunteersEllis: 1
9/6Strategic HR Management:Pynes: 2 & 3Quiz #1
Planning and TechnologyEllis: 2
9/13DiversityPynes: 5Guest Speaker
Ellis: 7
9/20Volunteers in the Public and NonprofitPynes: 6Discussion
SectorsEllis: 5Interview #1
9/27Working with VolunteersEllis 3 & 4Guest Speaker
Quiz #2
Interview #2
10/4Legal Issues in Human ResourcesPynes: 4Interview #3
Supplemental material
Ellis: 9
10/11Legal Issues in Human ResourcesGuest Speaker
Interview #4
10/18Job AnalysisPynes: 7Debate #1
Quiz #3
Interview #5
10/25Recruitment, Selection & StaffingPynes: 8Interview #6 First Draft of Issue Paper Due
11/1Compensation & BenefitsPynes: 10 11Interview #7
11/8Training & DevelopmentPynes: 12Debate #2
Interview #8
11/15Performance ManagementPynes: 9Quiz #4
Ellis: 10Issue Paper due
Interview #9
11/22Employee/Volunteer Retention StrategiesEllis: 6Interview #10
11/29Summary / EvaluationQuiz #5
Interview #11 & 12
12/6Final Night (Tentative)
ASSIGNMENTS
Issue Paper (150 points) – This paper will examine a broad reaching societal issue with significant HR implications. Students will be expected to examine the different perspectives and political, social and economic positions as they relate to HR. They will assess the impact of those and formulate a recommendation as to a course of action.
TOPIC: Immigration Reform
You have been appointed to the Governor’s Task Force that will be making a recommendation on development of policy specific to the immigration policy that will be adopted by the state of Arizona. For purposes of this project, assume that no legislation has been passed at a national level, but rather is still in the debate / proposal stage. You are charged with the specific focus of giving thorough analysis on the human resources impact to employers in Arizona on the various proposed legislation. In this most recent legislative year, the following bills were introduced in Congress.
Immigration Bills Introduced in Congress
The following is a list of bills introduced to Congress related to immigration this term, as well as additional resources related to the bills.
S 1438: Comprehensive Enforcement and Immigration Reform Act of 2005
Introduced in Senate on 7/20/25 by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), 4 co-sponsors. [Also referred to as the "Cornyn-Kyl" bill.]
Referred to Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
pdf version of bill
HR 4437:"Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act"
Introduced in House on 12/6/05 by James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), 35 co-sponsors.
[Also referred to as "Sensenbrenner" bill.]
Passed in House and referred to Senate Judiciary Committee, 1/27/06.
text of bill
NNIRR analysis: Stop the Sensenbrenner Bill
NNIRR comparison chart: Sensenbrenner, Bush and Specter proposals
S 1033/HR 2330: Secure American and Orderly Immigration Act of 2005
Introduced in Senate on 5/12/2005 by John McCain (R-AZ), 5 co-sponsors.
[Also referred to as "Kennedy-McCain" bill]
Referred to Senate committee, 5/12/2005.
pdf version of bill
HR 2092: Save America Comprehensive Immigration Act of 2005
Introduced in House on 5/4/2005 by Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), 18 co-sponsors. Referred to House committee, 5/23/2005.
pdf version of bill (141 pages)
NNIRR analysis: Jackson-Lee Bill Supports Immigrant Rights
Your finished analysis paper should contain your recommendation on what pieces of immigration reform should be adopted and the rationale behind the recommendation.
Interview (100 Points) – Students will select a non-profit or governmental organization that utilizes volunteers in their provision of services and conduct an in-person interview to understand the design and scope of their volunteer program. The outcome of this interview will be an oral presentation to the class. Presentations will be approximately 15-20 minutes in length. Key points to be covered are: purpose of the organization, in what roles volunteers are used, the budget for the volunteer program, supervision of the volunteer program (is HR involved?), training techniques, performance feedback process, turnover / retention stats on volunteers, annual dollar value of volunteers to the organization, unique challenges faced by the organization with respect to volunteers and any other information or data that will help illustrate / demonstrate how the volunteer program is managed. These will begin on 9/13.
We will discuss possible interview techniques in class.
Debate (50 points)– Students will be assigned a team and debate a relevant HR controversial topic. Expectations forthe criteria for the debate will be shared in class.
Possible Topics:
Raising the minimum wage
Discriminatory practices in employer sponsored health plans
Unions
Off-shoring of jobs