PSYC 651 is Liberty's graduate course in personnel and performance management in the MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Each week has the same four pieces of written work: a 1.5 to 2-page reading summary, a case study, a 350-word research article review and a group presentation discussion; a 1,500-word performance appraisal project closes the course.
Liberty's catalog lists the course as PSYC 651 Personnel and Performance Management, 3 credit hours; Canvas and the course guide file print it as PSYC651.
What PSYC 651 covers
The catalog description: Examination of personnel psychology. Topics include workforce planning, recruitment and selection of employees, performance criteria and appraisal, job analysis, job evaluation, and compensation. (Crosslisted with MSPS 660 )
The course examines personnel psychology: workforce planning, recruitment and selection, performance criteria and appraisal, job analysis, job evaluation and compensation, with a focus on performance management systems. The text is Aguinis, Performance Management. Cross-listed with MSPS 660.
The midterm exam (100 points, five short-answer questions) has no guide here. Each week runs Monday to Sunday, and the final week ends Friday.
Textbook named in the published guide: Aguinis, Performance Management (2012). Check the current edition in your Canvas section.
PSYC 651 assignments, week by week
Every graded written assignment in the published guide has its own how-to guide below. Quizzes, exams, checklists and class introductions are left out because there is nothing to write.
| Week | Assignment | Points | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weekly Assignments 1: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review | 95 | Summary 1.5 to 2 pages; article review at least 350 words; discussion responses at least 150 words each |
| 2 | Weekly Assignments 2: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review | 95 | Summary 1.5 to 2 pages; article review at least 350 words; discussion responses at least 150 words each |
| 3 | Weekly Assignments 3: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review | 95 | Summary 1.5 to 2 pages; article review at least 350 words; discussion responses at least 150 words each |
| 4 | Weekly Assignments 4: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review | 95 | Summary 1.5 to 2 pages; article review at least 350 words; discussion responses at least 150 words each |
| 5 | Weekly Assignments 5: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review | 95 | Summary 1.5 to 2 pages; article review at least 350 words; discussion responses at least 150 words each |
| 6 | Weekly Assignments 6: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review | 95 | Summary 1.5 to 2 pages; article review at least 350 words; discussion responses at least 150 words each |
| 7 | Weekly Assignments 7: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review | 95 | Summary 1.5 to 2 pages; article review at least 350 words; discussion responses at least 150 words each |
| 8 | Weekly Assignments 8: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review | 95 | Summary 1.5 to 2 pages; article review at least 350 words; discussion responses at least 150 words each |
| 8 | Performance Appraisal Project | 140 | At least 1,500 words |
Week 1: Weekly Assignments 1: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review
Week 1's set: a 1.5 to 2-page reading summary on performance management and reward systems in context, a case study, a 350-word research article review and the group presentation discussion. How to write PSYC 651 Week 1 Weekly Assignments 1: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review.
Week 2: Weekly Assignments 2: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review
Week 2's set: a 1.5 to 2-page reading summary on the performance management process, a case study, a 350-word research article review and the group presentation discussion. How to write PSYC 651 Week 2 Weekly Assignments 2: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review.
Week 3: Weekly Assignments 3: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review
Week 3's set: a 1.5 to 2-page reading summary on performance management and strategic planning, a case study, a 350-word research article review and the group presentation discussion. How to write PSYC 651 Week 3 Weekly Assignments 3: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review.
Week 4: Weekly Assignments 4: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review
Week 4's set: a 1.5 to 2-page reading summary on defining and measuring performance and implementing a system, a case study, a 350-word research article review and the group presentation discussion. How to write PSYC 651 Week 4 Weekly Assignments 4: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review.
Week 5: Weekly Assignments 5: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review
Week 5's set: a 1.5 to 2-page reading summary on performance management and employee development, a case study, a 350-word research article review and the group presentation discussion. How to write PSYC 651 Week 5 Weekly Assignments 5: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review.
Week 6: Weekly Assignments 6: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review
Week 6's set: a 1.5 to 2-page reading summary on performance management skills such as coaching and feedback, a case study, a 350-word research article review and the group presentation discussion. How to write PSYC 651 Week 6 Weekly Assignments 6: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review.
Week 7: Weekly Assignments 7: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review
Week 7's set: a 1.5 to 2-page reading summary on reward systems and legal issues, a case study, a 350-word research article review and the group presentation discussion. How to write PSYC 651 Week 7 Weekly Assignments 7: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review.
Week 8: Weekly Assignments 8: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review
Week 8's set: a 1.5 to 2-page reading summary on managing team performance, a case study, a 350-word research article review and the group presentation discussion. How to write PSYC 651 Week 8 Weekly Assignments 8: Reading Summary, Case Study and Article Review.
Week 8: Performance Appraisal Project
A 1,500-word project explaining the value of performance assessment for a workplace you know and creating a performance appraisal for a position there. How to write PSYC 651 Week 8 Performance Appraisal Project.
How PSYC 651 is graded
The published guide totals 1,010 points. Each week's reading summary is 25, presentation and discussion 20, case study 40 and article review 10 (95 a week, 760 in total), the performance appraisal project 140, the midterm 100 and the checklist 10.
| Graded item | Points |
|---|---|
| Weekly Reading Summaries (8) | 200 |
| Weekly Content Presentations and Discussions (8) | 160 |
| Case Studies (8) | 320 |
| Research Article Reviews (8) | 80 |
| Performance Appraisal Project | 140 |
| Midterm Exam | 100 |
| Course Requirements Checklist | 10 |
The published scale puts an A at 940 to 1010 points.
Week timing in the published guide: Each course module/week begins on Monday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Sunday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final module/week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday.
How to approach PSYC 651
Find out in Week 1 which week you present to your group; the presentation is a narrated 5 to 7-minute YouTube version of your reading summary ending with two questions.
Choose the workplace for your performance appraisal project early, since it must be one you have worked in or know well.
Questions students ask
What is due each week in PSYC 651?
A 1.5 to 2-page reading summary, a case study from the week's cases, a research article review of at least 350 words, and responses of at least 150 words to the group presenter's two questions (or the presentation itself in your assigned week).
What is the PSYC 651 performance appraisal project?
A project of at least 1,500 words answering performance management questions about a workplace you know and creating a performance appraisal for a position there.
Working through PSYC 651 now?
Tell us the week and the assignment. A tutor who knows the course replies with a plan for the draft.