Minors: Human Resource Development

The minor in human resource development provides content in human performance and workforce employment relations. Human resources research focuses on human performance gaps, the dynamics and interactions of people in organizations, and evaluation of training and development strategies to maximize organizational and employee potential. Regulatory compliance, employment policies, and compensation/benefits are also fundamental to the legal, ethical, and competencies dimensions for human resources professionals.

EDD 8472: Human Resources Development
This course provides the principles of human resources and administrative supervision techniques for educational institutions, administrative offices, and public and private organizations and associations.    Topics include skills needed for planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling, communicating, motivating, decision-making, priority setting and time management toward effective objectives and organizational goals.    Focused areas include job performance, employee development, management of a diverse work force, employment law, harassment and health issues and disabilities and discrimination in the workplace.

EDD 8570: Principles and Theories of Organizational Development
This course examines current and emerging philosophies and practices of organizational development (OD). Course participants will analyze, compare, and contrast specific quantitative, qualitative, and process-based approaches to OD in organizations. Further, participants will examine strategies and practical techniques related to consulting opportunities and challenges. Participants will then create an OD intervention proposal which describes the OD problem or opportunity, approaches to addressing the problem or opportunity, a plan for implementation of the OD intervention, and specific evaluative measures to assess the effectiveness of the OD intervention.

EDD 8571: Principles and Theories of Training and Development
This course addresses the training theories and models necessary to develop an effective organizational the workforce of the 21st century. Participants will examine principles and techniques needed to create effective employee training and development practices. Topics include analysis of performance deficiencies, approaches to employee performance enhancement, and approaches to evaluation of training and development strategies.

EDD 8572: Principles of Organizational Synergy in Human Resource Development
This course examines the role of organizational leaders in promoting strategic human resource development based on organizational mission, vision, and values. Course participants will examine linkages between organizational mission strategies and organizational practices in employee training and organizational development and recommend strategic improvements to strengthen and enhance organizational synergy. Participants will conduct a leadership audit of HRD practices in a specific organization and recommend improvements based on current and emerging leadership practices in HRD.

EDD 8574: Strategies and Practices for Organization Outcomes Evaluation
This course provides an in-depth examination of organizational return on investment in employee training and development. Participants will evaluate organizational training practices and calculate the extent to which HRD practices used by the organization have been effective in enhancing organizational performance. Participants will also create enhanced training plans based on determination and analysis of objective criteria related to organizational return on the training investment. Participants will design a matrix, formula, spreadsheet, or other method to calculate and evaluate organizational return on investment in employee training and development.