Overview
Cultural Competency in the News –
Public administrators are expected to understand how cultural competency influences
leadership, policy, decision-making, and the delivery of public services. This assignment
encourages students to apply course concepts to current events by examining how cultural
competency is reflected in real-world situations.
Assignment Requirements
Locate a current news article (published within the last 18 months) that relates to an issue
involving cultural competency in public administration, public policy, or public service.
Prepare a 3 to 4 - page paper (excluding the title page and references) that analyzes the
issue presented in the article.
Your paper should:
Briefly summarize the news article.
Identify the cultural competency issue or challenge presented.
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Discuss how the issue affected individuals, organizations, or the community.
Analyze the situation using concepts and theories discussed in this course.
Recommend strategies that could improve cultural competency and public service
outcomes.
Support your analysis using the course readings and at least three scholarly sources,
including the course textbook.
Grading Rubric (30 Points)
Understanding of the News Issue (8 points)
Clearly summarizes the selected news article and accurately identifies the cultural
competency issue or challenge presented.
Application of Course Concepts (8 points)
Demonstrates a strong understanding of cultural competency by effectively applying
course concepts, theories, and terminology to analyze the issue.
Critical Analysis and Recommendations (8 points)
Provides thoughtful analysis of the issue and offers realistic, well-supported
recommendations that promote culturally competent public service and organizational
effectiveness.
Writing Quality and Professionalism (6 points)
Paper is well organized, clearly written, and demonstrates graduate-level writing. Uses
appropriate grammar, spelling, punctuation, APA 7th edition formatting, and scholarly
sources to support the analysis.