Memo to Incoming Students

Department of Public Administration and Policy
Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy
To: Incoming Rockefeller College MPA Students
From: Welcome Week Excel Team (Prof. Erika Martin & Minyoung Ku)
Date: August 1, 2013
Re: Instructions for Welcome Week Excel Refresher Courses and First PAD 504
Graded Homework Assignment
Welcome to Rockefeller College! We look forward to working with you throughout your degree
program. This memo explains the materials for the Excel refresher courses, the first PAD 504
assignment (due the first week of class), and other suggestions for brushing up on your Excel
skills prior to Fall courses.
The Excel tab in the Welcome Week Central webpage contains the following files:
1) Handout for MPA Admissions data exercise (“Welcome Week MPA Admissions Excel
Exercise.docx”).
2) Data for MPA Admissions data exercise (“Welcome Week MPA Admission
Exercise.xlsx”).
3) Handout for Clinton Impeachment data exercise (“Welcome Week Clinton Impeachment
Exercise with Solutions.pdf”).
4) Data for Clinton Impeachment data exercise (xlsx).
5) Handout for PAD 504 homework assignment (“RPAD 504 Homework Assignment
#1.pdf”).
MPA ADMISSIONS DATA EXERCISE AND EXCEL REFRESHER WORKSHOPS
Before Welcome Week begins, download the two MPA Admissions data exercise documents
(docx and xlsx). Attempt to complete this exercise in its entirety. We include solutions but
deliberately do not explain how to obtain them. If you cannot reproduce the answers on your
own, then come to the refresher courses, where we will walk you through the exercise.
If you can do the MPA Admissions exercise on your own then you do not need to attend the
Excel workshops! You may have extensive experience with Excel through past coursework or
professional work, in which case you will be familiar with the material that we will cover.
However, if you cannot derive the answers or else have questions on the exercise, then you
should come to the refresher sessions.
There are two sessions. The first is Excel Basics, and will cover the first half of the material in
the MPA Admissions data exercise. The second is Fun with Charts and Graphs, and will cover
the second half of the exercise. You are welcome to attend both, one, or neither session (if you
know the material).
If you plan to attend the refresher sessions, add your name to the sign-up sheet outside Kara
Pangburn’s office (Milne 110). This will ensure that there are enough seats for everyone in the
computer lab.
135 Western Avenue, Albany, NY 12222
PH: 518/442-5248 FAX: 518/442-5298
www.albany.edu/rockefeller

Department of Public Administration and Policy
Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy
The two (identical) Excel Basics sessions will be held at the following times:
Monday, August 19, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm (Husted 004)
Tuesday, August 20, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm (Husted 004)
The two (identical) Fun with Charts and Graphs sessions will be held at the following times:
Wednesday, August 21, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm (Husted 004)
Thursday, August 22, 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm (Husted 004)
CLINTON IMPEACHMENT EXERCISE
The second exercise (Clinton Impeachment) will give you additional practice. The skills in the
second exercise complement those in the first exercise. (You will learn some new tricks if you do
the second exercise.) We will not cover the second exercise in the workshops. You are strongly
encouraged to work through the second exercise on your own after attending the workshops. The
guide contains extensive documented solutions which show multiple ways to solve the problems.
PAD 504 GRADED HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
The third exercise is your first problem set for PAD 504. This will cover all of the skills from the
Excel workshops. You are required to do this, and it will be due the first week of class. Do
not submit it to the Welcome Week Blackboard website – you will receive detailed submission
instructions from your PAD 504 instructor on the first day of class.
SUGGESTED EXCEL MANUAL
We strongly recommend that you purchase an Excel manual to keep throughout your MPA
program. You will be able to use it for core courses that use Excel, such as 501, 503, 504, and
505. The following text covers the basics that you will need in your core courses, and is available
for a conveniently modest price on Amazon.com:
Etheridge, D. (2010). Excel Data Analysis: Your Visual Blueprint for Creating and Analyzing
Data, Charts and Pivot Tables (3rd ed.). Indianapolis: Wiley Publishing, Inc.
However, there are a lot of good Excel books, so feel free to look at other texts. Find one that is
user-friendly and which you will use.
135 Western Avenue, Albany, NY 12222
PH: 518/442-5248 FAX: 518/442-5298
www.albany.edu/rockefeller