Department of Political Science

Vaughn May (chair), Nathan Griffith, Susan Jellissen

Purpose:

Political Science examines the issues, events, and texts that shape a student’s understanding and application of governments and politics. As an intellectual discipline, political science may be divided into four general areas of study: American Government, Politics, and Administration; International Relations; Comparative Politics and Government; and Political Theory and Methodology.

Goals:

Political Science students will be able to comprehend political ideas and issues and respond critically and intelligently through several means. The department seeks to cultivate these opportunities through a number of approaches.

First, the program furnishes students with a broad and diverse survey of government and politics, focusing upon the ideas, institutions, and processes that shape contemporary political studies through the examination of the various sub-fields of the discipline.

Second, it promotes an academic environment of active learning that cultivates such skills as effective written and oral communication, coherent and critical reading and independent thinking, and informed ethical understanding and development.

Third, the department provides a student-centered program that focuses upon individual-oriented advising and attention to satisfy the unique needs of each student in an academically challenging program.