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1 University of Tennessee, Chattanooga Department of Political Science, Public Administration, and Nonprofit Management External Program Review April 2015 Karen M. Kedrowski, Winthrop University, Reviewer The University of Tenneessee-Chattanooga’s Department of Political Science, Public Administration, and Nonprofit Management (hereafter “the department” 1 ) is at an important crossroads in its history. Several long-time faculty members have retired or are retiring in the near future. The University is facing its own upheaval due to the double-blow of state budget cuts and probable enrollment declines due to Tennessee Promise. These pressures may mean that faculty lines may not be replaced or there may be delays in securing approval to replace faculty. In terms of national trends, undergraduate enrollments in Political Science/Public Administration programs are holding steady. Yet at the same time, the population of traditional college-age students is declining (NSF 2014) and the disciplines in the traditional liberal arts face questions from parents, students, and legislators about the employment prospects of liberal arts graduates (See for example, AAC&U 2014). While pre-law students have long been the “bread and butter” of Political Science departments, law school enrollments are declining (ABA 2014) and the current job market for attorneys is weak. This convergence of factors provides an opportunity – and even an imperative -- for the department to examine critically its structure and processes in order to provide a quality academic program in light of these uncertainties. Indeed, it should also be thinking strategically about how to attract future students to the University and to the major program. The department has many strengths and I have every confidence that the department can adapt to national trends; develop a high-quality, flexible program; and position itself well to face the possible changes that may be in store. This report will document the department’s strengths and provide recommendations for future action in a curriculum (both in the structure of the major and the courses offered), assessment, staffing, community and campus engagement, and shared leadership. Departmental Strengths The program review process revealed a department that has many strengths and the department should be proud of these strengths. They include: Student and Alumni Enthusiasm: First, the students and alumni are very fond of their faculty members. They enjoy the faculty and love witnessing the faculty members’ passion for their subjects. They also 1 In the interest of full disclosure, I consider Public Administration a subfield of the Political Science discipline. Similarly, I consider Nonprofit Management as a subfield of Public Administration, given that government agencies and nonprofit organizations have similar, public-spirited missions and face similar personnel and financial management responsibilities. Thus, I will distinguish between Political Science, Public Administration, and Nonprofit Management only when such distinctions are relevant to the narrative. That does not imply that I don’t understand or appreciate their differences, their contributions, or their unique places in the department’s history.

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University of Tennessee, Chattanooga Department of Political Science, Public Administration, and Nonprofit Management

External Program Review April 2015

Karen M. Kedrowski, Winthrop University, Reviewer

The University of Tenneessee-Chattanooga’s Department of Political Science, Public Administration, and Nonprofit Management (hereafter “the department”1) is at an important crossroads in its history. Several long-time faculty members have retired or are retiring in the near future. The University is facing its own upheaval due to the double-blow of state budget cuts and probable enrollment declines due to Tennessee Promise. These pressures may mean that faculty lines may not be replaced or there may be delays in securing approval to replace faculty. In terms of national trends, undergraduate enrollments in Political Science/Public Administration programs are holding steady. Yet at the same time, the population of traditional college-age students is declining (NSF 2014) and the disciplines in the traditional liberal arts face questions from parents, students, and legislators about the employment prospects of liberal arts graduates (See for example, AAC&U 2014). While pre-law students have long been the “bread and butter” of Political Science departments, law school enrollments are declining (ABA 2014) and the current job market for attorneys is weak. This convergence of factors provides an opportunity – and even an imperative -- for the department to examine critically its structure and processes in order to provide a quality academic program in light of these uncertainties. Indeed, it should also be thinking strategically about how to attract future students to the University and to the major program. The department has many strengths and I have every confidence that the department can adapt to national trends; develop a high-quality, flexible program; and position itself well to face the possible changes that may be in store. This report will document the department’s strengths and provide recommendations for future action in a curriculum (both in the structure of the major and the courses offered), assessment, staffing, community and campus engagement, and shared leadership.

Departmental Strengths

The program review process revealed a department that has many strengths and the department should be proud of these strengths. They include: Student and Alumni Enthusiasm: First, the students and alumni are very fond of their faculty members. They enjoy the faculty and love witnessing the faculty members’ passion for their subjects. They also

1 In the interest of full disclosure, I consider Public Administration a subfield of the Political Science discipline.

Similarly, I consider Nonprofit Management as a subfield of Public Administration, given that government agencies and nonprofit organizations have similar, public-spirited missions and face similar personnel and financial management responsibilities. Thus, I will distinguish between Political Science, Public Administration, and Nonprofit Management only when such distinctions are relevant to the narrative. That does not imply that I don’t understand or appreciate their differences, their contributions, or their unique places in the department’s history.

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report that the faculty are truly interested in their academic success and hold them to high standards. The alumni report that they were well prepared for their next step, be it law school or employment. Second, I am also impressed by the students’ understanding that college is not just about getting a job. Rather, various students revealed they understood that one reason for a college degree to is become more informed citizens and to acquire the reasoning skills that enable them to live a reflective and fulfilled life. This high level of sophistication is a tribute to the faculty. Third, the current students also report that, on the whole, they are exposed to issues of diversity (race, ethnicity, gender, cross-national comparisons, and multiple ideological perspectives) in many of their courses. Indeed the faculty themselves are diverse demographically and in terms of expertise and methodological approach. Fourth, the students also appreciate the department’s emphasis on research and writing and its internship program. In terms of the former, the students report that the courses are rigorous and that they have the opportunity to hone their writing skills during their careers. In terms of the latter, the internship program is very well-developed in some concentrations. The students in these concentrations consider the internships as an opportunity to apply their learning to real-world problems. Fifth, the students reported that they really enjoyed the learning opportunities that afforded a “change of pace.” Several students praised the opportunities to learn SPSS and GIS computer programs. Others really like the opportunities for small group discussions and the opportunities to relate current events to concepts being taught in class. In short, the students and alumni are very positive about their experiences with the department, the faculty and the courses. Cognate Departments’ Responses: The representatives from cognate disciplines are also quite positive about the department’s faculty. The faculty are liked across campus and seen as competent instructors and scholars. These representatives also spoke very highly of the department’s students. They said, “they’re good students.” “They’re engaged.” “They follow the news and bring the news into the classroom. They connect current affairs to class concepts.” Again, this is high praise for the department’s student body and for the faculty who have nurtured students’ intellectual curiosity. Leadership: There was universal praise for the department chair, Dr. Deardorff. She is viewed positively by faculty members, students, staff, the administration, and her fellow department chairs. Dr. Deardorff is seen as bright, engaged, knowledgeable, and helpful. She is also considered an excellent manager. Dr. Deardorff was praised for her contributions on campus through the women’s studies program and her public addresses. Junior faculty see her as a trustworthy mentor. Perhaps the highest praise came from a fellow chair, who said, “clone her.”

Curriculum Part 1: The Major Program The curriculum is the heart of the student’s experience and it touches on all other parts of the student experience: advising, mentoring, career preparation, and more. The department has a complicated major program. Students have a common core (American Government, World Politics, and Research Methods), and choose one of five concentrations. This section evaluates the major curriculum against the standards of the American Political Science Association (APSA) and the Association of American

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Colleges & Universities’ (AAC&U) High Impact Practices. Both are considered “industry standards” and best practices. Notably, the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) accredits only master’s level program and does not have a set of guidelines for undergraduate programs in public administration and nonprofit management (NASPAA 2015). Unless otherwise specified, I will refer to “the major” as a whole and only refer to specific concentrations when such distinctions were necessary. Comparing the UTC Major to Disciplinary Standards. During his tenure as President of the American Political Science Association (APSA), Dr. John Wahlke convened a task force to provide recommendations for the structure of the political science major. Formally titled “Liberal Learning and the Political Science Major: A Report to the Profession” (1991), the “Wahlke Report” remains the APSA’s most recent statement on the structure and content of the major. In addition, the traditional liberal arts are under increasing criticism that they do not prepare students for careers. Parents and students also want a college degree to turn into gainful employment. Thus, defenders of the liberal arts, including the American Humanities Council, the AAC&U, the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Phi Beta Kappa, and others have engaged in a vigorous defense of the liberal arts and the job skills that it provides. The students and alumni I met also communicated that they want some discipline-specific career guidance. Given this national conversation, I also include as an indicator “career preparation.”

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Table 1: The Wahlke Report and the UTC Major Curriculum. Wahlke Report Recommendation Degree Met Comments

1 Departments prepare and distribute a handbook for majors.

Met In lieu of a handbook, the web site provides valuable information to students regarding the department and its programs

2 That every political science major gain familiarity with the different assumptions, methods, and analytical approaches in the discipline

Mostly Met The degree to which this occurs varies by instructor but does happen throughout the curriculum.

3 Students have exposure to “minor” or “cognate” fields with important political content (i.e. history, economics, geography, etc.)

Met Students are required to minor in another discipline; most choose to minor in a cognate discipline. Some concentrations include requirements and electives in cognate disciplines.

4 Introductory American Government be taught in a Comparative fashion

Undetermined A comparative presentation was not apparent in the syllabi provided to me. However, comparative perspectives may be embedded in lectures and discussions and not be reflected in the syllabi.

5 Race, gender, and cultural diversity, and international and transnational dimensions are infused throughout the curriculum.

Met at least in part

The department has a number of courses that include such topics.

6 Introductory American Government must include race, gender, and diversity throughout the course content

Met in part At least one American Government instructor uses a text known for its treatment of diversity (Welch et al.) and includes class periods dedicated to these topics.

7 Major should be centered around a common core of topics

Met All majors take American Government, World Politics, and Research Methods

8 That all political science majors acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to read and comprehend contemporary political analyses and to develop their analytic capacity

Met Students and alumni report that they gain these skills and this report is confirmed by faculty in cognate disciplines.

9 The program should have sequential learning major that includes introduction to the discipline, introduction to American Government and a senior Capstone experience

Not met The department lacks a senior capstone and nor does it introduce students to the discipline as a whole.

10 Students have the ability to “experience political life” through internships, Washington seminars, work on political campaigns, study abroad and/or simulations.

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Met in part One concentration has a well-developed internship program; others less so. The department only recently granted internship credit for political campaigns. Students participate in Moot Court and the Model UN. Study Abroad programs and international internships are less well developed.

11 Career Preparation: Students learn about various career options available to students in political science and related disciplines, and receive some career preparation (i.e. resume writing, cover letter workshops) at key points in their careers.

Met in part Public Administration and Nonprofit Management syllabi demonstrate that this is an intentional part of the concentration. Likewise, students report that this is well integrated into the Public Administration and Nonprofit Management and Legal Studies concentrations. It is less evident elsewhere.

Taken together, this chart demonstrates that the UTC program fully meets three of the discipline’s standards and meets another four in part. However, at least one gap exists across the concentration (no

2 Simulations are not included as an example in the Wahlke report. However, given their importance to the

discipline, I include them here as an option.

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senior capstone/ introduction to the discipline). In several other instances, student experience varies by concentration. Comparing the UTC Major to AAC&U’s High Impact Practices. The AAC&U has identified several research-based “high impact practices” (HIPs) that provide students with the opportunity to gain practical skills, engage in transformative education, and improve persistence and graduation rates. They have been found to be effective with all student populations, but are especially impactful with first generation and low-to-moderate income students. This section will examine the UTC major in the context of these HIPs (Kuh 2008). While some of these practices may be adopted university-wide, many could be emulated at the department level as well. Some of these overlap the Wahlke Report, even though they were developed over a decade later. Table 2: UTC major and High Impact Practices HIP Met? Comments

1 First-Year Seminars and Experiences

Not met The department has no freshmen seminar or common experience for incoming students.

2 Common Intellectual Experiences

Met Students have three required core courses in the major.

3 Learning Communities Met in part Students could converge in the renovated computer laboratory; however, they do not. Similarly, there are few student organizations that really tout themselves as open to all students in the major, irrespective of concentration.

4 Writing Intensive Courses Met Students are encouraged to take a “writing for the social sciences” course offered in English. 4000-level courses require a 20 page paper and have standard expectations for citation format.

5 Collaborative Projects and Assignments

Met in part Group projects and presentations appear frequently in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management syllabi but are almost absent in other syllabi.

6 Undergraduate Research Not met The department engages in little undergraduate research beyond the required research methods course.

7 Diversity/Global Learning Met in part All students take the World Politics course and students report they are exposed to diversity issues in many courses. However, few students are required to take a foreign language. Few engage in long-term study abroad and the department does not offer courses with short-term study abroad experiences.

8 Service Learning; Community Based Learning

Varies Very well developed in the Public Administration and Nonprofit Management concentration. Less evident in others.

9 Internships Varies Very well developed in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management concentration. Less evident in others.

10 Capstone Projects Not Met

Again, this table reveals gaps in the curriculum. The lack of a Capstone or culminating project comes up again, as does a lack of consistency in the student experience – especially in the opportunities to apply learning to real-world problems through internships, service learning, study abroad and the like. This analysis also uncovers another gap, a lack of a vigorous undergraduate research program. Taken together these two inventories demonstrate that the department’s program is strong is many ways. Yet it needs some attention to ensure that the curriculum meets all the discipline’s and academy’s best practices. Most disturbing to me is that students within the same major and in the same

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department can have very different opportunities to engage in High Impact Practices or to experience the discipline’s best practices, depending upon the concentration they choose. This finding hints at some other problems with the current structure of the major that became apparent during my visit. Problems Emanating from the Concentrations: According to the Self Study, the department developed a series of concentration over time that enable students to develop some expertise in a particular field. The number of concentrations has grown from two to five over time. Students must choose a concentration since there is no “concentration-less” version of the major. Yet based upon my visit to the department, I have reservations about this structure. I believe the concentrations were created with benign intent. However, as they have been implemented and evolved over time, the problems caused by the concentrations outweigh their benefits. For instance: Negative Impact on the Student Experience: Students report that in some of the concentrations, courses haven’t been offered with regularity. In too many cases, students are dependent upon petitions to meet graduation requirements. With current vacancies, for example, there is less distinction between American Studies and Legal Studies, since so many American Studies students have needed to petition other courses, often from Legal Studies, to meet their graduation requirements. Similarly, students in one concentration (IR/Comparative) have a foreign language requirement that students in other concentrations do not have, which raises questions of fairness. The structure of concentrations actually could work against the students’ ability to graduate in a timely fashion. Should students change their concentrations late in their careers, then they could lengthen their time to degree completion because they have taken some courses that now don’t “count” toward their major. Students might leave the department altogether, or stay in a concentration they don’t enjoy.

Similarly, students change advisors when they change concentrations. Combined with retirements, this resulted in several students having a different advisor in each semester. Moreover, it results in highly variable advising loads. Faculty members with large numbers of advisees are unable to provide the same attention and mentoring as those with few advisees. Students notice this difference and see it (rightly) as a problem.

Lack of Department Identity: The department lacks a cohesive identity as a department. The faculty seem to identify themselves primarily with their concentrations; and only secondarily with the department. The faculty also seemed to be less aware of the other concentrations and did not have a sense of “group ownership” of problems (i.e. how can all concentrations offer relevant internships or provide career preparation?) Instead, the faculty members in each concentration seem to be left to fend for themselves.

This lack of faculty cohesiveness rubs off on the students as well. They identify primarily with their concentration and not with the department. For instance, the Self Study reports that students in the Public Administration and Nonprofit Management concentration often do not understand why they

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should take World Politics. This problem would be mitigated by a department with a more cohesive identity.

Finally, the students and faculty don’t seem to be acquainted with students outside their own concentrations. One alumna reported that when she graduated, she only knew one other student in her major, and that student was in her concentration. Two others only knew each other because of involvement in campus organizations outside of the department because they were in different concentrations. As faculty talked about the successes of students in their concentrations, little in the other faculty members’ body language or facial expressions indicated that they were also acquainted with these students and their records of achievement.

Administrative Burdens: The concentrations functionally operate as five different majors. This structure compounds the department’s administrative burdens. Consider the curriculum mapping project, for instance. The department had to repeat this complex process five times. Also consider developing a Capstone course. With the current structure and departmental culture, the temptation would be to develop five Capstone courses, rather than one. Imagine course delivery and administrative burdens that would create. Similarly, the chair spends an inordinate amount of time working with student petitions to meet graduation requirements, given current department vacancies. Such administrative burdens would be eased with fewer – or no -- concentrations

Inflexibility: Ideally, faculty members in a small department such as UTC’s should be expected, willing, and able to teach in their primary (dissertation) subfield and a secondary subfield in which they took comprehensive exams. This permits faculty to indulge their intellectual hobbies as well as their intellectual vocations. Moreover, this practice also breaks up the monotony of offering the same courses over and over and ensures the department can continue to deliver the program when vacancies arise for any reason (i.e. retirements, resignations, medical or family leaves). Similarly, such flexibility also permits faculty to take Sabbaticals.

The concentrations, however, promote inflexibility. Faculty members are less able to teach in their secondary subfields because of the pressure to deliver required courses in the concentrations. Vacancies create pressures within departments; however, the structure of the concentrations focuses these pressures the remaining faculty within the concentration, rather than diffusing the pressures across the department and program. Similarly, faculty have had difficulty taking Sabbaticals because of the pressure to deliver courses within their concentration. Contrary to Disciplinary Norms and the Values of the Liberal Arts: The current structure of concentrations runs contrary to disciplinary norms and the values of the traditional liberal arts. One of the strengths of a liberal arts education is that students are exposed to a variety of disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing.

A traditional liberal arts major program allows such experimentation in the microcosm. A major that permits students to dabble in a variety of disciplinary subfields, and then take a number of electives in areas of their interest, is to their benefit. Indeed, the Wahlke Report emphases the importance of a broad and diverse major program.

Students who aspire to careers in a particular field could be advised to enroll in certain courses (i.e. ones that introduce them to legal concepts or ones that expose them to software programs) without the

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rigidity that comes from the concentrations. Further career preparation is possible through graduate or professional school study.

To focus on the pre-law student, just as an example, the American Bar Association “does not recommend any undergraduate majors or group of courses to prepare for a legal education” (ABA 2015) and instead recommends a broad liberal arts education. US News and World Report recently reported that students majoring in “Pre-Law” and Criminal Justice were less likely to be admitted to law school than those majoring in other disciplines (Wecker 2012). Indeed the best predictor of law school admissions are LSAT score and undergraduate GPA, irrespective of major. Thus I remain uncomfortable with “Pre-Law” majors or concentrations that appear to give students an advantage in law school admissions that does not exist in fact. This is not to pick on the Legal Studies concentration in particular; it is only used as an example. I would make the same argument in terms of any graduate or professional program where a particular undergraduate major or set of pre-requisites were not specifically articulated by a program or professional association.

Recommendations Redesign the Major. For all these reasons, I recommend that the department restructure its curriculum to eliminate the current concentrations3 and develop a major that exposes students to the breadth of the discipline; provides a reasonably consistent experience for all students in the major; and conforms to the standards of the discipline and higher education. The department, of course, should continue to provide the skills and habits of mind that characterize a liberal arts education, which it does well already. 4 I recommend retaining the major core with two or three amendments.5 The first is the addition of a required Political Theory course. This does not need to be a single course, but could be one of several possible offerings. The second is to develop a required Capstone course. Given its history, the department may also wish to require a course in the subfield of public administration and nonprofit management. Again, this could be one of several possible offerings. Since the department already includes a wide range of courses in its curriculum, this change is not as dramatic as it might appear. It will, however, require a rather dramatic change in the department’s identity and modes of operation. Aside from lacking the disadvantages of the concentrations (cataloged above), a flexible major provides some opportunities. For instance, it’s possible to structure the program and schedule the course offerings, even with the modest use of pre-requisites, to ensure that students can complete the major in two years. This will make the major attractive to transfer students, be they returning nontraditional students or those transferring from two-year institutions under the Tennessee Promise program. It will

3 I do recommend developing one new degree track later in this section.

4 I am aware that this is a radical step, given the history and the culture of the department. If the department

should opt to retain a few of its “tracks” within its major, and one of them should be a “concentration-less” major that maximizes students’ flexibility and exposes students to the breadth of the discipline. . 5 The major core is a high impact practice, as defined by AAC&U, and provides students with a common intellectual

experience.

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also be attractive to students who change their major mid-career. The reframed major program will contribute to the institution’s retention and degree completion efforts. Such efforts will place the department in administrators’ good graces, which can be a good thing. Consider a BA Degree Program or a Universal Foreign Language Requirements: I am rather concerned that the department’s major does not include required foreign language study for all students. As noted above, requiring foreign language in one concentration only raises issues of fairness. However, there are powerful reasons to insist that all students in the major study foreign language: the world’s rapidly globalizing economy, the emergence of Spanish as the US’s “second” language; the department’s expressed value of developing students who are engaged in world affairs; the discipline’s commitment to studying the world; and opening up study abroad options beyond English-speaking countries. I also understand that requiring a foreign language for all students could be a serious disincentive for students to choose the major. Thus, I recommend that the department determine the whether it can ensure students have foreign language instruction. This could include converting the degree program from a BS to a BA, if such a change is feasible under the University’s rules. Develop Seamless Paths to Graduate Study at UTC: As the department reimagines the major and thinks intentionally about career preparation, I recommend that the department build seamless paths to graduate study. The first could be a BS to MBA, accomplished by advising students to minor in Business and meet the MBA pre-requisites as an undergraduate. This is a powerful combination for students interested in government relations or lobbying careers. This is easy to accomplish with web site copy and advising checklists. A second path is to develop a 4+1 program with the MPA program. It builds on the department’s strengths in public administration and nonprofit management. It also helps position the department and the University for a post-Tennessee Promise reality. The alumni indicated they saw this as a great bargain and would have added a year at UTC to have earned a second degree. To achieve this, students would double-count some courses in the undergraduate and graduate programs. This option is more complicated to design than the pre-MBA, and will involve SACS and THEC. Nonetheless, it’s a worthy goal to pursue. This newly-formulated degree, if chosen, should adhere as much as possible to the principles of flexibility expressed above.

Curriculum Part 2: Course Offerings, Department Name, and Indicator

Dr. Rick Wilson stated more than once in our conversations that “if we add something, we need to take something away.” This is true. After the department reshapes its major and the dust has settled after retirements and hiring, the department will need to review its course offerings. The catalog currently lists 79 courses in under the POLS and PANM indicators. This means undergraduate faculty teach an average of ten course preparations -- or eight preparations if one counts the faculty member who will arrive in Fall 2015. This is too much. No wonder students complain that some courses were never offered during their career. Recommendations: Reduce and Simplify the Course Offerings. When the time comes, I recommend that the department critically examine its individual course offerings, revise course titles, and reduce the total number of courses in the catalog.

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Specifically, the department needs to shy away from “boutique” courses that only the current faculty members can offer. Instead, it should focus its permanent offerings on titles in the mainstream of each subfield. These titles can be general enough to include several subjects. This way, courses can be taught by several faculty members or by visiting or adjunct faculty, minimizing the need for petitions. Faculty members teaching the courses would retain the academic freedom to emphasize particular topics within the course. More specialized courses could be offered from time to time under Special Topics titles. This strategy will afford the department considerable flexibility and be nimble enough to deliver the program, even in an era of uncertainty and turnover. For example:

In the fields of Comparative Politics and International Relations, reduce regional offerings and offer instead “Politics of the Developing World” and “Politics of the Developed World.” I also recommend “pan-regional” offerings such as “Human Rights,” “International Political Economy,” or “Violence, War, and Conflict.”

In the field of American politics, offer “American Institutions” that could include Congress, Presidency and the Bureaucracy. Similarly, a course in “Political Behavior” could include public opinion, campaigns and elections, and voting behavior.

In the fields of Public Administration and Nonprofit Management, combine the two “intro” courses into one “Introduction to Public Administration and Nonprofit Management.” Similarly, the courses that focus on financing, management, and employment law can be combined to focus on the similarities while highlighting key differences in the sectors.

In the field of Political Theory, reduce the heavy dependence on legal subjects and add more conventional titles, such as “Ancient and Medieval Political Theory,” and “Modern and Contemporary Political Theory.”

Fill Curricular Gaps: The analysis of the current major revealed some gaps in the current major curriculum. Thus I recommend the creation of a Political Science Capstone course at the 4000-level. This course can serve multiple purposes. It can provide an introduction to the discipline and lead students to make connections across their major courses. It can provide a culminating experience for students, with an opportunity to write a significant paper or engage in a collaborative project. It is a natural place to introduce or reinforce discipline-specific career preparation. Finally, it provides a convenient place to administer assessment instruments. The Self Study also reveals two student organizations that engage in forms of applied learning through simulations: the Moot Court and the Model UN program. (Mock student legislatures are also common.) However, these currently function as student organizations. I recommend that the department develop these simulation opportunities into credit-bearing courses. They could be one-credit hour courses that students could repeat for additional credit – up to a limit. If necessary, course fees could be attached to these courses to offset travel costs as well. Standardize Expectations and Ensure Similar Learning Experiences: In addition to the names and scope of courses, I recommend that the department critically examine the assignments and readings in the courses to ensure comparable experiences and to fill curricular gaps. The students reported that they were rarely required to make oral reports or presentations and few engaged in collaborative learning projects. Similarly, they stated that they were exposed to alternative perspectives and issues of diversity in their classes, but such topics were dependent on the professor.

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My examination of the syllabi revealed a disturbing lack of consistency in course expectations. Most required papers, yet some courses did not – including some in the public law field where such gaps are especially puzzling. Others revealed that the faculty member did not require a final exam, but only a “last test,” while others did so. One syllabus in particular provided a breakdown of final course grades based on total points earned, yet provided the students with no information about the assignments that were attached to such points or any indication that such information could be located elsewhere. As the faculty examine the content in the major courses, I recommend that they develop standard expectations for 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 level courses to ensure comparable degrees of rigor and student experiences at each level. At the same time, the department should look carefully at the curriculum to determine where issues of diversity can and should be injected and to ensure students have a variety of learning opportunities by the time they graduate. These include oral presentations, collaborative learning assignments, service learning and/or internships, significant writing, and discipline-specific career preparation. This does not mean that every course needs to do everything. Moreover, the department has already taken an important step in this direction with the 20-page paper requirement and citation standards in the 4000-level courses. Once defined, the faculty must work with the chair to ensure that these expectations are communicated to students and faculty, especially adjunct faculty. Simplify the Department Name and Choose a Single Course Indicator: The name of the department came up on several conversations. It was called, variously “a mouthful,” “an Oxford-comma department,” and “political science et al.” One faculty member noted that the name is routinely truncated to just “Political Science,” which doesn’t do justice to the contributions of Public Administration and Nonprofit Management. Thus, I suggest changing the name to something that represents the key emphases of the department, yet is simple to say and reduces the temptation to truncate. A possibility is “Politics and Administration.” Similarly, I see no reason to continue to use two subject indicators. Doing so is only confusing and adds an unnecessary administrative burden.6 I suggest the department select a single indicator all its courses, which reflects the department’s new name, or to simply use POLS throughout. For example, a name like “Politics and Administration” could lead to the indicator “PLAD” (or “plaid”).

Assessment

The department’s assessment program is at an embryonic stage, which I understand is typical for the University. I commend the UTC students who performed well on the content exam that was recently administered. However, the assessment program needs work. I realize some of these recommendations cannot be enacted until there are some developments at the University level. Nonetheless, I am sure the

6 The indicator PANM is pronounced “Panem.” Panem is the name of the capitol in the popular adolescent

literature series, The Hunger Games. In the series, the capitol is home to an oppressive and murderous regime that forces its population to sacrifice two dozen children in a brutal competition each year. While this happenstance will not, in all likelihood, keep future students who grew up reading these books from enrolling in PANM courses, it is an unfortunate coincidence. It is reminiscent of the University of Florida’s Integrated Student Information System software, which was known by the acronym ISIS. UF eventually changed the name of the software program (“U Florida to Change Name of ISIS Records System” 2015).

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department will develop an excellent assessment regime with time and thought, given the chair’s expertise and experience. Recommendations Simply the Assessment Program: The department has too many program-level SLOs and the University has not yet defined its University-Level Competencies (ULCs) (a SACS requirement). I assume that day is coming. After the department has redesigned its major and the University has defined its ULCs, I recommend that the department reexamine and redefine its SLOs to align with the ULCs. Currently, the department’s SLOs focus on critical reading, thinking, and writing skills. Given that the institution’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is critical thinking, I suspect this will be one of the institution’s ULCs. Thus, these individual skills eventually could be collapsed under the umbrella of this this ULC. Similarly, I imagine that the ULCs will eventually include written and oral communication7 skills as well.8 This leaves the department to focus on SLOs specific to its major. I recommend retaining the content knowledge SLO (SLO 1, Self Study p. 8) and a version of SLO 7. I also recommend tweaking SLO 7 to include the notion of ethical citizenship. A possible reframing is, “the department cultivates a student who is an ethical citizen engaged with contemporary world issues.” Finally, I recommend adding an SLO about ethical behavior, which could be measured, for instance, by students’ mastery of the ethics of research on human subjects. In the final analysis, the department should strive to have no more than two department-specific SLOs to assess once the University has defined its ULCs. Assessment Administration: Using samples of papers written by seniors in 4000-level courses is a feasible approach to assessment, given the current structure of the major. Doing so does impose an administrative burden: combing through 4000-level course enrollments, identifying the seniors enrolled, and pulling papers written by seniors for assessment. This task will become tiresome as time passes. Thus, the department should strive to create a means to capture students at the pinnacles of their careers. Sampling Capstone papers or projects is perfect for this purpose. Here’s yet another reason to create a Capstone course. A Capstone also provides a captive audience in which to administer a senior survey. Alumni Survey: The Self Study mentions that the department intends to conduct an alumni survey. This is a good idea, although the department will need to take steps to secure a good response rate. One such step will be to have individual faculty members send messages to the alumni with whom they are close, encouraging them to complete the survey. (Alumni respond very well to personal relationships, less so to the institution or to a stranger.) The first iteration of the survey, then, should be completed before the next round of retirements to capitalize upon the long-time faculty members’ ties to alumni. I also recommend making liberal use of social media – both faculty members’ individual account and the university’s accounts.

7 Oral communication is not currently a department SLO. However, given the number of courses that require oral

presentations, especially in the Public Administration and Nonprofit Management concentration, it could be. 8 In addition, I hope the university administrators who read this realize that I have just helped them move their

assessment agenda forward considerably.

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Should the department plan any events with alumni in the future, it should explore whether and how to use the event to do a quick assessment. QR codes, clickers, or even comment cards are possibilities. Alternatively, faculty could use events as an opportunity to also schedule brief focus groups prior to an event’s kick off.

Staffing

The department is currently facing some staffing shortages due to retirements and resignations. The department completed a search for an Americanist this year and is hopeful that it will be able to conduct additional searches in the future. Adjunct Faculty Qualifications: I am concerned that some of the department’s adjunct faculty do not meet SACS minimum qualifications, even if they have been vetted by the University. Having a scholar of Occupational Therapy teaching in the Nonprofit Management sequence is a stretch to be sure. Similarly, the department uses a number of attorneys in its Legal Studies (Public Law) concentration. SACS does NOT equate law school training to graduate training in Political Science, even in the field of public law. I recommend that attorneys be used only with care, and ideally be employed only if they also have 18 graduate hours in Political Science or related field. The department’s curriculum mapping project also uncovered that some problems with rigor in the courses offered by adjunct faculty and my own examination raised some questions as well. Recommendations: The department needs to fill some of its current vacancies in order to stabilize the curriculum and to reduce its dependence on adjunct faculty. Specifically I recommend: Public Law or Political Theory: The public law scholar is retiring and many of the department’s theory courses are embedded in the Legal Studies Concentration (although political theory is a broader subfield than philosophies of law). Dr. Deardorff has expertise in both subfields, but with her administrative responsibilities and the large number of majors, cannot be expected to deliver courses in both of these subfields. Thus the department will need to hire a tenure-track faculty member in one of these subfields. Public Administration and Nonprofit Management: Currently, most courses in the nonprofit management subfield are taught by adjunct faculty. The department needs an additional full-time faculty member who can teach courses in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management. This individual should also be broadly trained in both subfields so that s/he can support the public administration and nonprofit management graduate programs. This is especially important should the department develop a 4+1 program. American Politics. Finally, I recommend a new hire in the field of American Politics. This individual should complement rather than duplicate the expertise of the new Americanist. In addition, I recommend that this individual be able to teach in the subfield of Public Policy and be able to deliver the Research Methods course. Ensuring Faculty Can Teach in Secondary Subfields: The department must prepare for the possibility of having fewer full-time faculty lines in the future, given the uncertainty and pressures facing the institution. Thus, I recommend that the upper administration work with the department chair to ensure

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that current faculty members are prepared to teach in secondary subfields.9 Because of the structure of the concentrations and the rapidly changing nature of domestic and international politics, the faculty may need some administrative support to refresh their knowledge in secondary subfields. Thus I recommend that the administration provide some funds for targeted professional development. These funds could be used to purchase books and instructional materials in a secondary subfield, provide course releases or summer stipends to “read up” in a secondary field and prepare syllabi, shadow a colleague teaching a similar course, or attend a targeted professional conference.

Community and Campus Engagement Academics have a special responsibility to engage in a vibrant intellectual conversation on campus, both inside and outside the classroom. Similarly, academics have a responsibility to engage with the community as scholars as well as private citizens. The difference is that the former requires academics to share their disciplinary knowledge while the latter does not. At a disciplinary level, political scientists and public and nonprofit administrators have a special duty to lend their expertise to promoting informed citizenship. Such opportunities regularly present themselves in the forms of regular elections, events such as the Arab Spring, and local government proposals such as tax increment financing and urban redevelopment. These opportunities may be exploited not only because of the broader social good they promote but because they raise the profile of the department on campus and in the community. They include organizing and participating in public lectures and forums on campus and in the community (i.e. to the Rotary Club or Junior League) and making media appearances. My visit uncovered time and again that the department faculty members are not actively engaged in broader campus or community conversations as scholars, although I understand they are quite actively involved as individuals. Furthermore, they are not actively engaged with each other or with the students to create a sense of community within the department. Let me give you some examples:

A lack of student life within the department. The few student groups that exist are targeted to a specific concentration, rather than to all majors in the department. The effort to revitalize the Political Science club has hit a roadblock. Students don’t “hang out” in the department or make extensive use of the lab.10 Graduation celebrations and other social events were only organized once Dr. Deardorff arrived.

Full-time faculty are largely disengaged from student life. The Moot Court team is coached by an adjunct. Advising student chapters of political parties is common in political science departments across the country. Yet none of UTC’s three student political party chapters is advised by department faculty members. A student interested in starting the Campus

9 A similar point came up with in my conversations with the students. They complained that faculty had difficulty

coming up with relevant examples of course content from outside their primary fields. Students wanted to know how concepts might apply beyond a specific subfield or concentration, and believed this was lacking in their courses. 10

I realize part of the challenge is the department’s location, which is off the beaten path from other Arts and Sciences disciplines.

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Republicans could not find a faculty member in the department willing to serve as the group’s advisor and the chapter remains unorganized as a result.11

Few faculty serve as readers on Honors theses, causing difficulties for students.

Faculty members were unable to answer fairly straightforward questions about study abroad programs, including whether the institution offered study abroad scholarships or had partnerships with institutions that would accept UTC tuition and fees.

Few faculty members make media appearances, give public lectures on campus or in the community, invite local public officials to campus and/or organize election-related events such as debate-watch parties or candidate forums.

The department does not partner with UTC’s Center for Reflective Citizenship, although one faculty member serves on its Advisory Board. It does not participate in Constitution Day planning, federally-mandated voter registration drives, or other civic education and civic engagement activities.

Some faculty members in the department were not informed of the speaker series sponsored by the PANM faculty until my meeting with them, which was after the series had concluded. (Incidentally, one faculty member who was unaware of this series is teaching a course that requires students to attend campus lectures and events related to the discipline.)

One faculty member has an office in other building, even though she does not have a physical disability or administrative appointment that would account for her physical separation from the rest of the department.

Students complain about the quality of advising. They mentioned that some faculty members (I am unsure of the number) do not respond to emails, do not schedule advising appointments, and do not respond to student queries. When the students praised the quality of advising, they mentioned Dr. Deardorff by name and only mentioned her.

One of the alumni spoke glowingly of the career advice s/he received from a member of the faculty in her/his minor field. The graduate then observed that s/he never had similar conversations any faculty member in the department.

Junior faculty report that they don’t have a designated mentor, other than the department chair, who can provide career advice, explain university procedures, and/or socialize them into the norms of the department.

Clearly, the department needs to raise its profile on campus and within the community and create a more vibrant student experience on campus. Given the challenges facing UTC outlined in this report’s first page, the department’s best interest lies in being proactive rather than reactive. What’s better is that doing so will cost little in terms of dollars. It does, however, require an investment of time, intentionality, planning, and a changed department culture. Recommendations: Opportunities Provided by the Impending Move. The department will eventually be moving from its current location in Fletcher Hall to a new building, possibly a renovated space in the old library. If done

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I heard a few comments during my visit that hinted that faculty in the department are concerned with appearing partisan. For instance, I learned that the department just last year started offering internship credit for working on political campaigns. I also heard that some faculty members might be concerned that sponsoring election forums or student party chapters for the same reason. These concerns can be allayed by ensuring that internships, student political party chapters, candidate visits, etc. cross the ideological spectrum. The department can also develop a neutrality statement that can be affixed to publicity, appended to emails, and listed on the web site.

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well, this move could help the department achieve many of these objectives. For instance, the department and administration can:

Ensure that the department faculty members have offices together in the new department. This includes shared spaces for adjuncts and space for the faculty member with the administrative appointment, who should be expected to spend some time in the department. Thus faculty members can create a sense of belonging and collaboration;

Ensure the offices are configured to ensure maximum interaction between faculty;

Move the computer lab over to the new space for student use and instruction;

Create common spaces for students to “hang out” aside from the computer lab, be it seating areas in the hallways, a reading room or lounge, or tables where students can do homework between classes; and

Decorate the hallways and common spaces with posters, photographs, flags, maps, and/or other paraphernalia that visually represent the discipline. (Fortunately, this is easy and low-cost. The discipline has great “eye-candy.”) This is also a means to document the department’s history, especially if the collection includes photographs of students and faculty with prominent guests such as elected officials or nonprofit leaders. Bulletin boards can be a means to recognize and advertise the activities of student clubs and simulation teams.

Of course, renovating a physical space is only the start. Faculty must be willing to spend time in their offices – with their doors open – to create a welcoming and engaged atmosphere. Similarly, faculty must be willing to reach out to colleagues in cognate departments in the humanities and social sciences to cosponsor speakers and events for students and to collaborate on research projects. Physical proximity can help build these relationships. Create a Majors-only Section of American Government. This innovation entails designating one section of American Government for incoming freshmen, transfers, and “major changers” each fall. This provides the department with an opportunity to build a student cohort who will move through the curriculum together. They will bond and develop friendships early in their careers. It’s also an opportunity to embed some early discipline-specific career preparation, which can be augmented later in the Capstone, if the department so chooses. For instance, if the department hosts an event where alumni come to talk about careers, such a panel could be held during this section’s class meeting time, ensuring a captive audience. This is also an opportunity to do some assessment early in students’ careers to provide a baseline against which to compare seniors. If the department does not opt for a majors-only section of American Government, it should develop some sort of “introduction to the department/major” course for incoming students. This could be a one-credit hour course that would be an important gateway to the program. In any case, this would create another high impact practice within the major. If this is successful, the department may opt to further encourage this cohort model by designating a majors-only section of World Politics each spring. Students could be advised into this section during the advising season. Similarly, they could be advised to enroll in Research Methods in the sophomore year. Coupled with a Capstone, students would have 3-4 semesters of a common, cohort experience. Such a structure also offers opportunities for students who transfer or change majors to become acquainted with fellow students in the program. Even though freshmen are advised outside the department, the

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instructor could take a little class time to do “group advising” with the students in the course. In addition, the department can work with the external advisors to ensure they are aware of the department’s wishes. Improve and Standardize Advising. The current advising structure, with advising by concentration, is unfair to faculty members and detrimental to the student experience. Rather, all faculty should have roughly equivalent numbers of advisees and advisors should be familiar with all of the concentrations (at least until the department revises its curriculum). Second, advisors should have some professional development, even if it is through structured department meetings, to share tips about how to use these opportunities to move from routine academic advising to individual mentoring. What’s the difference? The former focuses on course selection in the next semester. The latter involves a conversation about long term goals and plans. I also recommend that the department chair carry a lighter advising load – perhaps 2/3rds of what the typical faculty member carries. (Currently, Dr. Deardorff has a heavier than typical advising load.) The department chair can then become the “back up” advisor when a faculty member goes on Sabbatical. S/he also handles transfer credit, study abroad credit, petitions, and other special cases that might arise. Modest Revision of Tenure and Promotion Criteria: The current tenure and promotion criteria refer to service and leadership on “campus committees” and “providing documented community service related to professional expertise” (Department Bylaws 2014). These criteria can be expanded to explicitly include offering programming on campus, advising student organizations, making media appearances, hosting election-related events, etc. and to communicate that such activities are expected and rewarded. EDO reviews, tenure and promotion committees, and the upper administration must be consistent in articulating expectations for such activities; setting concrete, measureable expectations related to these activities; and rewarding these activities as appropriate. Faculty Mentoring. Faculty mentoring is currently carried out by the department chair with no defined responsibilities for anyone beyond the chair. However, junior faculty need to have someone that they can approach with the “stupid questions” they might not want to ask their supervisor. Moreover, they could benefit from individualized mentoring from senior faculty members who could review and provide suggestions on scholarly work, brainstorm classroom assignments and activities, navigate the institutional bureaucracy, and more.12 Therefore, I recommend that the department develop an intentional faculty mentoring program, whereby junior faculty members are assigned a senior faculty mentor (Associate Professor or Professor) within the department. These mentors have specific expectations to meet with their protégés at regular intervals during the first two years, and as mutually desired thereafter during the probationary period. The current junior faculty members should have considerable input into how such a program is developed.

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The two Assistant Professors in the department have clearly developed a strong working relationship and a friendship. While this is an important source of professional and social support, it does not replace a strong mentoring relationship with a senior colleague.

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One might be tempted to argue that such a program is not necessary because mentoring relationships should develop spontaneously. However, the literature on mentoring shows that white males are far more likely to develop mentoring networks spontaneously than are white women or underrepresented minorities of either sex. Moreover, the discipline has a well-documented “leaky pipeline” of women and there is a shortage of faculty members of color in the discipline and the academy. Thus, intentional mentoring is imperative (See for example Mershon and Walsh 2014; Monforti and Michelson 2008). One might also point to the year-long faculty orientation program hosted by UTC. This is an excellent and necessary program. It serves to orient new faculty to the institution, its culture and services, and bureaucratic processes. However, it does not supplant the need for socialization within the department and the discipline that should be provided by a mentor in the department. Developing an intentional junior faculty mentoring program that involves mid-career faculty is important in the context of a small department undergoing a generational shift. The department chair can then focus more of his/her attention to mentoring mid-career faculty. There is growing understanding in the academy that mid-career faculty require continued mentoring, and mentoring with a different focus than junior faculty, to move up to the Professor rank. Develop Campus Partnerships. I recommend that the department invite leaders of other campus offices to their department meetings to determine how to develop appropriate partnerships. This will enhance the department’s profile on campus and help reduce the duplication of effort. The department should immediately reach out to the Center for Reflective Citizenship, the Career Services office, and the International Programs office to discuss opportunities for partnerships in civic education, career preparation, and developing short-term study abroad opportunities. Shared Leadership. Finally, and most importantly, the department needs to create a culture of shared leadership. All members of the full time faculty need to be engaging with the media, developing campus programming, planning departmental events, advising student organizations, serving on committees, mentoring faculty and advising students, responding in a timely fashion to student queries, discussing the curriculum, attending admissions events, participating in professional associations, and more. Currently, the department chair is engaged in all of these activities; other faculty members are engaged to lesser degrees. However, I am worried that unless the department’s culture changes, future members of the department will perceive that Dr. Deardorff engages in these activities because she is the chair, not because she is modeling engaged citizenship as an academic. Another hazard is that senior faculty are tempted to “check out” and leave this work to fall disproportionately upon the shoulders of the untenured. Thus, developing a culture of shared leadership, where all current faculty, irrespective of rank, become role models for future faculty, is vital. This list looks overwhelming, and if left to one person or a few people, it is. Yet, participation in these activities is embedded in the definition of an engaged academic and in the notion of shared governance. Therefore, the department needs to work together to divide up the list equitably. I recommend that the department spend some time together in a faculty meeting consciously and intentionally dividing up these responsibilities. This effort will have the added benefit of ensuring transparency. All faculty members will know what the others in the department are doing and how they are contributing.

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Conclusion

The Department of Political Science, Public Administration, and Nonprofit Management at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga is at an important crossroads. The department needs to position itself to meet the challenges posed by an uncertain future. Yet the department has talented, dedicated faculty who have the capacity to meet these challenges. I hope this report offers useful suggestions that will help the department to be proactive, meet the challenges of the future, and thrive.

Works Cited

American Bar Association (ABA). 2014. ABA Section of Legal Education Reports 2014 Law School Enrollment Data. News Release. December 16. Accessed: http://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2014/12/aba_section_of_legal.html. March 19, 2015.

-----. 2015. “Pre-Law: Preparing for Law School.” Accessed: http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/resources/pre_law.html. March 19, 2015.

Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U). 2014. New Report Documents that Liberal Arts Disciplines Prepare Graduates for Long Term Professional Success. News Release. January 22. Accessed: http://www.aacu.org/press/press-releases/new-report-documents-liberal-arts-disciplines-prepare-graduates-long-term. March 18, 2015. Department of Political Science, Public Administration, and Nonprofit Management. 2014. “Department Bylaws, Revised Spring 2014.” Kuh, George. 2008. “High Impact Educational Practices: A Brief Overview.” AAC&U. Accessed: http://www.aacu.org/leap/hips. March 18, 2015. Mershon, Carol and Denise Walsh, eds. 2014. “Advocating for Change.” Dedicated issue of Gender and Politics. 10 (3). Monforti, Jessica Lavariega and Melissa R. Michelson. 2008. “Diagnosing the Leaky Pipeline: Continuing Barriers to the Retention of Latinas and Latinos in Political Science.” PS: Political Science and Politics. 161-166. National Science Foundation. 2014. Science and Engineering Indicators 2014. Accessed http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind14/index.cfm/chapter-2/c2s2.htm. March 18, 2015. Network of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA). 2015. “About Us.” Accessed http://www.naspaa.org/about_naspaa/naspaa.asp. March 18, 2015. “U Florida to Change Name of ISIS Records System.” 2015. Inside Higher Education. January 29. Accessed https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/01/29/u-florida-change-name-isis-records-system. March 21, 2015. Wahlke, John C. 1991. “Liberal Learning and the Political Science Major: A Report to the Profession.” PS: Political Science and Politics. 24: 48-60. Wecker, Menachem. 2012. “Future Law Students Should Avoid Pre-Law Majors, Some Say.” US News and World Report. October 29. Accessed: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/articles/2012/10/29/future-law-students-should-avoid-prelaw-majors-some-say. March 19, 2015.