The Political Science Educator...

The Political Science Educator

The Newsletter of APSA’s Political Science Education Section

Spring/Summer 2016 Volume 20 Issue 1

Summer 2016 NewsletterTableofContentsInformation1.MessagefromSectionPresidentSherriL.Wallace2.CallforParticipationinSoTLResearchJ.CherieStrachanTheTeacher-ScholarColumn3.RethinkingInternshipstoMaximizeStudentLearningElizabethA.Bennion

FeaturedEssays4.UsingtheResultsoftheNationalSurveyofStudentLeaderstoHelpLeadCampusChangeKatherineM.Robiadek

5.CollaboratingwithGraduateStudentstoEnhanceCivicEngagement:LessonsfromOrganizinganInterdisciplinaryPanelDiscussionGeorgiaNilsson,LucasAlward,JaydeepBhatia,SeanStephens,andAdamIrish,PhD6.UsingInternshipstoPromoteStudentLearning:AnAnnotatedBibliographyElizabethA.BennionandX.E.LaughlinAnnouncements______________________________________

Information1) MessagefromSectionPresident

SherriL.Wallace,UniversityofLouisville

DearColleagues:

It is my pleasure to bring you greetings onbehalfofthePoliticalScienceEducationSectionExecutive Committee (Term: 09.01.2015 to08.31.2017):

SherriL.Wallace,PresidentUniversityofLouisvilleEmail:[email protected],Secretary;ProgramChairMorningsideCollegeEmail:[email protected],At-LargeMemberStateUniversityofNewYorkatAlbanyEmail:[email protected],At-LargeMemberBridgewaterCollegeEmail:[email protected],At-LargeMemberMidlandCollegeEmail:[email protected],At-LargeMemberSalveReginaUniversityEmail:[email protected]

P a g e | 2 Political Science Educator

HappySummerColleagues:

Iwouldliketotakethistimetocongratulateourtwo $50 e-gift card winners: David L. Weiden(Metropolitan State University of Denver)renewed his membership in January, and SaraParker (ChabotCollege,Hayward,CA) is anewsectionmember.

DavidL.Weiden

SaraParker

Coincidentally,Sara isalsothefirstchairofthenew APSA Community College StatusCommittee(CCSC). Thisyearatthe2016APSAAnnual Meeting in Philadelphia, the CCSC willjoin Pi Sigma Alpha and the Political ScienceEducation section as a co-sponsor of theAPSATeaching Reception. The affiliated eventwas asuccess last year as we recognized andcelebrated excellence in teaching. This year’seventwillbeFriday,September2,7:30–9:00,room TBA. The Political Science EducationSection Business Meeting will be heldimmediately prior to this, 6:30 – 7:30 inCommonwealthA2,LoewsPhiladelphiaHotel.

Good news! Attendance at the 2016 Teachingand Learning Conference in Portland was upfromlastyear.Also,werecognizedourwinnersofthe2016CraigL.BriansAwardforExcellencein Undergraduate Research and Mentorship:ElizabethMatto(RutgersUniversity)andJeffreyFine(ClemsonUniversity).

ElizabethMatto

JeffreyFine

Eachwill receiveplaquesat theAPSATeachingReception, along with the 2016 Best APSAConference Paper award and the LifetimeAchievement award winners. Both of theseawardswillsoonbeannounced.

We remain indebted to Maureen Feeley(University of California, San Diego) and BobbiGentry (Bridgewater College), who share co-editing The Political Science Educator (TPSE), avaluable resource for the section. Maureen isalso chair of the search committee for newjournal editors to head the Journal of PoliticalScience Education (JPSE). At the TLCmeeting,sheprovidedupdatesonthetransitionprocess.WewillreceivemoreinformationattheAnnualPSEBusinessMeeting.

Lastly, Iencourageyoutoregisterforthe2016Annual Meeting to attend and support oursection panels, organized by our section’sprogram chair, Patrick McKinlay (MorningsideCollege). THANK YOU PATRICK for thisimportant work! For more information visit:http://community.apsanet.org/annualmeeting/register/registration.

Respectfullyyours,

SherriL.Wallace,PresidentPoliticalScienceEducationSection


2)CallforParticipationinSoTLResearchJ. Cherie Strachan, Professor, Central MichiganUniversity,[email protected]

TheConsortiumforInter-CampusScholarshipofTeaching and Learning Research offers a newopportunity to participate in researchsponsoredbytheConsortiumfor Inter-CampusSoTLResearch(CISR).Thisuniqueopportunityisacalltoparticipateina 2nd CISR project, titled “Rude Politics andCollegeStudentEngagement.”Thisprojectwillrelyonanon-lineexperimentaldesigntoassessstudents’ reactions to the extreme levels ofpolitical incivility currently characterizing USpolitics.Participating inthisproject isrelativelyeasyand largely involvesgainingpermission toprovide student e-mail addresses. To learnmore, please contact Elizabeth A. Bennion:[email protected] now has over 200 member campuses,where faculty and administrators haveexpressed an interest in participating in cross-campus data collection for Political Sciencepedagogy,SoTL,andcivicengagementresearch.Thesecampusesarediverse,representingeverymajor region of the United States, severalBritish and European institutions, and everytype of higher education institution (includingfour-year colleges, regional comprehensiveuniversities,research-intensiveuniversities,andcommunity colleges). Those who solicitparticipants through the CISR agree to providecampusreportsinexchangeforassistance.

TheTeacher-ScholarColumn

3) Rethinking Internships to MaximizeStudentLearning

ElizabethBennion,Professor,IndianaUniversitySouthBend,[email protected]

I've been thinking a lot about internshipslately. Internships provide a valuableopportunity toconnectstudents to post-graduation service and work as alumni.OurCollegeisredesigningourinternshipprogramtoachievemore standardization of requirements,greater adherence to best practices,broaderparticipation,andbetter learningoutcomes forstudents. As good teacher-scholars do, Idecided to consult academic journals,professional associations, and colleagues tolearnmoreaboutbestpractices.Aspartofthiswork, Xander Laughlin and I compiled anannotatedbibliographyofrecentarticlesaboutinternshipsinPoliticalScience(seepages8–10below).

The topicof internshipswas also an importantelement of this year's APSA-TLCcivicengagement track. While valuable for thehands-onpracticetheyprovide, internshipsaremost effective as learning experiences whenstudents have an opportunity to reflect uponwhat they have learned. JenniferPahredescribed an innovative way to deepenstudent learning, while also benefiting futureinterns and strengtheningprogramassessmentoftheinternshipprogram.Asdirectorofalegalexternship program, Pahre sends students outinto the field toworkwith legal professionals:judges, governmental attorneys, and attorneysworking for non-profits. Students donate theirtime in exchange for course credit. While astrongexperientiallearningexperiencerequiresreflection, students may not have access tofaculty-guidedreflectionattherighttime.Theymay not feel that standard guided reflectionformats are appropriate or interesting. Theymay resist completing “another classassignment”inanexperientialcourse.

To address these problems, Pahre requiresstudents to complete a “letter to successor”that describes the placement mission, and


activities. Students must explain to futureinterns what was most interesting andchallenging about the internship and also telltheirsuccessorwhattheywishtheyhadknownbeforetheybegan.Theletterdemandsthatthestudent reflectupon theirexperiences inorderto inform others. Future students consult theletters to decide which placements would suitthem best, to decide which particularplacementstheyshouldreachfor,tomaketheirapplicationsstrong,andtoeducatethemselvesabout their new placements before they startwork. Letters are submitted as part of eachstudent’sfinalpaper(andthereforenotsubjectto the Federal Freedom of Information Act).Theletterisseparatedfromthefinalpaperandthe student’s name is removed. The letter isstored in hard copy format in the ExternshipOffice for fiveyears.Thedocument isavailableforin-officeviewingonlyandisnevercopiedormade available to the supervisors. Studentreflectionshavegreatly increased indepthandquality since taking a “letter to successor”approach and the letters provide valuableinformation to future interns and to theCollege.

John Berg seconded Pahre’s endorsement ofthe “letter to successor” as a powerfulreflection tool for internship students, whileconsidering a variety of best practices forfostering civic engagement, disciplinaryeducation, and resume building through well-designed internships. Berg stressed theimportance of avoiding low quality internshipsand discussed ways to assure quality (andlearning) in credit-generating internships. Bergstressed that civicengagementand internshipsshould be academically situated. They shouldstartwithalearningcontractinwhichstudentswork with their academic and site supervisorsto set theirown learninggoals (basedona setof goals for all internships set by each

department or college). To make internshipsworthwhile, Berg suggests a site supervisorcontract, a learning contract, weekly or bi-weekly reflective journals (including links toreadingsorcoursework),arequiredarticulationof transferable skills, midterm and post-semester evaluations completedby the sitesupervisor,anda lettertosuccessorwrittenbytheintern.Minimumandmaximumnumberofhours, student evaluation of siteplacement/supervisor, and student reflectionson the achievement of stated learningobjectives are other important requirements.Asking students to submit their resumebeforeand after the internship is another way toencouragestudentstoreflectontheknowledgeand skills developed through the internshipexperience.

I appreciate theadvice I've received in readingcolleagues' work and attending the Teachingand Learning conference. I look forward toworking with colleagues on campus tostrengthenour internshipprogram. Ihopethatyouhavefoundthisadviceusefulwhenthinkingabout your own internship programand I lookforward to seeingyouradvice ina future issueofThePoliticalScienceEducator.

FeaturedEssays4)UsingtheResultsoftheNationalSurveyofStudentLeaderstoHelpLeadCampusChange

KatherineM.Robiadek,Ph.D.Student,UniversityofWisconsin-Madison,[email protected]

Higher education institutions are called upon tobolster civic andpolitical engagementof studentsthroughcoursesacrossacademicdisciplinesaswellas through other campus activities, includingparticipation in student organizations. TheNational Survey of Student Leaders (NSSL) waslaunchedbytheConsortiumforInter-CampusSoTL


Research(CISR)asawaytoinvestigatethedegreeto which campus organizations train students inways that cultivate civic and political skills,knowledge,dispositions,andidentities.Indeed,NSSL is the first attempt to systematicallyassess the quality of learning experiences andpolitical socialization that student organizationsprovide on campuses across the United States.Thirty-sixparticipatingcampusesadministeredthesurvey to student leaders representing 5,567registeredstudentorganizations.Uponcompletionof data analysis in 2015, CISR provided eachparticipating institution with the NSSL overallresults along with the results specific to theircampus.The University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) participated in the inaugural round ofthe NSSL. The UW-Madison Campus Coordinatorworks in the Center for Leadership andInvolvement(CfLI),whichisaunitintheDivisionofStudentLife. AfterobtainingpermissionfromCfLIas the unit that registers, trains, and advisesstudentorganizations,NSSLwasdeliveredbyemailto student leaders in 850 campus organizations,yielding328 responses fora total38.6% responserate.Upon receiving the NSSL results, the CampusCoordinator analyzed and condensed the findingsinto a targeted report for campus stakeholders.TheNSSL results and targeted report became thebasis of weekly meetings between the CampusCoordinator and the Director of CfLI to discussimplications for CfLI programming, relevance forprogrammingthroughotherunitsintheDivisionofStudent Life, and strategies for meetings withother campus stakeholders on issues brought tolightbythereport.At UW-Madison, CfLI'smission is to cultivate andengage students through providing practical

leadership skill development and involvementexperiences. As CfLI implements the University'sDiversity Framework, theNSSL results havehad adirectimpactbyhighlightingtheneedtorevisetheagenda forRegisteredStudentOrganization (RSO)training inordertofocusonstrategiesgroupscanuse for diversifying membership. Theimplementationofthischangeisaresponsetothefact thatupwardsof42%ofUW-Madisonstudentofficers specifically requested further assistancewith attracting members from diversebackgrounds.Thus,participationinthefirstroundofNSSLhasalreadyproveduseful and the resultshave demonstrated an added value beyond theother surveys in which CfLI and the Division ofStudentLiferegularlyparticipate.The NSSL results also brought to light anotherimportantareawhereCfLI is interestedtoexplorepotential interventions through programming.Specifically,thereisaneedtoincreasethepoliticalefficacy of students in RSOs and to connect themto the political process. This is due to studentleaders reporting through NSSL that they lackknowledge about how to work with others tochangepublicpoliciesand that theyperceive thattheir organizations are less successful ininfluencing policies than in other efforts, likeundertaking effective volunteer efforts orcoordinating activities with other groups. Thisinsight has led the UW-Madison CampusCoordinator and Director of CfLI to reach out tostrategicstakeholdersformeetingstodiscussideastoaddresstheissueinlightofthefullNSSLcampusresults.Thesestakeholdersrepresentvariousunitsacross the UW-Madison campus including:MorgridgeCenterforPublicServiceintheDivisionof Student Life, The Center for Community andNonprofitStudiesintheSchoolofHumanEcology,Wisconsin Campus Compact in University ofWisconsin-Extension, and the UW-MadisonDepartments of Political Science and EducationalPsychology.


In view of these activities, UW-Madison looksforward to participating in the next expandedround of NSSL, and bolstering its campusparticipation rates for student leaders inRSOs. Avaluable,andhighlyanticipated,benefitinthenextround of NSSL will be the ability to customize aportionofthesurveytoaskquestionsimportanttotheUniversity,theDivisionofStudentLife,andCfLIas each unit works to improve the educationalimpactofstudentlifeprogrammingandtosupportthecivicandpoliticalengagementofstudents.

5)CollaboratingwithGraduateStudentstoEnhanceCivicEngagement:LessonsfromOrganizinganInterdisciplinaryPanelDiscussion

GeorgiaNilsson,LucasAlward,JaydeepBhatia,SeanStephens,AdamIrishContact:AdamIrish,PhD,ChicoState,[email protected] graduate student experience risksbecoming a monastic existence of classes,reading, and research necessary to master aliterature, pass comps, andwrite a thesis. Butthere exist a number of vibrant communitiesthat graduate students could benefit frominteractingwithbeyondclassroom, library,anddepartmental walls. In this essay, we review acivicengagementactivity (CEA) toexplorecivicengagementat thegraduate student level.Webegin by noting the benefits CEAs bring to thegraduatestudentexperience.Next,weprovideacasestudyofarecentCEAthatdrewacrowdofover250students,localmediaattention,andattendance by citizens of the localcommunity. Lastly, we analyze our CEAexperiencetodrawoutgenerallessons.TheBenefits of Civic Engagement forGraduateStudentsAgrowingbodyofliteraturepointsto

the benefits of CEAs for undergraduatestudents. 1 We contend that CEAs benefitgraduate students aswell. CEAs help graduatestudents explore the nexus of research andpolicy, learn professional and organizationalskills, and draw connections betweendisciplines. These benefits further graduatestudent education as well as make graduatestudents more competitive candidates forfuturestudyandemployment.Firsthand understanding of the research andpractice nexus is difficult to achieve. Byplanning a CEA, however, graduate studentsmust askhow their studies connect to real lifepolicy concerns, whether this might mean, forexample, mobilizing care for the indigent orinformingthepublic. CEAsalsomovegraduatestudents from understanding to imple-mentation. CEAs unify undergrads, gradstudents, faculty, and the community in oneconstructiveact.Thehighstakesandimmediatefeedback of CEAs provide a venue that putsgraduate student knowledge to work.Moreover, the walls of academic disciplinescrumblewhenplanningaCEA.Bytheirnature,CEAs require engagement with a variety ofcommunityconcernsandquestionsbeyondthescope of any one field. Thus, CEAs opengraduate students up to interdisciplinarycollaborationandinnovation.Case Study: An Interdisciplinary-Panel Dis-cussion of the Global Refugee Crisis. CaliforniaState University Chico’s Council of GraduateStudents (COGS) isanorganizationofgraduatestudentswhosemission is to support graduatestudies. In 2015, we (Nilsson, Alward, Bhatia,

1Asofthiswriting,thethreemostrecentvolumesoftheJournalofPoliticalScienceEducationallcontainarticlesfocusedonundergraduatecivicengagementactivities.2OursincerethankstoProfessorJohnCrosby,Dr.DorisSchartmueller,Dr.TonyWaters,Dr.Hannah


andStephens)wereselectedtoleadCOGS.Ourgoal was strengthening the intellectualdiscourse on campus. Wewanted to provokean informed discussion of contemporaryimportanteventsamonggraduatestudents.Early in fall2015,wetentativelysettledonthetopic of Syrian refugees fleeing to Europebecause the media was saturated withreporting on the refugees, most of whichsensationalizedtheissue.Atthetime,threeofuswerepursingMasters inPoliticalScience,soweapproachedarecentdepartmentalhire,Dr.Irish, a specialist in international law, aboutforming a panel to discuss the topic withgraduate students. Following discussions withAlward, Dr. Irish counseled us to inviteprofessors from different disciplines toparticipate and open the event to the campuscommunity. Dr. Irish’s support for the panelcreated momentum, shifting a discussionamonggraduatestudentstoalargerCEA.To build the panel, we reached out toprofessors in a variety of departments. As arecenthire,Dr.Irishknewotherswouldjumpatthe opportunity to establish their presence oncampus, so he reached out to other recenthires. Two weeks later, we had six panelists,including three recently hired professors andtwo experts in international security. Becausewe then risked weighting the discussion tooheavily towards international security, wecontacted the panel candidates and candidlyoutlinedour concerns. As a result, oneof thesecurity panelists readily conceded hisparticipation to his colleague and this left uswith five panelists with expertise ininternational security, criminal justice,sociology, Spanish, and international law.2We

2OursincerethankstoProfessorJohnCrosby,Dr.DorisSchartmueller,Dr.TonyWaters,Dr.HannahBurdette,andDr.Irishforparticipatingonthepanel.

selectedDr.Bhatia tomoderate thediscussionand drafted a mix of general and specificquestions with the intent of pulling panelistsintoadiscussion.Wethensentthesequestionsto Dr. Irish and, building on his feedback, wecirculatedthequestionsbeforetheevent.To promote the event, we emailed Deans,campus organizations, and the leaders ofstudent groups. We also reached out todepartments potentially willing to offerstudents extra credit for attending. We thencreatedaflyerandposteditacrosscampusandin local businesses a few weeks in advance ofthe event. Finally, we contacted local mediarepresentatives to advertise the paneldiscussion to the local community. Themorningofthepanel,Dr. Irishwasinterviewedbya localnewsstationabouttheeventaspartof a report on the refugee crisis. Notably, onthe night of the panel discussion, we insertedtheword“Global”intothepaneltitletocapturethe variedoriginsof refugees.Wealsoprintedpamphlets with QR codes corresponding tohumanitarian organizations (e.g. UNICEF andUNHCR), leaving them at each seat forattendees.Thepaneldiscussionwasalivelyandthe panelists readily interacted with oneanother. The assembled crowd required extraseatingandstayedthroughouttheQ&A.LessonsLearnedfromthisCEAFromthecasestudyabove,wefoundthatthreekey elements of graduate student – facultycollaboration on CEAs contribute to theirsuccess: 1) targeted marketing anddocumentation,2)theautonomytocreate,and3) logistical support to expand CEAs. (Pleaseseebelowforasampleflyer.)

AdditionallywethankDr.Irishforhelpingustocraftthisarticleontheexperience.


6)UsingInternshipstoPromoteStudentLearning:AnAnnotatedBibliographyElizabethA.Bennion,Professor,[email protected],UndergraduateStudent,IndianaUniversity,[email protected] are a valuable way to further keyPolitical Science learning objectives. Studentswho participate in internships are required toapply theoretical knowledge in a real worldsetting, master problem-solving skills in thecommunity or workplace, and gain confidencein the application of critical thinking on issuesfacingtheirassignedorganizationandtheworldatlarge.Equallyimportant,internshipscanhelpto develop a sense of political efficacy amongparticipants. The annotated bibliography thatfollows summarizes a decade of articlespublishedintwopeer-reviewedpoliticalsciencejournals: The Journal of Political ScienceEducation and PS: Political Science & Politics.This list is designed to point instructors,departments, and colleges interested indeveloping successful, high-impact internships

utilizing effective designs tested by othereducatorsinthefield.

Allen,MahalleyD.,SallyA.Parker,andTeodoraC.DeLorenzo."CivicEngagementintheCommunity:UndergraduateClinicalLegalEducation."JournalofPoliticalScienceEducation8,no.1(2012):35-49.

This article examines the learningoutcomesofstudentparticipation inanundergraduate legalclinic. Student survey results indicate that acombinationofacademicworkandcommunityserviceallowedstudentstoacquirenewskillsintheareasof legal research, legal analysis, legalwriting, and client interviewing. Meanwhile,low-income community members benefitedfrom access to free legal services. Impressedwiththeresults,theauthorssuggesthowotherinstitutions might set up their ownundergraduatelegalclinics.

Anderson,Brian."High-ImpactPoliticalScienceInternships in a “Low-Density Opportunity”Environment." PS: Political Science & Politics47,no.04(2014):862-866.The author of this article argues that evenstudentswhoattendcollegeslocatedoutsideofcapital cities can reap the benefits of high-impactinternships.Studentsplacedinsmall-citygovernment agencies gain valuable knowledgeiftheyareaskedtoreflectontheirexperiencesand recommend improvements to enhanceorganizationaleffectiveness. Studentsengagingin such reflective practices become betteracquaintedwith themechanics of governmentand think more critically about how suchinstitutions can best achieve their missions.Thus, even “low-density opportunity”environments provide invaluable opportunitiesforhighimpactinternships.


Blount, Alma G. "Critical reflection for publiclife: How reflective practice helps studentsbecome politically engaged." Journal ofPoliticalScienceEducation2,no.3(2006):271-283.

This article provides an analytic framework forcritical reflection designed to support politicalengagement and leadership development. Theauthor promotes reflective practice that linkswritingassignmentstospecificexperiencesandacademic study in ways that help students tounderstand complex social systems,contextualize difficult political issues,strengthen their understanding of theirpersonal role democracy, and develop a senseof personal agency. The article provides anexample of how community-based internships,when combinedwith critical reflection, lead togrowth in personal, interpersonal, and publicleadershipskills.Curtis, Steven, and Alasdair Blair."Experiencing politics in action: Wideningparticipationinplacementlearningandpoliticsas a vocation." Journal of Political ScienceEducation6,no.4(2010):369-390.This article promotes socially inclusive short,research-based local placements that areopento all students, including those with familycommitments and part-time jobs. Suchplacements, when embedded in the PoliticalScience curriculum, enriched students’understanding of politics by complementingand reinforcing their studies on campus.Participants also reported a greaterappreciation of political actors and processes,along with an increased sense of personalefficacy and interest in a range of possiblepoliticalcareers.

Doherty, Leanne. "Filling the Female PoliticalPipeline:AssessingaMentor-Based InternshipProgram." Journal of Political Science

Education7,no.1(2011):34-47.This article assesses the effectiveness of aninternship program matching young womenwith female state legislators in an attempt toincrease thenumber ofwomen in thepoliticalpipeline. Interviews and quantitativeassessment of program alumni demonstratethat the mentor-based internship programmadeparticipantsmorelikelytoseethemselvesas potential political players, both at the stateand national level. An analysis of recentparticipants’ post-graduation job and graduateschool choices indicate that they havecontinuedonthepathwaytopoliticaloffice.

Jones, David A. "The polarizing effect of apartisan workplace." PS: Political Science &Politics46,no.01(2013):67-73.

Group polarization theory suggests thatpartisan environments, in which coworkersrarely encounter alternative viewpoints, pushindividuals to the partisan and ideologicalextremes. This study tests this hypothesis bycomparing opinion change among interns whoworked in a partisan workplace with that ofinterns who were employed in less-partisanenvironments. The author concludes thatpartisanworkplaceenvironmentsfosteropinionpolarization, especially among Republicans.These finding have interesting implications forPolitical Science departments as they placetheir students into partisan internshipenvironments.Lowenthal, Diane J., and Jeffrey K. Sosland."Making the grade: How a semester inWashington may influence future academicperformance." Journal of Political ScienceEducation3,no.2(2007):143-160.A semester in Washington comprised ofclasswork and an internship has clear benefits


for students. Comparing students whoparticipated in the program to students withsimilar GPAs who did not participate, theauthorsfoundthatprogramparticipationhadapositive impact on subsequent academicperformance, especially for females andgovernment majors. Other results includedimprovedwritingskillsandgreaterinvolvementinservice-learningandcampusandcommunityactivities. Participant focus groups emphasizeda strengthened focus on their majors, moredefinedcareerplans,anincreasedlikelihoodofattending graduate school, and excellentprofessional network opportunities as well asotherprogrambenefits.

Mariani,Mack,andPhilipKlinkner."TheEffectof a Campaign Internship on Political Efficacyand Trust." Journal of Political ScienceEducation5,no.4(2009):275-293.

Thisresearchutilizesapre-test,post-testdesignto compare an experimental group, whosemembers participated in a 10-week internshipcourse, with a control group, whosemembersdid not participate. The authors find thatinternships increase internal efficacy and trustingovernment.Theauthorsconsidertheroleofself-selection in producing a statisticallyinsignificant decrease in external efficacyamong internship participants. Ultimately, theauthors conclude that internships can changethewayyoungpeopleviewpoliticalinstitutionsandtheirroleinthepoliticalsystem.

Pecorella, Robert F. "Forests and Trees: TheRole of Academics in Legislative Internships."Journal of Political Science Education 3, no. 1(2007):79-99.

While experiential learning is recognized byacademicsasan invaluabletoolforstudentstocontextualize theoretical knowledge, without

proper monitoring and academic grounding,internscanbecomeoffice“gophers”wholearnvery little. To ensure that internships will beuseful learning experiences for students andproductive for employers, the authorproposestwo rules: 1) students must be monitoredbefore, during, and immediately after theinternships, and 2) students experiences mustbe grounded in an academic context. The“coterminous academic component” of aninternshipprovidesthetheoretical“forests”fortheempirical“trees”ofexperience.

The above literature highlights several keylessons about creating high impact internshipsin Political Science. Sending students toWashington DC or placing them in localgovernment agencies can be effective whenstudent fieldwork is combined with bothacademic work and structured criticalreflections. Both long-term and short-termplacements can be effective, if objectives areclearandstudentsareappropriatelymonitoredbefore, during, and after the internshipexperience. Knowledge, skills, and dispositionscanallbepositivelyinfluencedbyahighimpactinternshipexperience. Interns canbeplaced inoff-campuslocationsorincampus-basedclinicsdesigned to engage students in community-basedresearchandservice.Addingamentoringcomponent to the internship experience canenhance learning outcomes and help studentsto chart a path toward a career in politics.Regardlessoftheplacement,bothstudentsandsitesupervisorsneedtounderstandthestudentlearning objectives and supervisor workexpectations involved. Meanwhile, academicsupervisors must help students to connecttheoryandpracticeinwaysthatpromoteactivelearningandlong-termpoliticalengagement.


Announcements

• ActiveLearninginPoliticalScience(ALPS)hasmoved!Itsnewweblocationishttp://activelearningps.com.ThemovewasfacilitatedbythegeneroussponsorshipofSoomoLearning.TheALPSbloggrewoutofaconversationbetweenahandfulofattendeesattheAPSATeachingandLearningConferencein2011–participantsintheSimulationsandRolePlaytrack,whorecognizedaneedforanonlineplatformforthesharingofinformation.FromthesehumblebeginningsALPShasgrowntoreachaudiencethatstretchesfromBraziltoGermanytoIndiawithanaverageof5,000pageviewspermonth.Itsgoalistoprovideresourcesandideasforusingactivelearningtechniquesinthepoliticalscienceclassroomandtopromotegeneraldiscussionaboutinnovativeteachingmethods.ItseditorialstaffconsistsofChadRaymond,SalveReginaUniversity;AmandaRosen,WebsterUniversity,SimonUsherwood,UniversityofSurrey;NinaKollars,FranklinandMarshallCollege;andMichelleAllendoerfer,GeorgeWashingtonUniversity.ALPSislookingforguestcontributorswhowouldliketosharetheirpositiveandnegativeexperienceswithactivelearningtechniques,whetherintheformofassignments,discussions,assessmentinstruments,communityengagement,orgames.Contributionsshouldbebetween400and800words.PleasecontactChadRaymondatchad.raymond@salve.eduifinterested.

• SherriWallacewaspromotedtoFullProfessorattheUniversityofLouisville.Congratulations,Sherri!

• CraigL.BriansAwardforExcellenceinUndergraduateResearch&Mentorship;awardedbyPSESection;deadline:Nov.15,2016.Fordetailssee:http://www.apsanet.org/section29

• TheannualAPSAAnnualMeetingandConferencewillbeheldSeptember1-4,2016inPhiladelphia,PA:www.apsanet.org/.ThePoliticalScienceEducationBusinessSectionMeetingwillheldFriday,September2,6:30–7:30inCommonwealthA2,LoewsPhiladelphiaHotel,andtheAPSACommunityCollegeStatusCommittee(CCSC),PiSigmaAlphaandthePoliticalScienceEducationSectionwillco-sponsorAPSA’sTeachingReceptionimmediatelyfollowing,7:30–9:00,roomTBA.Wehopetoseemanyofyouthere!

ArchivedissuesofThePoliticalScienceEducatorcanbefoundhere:http://community.apsanet.org/TeachingCivicEngagement/additionalteachingresources/new-itemPleasesendanyarticlesubmissionsorannouncementsforfuturenewsletterstoBobbiGentryatbgentry@bridgewater.edu.ThenextsubmissiondeadlineisDecember1fortheFall/WinternewsletterandJuly1fortheSpring/Summernewsletter.Contributionsmaybeasbriefas200–500hundredwords,butshouldnotexceedapproximately1000words,andshoulduseAPSAcitationstyle.Pleaseinclude"PSEducatorsubmission"inthesubjectlineofyouremail.Thankyou!The Political Science Educator is a publication of the APSA Organized Section on Political ScienceEducation.Copyright2016,AmericanPoliticalScienceAssociation.Allrightsreserved.Subscription is free to members of the APSA Section on Political Science Education. All addresscorrectionsshouldbesentdirectlytoAPSA.BobbiGentryandMaureenFeeley,NewsletterCo-Editors.

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