Department: Political Science
What type of interesting features do you incorporate into your classes?
In most of my classes, I try to incorporate a lot of interaction. Discussion is routine, but we also do a lot of activities, such as class debates and small group work. Educational research shows that students learn more and retain more when they engage in active learning, so I try to think about ways to make that happen. Not only do students learn better, they clearly enjoy it more, as well. Students often comment that they like the element of surprise ' that they never know what each day's class is going to be like when they walk in.
How do Mount Union students benefit from attending a small school as opposed to a larger school?
I am tempted to provide a pretty lengthy answer to this question because I have had so much experience, as both a student and as a professor, at both types of institutions. But in the interest of brevity, here is the essence of what I have concluded: it is very clear to me that the vast majority of undergraduates benefit from attending a smaller school. They receive individual attention, they connect with the campus community better and they learn more. Above all, though, it is the fact that students receive personal attention at a small school like Mount Union that is crucial to many of them. In my own case, it is inconceivable that I would have gone on to graduate school without the support and encouragement of professors who not only knew my name, but could also assess my abilities extremely well.
The flip side of this is that a student who prefers to sit passively and anonymously in a large lecture hall will not be happy at a smaller school. But more importantly, such a student would miss out on many of the benefits of such an education.
Have you done any interesting research or developed any interesting courses at Mount Union? If so, explain.
I maintain an active research agenda, which involves the study of presidential rhetoric and public opinion, but most of my attention currently is directed toward our program. We are in the nascent stages of a program in Public Service, which is intended to introduce students to career opportunities in the public sector. This is one of the few fields where demand is expected to exceed supply in the years ahead, and we hope to prepare our students to seize those opportunities. Through both classroom training and on-the-job internships, students considering a career in the public sector will find our program interesting and useful.
What kinds of opportunities do Mount Union students have after graduating from College?
I had considered responding to this question with a standard list of 'Jobs for students who major in Political Science,' but such a list obstructs more than it reveals. A degree in Political Science is a valuable liberal arts degree that can lead in countless directions, in both the public and private sectors. Some of our graduates are now working as staffers for members of Congress, working in executive branch agencies and with state legislators. Some have even been elected to public office, including State Representative Scott Oelslager. Additionally, we have numerous alumni who are working as attorneys, as educators and who are employed in the business world in a wide variety of industries. It is not a restrictive degree.
But it is also not a guarantee. Ultimately, the opportunities for our graduates are dictated by their own performance, initiative and imagination. Our most successful students have been determined to stand out beginning their freshman year, and they have carefully prepared for success by excelling in the classroom, and in most cases, by doing an internship during their junior or senior years. We have had students intern with numerous members of Congress (in both the House and the Senate), with lobbying firms, interest groups, federal agencies, judges and many local attorneys. These occasionally translate into full-time positions after graduation, but they always set students apart. We help motivated students achieve their potential, but in the end, their success is up to them.
In what activities do you participate in your spare time?
With two children under the age of five, I can hardly remember what 'spare time' is. But I will confess to being somewhat obsessed with popular culture. While I'm a reliable source of information on presidential elections, I am even more reliable when it comes to trivial knowledge of sports, music, movies, television and celebrities. I'm the person to go to whether you're looking for an informed opinion on presidential candidates or American Idol contestants. I am neither proud nor ashamed of this.
Is there anything else you'd like to add to prospective students?
I encourage students who are considering attending Mount Union College to study Political Science to contact me. I will be glad to talk with you more about our department and the College. We can also arrange to have you attend a few classes, to meet some of our current majors and (through the Office of Admission) to stay the night on campus. A visit like that will give you a good feel for Mount Union and our program. I think you'll like what you see.