Recently, Elizabethtown College political science professor E. Fletcher McClellan was named to the Rethinking Political Science Education Task Force, led by American Political Science Association (ASPA) president and professor of political science at the University of North Texas, John Ishiyama.
McClellan is one of 28 members across the nation collaborating to transform political science curricula at various levels and learning stages.
“This project has been in the works for many years, but really got off the ground in 2018 when John, myself, and several colleagues received a $25,000 APSA grant to hold a conference on ways in which the undergraduate political science major should be reformed,” McClellan said.
The Task Force aims to reform the curriculum in three primary areas including:
- Graduate Education
- Undergraduate Political Science Major
- K-12 Civics Education
Each has a committee to study and issue recommendations. McClellan is co-chair of the Undergraduate Political Science Major committee along with Michelle Deardorff of the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
“We will explore the possibility of recommending that undergraduate political science programs include, to the extent possible, some kind of civic engagement activity, whether it is internships, simulations, local political activities, other forms of community-based learning, etc.,” McClellan said.
The Task Force has a goal to submit a report to the discipline body of the APSA for its review and approval by spring 2024. Learn more about the Rethinking Political Science Education Task Force.