Learning Goals

I: Learning Goals:

The study of political science at the undergraduate level is intended to achieve the following aims:

Expose students to the philosophical and practical problems of political organization, action,
and governance.
Spur critical thinking about the nature of citizenship, rights, and duties.
Encourage students to engage in critical thinking, logical reasoning, rigorous positive
analysis, thoughtful and self-conscious normative or moral judgment, critical reading and
listening, and effective spoken and written communication.
Encourage the habit of questioning, debating, and challenging positive or normative
propositions; the habit of formulating alternative understandings, and the habit of testing
these competing understandings in a rigorous and logical fashion.
Expose students to various methods and approaches used by political scientists to expand
our knowledge or understanding of politics.
Provide students with the opportunity to engage in original research under the guidance or
mentorship of research-active scholars.
Provide students with the opportunity to engage in experiential learning in political,
governmental, or related settings.

Specific learning goals for undergraduate majors:

Beyond the general learning goals indicated above, undergraduate majors should acquire:

A solid foundational understanding of the critical theoretical issues underlying political life:
the individual and community; political obligation and civil disobedience; stability,
revolution, and change; legitimacy and justice; and freedom and power.
A solid foundational understanding of American political institutions, the interaction
between the three branches of government and their roles and operations, the principal
political, economic, and social influences affecting American democracy, and major issues
affecting federal, state, and local government.
A solid foundational understanding of foreign and international politics, including the nature
of other political systems or the operation of the international system.
A more in-depth, sophisticated understanding of at least one major topic in each of the
following three areas of political science: theoretical approaches to political science,
American institutions and politics, and foreign and international politics.
A first-hand exposure to the process of research and discovery in political science and an
understanding of how political scientists develop and test new ideas or explanations.
A wider social scientific context for understanding political science and an exposure to at
least some of the range of questions that social scientists pose and the tools and approaches
they use to develop answers.
Experience in designing and completing a research project.

Political Science majors will also have the option to engage in experiential learning, under the supervision of a member of the Political Science Department faculty, in an appropriate applied setting.

In addition, honors majors in Political Science should have an opportunity to make their own contribution to knowledge in political science by:

Working with instructors to acquire the methodological and epistemological tools necessary for political science research.
Completing a major piece of independent research.

Those majors electing to complete the Certificate Program in Quantitative Political Science Methods should:

Acquire an understanding of how social scientists use quantitative methods as they pose research questions, design tests of hypotheses, and analyze quantifiable information.
Put their methodological skills to use as part of a supervised research project.

Those majors electing to complete the Global Politics Certificate should acquire:

Competence in a relevant language.
First-hand exposure to and understanding of another political system or culture.
A specialized knowledge of foreign and international politics, and of some combination of anthropology, economics, history, philosophy, psychology, religion, and sociology, that permits them to apply these language skills and incorporate this first-hand experience in developing an advanced understanding of or appreciation for some specific element of global politics or some particular region of the world.

Specific learning goals for undergraduate minors:

In addition to the general learning goals for all students of political science, undergraduate minors in Political Science should:

Acquire an upper-division understanding of or competence in at least three major topics or issues in political science.

Specific learning goals for other students:

Students who do not elect to major or minor in political science should have the opportunity to acquire foundational or advanced understanding of those major topics in political theory, American institutions and politics, and foreign and international politics that they have determined are relevant to their personal growth as citizens or members of a global, national, local, or other political communities; to their professional aspirations; or to their personal interests. In pursuing their studies in political science, they should have available to them a range of courses that is regarded by the

political science discipline as representing the major topics or subjects within the field. In addition, students electing to complete the Eagleton Undergraduate Associates Certificate will:

Explore applications of political science to the practice and processes of American politics.
Connect classroom learning with the experience of working in government, politics, or public affairs.
Grasp the idea of politics as choice, analyzing the positive and normative dimensions of particular political decisions.
Examine the issues of representation, leadership, campaigning, lobbying, management, and ethics.

II: The Political Science Curriculum and Its Relationship to Departmental Learning Goals

The Political Science curriculum is organized into two levels (introductory and advanced) and into three areas (theoretical approaches to politics, American institutions and politics, and foreign and international politics).

Introductory courses are divided into 100-level courses and 200-level courses. The 100-level courses are core courses: 101 Nature of Politics (the core introductory course in theoretical approaches to politics); 102 Introduction to International Relations and 103 Comparative Politics (the core introductory courses in foreign and international politics); and 104 American Government and 106 Law and Politics (the core introductory courses in American institutions and politics). The 200-level courses are also introductory in nature but cover more specialized topics; they are suitable both for majors and for non-majors and are appropriate as a first or early exposure to political science but do not substitute

for the core 100-level courses in terms of providing a foundational basis for further study. In these 100- and 200-level courses, students are challenged to re-examine what they think they know in new, more rigorous or more provocative ways and are asked to do readings and listen to arguments that will challenge their existing abilities. Because an understanding of political science requires a strong foundational understanding of all three areas of undergraduate study, undergraduate majors are required to complete one of the 100-level core introductory courses in each of the three areas.

Advanced courses (300- and 400-level courses, with no distinction drawn between these levels) are best approached after completion of introductory courses but students with an appropriate background or high level of interest are free to attempt most of these prior to completion of introductory courses. These advanced courses demand more complex and challenging readings, discussions, analyses, and written or verbal presentation than do the introductory courses. Because an education in political science requires exposure to central problems and critical issues in all three

areas of the field, and because students need exposure to the sorts of critical thinking and metacognitive tasks associated with understanding and contributing to scholarship in each of these three areas, undergraduate majors are required to complete at least one advanced course in each of these three areas.

Political Science 395 Political Science Seminar occupies a special place in the political science curriculum. These seminars, which are in ordinary circumstances taught by tenured or tenure-track members of the department or by research-active full-time visiting members of the department, present students with an opportunity to work directly with active political scientists engaged in the process of research or discovery. A significant writing project is required. Successful completion of this seminar is required of all majors. This seminar may be completed in either the junior or senior year, and for many students represents a capstone experience.

The political science curriculum emphasizes undergraduate engagement with active researchers and encourages students to engage in the process of discovery and the life of the mind. Although the popularity of the major and practical constraints on resources mean that most courses offered by the department will be large and only a portion of the department’s courses will be taught by tenured or tenure-track members of the department, the curriculum is designed to ensure that every student has contact with research-active faculty and an opportunity to develop a mentoring relationship with at least one tenured or tenure-track member of the department as well as with graduate students.

Direct engagement with active researchers and exposure to the process of discovery takes place in a

variety of settings, including:

Discussion sections, taught by graduate students, associated with the large introductory core courses.
Smaller advanced-level courses taught by tenured or tenure-track members of the department, annual instructors holding the Ph.D. degree or in an advanced stage of completing this degree, advanced Rutgers doctoral students; and professionals with appropriate credentials and first-hand experience in applied settings
Political Science 395 Political Science Seminar.
(for qualifying students) independent study research projects under the direct supervision of faculty members.
for qualifying students) research collaboration with faculty members through the Aresty Scholars Program.
(for qualifying students) research collaboration with faculty members through special departmental program, including those supported by the Kneller Fund.
(for qualifying students) independent study research projects associated with honors work.

The Political Science Department’s undergraduate curriculum also emphasizes the opportunity for experiential learning. The department encourages its undergraduates to participate in internships. Where appropriate, internships are linked directly to particular classes. The department also supervises internships in Trenton, as well as individualized internships in a wide variety of political, governmental, and other appropriate venues; these internships are monitored by a faculty member and linked to appropriate readings, classroom activities, and research or experiential analysis projects.

Finally, the department runs a semester- or summer-long internship program in Washington, DC.

The department’s curriculum also embraces and facilitates study abroad. Recognizing the importance of international or global perspectives on political issues and the importance of understanding the way other societies organize and conduct political activity, the department encourages students to seek out courses of study, through Rutgers or other accredited universities, overseas, particularly in societies very different than our own and particularly if these courses of study involve internship or other experiential learning possibilities.

The department’s curriculum also recognizes the importance of methodological training, particularly for students who may be considering graduate study. For example, Political Science 300 Introduction to Political Science Methods, Political Science 390 Formal Models in Political Science, and (for students anticipating undertaking substantial independent research projects) Political Science 392 Applied Research Methods provide undergraduates are designed to provide undergraduates with a solid foundation in relevant research methods.

Scholarship and pedagogy in political science frequently relies heavily on state-of-the-art information technology. The department’s curriculum seeks to incorporate information technology and computers to the fullest extent appropriate, and to ensure that students acquire the training in information technology that permits them to understand our political world and the study of political science, and, as appropriate, to participate in research efforts that contribute to our knowledge in this field.

We understand political science to be necessarily embedded within the larger, very diverse, framework of social scientific inquiry. While we do not assume that there is any single “correct” way to acquire an understanding of this larger world of social scientific research, and we believe the alternative perspectives and other insights that students will optimally acquire will vary, we have concluded that it is critical that our students be able to view their political science education from the perspective of other social sciences and acquire insights from other social sciences potentially relevant to the study of politics. Undergraduate majors are therefore required to take courses in cognate disciplines. In the setting of a large public research university, undergraduate instruction in political science

involves a combination of tenured and tenure-track active research scholars, annual instructors, graduate students, and practitioners. The department recognizes the special strengths that each of these types of instructors brings and seeks to take full advantage of these strengths. The department also recognizes the special needs that novice teachers, most obviously graduate students, have and the need to provide mentorship, guidance, and appropriate assistance to instructors as they develop their pedagogical skills.

III: Contribution of the Political Science Curriculum to University Learning Goals

The University has identified 12 learning goals, gathered under three headings: “I: Intellectual and Communication Skills;” “II: Understanding Human Behavior, Society, and the Natural Environment;” and “III: Responsibilities of the Individual in Society.” Completion of the major in Political Science requires that students directly addresses six of these 12

learning goals. Additionally, the Political Science curriculum offers undergraduates the opportunity directly to address three of the remaining learning goals if they so choose. Goal IA: Critical Thinking. This goal is directly addressed in all political science classes. Because modes of analysis, and the types of positive and normative questions being asked, vary across the political science discipline, the types of critical thinking skills and the types of exercises undertaken to

strengthen critical thinking skills vary across courses. No two political science students will find that their ability to think critically has been challenged or strengthened in exactly the same ways, but all political science classes pose students with the challenge to “engage in logical thinking and complex critical analysis.”

Goal IB: Communication. This goal is directly addressed in all political science classes, but most particularly in the Political Science Seminar, which requires a significant writing project and demands that students engage verbally with political science research in a small-group setting.

Goal IC: Mathematical Reasoning and Analysis. The Political Science major offers students opportunities to build toward the personal achievement of this learning goal. Political Science 300 Introduction to Political Science Methods, Political Science 390 Formal Political Analysis, and certain topical courses offer students the opportunity to develop new statistical or game-theoretic tools of mathermatical reasoning and analysis. Students who wish to use the study of political science as a principal means of personally meeting this learning goal are encouraged to pursue the Certificate in Quantitative Political Science Methods.

Goal ID: Scientific Inquiry. The Political Science major offers students opportunities to build toward the personal achievement of this learning goal. This goal is most directly addressed in the Political Science Seminar, which is required of all majors. The seminar exposes students directly to active research in political science. While approaches to inquiry vary across the political science discipline, and the nature of the research and challenge confronting students will vary depending on the instructor and the instructor’s subfield or method of research, the seminar requires that students

confront the nature of systematic knowledge-building in political science. This may or may not involve the use of scientific method, observation, or experimentation. The Political Science Department also offers a substantial number of advanced courses that provide students with the opportunity to learn and apply the scientific method, observation, or experimentation in the study of political science.

Goal IE: Information and Computer Literacy. A number of political science courses (most notably Political Science 300 Introduction to Political Science Methods) teach a range of computer and other information technology skills and the study of political science takes full advantage of information technology in gathering, accessing, analyzing, and interpreting information and provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to hone and enhance their information and computer literacy skills. The Political Science Department’s contribution to the achievement of this universitywide

goal is supportive and secondary.

Goal IIA: Historical Understanding. The Political Science major offers students opportunities to build toward the personal achievement of this learning goal. Improved understanding of the historical bases of the societies and world in which we live is a major focus of a substantial number, perhaps a substantial majority, of the advanced courses offered by the Political Science Department.

Goal IIB: Multicultural and International Understanding. This goal is directly addressed in Political Science 102 Introduction to International Relations and Political Science 103 Comparative Politics. All Political Science majors are required to take at least one of these courses. An understanding of the multicultural aspect or international dimension of the societies and world in which we live is also a major focus of all advanced courses in “foreign and international politics.” All majors are required to take at least one advanced course in this area of study. Students who wish to use the study of

political science as a principal means of personally meeting this learning goal are encouraged to pursue the Global Politics Certificate.

Goal IIC: Understanding of Literary and Artistic Expression. Some political science classes (most notably in the “theoretical approaches to politics” area) study major creative works of literary and artistic merit, and we believe that students’ appreciation of literary and artistic endeavors and of the impact of literature and the arts on political behavior will be enhanced by the study of political science and by greater understanding of political forces at work in the world. The Political Science Department’s contribution to the achievement of this university-wide goal is supportive and secondary.

Goal IID: Understanding the Bases of Individual and Social Behavior. This goal is directly addressed in Political Science 101 Nature of Politics. All Political Science majors are required to take this course. An understanding of the nature of human behavior in its political dimensions is a major focus of all advanced courses in “theoretical approaches to politics.” All majors are required to take at least one advanced course in this area of study. In addition this is a major focus of a substantial number, perhaps a substantial majority, of all of the advanced courses offered by the Political Science

Department.

Goal IIE: Understanding the Physical and Biological World. A number of political science classes explore the influence of the natural environment on political behavior or institutions, or the impact of political behavior on the natural environment, and we believe the study of political science will help provide a useful social context for understanding the physical and biological world. The Political Science Department’s contribution to the achievement of this university-wide goal is supportive and secondary.

Goal IIIA: Citizenship Education. This goal is directly addressed in Political Science 104 American Government and Political Science 106 Las and Politics. All Political Science majors are required to take at least one of these courses. An understanding of the political and policy making processes of the United States and of their role as citizens in a democratic society is also a major focus of all advanced courses in “American institutions and politics.” All majors are required to take at least one advanced course in this area of study. Students who wish to use the study of political science as a principal means of personally meeting this learning goal are encouraged to pursue the Eagleton Undergraduate Associates Certificate.

Goal IIIB: Social and Ethical Awareness. This goal is directly addressed in Political Science 101 Nature of Politics. All Political Science majors are required to take this course. An understanding of the nature of ethical questions is a major focus of all advanced courses in “theoretical approaches to politics.” All majors are required to take at least one advanced course in this area of study. In addition this is a major focus of a substantial number, perhaps a substantial majority, of all of the advanced courses offered by the Political Science Department.

IV: Assessment and Feedback Mechanisms

The department undertakes nearly continuous self-assessment through a variety of formal and informal institutions and mechanisms, designed to identify problems, concerns, and areas of potential improvement at a variety of stages in the pedagogical process.

IVa: Review and Assessment of Outcomes (Review and Assessment of Student Achievement of Learning Goals)

Review and Assessment of Outcomes in Individual Classes:

All instructors, including teaching assistants, are required to undertake student assessment, using the university’s standardized, confidential survey instrument. All reviews are examined the Vice Chair and as appropriate by the UCCEC. These assessments serve a number of purposes, including providing the department with student self-assessment of how much they have learned in particular courses.

Review and Assessment of Overall Undergraduate Program Outcomes:

Graduating senior majors are surveyed electronically to solicit their appraisal of the political science curriculum and pedagogy. These appraisals are reviewed by the Vice Chair and by the UCCEC.

To acquire timely, continuous information regarding the effectiveness of the undergraduate program, the Vice Chair and UCCEC solicit on an ongoing basis input from the department’s two Undergraduate Advisors. These are tenured members of the faculty, appointed by the Chair to serve as initial point of contact for students seeking advice about

course selection, process toward degree completion, the curriculum, career goals, and other instructional and professional matters. In this capacity, they hear any and all student concerns and complaints about the department’s instruction and about the administration of the program by Vice Chair and Undergraduate Program Administrator. These faculty members have direct access to the department Chair and to the department acting as a committee of the whole.

Review and Assessment of Professional Preparation Outcomes:

Individual members of the department – most particularly the Vice Chair – remain in contact with alumni, monitoring their post-Rutgers career progress and soliciting advice regarding the preparation that a Rutgers education provided them with for the career challenges they have faced. To acquire timely, continuous information regarding the effectiveness of the undergraduate program in preparing students for careers in law or for the pursuit of a legal education, the

Vice Chair and UCCEC solicit on an ongoing basis input from the School of Arts and Science’s pre-law advisors. These are typically members of the department. These pre-law advisors meet with pre-law students to help them prepare for law school and to provide advice on the law school application process and legal careers. In this capacity, they are able

to hear student concerns, to monitor student difficulties, and to gauge the effectiveness of the undergraduate program measured in terms of preparing those students who desire to go to law school for admission to the law school of their choice.

Review and Assessment of Progress Toward Degree Completion:

The Vice Chair and Undergraduate Program Administrator review all candidates for graduation. In doing so, they note systematic patterns of progress toward degree completion and possible problems with an eye to curricular changes that would facilitate degree progress and optimal patterns of study and course completion.

Review and Assessment of Outcomes at the Junior/Senior-Level:

All political science majors are required to take Political Science 395, in which a major writing exercise is required. Instructors of these seminars (in normal circumstances, tenured or tenure-track members of the department) evaluate the achievement and accomplishment of these students. Issues of student capability and progress uncovered by these seminars are routinely discussed by the Political Science faculty, as a committee of the whole, in regular department meetings.

Review and Assessment of Honors Outcomes:

All candidates for honors are examined by at least two members of the department to assess the student’s achievement. All candidates for departmental awards are reviewed a departmental committee for the same purpose.

Review and Assessment of the Outcomes of Faculty-Student Collaborative Research Efforts, New Initiatives, and Special Projects:

An ad hoc committee appointed by the Chair reviews proposals and renewal requests for departmental funding of special student and student-faculty research efforts, new initiatives, and special projects. In assessing requests for additional or renewed support, this committee examines the outcomes of prior support. This committee has direct access to the Vice Chair, the Program Administrator, the Chair, and the department acting as a committee of

the whole.

IVb: Review and Assessment of Instructional Inputs (Review and Assessment of Student Achievement of Learning Goals)

Review and Assessment of Individual Classes:

As noted above, all instructors, including teaching assistants, are required to undertake\ student assessment, using the university’s standardized, confidential survey instrument. All reviews are examined the Vice Chair and as appropriate by the UCCEC. These assessments provide both quantitative indicators on specific aspects of instruction, such as the

instructor’s preparation, organization, attitude, ability to respond to questions, ability to assess work fairly, and so on, and open-ended non-quantitative assessments of the instructor’s and course’s strengths and weaknesses. All numerical evaluations, except those of TAs, are made public, both in the department and on the university’s web site. The Vice Chair, in consultation with the UCCEC, discusses any deficiencies or concerns with the instructors involved, referring the instructors, where appropriate, to external sources of assistance.

Review and Assessment of Syllabi:

All syllabi of courses taught by annual, adjunct, or part-time instructors are subjected to a formal review process by the Vice Chair for Undergraduate Studies. These instructors are provided with clear, written guidance and advice both prior to the preparation of syllabi and at the time of review (that is, prior to acceptance of the syllabi by the department). All

syllabi of courses taught by tenured or tenure-track faculty members are subject to an informal review by the Vice Chair. All syllabi are kept on file and are available for examination by other members of the department. The department’s Undergraduate Curriculum and Curricular Evaluation Committee (UCCEC) reviews these on an as-needed basis.

Review and Assessment of Introductory Core Curriculum:

The Undergraduate Introductory Core Instructional Committee, composed of those members of the department who routinely teach these courses, meets regularly to discuss core course syllabi and the introductory core course curriculum, to identify concerns and possible deficiencies, and to coordinate improvements. This committee reports to the Vice Chair and UCCEC and has direct access to the Chair and to the department as a whole.

V: Undergraduate Program Administrative Structure and Program Oversight and Evaluation

The Vice Chair for Undergraduate Studies is appointed by the department Chair subject to the confirmation by the department. Under the department’s bylaws, the Vice Chair has immediate responsibility for the design and implementation of the undergraduate curriculum.
The Undergraduate Program Adminstrator is a full-time member of the staff who has dayto- day responsibility for administering the program under the direct immediate supervision of the Vice Chair. The Program Administrator has direct access to the Chair as well as to the Vice Chair.
Undergraduate Advisors are tenured members of the department appointed by the Department Chair. They keep regular office hours to meet with students, to advise these students, and to hear student concerns, complaints, and suggestions. For these duties these advisors are compensated with course release. These advisors have direct access to the Vice Chair, to the Program Administrator, and to the Chair, as well as to the department as a whole. Through their direct contact with students, these advisors monitor student achievement and the effectiveness of the department in facilitating students’ achievement of the department’s and university’s learning goals.
Pre-law Advisors are appointed by the undergraduate colleges or by the School of Arts and Sciences. They are available for scheduled appointments with students, to advise them and to hear their concerns, complaints, and suggestions. Though there is no formal institutional reporting relationship to the department, because these individuals have traditionally been members of the department, effective informal relationships have always existed. Through their direct contact with students, these advisors monitor student achievement and the effectiveness of the department in facilitating students’ achievement of the department’s and university’s learning goals.
The Undergraduate Curriculum and Curricular Evaluation Committee is appointed by the Chair and oversees the undergraduate program, monitoring and advising. Its members individually and collectively have direct access to the Vice Chair, to the Program Administrator, and to the Chair, as well as to the department as a whole.
The Undergraduate Honors Committee is appointed by the Chair. It reviews undergraduate work for awards and special distinction and reports its recommendations to the Vice Chair. Through their review of student work, members of this committee monitor student achievement and the effectiveness of the department in facilitating students’ achievement of the department’s and university’s learning goals.
The Undergraduate Introductory Core Instructional Committee is composed of all faculty members regularly teaching the department’s five core 100-level courses. This committee is responsible for monitoring these core courses, reviewing the coverage of topics and skill development in these courses, and making recommendations to the Vice Chair regarding curricular change.
Ad hoc committees have traditionally been appointed by the Chair to address major curricular reform questions. An ad hoc committee appointed by the Chair controls and monitors a separate gift account largely used in support of undergraduate education.
The department acting as a committee of the whole is directly involved in all curricular matters.

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