SIENA COLLEGE
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE NEWSLETTER
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
POSC Major
Course Sequence
2
Upcoming Events
4
Washington Semester Program
5
Study Abroad/
Summer Legal
Fellows
1011
Faculty Updates
1213
Course Offerings
(Fall 2015)
1415
Office Hours and
Locations
1617
FALL 2016
Greetings from the Chair
Dear majors, minors, and other interested students,
It’s an interesting election year in the U.S! The
Political Science Society, College Democrats, and College Republicans have
been hosting debate parties and running voter registration drives. Make
your vote count!
As I mentioned in my first of the year email, we are revising the capstone
experience as part of our Program Review and in light of the College's new
priorities concerning this valuable academic experience. We will make the
Capstone both more focused and more flexible to better serve you, our
students, and your professional needs. Our updated model will be topical,
but broad. For example, take a Capstone in “Media and Government,”
“Human Rights,” “Participation in Democracy,” or “Security Studies” with a
one credit “lab” taken in the same semester for writing, policy work, hands
-on learning, media production, communication skills, or other topics depending on the course and instructor. We will give you a list of the upcoming Capstone seminars next year when you get the fall schedule in the
spring so that you can plan which works for you. Look for those topics
next semester!
Since we are in a program review year, we will conduct a series of focus
groups. Please be alert to calls for participation — we want your feedback.
I also had the suggestion to hold an open forum which is a good idea to
talk about the capstone, courses, events, and other opportunities for you in
Political Science. We can continue our chair’s café, work on more access
to the common area, or other events — just let me know.
As always, my door is open to you in my capacity as department Chair.
Best wishes,
Dr. Naranch
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POSC Major Course Sequence
Political Science Tutoring
Meghan Blasig is a junior and political science major at Siena College. She is
offering sessions for tutoring in World Politics, Political Theory and Research
Methods I and II for this fall semester. Along with majoring in political science, Meghan is also a prelaw student and she is working towards a women’s
studies minor. Meghan has efficient research method skills and has focused
her previous research on women and politics in the American government
system. She is offering tutoring times from 2-4 on Wednesday afternoons and has a flexible schedule to schedule other times to meet
for tutoring.
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A few alumni examples of alumni jobs!
 Constituent Liaison at U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Stefanik
 Governmental Relations Representative at New York State School Boards Association
 Pollinator Program Director at Center for Food Safety, Washington, DC
 Senior Policy Analyst at Seattle Housing Authority, Seattle, WA
 Editorial and Desktop Publishing Assistant at United Nations, NYC
 Teachers and CityYear Teaching Fellows (we have a few alums teaching)
 Account Manager at Association Development Group, Inc.
 Impact and Analytics Associate at ELEVATE Global Limited (in Shanghai, China)
 Health and Nutrition Director at 9 Miles East Farm
 Field Counsel at Liberty Mutual Insurance
The Perspective of a Transfer Student
William Krajicek ‘18
Picking up your life and deciding to change schools is not the easiest thing to do. When you
compound that by switching to a major you know nothing about i.e. Political Science, it’s natural to
feel a bit overwhelmed. It’s rare to find a school like Siena where assimilation into the culture comes
so easily. From the faculty student lunches, to the Political Science Chair’s Café in Siena 321, the
myriad opportunities I’ve had to feel at home as a Junior Transfer Student cannot be overstated. My
conversations with Dr. Naranch, Dr. Collens, and fellow classmates have already proven to be invaluable. Their insights and experiences have answered the questions and allayed the doubts I had coming in as a new Political Science Major. So go visit Siena 321- you’ll leave with your questions answered, your mind at ease, and if you’re lucky; you might just get some espresso.
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Upcoming Events
Dec. 13 — reading day
Fall Capstone Presentations
9:30am-12pm
Refreshments served. Celebrate the end of the semester and student work!
ACE/CPI Update
CPI Update
The Community Policy Institute (CPI) is a student-led public policy research
organization whose mission is to build capacity surrounding policy within the Capital
Region. CPI provides policy research and analysis to non-profit partners and the
broader community, enabling them to implement best practices and advocate for policies to address the challenges across a range of issues in the region – including Education, Healthcare, Homelessness, Hunger, and Justice. Housed in the Center for Academic Community Engagement (ACE) and supported by the Political Science Department, the CPI is made up of a specialized group of undergraduate Siena College students fellows who exhibit a strong interest in social justice, the nonprofit sector, research, and policy.
CPI Fellows track and disseminate current policy news, research issue important to our community partners, and provide clients with in-depth policy analysis.
CPI’s policy research is regularly posted as part of a growing network of student-lead
policy organization around the country on http://www.policyoptions.org/albany.With
ten student fellows, the CPI team is working on a variety of projects this semester. Eric Brower is leading team researching minimum wage policies for the Troy/
Albany Boys and Girls Club. Rob DeFillipo is leading a team researching breast cancer
screening policy for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Courtney Tomeny and Dan
Renwick are analyzing the Healthy Home Initiative for St. Catherine’s Center for Children. Kayla Rissew and Gordon MacCammon are examining female veteran health
services policies for the Disabled American Veterans organization.
CPI is now recruiting Student Fellows for Spring and
Summer 2017. The program includes a POSC 485 Public Service Internship in the Spring, a funded Intensive Internship in
the Summer, POSC 265 Public Policy in the Fall, and other
independent research and educational opportunities. Interested students should contact Dr. Daniel Lewis
([email protected]), the CPI Faculty Fellow or Emma Bettiol
[email protected]), the CPI Postgraduate Coordinator.
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Washington Semester Program
The Washington Semester Program provides students with exciting internship and academic opportunities across a wide range of disciplines and the chance to study and live in our nation’s capital city. The
Program features special seminars conducted by prominent Washington decision-makers and an internship experience, which could include an assignment to a congressional committee or office, an executive
branch agency, an interest group association, a think tank, a private company or firm or a media
group. In addition, students have the option to take an independent research tutorial with a faculty
mentor, enroll in travel course, or take a regular course offered by American University. The program
provides seminars in nine concentrations, covering a range of
careers and fields of study:
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American Politics
Global Economics and Business
Foreign Policy
Sustainable Development
International Law and Organizations
Journalism and New Media
Justice and Law
Public Health
All interested students should contact Dr. Daniel Lewis, Political Science Department, 321B Siena Hall,
[email protected]. Further information can also be found at http://www.american.edu/spexs/
washingtonsemester/. Applications for the Spring 2017 semester are due December 1st, 2016.
Scholars at Risk
The Political Science Department is pleased to announce the creation of a Scholars at Risk Speaker
Series to be initiated in 2017. Under Dr. Eccarius-Kelly's leadership in coordination with her colleague Dr.
Shideler in the Modern Languages Department, this new series will bring threatened academics to Siena.
Invited speakers will be able to present their critical work at Siena and also discuss their personal experiences in their countries of origin.
Siena College recently joined the Scholars at Risk Network to support courageous international
scholars who are under direct threat in their home countries. Each of the invited speakers will have a powerful and unique story to share with our students on campus. All events that are sponsored under the
Scholars at Risk Speaker Series will be open to the public and receive financial support from the Fair Trade
and Social Justice Steering Committee. This new initiative encourages our campus community and the larger public to learn more about the kinds of threats that specifically focus on intimidating academics with the
intention to silence their speech and research agendas.
The first two speakers Dr. Eccarius-Kelly has contacted have received assistance from the Scholars
at Risk Network to escape repressive policies in Iran and Syria. Both are now hosted by academic institutions in the United States and are able to continue their essential human rights work.
Stay tuned for more information and contact Dr. Eccarius-Kelly if you are interested in
becoming part of a small group of students who select future speakers for our campus!
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Moot Court/Mock Trial Update
The Hon. James P. King Moot Court/Mock Trial Team has begun its
new season preparing for the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) competitions to be held in the early spring semester.
With AMTA only allowing 10 team members to compete, tryouts
were held to determine which members of the club would travel with the
team to competitions. Following tryouts, six attorneys were selected to compete with the team: Jerry Casertino, Stella Pabis, Chris LaPointe, Gabby Agostino, Rebecca Arnold, and Diamond Moorehead. The team also selected 4
students who will serve as mock witnesses: Alli Mahoney, McKenzie Franck,
Gianni Kierkla, and Zoe Schlesinger. Further, several club members have
joined our team from all class years and areas of study.
Again this year, the team is fortunate to have Dr. Len Cutler serve as
the team’s advisor and Hon. Pat Monserrate, the Distinguished Jurist in Residence, serving as our head coach. The team is also proud to have Meghan
McLain and Aubrey Roman on our coaching staff, both of whom are alums
and local attorneys.
This year, the team will evaluate and present on a civil case of wrongful termination of employment. To expose teams to different types of cases,
AMTA alternates yearly between producing a civil and a criminal trial. The
entire coaching team is confident that the team will do well as we progress to
invitational and regional competitions in the months to come.
Respectfully,
Jerry Casertino
C-SPAN Bus on Campus!
The Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN) is a publicly broadcasted
television channel that televises proceedings of the federal government as well
as other public affairs. Their mobile election coverage bus recently stopped on
Siena’s campus to let students see firsthand coverage of the 2016 election!
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WGSS Minor and Internships!
Did you know, the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Minor (formerly Women’s
Studies) has changed its name to better reflect the nature of the minor.
Did you also know that you can now count two courses in your major for your WGSS
and MULT minors.?
You can do an internship in Albany through Political Science for WGSS or MULT credit if
you get a placement relevant to our minors – internships are in Public Service, Judicial Process and Legislative Process – one of these is offered every semester.
For more information about the WGSS minor, contact Dr. Laurie Naranch @
[email protected]
Pre Law Society
Greetings from the Pre-Law Society! I want to welcome our certificate holders, 4+3 program students and anyone else who is interested in going to Law School to the fall 2016
semester! In an effort to become a true resource for all interested in law on Siena’s campus, the Pre-Law Society has re-vamped our image. We are now focusing primarily on
LSAT-taking strategies, the Law School Admissions process, raising awareness about various legal topics, and helping students connect with lawyers in their particular field of legal
interest! A few events we have coming up are; LSAT study groups which will be held on
the weekend, but we will have snacks and the materials you will need for test day! We
are also working on having admissions personnel come in and review the application process as well as proof-read applications. Our Amend-MEANT discussions have started
with the 1 Amendment. In November we plan on tackling the gun-control issues within
the 2 Amendment, so watch out for that!
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Political Science Society
The Political Science Society has a crucial role, especially this year, here at Siena
College. Thus far this year, we have organized two debate watches along with
the College Democrats and College Republicans to portray a sense of bipartisan,
non-polarized cooperation on campus. We also worked with Democrats and
Republicans on a Voter Registration Drive, and were able to register over 50
students to vote! As a club at Siena, the mission of the Political Science Society is
to unify and empower members of our community to engage in politics. To fulfill
this mission, we also host town hall debates once a month, where students are
invited to come and speak about current political issues that affect them. Biweekly, we host Poli-Chats, where students discuss one specific modern sociopolitical issue.
Last week, we took 20 students and 2 faculty members to tour Washington DC and become more engaged in the political process. We toured the Pentagon, visited the National Mall, met with staffers from Representative Paul
Tonko's and Representative Steve Israel's office, had a personalized tour of the
Capitol Building, and so much more! In the coming weeks, we will be attending
an academic conference in Boston, where we can learn more about political research, international affairs and other disciplines and bring the knowledge we
gain back to Siena. Towards the end of the semester, the Society will be hosting
a political networking event, where all members of the Siena College community
will be welcome to come mix and mingle with Political Science faculty, local politicians, intern recruiters and graduate school recruiters. Overall, the Political
Science Society is honored to serve the Siena College community by encouraging
students to be politically active and to engage in politics!
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Summer Scholars– CURCA
This summer the Political Science Department was able to work with the Center for Undergraduate
Research and Creative Activities (CURCA) and hire three Summer Scholars to assist professors in
the department with their own independent research. Griffin Doyle ’17 was able to work with Dr.
Laurie Naranch researching how student debt is portrayed in the media, and how the coverage differs across Spanish and English news sources. Ryan Knipple ’17 was able to work with Dr. Dan Lewis
researching the effects of popular referendums on
state and local transgender rights policies. Shelby Davis ’16 was able to work with Dr. Leonard Cutler
researching President Obama’s role in trying to close
the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and the
likelihood that this will be inherited by the next President. Dr. Cutler and Shelby’s research was published
by the Times Union in a piece titled “Guantanamo’s
Future,” and is currently in the publishing process for
some academic journals.
The research culminated in the CURCA poster presentation in the Sarazen Student Union on September 23rd. Griffin, Ryan, and Shelby all presented posters based on their research at the symposium. Meghan Blasig ’17 and Courtney Rafis ’17
both gave oral presentations on their research done with the Summer Legal Fellows program. Meghan researched the legality of partisan gerrymandering and is currently working with the law professor in the process of being published. Courtney’s research was about the Privacy Shield and internet
privacy rights in the United States and Europe. All of those involved in summer research felt the experience was both positive and overwhelmingly successful.
Interested students should be on the lookout for research opportunities and talk with
your professors!
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Summer Legal Fellows - Paige Nestler ’17
The Government Law Center at Albany Law School
For eight weeks during the summer of 2016, I had the opportunity to
intern at the Government Law Center (GLC) at Albany Law School. During
my time there, I worked on two main projects. My first project involved
researching and writing briefs about the problem of urban blight across the
United States. My second project involved researching and writing a paper
about HIV/AIDS-infected patients and barriers to long-term care. During
my time at the law school, I was able to sharpen and learn new skills that
will aid me in my journey as a law student, and then eventually as a lawyer. I
am extremely grateful and thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the
Summer Legal Fellows Program this summer and I would recommend the
program to any future students who are potentially interested in a future
career in the legal field.
For my first project, I was set up with Paul Walker (Regional Innovation Fellow at the GLC) to help him with research on the problem of urban
blight that exists across the United States. Paul is writing a white paper
(report giving information/proposals on an issue) on urban blight and demolition that he is hoping to present to Congress. Throughout the eight
weeks, I researched and wrote briefs for Paul to aid him in the process of
writing his paper. I specifically looked into solving urban blight and the economic outcomes of demolition on a city. My research will be used to help
him to write his white paper and as a result, I will get listed on the paper as
a contributor.
For my second project, I was set up with Emily Ekland Esq.
(Associate Director at the GLC) and Rose Mary Bailly Esq. to do research
on HIV/AIDS-infected patients and barriers that they face to long-term
care. I was able to discover that discrimination on the basis of disability,
which is prohibited by both federal and state law, is taking place in nursing
homes in the Capital Region. I will be attending an HIV/AIDS event with the
GLC staff in the fall that pertains to my paper and I am hoping that my research will bring light to this issue in the future.
I always knew that I wanted to be a lawyer one day, and I am so glad
I had this opportunity through the Summer Legal Fellows Program to get a
head start on exposure to legal research and writing. The two projects I
worked on throughout the eight weeks really helped me to become a better researcher and writer, both tools I know I will need in law school. I am
much more confident now that I am definitely on the correct career path,
and I am looking forward to continuing my work on urban blight and HIV/
AIDS with the GLC.
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Study Abroad– Griffin Doyle ‘17
You know there has just been a major protest in Santiago, Chile when you see
squeezed lemons lying in the street. Unknown to me when I first arrived, sucking on a lemon is a quick remedy to help ease the effects of tear gas. Chile is a country where political
demonstrations are common and often turn violent, prompting the use of tear gas by the
police force to disperse the often raucous crowds. Living in Santiago and having the opportunity to witness massive student-led demonstrations was just part of my experience in
Chile, but it is certainly emblematic of the political culture present in Santiago.
Studying abroad was one of the best decisions I have made during my time here at Siena. The ability to live in a foreign country and live and navigate through another culture is
invaluable. Adjusting to another culture can be uncomfortable and challenging at times, but
the knowledge and experience gained by living through these situations is irreplaceable. During my time in Chile I had the opportunity to volunteer as a teacher in the port city of Valparaíso, about an hour west of Santiago. The conditions in Valparaíso’s public schools were
manageable, but the lack of modern technology was surprising; the only computers in the
school were located in the administrative offices. Still, the all boys’ class who I taught English
genuinely appreciated being able to speak to a “gringo” about their lives.
Teaching in Valparaíso was an invaluable part of my time abroad in Chile. From my
perspective, the tear gas and protests were just as important. Studying political science allowed me to see these variations and complexities and recognize that feeling uncomfortable
about some aspects of life in a foreign country was fine. If I could recommend one thing to
every Siena student it would be to go live abroad for a semester and study, it is truly a once
in a lifetime opportunity.
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Faculty Updates
Dr. Laurie Naranch - Chair
Dr. Laurie Naranch worked with a CURCA Siena Summer Scholar, Griffin Doyle (Poli Sci/Spanish
‘17) on a project on student debt and a crisis of citizenship. In this collaborative project, Griffin
reviewed the relevant literature, Dr. Naranch’s conference paper, and constructed a policy review of the current presidential candidates’ positions on college affordability as well as an original
data set using the New York Times and La Opinión to run a content analysis to test framing questions. Student debt surpassed credit card debt in 2004 to be the most held consumer debt in the
U.S.
Dr. Naranch also worked on two articles this summer, one on the work of Adriana Cavaraero
and the power, and limits, of narration when looked at in relation to the work of Sojourner Truth
as well as research for her paper presentation at the American Political Science Association Meeting in Philadelphia over Labor Day on “Political Theory and the Aging Body.”
Dr. Leonard Cutler
This summer Dr. Cutler undertook collaborative research with Research Assistant Shelby Davis
on “The Albatross of Guantanamo Post 9/11:A Dubious Obama Legacy”.A version of this paper
will appear in the Jurist,Legal Commentary,and The Conversation,Fall,2016. Also with Shelby Davis, Dr. Cutler produced a forty page peer reviewed journal article entitled,”Guantanamo,Fifteen
Years After 9/11:An Unwelcome Presidential Legacy”,currently under review for Winter publication. Finally, Dr. Cutler delivered a Keynote Address to PLANC (Pre-law Advisors National Conference) in Chicago in June of 2016,entitled “Summer Legal Fellows:Partnering for Success in Experiential Learning.”
Dr. Daniel C. Lewis
In May, Dr. Daniel Lewis participated as a Faculty Fellow in the Educational Network for
Active Civic Transformation (ENACT) workshop at the International Center for Ethics, Justice
and Public Life at Brandeis University. The goal of the ENACT workshop is to develop engaged
courses on public advocacy, giving students the opportunity to advocate for policy change in state
legislatures. Lewis will be developing an ENACT course for the Spring 2018 semester. In his role
as the Community Policy Institute (CPI) Faculty Fellow, Dr. Lewis was honored with the Academic Community Engagement office’s “Faculty Mentor of the Year” award. In June, he participated
in the Student Leadership Institute at Maryville College and took part in a Policy Options strategy
session that centered on the development of student-led policy institutes.
Dr. Lewis also secured two book contracts with the University of Michigan Press: The
Remarkable Rise of Transgender Rights, coauthored with Jami Taylor and Donald Haider-Markel,
explores how the transgender rights movements has been able to achieve policy successes despite
its marginal political status in the U.S. Slicing Up the Governmental Pie: Policy Priorities in the
American States, coauthored with Saundra Schneider and William Jacoby, provides a new theory
and empirical measure of state policy based on budgetary allocations and sheds new light on the
policy process in the states. As part of the The Remarkable Rise of Transgender Rights project,
Dr. Lewis worked with CURCA Siena Summer Scholar, Ryan Knipple (Poli Sci ‘17) on developing
a chapter on the effects of direct democracy on transgender rights policy. Ryan researched state
and local transgender rights policies for a set of comparative analyses and conducted content analyses of media coverage of popular referendums in Houston, Fayetteville (AR), and Eureka Springs
(AR). Finally, Dr. Lewis continued his research on public opinion toward transgender rights. The
research team from five universities fielded a third national survey with an embedded experiment
on messaging regarding bathroom policies in June. Meanwhile, five manuscripts from the project
have been submitted to peer-reviewed journals. Two more studies are being developed, including
“The Bathroom Issue: Transgender Rights and Public Opinion,” which was presented at the
American Political Science Association Meetings in Philadelphia on September 2, 2016.
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Faculty Updates (Continued)
Dr. Ausra Park
This summer Dr. Park Presented a paper (co-authored with Gerda Jakstaite) “Status Seeking
or Interest in Democracy Promption in the Eastern Partnership States? Lithuania’s Foreign
Policy Toward Ukraine,” at the First Annual Tartu Conference on Russian and East European
Studies, on June 12-14, 2016 in Tartu, Estonia. She also presented another paper titled
“Crises’ Prime Minister: Local Leader, Glocal Implications?” and served as panel chair at an
American Association of Baltic Studies conference on May 26-29, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Currently Dr. Park is completing preparation of a paper on human trafficking for
publication (to be submitted in the fall 2016) that was funded by a Diversity Action Committee Research Fellowship grant for AY 2015-16. She also has the opportunity to present a
project on the rise of female presidents in Eastern Europe at the Gender and Transformation
in Europe workshop, at the NYU Center for European and Mediterranean Studies in midSeptember
Dr. Jack D. Collens
Dr. Collens spent most of his summer working on a number of research projects, including a
project on the role of the Tea Party in motivating voter turnout in the 2010 and 2012 congressional primaries and another on the effects of the Supreme Court’s “one person, one
vote” decision in 1964’s Wesberry v. Sanders on U.S. House representatives’ political ambition.
He also continued work on a project (titled “Gender, Ideology, and Candidate Quality in the
2012 Congressional Primaries: An Exploration”) he started with help from research assistant
Kaitlyn Smith, which he presented in early September at the annual meeting of the American
Political Science Association in Philadelphia, PA. Finally, he began working on a pedagogical
article about the use of a student-run blog in political science education. He also worked
with student editor Emily Radigan on providing fresh content for the department’s Political
Saints blog. On the personal front, Dr. Collens and his wife purchased a house in Delmar,
NY and prepared for the arrival of their daughter Stella Reneé Collens, who was born on
October 7.
Dr. Vera Eccarius-Kelly
Dr. Vera Eccarius-Kelly published a book chapter entitled “Behind the Front Lines: Kobani,
Legitimacy, and Kurdish Diaspora Mobilization,” in Kurdish Issues: Essays in Honor of Robert
W. Olson, ed. Michael M. Gunter (Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda Publishers, 2016). She received an
invitation from the US Department of State and served as an independent consultant for
Centra Technologies, Inc. on “The Future of the Iraqi State” from July 13-15, 2016. In addition, she is currently completing a book chapter on how Kurdish activists envision museum
exhibits, a project which is under contract with Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden, Germany.
Dr. Eccarius-Kelly also serves as a board member for two non-profit organizations: The Ahmed Foundation for Kurdish Studies (an educational foundation) and Mayan Hands (501(c)3
non-profit organizations).
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Spring 2017 Course Offerings
POSC 257 (Terrorism: Causes and Cures) - 3:50-5:15 MW - Dr. EccariusKelly
In this course students gain in-depth knowledge of a range of domestic and international
terrorist groups. By pursuing a systematic analysis about the causes of and responses to
terrorism, this class is designed to address the fundamental question of why (and under
what circumstances) groups resort to acts of terrorism. We will examine research related to group behavior in a wide range of political systems. The guiding thematic questions for the course are: How do terrorist groups emerge? Which organizational challenges do they face, and how do they typically solve them? Under which circumstances
do groups decline? Why do some groups use terrorism as one of their strategies, while
others specialize in terrorism? Why do some groups prefer to act locally, while others
engage in global attacks? This class requires a willingness to engage with a large number
of case studies.
POSC 310 (Interest Group Politics) - 11:25-12:50 TR - Dr. Daniel Lewis
Most Americans believe that government is run by "a few big interests looking out for
themselves" rather than for the benefit of all the people, but it is unclear how much influence interest groups actually have in American politics. In this course, we'll explore
questions related to interest group influence in the American political system. The
course will cover both theories and empirical studies of interest group mobilization,
lobbying and advocacy tactics, campaign finance issues, and electioneering. It will also
cover a variety of institutional venues (from Congress to the courts) across different
levels of government. Throughout the course we will seek to connect these topics to
broader questions of democratic performance, accountability, and political power.
Honors POSC 339 (The Politics of Clothing) - 2:00-4:00 T - Dr. Laurie
Naranch
Free speech. Discrimination. Burkinis and bikinis. Cultural heritage. The black hoodie.
Individual expression. Gender regulation. Sweatshop free clothing. This course takes a
law, culture, and humanities approach to what clothing signifies in political spaces. As we
will see, clothing is much more than a simple covering for the body historically and today. We will discuss free speech and discrimination cases, ways to accommodate or
regulate religious and gendered clothing in the public sphere in Egypt, France, and the
US, clothing as protest, clothing as cultural heritage, and sweatshop free movements.
As part of the class students will work in the new Digital Scholarship Center of the library. We will have a class project related to cultural heritage with textiles, clothing,
and other objects. Individual projects will also use the resources available for creating
visual, interactive research on your chosen topic.
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Spring 2017 Course Offerings (Continued)
POSC 320 (The American Presidency) - 2:40-3:40 MWF - Dr. Jack D. Collens
In January of 2017, either the Clinton or Trump administration will take office and must transition from
campaigning for office to governing the country. Will their governing styles and personalities influence their
effectiveness? Or will their success or failure be determined by forces outside of their control, including the
institution of the American presidency itself? This course examines this institution, including presidential
elections, the development of the presidency, presidential power, relations with Congress and the courts,
and more.
POSC 372 (Civil Liberties II) - 9:50-11:15 TR - Dr. Leonard Cutler
Thomas Jefferson referred to a "Wall of Separation" between church and state, which has generated considerable debate among scholars who maintain that there is little evidence to support the contention that
the framers of the Constitution ever insisted upon a strict separation. The question therefore became not
whether there should be some relation between the two, but rather, what the nature of that relationship
should be. As it happened with so many aspects of the Constitution, it fell to the Supreme Court to search
for the meanings within the words and phrases used to structure the noble experiment in responsible government. The starting point for this semester will be a focus on the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the Bill of Rights. There will also be an examination of Equal Protection as it relates to Jim Crow laws,
school desegregation, affirmative action, gender equality, age discrimination, and sexual preference. The
course will conclude with a focus on reapportionment, race/ethnicity, and voting rights. The role of the Supreme Court in the evolution of the doctrine of incorporation of principal components of the Bill of Rights
in the United States Constitution will be the major emphasis of discussion.
POSC 450 (Contemporary Russian Foreign Policy) *TRAVEL COURSE* - M 6:00-8:00 Dr. Ausra Park
This course examines contemporary Russian foreign policy starting from World War II to present. Analysis
will focus on foreign policy goals, strategy and tactics, foreign policy-making structures, and relationships
between Russian leaders and their foreign counterparts. The course will travel to Russia in May, visiting two largest cities--Moscow (the Kremlin and the Mausoleum where Soviet leader Lenin is
on display) and the former imperial capital and the current cultural capital of Russia, St. Petersburg (the Winter Palace, the Hermitage, and Peterhof, known as the Russian Versailles).
A $500 deposit will be required at registration, with the rest of the course cost
(approximately $2500-2700) charged to a student account prior to the start of the spring semester.
POSC 485– Internship In Legislative Process
If you want exposure to the intricacies of the State or National Legislative Process, then why not take advantage of our experiential learning opportunity with the New York State Legislature or interning with our
U.S. Senators or local Congressional Representatives. You can also undertake Legislative Policy research
with a not-for-profit advocacy organization as part of this same Internship Program. We try to capitalize on
the Capitol. Please contact Dr. Cutler ([email protected]) for more details and permission to take advantage of this opportunity.
Meet the Political Science Faculty
Faculty Information:
Name
Office Location
Phone Number
Email
Dr. Laurie E. Naranch
(Chair)
321F Siena Hall
782-6877
[email protected]
Dr. Leonard Cutler
326A Siena Hall
782-2350
[email protected]
316 Siena Hall
782-6743
[email protected]
Dr, Ausra Park
321A Siena Hall
782-6795
[email protected]
Dr. Salvatore Lombardo
321E Siena Hall
783-2395
[email protected]
Dr. Daniel Lewis
321B Siena Hall
783-2325
[email protected]
Dr. Jack Collens
321C Siena Hall
782-6603
[email protected]
Dr. Vera Eccarius-Kelly
Fall 2016 Office Hours
Monday
Dr. Naranch
Dr. Cutler
Tuesday Wednesday
11:301:30
9:1511:15
Dr. EccariusKelly
Dr. Park
3:455:00
2:00-4:00
Thursday Friday
11:301:30
9:15-11:15
9:1511:15
2:30-3:30
1:302:30
3:45-5:00
3:455:00
Dr. Lewis
9:0011:00
10:00-11:00 9:0011:00
Dr. Lombardo
9:1511:15
8:1511:15
Dr. Collens
2:004:30
2:00- 4:30