EDITORIAL: Save the Poli Sci department

Hiring both senior and junior faculty members is necessary to keep pace with peer institutions. The upcoming departures of Marissa Golden, the core of the department's American politics sector, and international relations specialist Dan Deudney make a bleak situation look even more desperate. At the end of the semester, Political Science will be down to approximately 20 faculty members -- ironically fewer than a year ago when plans were announced to hire three to four full-time senior faculty members in an effort to make the department more visible. The department has had difficulty holding its own for some time. Fifteen years ago, it had a poor reputation among peer institutions, and internally it was marked by turmoil and conflict. But in the late '80s, Poli Sci began to rebuild. Most recently, efforts have been focused on boosting the department's notably weak American politics component. The loss of Golden, however, will be a substantial setback to that goal. For the past few years, she has been the only professor to teach the department's introductory course in American politics. And she has been a major player in the development of new courses. The recent announcement of her departure has left the department struggling to fill the void. In its revitalization efforts, recruiting senior faculty members is key, as high-profile professors should strengthen the department and make it more attractive to prospective faculty members and students. But, especially in light of the recent blows, senior faculty recruitment is not going to be enough to lift the department out of its crippled state. Poli Sci needs to rebuild from the ground up. This means also looking to hire more junior faculty members, who will enable the department to offer the myriad courses that have been abandoned for lack of staff. There are no quick fixes that will revitalize the Political Science department. Even if four new faculty members are hired within the next year, the department will have succeeded only in making up for recent losses. The University cannot claim to offer a well-rounded education without Political Science. Courses on American political thought, Congress and the judiciary branch -- none of which have been taught in years -- should be mainstays of the School of Arts and Sciences curriculum.

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