Local Government, SWOT Analysis, and Civic Engagement by Charles C. Turner California State University, Chico Abstract: Political Science departments across the country offer (and often require) a Senior Capstone course as part of the major. The Wahlke Report recommended including such a course almost twenty years ago and the Association of American Colleges and Universities considers it a Colleges and Universities are also advocating broad efforts at civic “high-impact practice.” engagement—an approach to academic work for which political science majors are uniquely qualified. This article recommends a State of the Community project as a best practice for the capstone seminar. It describes the successes and failures of partnering a senior capstone course with seven public agencies in a small city. By developing a multi-stage process for interacting with agencies, city officials, and the public, this State of the Community project provides students with a real-world opportunity to serve as political/organizational consultants. By emphasizing the importance of timeliness, teamwork, community engagement, presentation skills, and professionalism, this project can be a turning point for political science students who must soon transition from being members of the undergraduate world to being citizens in the community around them. This paper prepared for presentation at the Western Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Hollywood, California, March 28-30, 2013. Copyright by the Western Political Science Association. Please do not cite or distribute without permission from author. An earlier draft of this paper was delivered to the American Political Science Association Teaching & Learning Conference. Introduction: An Opportunity and a Challenge
Local Government, SWOT Analysis, and Civic Engagement by Charles C. Turner California State University, Chico Abstract: Political Science departments across the country offer (and often require) a Senior Capstone course as part of the major. The Wahlke Report recommended including such a course almost twenty years ago and the Association of American Colleges and Universities considers it a “high-impact practice.” Colleges and Universities are also advocating broad efforts at civic engagement—an approach to academic work for which political science majors are uniquely qualified. This article recommends a State of the Community project as a best practice for the capstone seminar. It describes the successes and failures of partnering a senior capstone course with seven public agencies in a small city. By developing a multi-stage process for interacting with agencies, city officials, and the public, this State of the Community project provides students with a real-world opportunity to serve as political/organizational consultants. By emphasizing the importance of timeliness, teamwork, community engagement, presentation skills, and professionalism, this project can be a turning point for political science students who must soon transition from being members of the undergraduate world to being citizens in the community around them. This paper prepared for presentation at the Western Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Hollywood, California, March 28-30, 2013. Copyright by the Western Political Science Association. Please do not cite or distribute without permission from author. An earlier draft of this paper was delivered to the American Political Science Association Teaching & Learning Conference. Introduction: An Opportunity and a Challenge