Opportunities and Announcements
for the Week of May 8, 2020
Finals Week. Final exams concluded on Wednesday, and the POSC faculty are completing their grading responsibilities and are submitting final grades, due tomorrow. I thank our faculty for working so concertedly and successfully in moving political science courses online and in completing the semester with continued academic rigor and understanding. We all look forward to commencement on May 17 and to celebrating, if only virtually, the successes of our graduating seniors. It’s sad to realize that we will not be able to celebrate in person and to congratulate and cheer on our graduates, but we all can reflect on their multiple successes in the context of a highly challenging semester.
P/NP Update and May 11 Deadline. Please note the following, from Dean Jeff Wolcowitz, Undergraduate Studies, concerning changes to the deadline for selecting the P/NP option for undergraduate courses. As Dean Wolcowitz wrote in his email to all students,
the Faculty Senate extended the period of time for undergraduates to decide whether to choose letter grades or P/NP grading for this semester until 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday, May 11. This applies to all courses that had an end date of March 16 or later.
In light of this change, designed to allow you to see your final grades before making a decision, we have canceled all earlier P/NP elections made by the previous April 27 deadline. You must make a new election of P/NP grading in any course for which you wish to exercise that option.
Once you have seen your grade in any course this semester, you may elect P/NP grading in SIS in the ordinary way (see the registrar’s website for more information). If you choose P/NP grading, grades of A through D will be converted to P and grades of F will be converted to NP; neither P nor NP enter your GPA calculation. You may choose P/NP grading in as many courses as you wish and grades of P for Spring 2020 courses will count toward major, minor, and general education requirements. Please review the special rules about academic standing that were adopted for this semester.
Do not choose P/NP grading in a course until your final grade is posted, as doing so will prevent you from seeing your final letter grade. If your final letter grade in a course is not posted by May 11 or if you have been assigned an Incomplete, you will be able to request P/NP grading in that course once the final grade is posted, but you must do so within 48 hours of the grade being posted by contacting your navigator. This will give you the same opportunity to view your grade before making a determination about P/NP as would have been the case had a final grade been posted by May 11.
All elections of P/NP grading or the choice of maintaining the recorded letter grade in a course will be treated as final after the established deadline.
Please consult your academic advisor and/or your navigator if you have any questions about the P/NP policies for Spring 2020 or about the procedures to follow.
Good News. Congratulations to Marin Exler, Nicholas Leberer, David McGrath, and Aubri Swank, on presentation of their SOURCE projects! The Virtual Intersections Project allowed students to present their work virtually and to receive comments on their SOURCE projects. Marin’s project, Understanding Democratic Culture: A Brazilian Perspective, and Aubri Swank’s project Catalan Law: A Study on the Effects of Culture in the Legal Field, were directed by Professor Kelly McMann. Professor Elliot Posner directed The Political Economy of the Crisis in Venezuela: The Resource Curse Strikes Again? by Nicholas Leberer. David McGrath’s project, Party System Change and Women’s Representation, was directed by Professor Karen Beckwith. Access to these online presentations ends today, May 8, so please check out the work that our students have completed. Many thanks to the POSC faculty who worked with these students to develop their excellent projects.
Congratulations to Ricky Gilmore-Vega, on his election to the pre-law society Phi Delta Alpha 2020-21 Executive Board!
And congratulations to Yuhan Summer Xia, for her photograph Kimono, submitted for the Center for International Affairs Study Abroad Photo Contest, winning in the category of “Cultural Experience.” The photo shows Summer in Tokyo, Japan, visiting a shrine, where she wore a kimono for the first time. The photograph was taken during Summer’s study abroad semester in Waseda, Japan, in Spring 2019. See Summer’s photo here, beginning at the 2:16 mark. Many congratulations to Summer on this award and recognition!
Future Newsletters. Please note that next week’s Newsletter will be the final weekly newsletter for the 2019-20 academic year. It may be possible to continue the newsletter on a less frequent basis across the course of the summer. I will be sure to let everyone know whether this can be the case.
As always, stay calm, stay connected, and study political science.
With all best wishes,
Karen
Karen Beckwith
Flora Stone Mather Professor and Chair
Department of Political Science
Virtual Events
Coronavirus in Conflict Zones
May 7, 4:00-5:00pm, Virtual Forum from the CCWA
The Cleveland Council on World Affairs will host Jarrett Blanc, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Pease, to discuss the realities of coronavirus in conflict-afflicted nations with high levels of displacement and low levels of state capacity.
Return to the Statehouse: What Policy Priorities will Prevail?
May 15, 12:30-1:30pm, Virtual Forum from the City Club
After sheltering in place for nearly two months, Ohioans – and Ohio’s economy – are beginning to emerge and prepare for a new reality. As Ohio lawmakers return to work for the first time since March 25, what policy responses will be prioritized?
Current Opportunities
Virtual Volunteering Opportunities
The CWRU Center for Civic Engagement and Learning has compiled a list of virtual volunteering opportunities, several of which are political science related.
Summer Opportunities
Progressive Policy Institute Internships
PPI offers a range of internships, including the possibility of remote internships during the COVID-19 crisis. Summer internship applications are due May 15. Fall internship applications will be accepted starting July 1.
Foundation for the Defense of Democracies
The FDD, a Washington, DC based think tank, offers a variety of unpaid internships to undergraduate students. Applications are open until all positions are filled.
The Borgen Project
The Borgen Project, a non-profit organization aiming to end global poverty, offers telecommute internships in journalism, political affairs, and human resources.
American Enterprise Institute Summer Internships
AEI provides various internships to undergraduate students. Internships are unpaid, but applicants can apply for a scholarship to provide a monthly stipend. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.
International Security Positions
Deadlines for international security positions beginning summer 2021 can be as early as this spring due to security clearance requirements. If you are interested in such positions, begin to monitor usajobs.gov and U.S. federal agency web sites regularly now.
Graduating Senior Opportunities
Graduate Public Policy & Management Program
The Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University, offering graduate degrees in Public Policy and Management has reopened their Fall 2020 Graduate Applications. The GRE/GMAT requirement has been waived for new applicants.
Ohio Legislative Service Commission Legislative Fellowship Program
The LSC sponsors 23 – 24 paid thirteen-month legislative fellowship positions designed to provide college graduates with practical experience in the legislative process. The fellowship program begins the first week in December of each year and continues through December 31 of the following year. Applications for media production fellowship positions are due May 31.
Rotary Peace Fellowship
The Rotary Peace Fellowship program awards up to 130 fully funded fellowships for dedicated leaders to study at one of their peace centers in either their master’s degree program or professional development certificate program. Applications close July 1, 2020 for the 2021-2022 fellowship.
EPIK
EPIK invites recently graduated students from English-speaking countries with a motivation to share their knowledge and language with Korean students and teachers through teaching classes. Applications are open from February to July for the Fall term.
City Year
The role of a City Year AmeriCorps member is designed to help students build the social-emotional and academic skills to achieve their goals. The next application deadline is May 29, 2020.
Please note that the Department of Political Science alerts our students to a range of opportunities, including internships, fellowships, and jobs. We do not endorse or sponsor these, and leave it to the judgment of our students what is most useful and appropriate to them.