The Morehead State University academic audit is out. I still haven't figured out what I think. I can see the logic of putting the arts programs into their own college though. The arts programs are successful. They've had have access to Caudill Little money and they've done well with it. They're also good people. The arts faculty I know--Gordon Towell, Paul Taylor, Bob Franzini, Ricky Little, Jennifer Reis, Gary Mesa-Gaido, Lisa Mesa-Gaido, and Glenn Ginn are all open, fun, and interesting people.
However, the proposed new College of Regional and Global Studies and College of Business and Public Affairs look pretty much like complete hodgepodges or mishmashes-- veritable potpourris of programs.
Take what happened to the Government Program for example.
The Government Program was consolidated with IRAPP.
That makes sense.
But then the whole unit was put into the Business College instead of the College of Regional and Global Studies.
That doesn't make sense.
The Government Program is composed of four fields--American politics, Comparative politics, Political Theory, and International Politics.
All of these fields are "Regional and Global Studies" kinds of fields.
The Government Program is also the home for the Canadian Studies Online Program and a large number of comparative public law classes that would have a natural home in a College of Regional and Global Studies as well.
Finally, the Government Program uses a combination of social science and humanities methods that line up well with the sociologists, historians, philosophers, English faculty, and other people in the College of Regional and Global Studies.
The reason why the Government Program was placed with the Business Colege was because the IRAPP faculty wanted to be affiliated with Business rather than the College of Regional and Global Studies.
But maybe the IRAPP faculty doesn't know what their true interests are.
It wasn't like the Government Program was more misplaced than other programs though. The Communications programs were parceled out among three different colleges. Likewise, the Geography Program was placed out with the earth scientists and space scientists.
Likewise, the philosophers are now aligned with the historians even though they have more in common with Government.
Maybe the philosophers would like to join us in the Business College instead.
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So, Philosophy and History are now paired together? That makes more sense to me than the Govt Dept being placed with the College of Business. Ah, politics.
So what you are saying is that IRAPP (Regional Analysis), political science (your government program) and geography (the study of regions and the world) will NOT be a part of the new College of Regional and Global Studies? What kind of #$%&@ is that? Someone is re-shuffling the cards and nobody seems to know what game they are playing. Have fun in business!
That's what I'm saying. There's a month of comment and the university is going to take suggestions for revisions. So, the university might change their mind.
I don't know.
But it's not like the government program is going to dry up and die if it's placed in business.
I'm even starting to think of it as "The Government Program's Excellent Adventure."
Ric,
You know what would be a good topic for you to write about. Why blacks are a monolithic voting block and why whites (white women inparticular) are not.
Frankly, I find the thought of placing a Government program in a Business school absolutely chilling. I realize it's called "Business and Public Affairs," but that in itself is a problem.
To the most recent anonymous: Do you think the change would be "chilling" from a government or a business perspective.
Maybe IRAPP faculty have more pull than you do?
Really! What would make you think that?
Well, obviously IRAPP got what they wanted, didn't they? And you didn't.
Somewhere in the great beyond, Greg Goldey is laughing his ass off at you.
That's odd. I thought Greg and I were on the same page over the last couple of years before his death. Maybe you know better.
RE: government department in the business school--
It's an off-the-cuff reaction, but it just supports the impression that business interests/the business model are slowly annihilating all other values and perspectives.
I don't think that's the case.
"On the same page" in that Goldey had to deal with you. If you think he would have been enthusiastic about merging with IRAPP, then you are deluding yourself.
I imagine he's smoking a cigar right now and chuckling at your predicament.
The only reason you're putting on a brave face about it is that you don't want to give your enemies the satisfaction of watching you squirm.
I find this enormously interesting. Personally I feel that there are basically three major things you can do with a government degree. Go to law school. Work for the government in some capacity. Or go to grad school for a variety of disciplines. Of course there are other things one could do, but these are the big ones.
I actually think moving to business will be a huge help for the people who actually want to work for the government. In all fairness, I would have hated it when I was at Morehead because of my fear of all things math, but now that I am working on my masters the fact that business principles and analysis are an essential part of a functioning government cannot be escaped. Of course, this would explain IRAPP's interest in business since the MPA is basically a government business degree.
I think this is a move to bring the government program back to a more traditional curriculum (along with the not so unexpected power grab) and in all reality I think theory would probably have the easiest time adapting to it as many of the big theorists (Locke, Smith, etc.)have had an enormous impact on the structure of actual policy in the U.S., financial or otherwise.
There will be people, such as myself a few years ago, who like the focus on IR and other frankly more interesting topics, but in the long run I really feel that this is a move that will help the non-law school bound group get actual real jobs that use their degree when they graduate.
Brandi, That's an interesting comment. I wonder how well the business or IRAPP people do in conveying those skills.
Well I'm one of those law school bound students and I'm struggling with my choice of a major now. I was disappointed that we didn't have a political science major and I almost didn't come to morehead because of that fact. After my freshman year I knew that I wanted to be a government major, especially after professor Caric's theory class. This decision is extremely disheartening to me. I consider myself a moderate independent and I have no desire to lumped together with a overtly conservative program. While the government should regulate business, it's not a business and shouldn't be treated as such.
Government not a business? Hilarious.
Actually, currently I'm in law school, wishing I had more business skills.
As far as this move, I'm not pleased with the status of the department, but I don't think this is necessarily a really bad move. This may help student who really want a PhD in political science. Law school is law school, but those business skills are priceless. Being able to do good anaylisis is always always good. Besides, if you wanted to be a corporate lawyer, open your own firm, working in a small firm, representing any business at all, it would be good to know business skills. The government department will survive this.
Furthermore, I do not think that in any celebrity death match, IRAPP could take Dr. Caric. I've witnessed the throwdown. Caric can take them.
Basically, I agree with Brandi, helps that she is my friend, lawschool track and pure government is seperate but having the same foundation is a good idea.
Brandy Eden
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