Political Science is on the upswing

Oliver Williams sees a "renaissance" brewing in Stiteler Hall. The chairperson of the Political Science Department, Williams admits his department had a poor reputation in the past, and that it was a department of turmoil and conflict. "Ten years ago we got a bad rap," he said. "Our graduate school had some problems." But all that is changing, he said. "We are recruiting successfully in competition with good places," he said. "We're playing in the big leagues and getting good people. I think that says something." In the early to mid '80s, the department was not even among the nation's top 30 political science departments in various reports and rankings. "We were in the 30's at one time and that's not good," he said. "No department should be in the 30's. That's way below the University's average." The turnaround, Williams said, is the result of a concerted effort towards improvement that began five years ago. Some junior professors, he said, have recently received tenure while many in the past have not. Williams said professors are getting tenured because the quality of work and teaching has improved. "We went 10 years without tenuring an assistant professor," he said. "We have tenured four within the last few years." The department has also been more successful in recruiting professors. Four new professors have joined the staff this year alone. Williams also sees an influx of students into the graduate program. He said graduate classes are actually crowded. "The numbers funding themselves has increased," he said. "They're opting for our program and we're not cheap. They are choosing an expensive route and still coming here. That's an indication of being looked upon as better." The re-energizing of the department has lured some professors here already, including first-year professors John Ikenberry and Anne Norton. "I was impressed by the commitment that the administration has made to revitalize the department," said Ikenberry, a former U.S. State Department advisor. "I am pleased that there is this anticipation in the department to grow and prosper." "I want to see the department push the envelope intellectually," Norton added. "We want to make ties with other parts of the University and other universities." The department also hopes to found and construct a center of international studies. The department already has a "commitment on the part of the administration" for this type of center, Ikenberry said. The new professors said they are aware of the "internal conflict" that was part of the department in the past, but decided to join the faculty anyway. "With the appointments that preceded mine and assurances that were made, I recognized the department had turned a corner," Ikenberry said. "The University has clearly made a commitment to rebuild."