Text Box: You are reading the Spring, 2004, issue of Politicus, and you should read it carefully, because there is lots of news. First, the College is finishing up a three year process of re-numbering courses, making numbers more consistent with content. The goal is to have similar courses have similar numbers across departmental lines, and to have 400 level courses really be advanced level courses. Political Science was a principal reason for this positive change (ahem, as usual), because we requested these changes some three years ago and the College decided to adopt it for all departments and programs. For students, what this means right now is that you have to become familiar with several new course numbers in all departments, and specifically in Political Science. The NEW numbers will be the basis of Spring pre-registration. So get ready for some good old-fashioned chaos. You can see our new numbers on our department’s web page: http://www.providence.edu/polisci . There will also be a copy of this in the Political Science Department group in Angel, in which all majors and minors are Text Box: members. For Seniors in the Class of 2004, this is your final issue of Politicus but not your final communication from and with us, right? We’ll be doing an assessment process towards the end of the semester, and we’ll have an Exit Survey for you to fill out. Details to follow, and not in this newsletter, but please stay tuned. And by the way, congratulations on your success in the department. For Juniors in the Class of 2005, next year marks the first year Seniors will take our Capstone Seminars as a requirement. Elsewhere in this newsletter, you can find a list of the Capstones being offered in each semester of AY 04-05. We will want you to pre-register for a Capstone this Spring, regardless of the Capstone you choose, whether it be Fall 2004 or Spring 2005. We’ll communicate with you directly about how that will happen, so please stay tuned. For Sophomores and Froshlings, no special messages. Hopefully, by now you’re getting a good sense of what a good department we have, and that you’ll be able to help steer Undeclareds our way, if they are so inclined. Lots of events coming this Spring semester, keep in touch. Text Box: One last item: because I’ll be on sabbatical leave next year, the department has elected a new Chair, Tony Affigne (assuming this is approved by Fr. Smith, President). Actually, several faculty will be on Leave next Fall, so the course registration booklet will have a lot of courses listed as taught by Staff. We’ll be interviewing and hiring three faculty for one year positions. We hope you’ll be able to meet some of the candidates. Besides myself, Rick Battistoni and Doug Blum will be on Leave in the Fall semester, and Cyril Daddieh and Joe Cammarano will be on Leave for the entire school year. Anwar Ahady, still in Afghanistan, will be on Leave for the Fall semester and perhaps for the Spring semester as well, although those plans are less certain. Finally, congratulations to PSC major Sean Van der Walle for setting a record, and to Caleb “Half-Court” Morgan, who is rumored to have been invited to be a Walk-on next year. (If you don’t understand any of that, don’t worry.) And special congratulations to Frank Caliva, ‘04, who has been awarded a Fulbright Research Award for next Text Box: Letter From the Chair Text Box: Spring 2004

PC Student Goes to    Prague

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Alumni News Brief

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Department News

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Interview with Julie Holstrom

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Poli Sci Courses Fall 2004

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Poli Sci Courses Spring 2005

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Course Number Changes

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Text Box: Politicus Text Box: Providence College Text Box: Pi Sigma Alpha Text Box: The Epsilon Chi Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honor society, has been working hard planning for the Spring Banquet and Induction Ceremony, scheduled for Sunday, April 18. The new inductees for the spring are Peter Smith ‘04, Lauren Parker ‘04, and Leanne Carvino ‘04. PC’s chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha inducts new members twice a year, in the fall and the spring. The featured speaker at this year’s banquet is Rhode Island State Senate Text Box: Majority Leader Theresa Paiva-Weed ’81 D-Newport Senator Paiva-Weed is Epsilon Chi chapter member herself, along with being a distinguished PC alumnus and Rhode Island politician. Spring also means the annual Pi Sigma Alpha best paper awards, presented to three chapter members based on the selections of a faculty committee. The awards will be presented at the Spring Banquet. In other news, PC’s chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha was awarded a grant from the Text Box: national organization in excess of $800, one of the largest awards to the chapter in recent memory. The grant is being used to pay for the Spring Banquet and other sponsored events. Pi Sigma Alpha’s Epsilon Chi chapter has also cosponsored a number of speakers with the Political Science Department this semester, and is currently at work creating an alumni networking directory.