APSA’s Committee on the Status of Community Colleges in the Profession launched a virtual workshop series in August 2024 to offer accessible, high-quality professional development opportunities to political science community college faculty. Register for upcoming events and watch previous workshops below!
Watch the full series below:
#4 – Keeping It Fresh: Teaching Multiple Sections of American Government
#3 – Beyond the Classroom: Building Faculty Capacity for Success
#2. Community College Careers: Applying to Jobs at Two-Year Institutions
#1 – Curricular Innovations in Political Science at Community Colleges
#4 Keeping It Fresh: Teaching Multiple Sections of American Government
This virtual workshop provides specific advice and strategies for how to teach multiple sections of American government each semester, year after year. Panelists include community college faculty from California, New York, and Texas. Topics will include: course assignments and materials, open education resources, activities and games, active learning methods, and more. Join APSA’s Committee on the Status of Community Colleges in the Profession for the fourth event of their professional development workshop series.
Panelists: Peter Kolozi, Bronx Community College, CUNY; Shwana Brandle, Kingsborough Community College, CUNY; Josh Franco, Cuyamaca College; (Moderator) Terry Gilmour, Midland College
Resources:
- Introduction to Political Science Research Methods (OER textbook) – Josh Franco
- Introduction to American Government Online Course Portal – Shawna M. Brandle
- Teaching American Politics: Civic and Political Engagement in Introductory Courses – Terry Gilmour, Lanethea Mathews-Schultz, Shannon McQueen
- Community College Teaching and Professional Development Resources – APSA
- The Importance of Undergraduate Research at Community Colleges – Terry Gilmour
- Why Political Science? The Science of Democracy – APSA Resources
- Creating a Political Party and Platform Activity – Rachel Bzotsek Walker
- Games, Movies, and Zombies: Making IR Fun for Everyone – Shawna M. Brandle
#3 Beyond the Classroom: Building Faculty Capacity for Success
This joint American Political Science Association and Western Political Science Association virtual workshop expands on the 2025 WPSA Community College Mini-Conference roundtable, “Beyond the Classroom: Collaborating for Success.” We will continue the conversation with both APSA and WPSA Community College faculty members. Building faculty capacity outside the classroom includes both understanding governance processes and structures and creating cultures and conversations.
Topics will include: faculty governance experiences, developing relationship networks on campuses and across campuses, how to facilitate an inclusive dialogue, leveraging professional development opportunities, and more.
Featured panelists: Erin Richards, Cascadia College La Della Lyn Levy, College of Southern Nevada Rogelio Garcia, East Los Angeles College Paul Gottemoller, Del Mar College (Moderator) Helen Chang, CUNY Hostos Community College
#2 Community College Careers: Applying to Jobs at Two-Year Institutions
This virtual workshop provides specific advice and strategies for job candidates to consider when applying for a faculty position at a community college. Panelists include community college faculty from California, Minnesota, and Texas.
Topics will include: resume/CV best practices, reading the job description, interview preparation, regional job market considerations, perspectives from the search committee side, and pivoting from an R1 job hunt. Join APSA’s Committee on the Status of Community Colleges in the Profession for the second event of their professional development workshop series.
Panelists include: Steven Cauchon, Imperial Valley College Paul Gottemoller, Del Mar College Mark L. Johnson, Minnesota State Community and Technical College (Moderator) Helen Chang, Hostos Community College, CUNY.
Resources:
- Paul Gottemoller – CV Tips PowerPoint Presentation Slides
- Josh Franco Example Community College Cover Letter
- Josh Franco Examlpe Community College Job Application
Related APSA webinars:
- Preparing Your Teaching Materials for the Job Market, APSA webinar recording and resources
- Applying for Jobs at Teaching Oriented Institutions, APSA webinar recording and resources
Community College Job Boards:
#1 Curricular Innovations in Political Science at Community Colleges
Join us for the first professional development virtual workshop of the 2024-2025 academic year led by the APSA Committee on the Status of Community Colleges in the Profession on “Curricular Innovations in Political Science at Community Colleges.”
This workshop will allow faculty to share their classroom innovations for the fall 2024 term. Curricular innovations include utilizing new textbooks or workbooks, creating a new active learning experience, and utilizing APSA Educate resources to improve face-to-face or online learning environments.
The workshop will have up to 30 minutes of presentations and 30 minutes of questions and answers, and general discussion time. Presentations will be recorded, while the discussion section will not be recorded.
Panelists include: La Della Levy, College of Southern Nevada Josh Franco, Cuyamaca College Helen Chang, Eugenio María de Hostos Community College of The City University of New York (CUNY)
Related Resources
Social Learning Platform
Teaching Resources
- Design Your Own Comparison Indicator
- Community Mappy Assignment
- Congress Action Workbook and Canvas Module
- Simulations and Games Resource Collection
- Simulation Workbook: International Relations
- Political Philosophy Course Syllabus, Discussion Prompts, and Assignments
Pedagogical Practices
- Decolinizing the Curriculium
- Staying Relevant: The Importance of Incorporating HyFlex Learning into Higher Education Strategy
- Revolutionizing Education: The Benefits of HyFlex Learning
Teaching and Learning Conferences
OER Faculty Opportunities
Book Recommendations