Department of Political Science and International Relations

• BLM Solidarity Statement
  We in the Department of Political Science and International Relations stand in solidarity with those calling for justice and exercising their rights to assemble, protest, and challenge structures of white supremacy, police brutality, and state violence. We share in the grief and outrage at the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and too many others who have suffered at the hands of unjust systems that continue to reproduce racial inequity in our country. We also recognize the ongoing pain and anguish experienced by members of our community including our Black students and faculty. We see you, we value you, and we are here for you. We are heartened by the courage and moral commitment of people from every walk of life from Minnesota to San Diego and Germany to New Zealand, putting themselves at risk to demand justice, and in the process validating our belief in the tradition of direct action to advance a more just and democratic community. While we share the desire that justice may be achieved in a peaceful and orderly manner, as political scientists, we are aware that the pursuit of justice is a necessarily disruptive endeavor, and that calls for order are all too frequently denials of the realities of injustice and rejections of substantive change. As such, we denounce the encouragement of state violence and domination in the face of mass demonstrations, as well as the deployment of rhetoric with deep segregationist and white supremacist roots. As political scientists, we are committed to interrogating the ideas, institutions, and behaviors that advance injustice. We are also committed to understanding and strengthening the means by which righteous demands for justice may be realized in practice. As teachers, we recognize the profound responsibility we share to support, educate, and empower our students to ask difficult questions of themselves and their communities and bravely act in pursuit of the ideals of truth, beauty, and goodness that inform our shared vocation. In that capacity we commit to the following steps. We will:

   

  • Reaffirm our support of the efforts of USD Votes to expand voting access and information against the backdrop of systematic racist voter suppression efforts;

   

  • Devote department resources to support the creation of a monthly race and politics series open to the entire USD community in 2020/2021;

   

  • Commit to examining the impact of racial/ethnic difference in the widest possible range of courses offered by the department; and,

   

  • Evaluate our syllabi as individual faculty working to ensure that course texts are not limited to authors from traditionally dominant racial, ethnic, or gender backgrounds.

   

  As inheritors of the Catholic intellectual tradition, we agree with Pope Francis when he states, “It is essential that respect for human dignity and human rights inspire and direct every effort to address the grave situations of war and armed conflict, crushing poverty, discrimination and inequality that afflict our world.” As such, we believe that Black Lives Matter and are committed as scholars and educators not only to speak, but to act boldly to advance that message. The work of achieving justice and democracy is a never-ending task that must be undertaken with a spirit of humility and a sober recognition of the work that must be done within ourselves and our own community. We commit ourselves to perpetual self-examination of our complicity in racial injustice and use that awareness to dedicate ourselves to the fight to eliminate it.

• AAPI Solidarity Statement
  The faculty of our department strongly condemn the mass murder of Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, and Daoyu Feng on Tuesday, May 16, 2021.  This incident has added to the accumulated trauma from the growing number of tragic attacks targeting Asian people in this country in recent years, and the even longer history of systemic discrimination and violence targeting the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, as well as other underrepresented groups in this country. We share in the mourning of the victims and offer our condolences to their families and loved ones. 

   

  We want to express our sympathy and solidarity to every one of our Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander colleagues, students, family members, friends, and neighbors. Our society clearly has enormous work to do in order to confront the problems of racially motivated violence, gun violence, and violence against women. We recognize that, as political scientists, we have a responsibility to foster awareness and critical reflection on the history of oppression in its many forms, including misogyny and racism targeting the AAPI community. 

   

  In addition to other commitments that we have made to tackle issues of systemic racial and ethnic bias, we as teachers and scholars commit to redoubling our efforts to address these issues through the following steps: 

   

  • Continue and expand our efforts to promote understanding and dialogue through our series on race and politics series with a special session devoted to AAPI experiences, and especially a gendered perspective on these issues;

   

  • Expand our offerings on the AAPI experience by developing a new course offering on Asian American politics for our departmental catalog, with a core curricular designation that will help to educate undergraduate students from across the campus; 

   

  • Devote space in our syllabi, class discussions, advising, and service to help address recent and long-standing discrimination against the AAPI community. 

   

  Acts of hate and intolerance targeted at any particular social group are an affront to every single one of us. We often talk about American values in terms of our rights and liberties. But just as essential to our beliefs, our way of life, and our system of democratic government are the principles of tolerance and respect for the dignity of every human being.

Why Choose Political Science and International Relations at USD?

Immersive Experience

Multiple opportunities to get out in the field help students stand apart from their peers and in their future job search.

International Focus

Alternative and global perspectives on the U.S. and exposure to different cultures and points of view enhances the curriculum and ensures that students have an informed view of the world.

Close Relationships with Faculty

Faculty are continually cultivating opportunities for students, such as internships, jobs and study abroad opportunities. Faculty often become mentors, friends and colleagues who create an important network for professional development and job placements right out of college.

Access to Active Scholars and Research

Students learn from active scholars who provide up-to-date trends and expertise to their students.

A Wide Variety of Department Sponsored Events

Our department sponsors numerous events throughout the year. Some highlights include:

• Politifest
  Politifest is a San Diego public affairs summit produced by Voice of San Diego and
  hosted annually at USD. The event focuses on the issues and candidates that will
  dominate the November ballot. There is a full schedule of debates, panels and one-on-
  one interviews with experts, as well as platforms for residents to raise their voices, ask
  tough questions and delve into important issues. Politifest serves as a crash course in
  politics and policy, and provides insights into how our local government works.
• USD Votes
  USD Votes is a committee composed of students, faculty, and administrators who
  support the mission of the University of San Diego by working to increase civic
  awareness and voter participation in the USD community.
• Pearson Chambers Symposium
  The Department of Political Science and International Relations hosts the annual
  Pearson Chambers Symposium bringing distinguished guest speakers to campus for a
  lecture series that brings together faculty, students and the community.
• Pizza and Politics
  Each semester our national honors society and student organization, Pi Sigma Alpha, and the Political Science Association sponsor a series of events called Pizza and Politics. These events provide an opportunity for students to socialize and discuss issues in a more informal environment. Come for the pizza and stay for the politics.
• MAIR Capstone Symposium
  The Masters of Arts in International Relations program concludes each semester with
  their senior capstone project presentations. Each graduating MAIR student presents
  their research and analysis of contemporary problems in international Relations.
• Senior Dinner
  In May, graduating seniors with a degree in Political Science or International Relations
  are invited to a celebration dinner with faculty and staff to commemorate their
  contributions to the department.
• Colloquia
  These are talks and presentations with top scholars in the fields of political science and international relations that welcome the attendance of all students on campus.

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