Summary
The US onAir Network will be working with volunteers from Wyoming universities, colleges, and nonprofit organizations to oversee the curation and moderation of posts, aircasts (online discussions), and in person events for the Wyoming onAir Hub … related to federal, state, and local elections and government.
Our first outreach will be to University of Wyoming partly because of its proximity to the state capital. We have identified many of University of Wyoming’s civic engagement, academic, internship and research programs related to making democracy and civic responsibility a focus of higher learning on their campus … for students, faculty, staff, and local community. This post, over time, will have similar information on other collaborating organizations in the state.
Contact ben.murphy@onair.cc for more information on how to involve your organization.
About
The University of Wyoming’s onAir chapter will initially focus on training interested undergrad and graduate students on how to curate Wyoming onAir content especially submitting Top News articles, events, videos, and information and moderating forums in each post they curate.
Student curators will also work with state senate and house committee chairs to produce aircasts on issues being discussed and bills being proposed in their committees.
During election season, students with other other organizations like the League of Women Voters, will coordinate and produce aircasted debates with candidates.
University of Wyoming
Source: About UW
WE ARE AUTHENTIC
Rooted in the traditions of the West and surrounded by the rugged Rocky Mountains, the University of Wyoming was founded in 1886 and is a nationally recognized land-grant research institution with expert faculty, top-ranked academics and world-class facilities.
WE ARE CONNECTED
Take advantage of small class sizes, supportive professors, and the local and state support that Wyoming’s sole four-year university enjoys. And, once a cowboy, always a cowboy means that you’ll gain lifelong connections with alumni regardless of where your journey takes you.
WE ARE GLOBAL
Experience the world as your classroom with the largest study-abroad scholarship endowment of any U.S. four-year public land-grant university. UW students study in nearly 50 countries each year at 400+ domestic and study abroad sites.
WE ARE ADVENTUROUS
Find your Wyoming in the 30 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails, 300 miles of snowmobiling trails and more than 100 miles of mountain bike trails, plus fishing, rock climbing, 2.9 million acres of national forest and more. Outdoor magazine recognized UW as one of the nation’s top outdoor schools
Civic Engagement Programs
Source: Office of Engagement and Outreach
Building from UW’s Strategic Plan, Breaking Through: 2017-2022, the Office of Engagement and Outreach (OEO) has been created to be a portal of access to UW for the citizens of Wyoming (and beyond) and to coordinate and streamline engagement and outreach efforts to achieve enhanced consistency, follow-through, and impact. OEO responds to the challenge in UW’s strategic plan to commit itself to “scholarship, outreach and service that extend our human talent and technological capacity to serve the people in our communities, our state, the nation, and the world.” At the heart of that commitment are the values of engagement and communication, and the specific goal to “improve and enhance the health and well-being of our communities and environments through outreach programs and in collaboration with our constituents and partners.” Building on our history and identity as Wyoming’s sole land-grant and public flagship institution we will work to implement a new vision for engagement and outreach with our communities. We look forward to partnering with campus and statewide constituents to elevate the university’s already substantial efforts in community engagement and outreach.
MALCOLM WALLOP CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM
The Malcolm Wallop Civic Engagement Program in the School of Politics, Public Affairs, and International Studies at the University of Wyoming works in conjunction with university, community college and K-12 partners to host projects and meaningful dialogue on local, state, national, and international issues of significant interest to Wyoming students and communities. The Program supports three program areas – 1) organizing community and school programming, 2) funding student research/internships, and 3) supporting faculty engagement projects.
Student Government
Source: Associated Students of the University of Wyoming
MISSION STATEMENT
The purpose of the Student Government of the Associated Students of the University of Wyoming is to serve our fellow students in the best manner possible through accurate representation, professional interaction with campus programs and organizations, and responsible, effective leadership.
ASUW’S IMPACT
ASUW controls a budget of over $1,000,000, and we use those funds to give back to students and support programs and initiatives that make UW a better place. We give $140,000 a year to student orgs to host events, and throw Homecoming. ASUW also advocates for students – the ASUW President sits on the Board of Trustee as student representation, and ASUW is in charge of representing student concerns and voice to administration.
Internships
Source: Student Opportunities in Political Science
Pi Sigma Alpha – The national political science honorary provides opportunities to hear locally and nationally known speakers and share in a variety of social and academic activities.
Milward Simpson Fund – This fund, established by admirers and friends of the former U.S. Senator and Wyoming governor, recognizes outstanding student achievements, supports student research and attendance at conferences or seminars, and sponsors visiting professors and distinguished lecturers.
Internships – Learning experiences and potential career contacts are offered by legislators, government officials, and organization leaders.
Political Science Club – This student organization provides students the opportunity to get involved with the department. Past activities have included forums and movie nights. The club is responsible for the department’s annual honors banquet, held each spring.
Exceptional Seniors – Those students who qualify may choose to develop an individual research project with time to pursue a topic in depth. Research and writing skills are developed with faculty guidance.
Academic Programs
Source: Political Science Department website
Undergraduate Programs
The Political Science Discipline
Political Science is the study of how societies govern themselves and interact with one another. Courses of instruction in the Political Science Program at the School of Politics, Public Affairs & International Studies are offered in the following subfields: American politics, comparative government, international relations, political philosophy, public law, and public administration. Areas of focus include analysis of government structures and processes, citizens’ influence on government, policy content, philosophical concepts and traditions, political systems of other nations, and resolution of conflicts between nations.
Our goals are to help students better understand political processes and to develop the critical thinking and analytic skills necessary for effective participation in the political process, successful careers in the public and private sectors, and further study in law, political science, and public administration.
Academic Programs
The School of Politics, Public Affairs & International Studies offers both a B.A. and a B.S. in Political Science as well as four separate areas of concentration. Brief descriptions of the major and the areas of concentration are provided below.
Master’s Program
Overview of the Program
The M.A. in Political Science provides our graduates with theories, methods, and practical understanding necessary to succeed in (1) careers in policy and intelligence analysis, (2) administration in local and international governmental or non-governmental organizations, (3) political consulting, marketing and campaigning (4) research or college-level teaching in political or social sciences.
The undergraduate degree provides students with a broad knowledge of political science; graduate education is an opportunity for more focused study. Masters students will earn most of their credits in courses sharing a common theme, such as a subfield of the discipline (American Politics, Comparative Politics, Political Theory, Public Law or Methodology), a world region, a particular policy issue area or a phase of political development.
The requirements of the degree include a set of four core classes and an additional minimum number of remaining hours that may focus in the student’s area(s) of interest and should help to contribute to the basis of the thesis project. The department offers a variety coursework in several sub-fields that may be found here, and students may also choose to take courses in related fields as well.
