SEARCY, Ark. – They won’t be in the Beltway, but this fall a Harding University student and faculty member will be in the center of political action on the other side of the Mississippi – in Denver.
Rachel Gardner, a junior electronic media production major from Indianapolis, and Dr. Mark Elrod, professor of political science, were selected for student and faculty leader positions for The Washington Center’s Campaign 2008: The Democratic National Convention Academic Seminar in Denver Aug. 17-29.
The program is part of the organization’s Presidential Academic Seminar Series. The self-contained two-week seminar beginning one week prior to the convention is taught as an academic course composed of a combination of formal instruction, guest lectures, panels, tours, site visits and fieldwork assignments.
Gardner said she decided to apply for the seminar for a variety of reasons. “I have always been interested in politics and had been actively following this year’s highly competitive primary,” she explains. “When the opportunity arose to not only follow, but witness in person this historic event, I could not resist. The deal was sweetened when I discovered I could receive a fieldwork placement within the media covering the event. I am considering pursuing a career in television news.”
After Gardner was accepted, Elrod decided to apply. He was asked basic questions about his field of expertise – international relations – and whether he had the energy to work in a fast-paced program that required a lot of interaction with students. Because the convention dates conflict with the start of Harding’s school year, Elrod normally would not have been available to attend. But this fall he is a faculty member at Harding’s International Program in Greece, which does not begin until September.
“I think it is going to give me a better perspective on what goes on ‘behind the scenes’ in the political process,” he says. “I’ve worked political campaigns before, and from that experience I’ve learned that there are many things that affect the way we elect our leaders that are difficult to understand without firsthand experience. I will also be attending lectures prior to the convention from scholars who know much more about conventions than I do. So, it will be a combination of experience and classroom learning for me.”
The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars is an educational nonprofit organization serving hundreds of colleges and universities in the United States and other countries by providing selected students challenging opportunities to work and learn in Washington, D.C., for academic credit. Its mission is to provide “an integrated academic and work experience to prepare college students and professionals for lives of achievement and civic engagement.”
Dr. Larry Long, vice president for academic affairs at Harding, met with Washington Center representatives last fall, and quickly encouraged faculty and students to get involved.
“The Washington Center program seems to offer well-organized, content-rich opportunities for our students and faculty,” he says. “I was impressed with the variety and the quality of the placements, the overall organization of the programs, the attention to housing and safety issues, and the quality of the instruction.
“It seems like an ‘honors’ approach to experiential learning: putting students in a setting where they see firsthand the processes of politics, international business, finance, government, etc., and then are given guided opportunities to reflect on and respond to what they have experienced. As for the faculty, participation in Washington or at a political convention would allow a faculty member to bring back to his or her classroom firsthand experience with the material he or she is teaching. If it is good for an archaeologist to go to a dig, it should be good for a political scientist to go to a convention.”
In cooperation with The Washington Center Campaign 2008 staff, Elrod is responsible for leading a small-group discussion section comprising 10 to 15 students, including Gardner. He is responsible for the evaluation of their academic and professional performance during the seminar and will oversee their fieldwork placements. He is also a full program participant, attending seminar sessions that will include lectures, site visits, briefings and tours.
For her part, Gardner hopes to learn the inner workings of media coverage of politics. “In addition to professional interests, I also am eager to discover the details of the political process,” she says. “I believe the lessons learned at the Democratic National Convention will equip me to be successful not only in the professional world, but also as an informed American.”
