Political Science’s board provides guidance, scholarship

Oakland University’s Political Science Department is run by the department chair, the professors and the staff, but the overall vision and direction of the department is guided by a judge, attorneys, state representatives and business leaders who are also OU graduates. They are members of the Political Science Advisory Board, which provides information on the needs of industry, advising on curriculum and personal support for a department scholarship.

Martha Brown has been a member of the Advisory Board since it began 10 years ago and is currently serving her second term at board chair.

“The Political Science Advisory Board provides a great opportunity to connect with other alumni and also to the university,” Brown said. “As a student, I never felt that connection to Oakland because I finished my degree while I was already involved in my career.”

The Advisory Board members have developed a scholarship through their own financial support. The award is given to a student each year.

“We are always looking for more ways to connect to students. The scholarship allows us to directly contribute to a student’s education,” Brown said.

Brown, a customs consultant for Volkswagen Group of America, and the other Advisory Board members were instrumental in initiating the International Relations major that began in fall 2007.

“The Advisory Board members are in the working world. We can see what is needed and we knew there was a desire for students with an International Relations background,” Brown said. Students majoring in International Relations take classes in international relations, comparative politics, research methods, microeconomics and a foreign language and students can participate in an optional study abroad component.

The Political Science Advisory Board meetings several times throughout the year and received updates from the department chair. Once a year, the board participates in an event that links to the College of Arts and Sciences Celebrating Liberal Arts theme. In addition, this year, the board members had the option of participating in a panel discussion for prospective and current political science students about where they can go with a degree in political science.

“As a board, we’re always trying to expand our horizons and learn about other ways we can support the students and the department. We also keep the lines of communications open between academics and business because academics and business need each other,” Brown said.