GOVERNMENT AND SOCIOLOGY

Funke Fontenot, Interim Chair
Professors: Jeffrey Blick, Ruth Carter, Roger Coate (Paul Coverdell Endowed Chair in Policy Studies), Henry Edmondson, Olufunke Fontenot, Jan Mabie, Sunita Manian, and Charles Ubah.
Associate Professors: Dwight Call, Sara Buck Doude, Steven Elliott-Gower, Gerald Fisher, Sandra Godwin, Jennifer Hammack, Stephanie McClure, and Veronica Womack.
Assistant Professors: Carrie Schrage Cook, Jerry Herbel, Brandy Kennedy, Bradley Koch, Lana McDowell, and Jason Rich.
Lecturers: Victoria Brown, Kathleen Martin, and Clifton Wilkinson.
Emeritus Faculty: Eugene Bouley, Wayne Byram, Michael Digby, Larry Elowitz (Carl Vinson Endowed Chair), Jerry Fly, Ralph Hemphill, and Richard Scheff.

Department Contact Information:
Georgia College
Government & Sociology
Campus Box 18
Milledgeville, GA 31061
478-445-4562
Government and Sociology Department Website
Chair, Jan Mabie, jan.mabie@gcsu.edu
Administrative Assistant, Kim Knight, kim.knight@gcsu.edu
MPA Administrative Assistant, Michelle Williams, michelle.williams@gcsu.edu

MISSION

The fundamental mission of the Department of Government and Sociology is to promote critical reflection and the advancement of knowledge by its faculty and students. The faculty are dedicated to the integrative character of the liberal arts and to the primary role played by the social science disciplines within the liberal arts. The various programs of the department share a focus on challenging students to analyze their roles as active citizens and prospective public servants in a democratic society and the international community. The faculty strive to teach students to think critically, to understand the philosophical and scientific foundations of the social science disciplines, to be able to communicate their understandings, and to be prepared for life and work in a rapidly changing world.

The Department of Government and Sociology offers strong undergraduate majors in three basic and related social science disciplines: Criminal Justice, Political Science, and Sociology. Anthropology is also part of the department and offers students the opportunity to minor in an important liberal arts field that is fundamental to the liberal arts. A graduate program in Logistics is offered only at Robins Air Force Base.

The Department of Government and Sociology is the home of the nationally accredited Master of Public Administration program and the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program, and has been awarded chapters of the national honor societies in Criminal Justice and Political Science. Faculty in those disciplines and in Sociology have been recognized with outstanding teaching and service awards and are active scholars in their fields. Students in the department have opportunities to become involved in faculty research and public service projects and also have internship opportunities with a variety of governmental and non-profit agency.

STUDENT SUCCESS

Earning a college degree is a significant milestone in one's life and requires dedication to one's studies and tremendous effort to succeed. In order to enable you to achieve this goal, we have dedicated ourselves to developing measures that help ensure student success in our department's programs. This process begins with the First-Year Academic Seminar (POLS 0001, CRJU 0001, SOCI 0001), in which you are introduced to the faculty and students who make up the departmental community. You will join with other first-year students to get an overview of the subject matter covered in the major, explore career possibilities, and to develop techniques for getting the most out of your college courses and activities. You will also learn about departmental and University expectations, policies, and resources. Because the college experience at GC is more intense than at many other schools, we have designed each curriculum to help you each step of the way. In addition, we are committed to offering the courses necessary to ensure that students who follow the program of study will graduate in four years. Toward that end, a typical four-year program of study has been developed, which serves as a guide each term for scheduling courses. Required courses are specified, and some sequencing of courses is recommended. Students are advised to enroll in an average of 30 semester hours each year.

CAREER INFORMATION

The Criminal Justice and Political Science programs are for people interested in careers in government administration and policy making, criminal justice administration and law enforcement, foreign service, law, and teaching. Many private sector employers find the knowledge base and analytical skills developed by Political Science and Criminal Justice majors to be valuable. The baccalaureate degrees will also prepare those students who wish to pursue subsequent graduate degrees in criminal justice, political science, public administration, public policy, urban planning, and law. The Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Education, and Specialist in Education degree programs provide fifth and sixth-year certification to those who wish to have a teaching content concentration in broad field social science.

Qualified undergraduates in any discipline who wish to continue attending Georgia College can enroll in the department's graduate programs, including the Master of Public Administration (M.P.A., accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration), and the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program.

Students with undergraduate majors in Sociology find employment in a wide variety of areas. Social service agencies especially find a sociology background to be useful. Examples would include family and children services agencies, centers for the mentally and physically disabled, hospitals, nursing homes, probation and correctional systems, vocational rehabilitation facilities, etc. Many private sector employers find the knowledge base and analytical skills developed by sociology majors to be valuable, and persons aspiring to the ministry find a sociology background helpful for their further study. Many sociology majors pursue graduate study, in fields such as sociology, social work, criminal justice, public administration, business, urban planning, law, and others.

TEACHER CERTIFICATION

Students who wish to pursue teacher certification with a field in broad field social science through GC's Four-Plus-One program, which allows the student to receive both certification and the M.A.T. degree, should pursue a B.A. in political science first. In addition, the department recommends that you join the Future High School Educators Club in order to start making contacts in the College of Education and to learn more about this Masters of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree. Students who would like to pursue teacher education through the M.A.T. are encouraged to take the following courses in their undergraduate programs: EDUC 2110 Investigating Critical and Contemporary Issues in Education; ANTH 1102 Introduction to Anthropology; GEOG 4305 Cultural Geography; HIST 1131 and 1132 World Civilization and Society I and II; HIST 2111 The United States to 1877; HIST 2112 The United States since 1877; POLS 1150 Politics and Society; POLS 2401 International Politics and Issues; POLS 3501 Comparative Politics; POLS 4110 and 4111 Political Theory I and II; POLS 4121 American Political Thought II; POLS 4611 Contemporary American Foreign Policy; PSYC 1101 Introduction to General Psychology; PSYC 2101 Introduction to the Psychology of Adjustment; SOCI 1121 Sociological Perspectives; SOCI 3410 Population; SOCI 3444 Theories of Racial Stratification; SOCI 3452 Complex Organizations.

For more information on this program, inquire at the office of the Dean of the College of Education, 222-C Kilpatrick, phone (478) 445-4546.

MISCELLANEOUS

CARL VINSON PROFESSORSHIP AND ENDOWED CHAIR

The department contains the Carl Vinson Professorship, which is an endowed chair in Political Science and Public Administration. The holder of the professorship is a nationally recognized authority in public service career preparation. The chair is endowed through the Georgia College Foundation. It was established to honor the late Congressman Carl Vinson of Milledgeville, who served in the United States House of Representatives for fifty years. Congressman Vinson was Chairman of the House Naval Affairs and Armed Services Committees.

PAUL COVERDELL ENDOWED CHAIR OF POLICY STUDIES

The Paul Coverdell Chair is held by an eminent scholar in political science who has a record of developing leadership programs, incorporating the values of service and self-sacrifice that typified the late Sen. Paul D. Coverdell's career as a member of the Georgia General Assembly, director of the U.S. Peace Corps, and U.S. Senator. Coverdell was elected to the United States Senate from Georgia in 1992 where he served until his death in July 2000. In 1990, an affiliation between Coverdell and Georgia College began with an agreement to begin the Peace Corps Fellows/USA Program here. Coverdell later signed a gift agreement at GCSU donating his Peace Corps papers to the university. Impressed with Georgia College's mission, Sen. Coverdell returned to the campus in June 1999 to donate his U.S. Senate papers to the Georgia College library. The Coverdell Endowed Chair in Policy Studies was funded by friends and family of Sen. Coverdell and was matched by appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly as part of the University System of Georgia eminent scholars program.

INTERNSHIPS

The department recommends that students consider an internship in their junior or senior years. Internships provide an opportunity for career testing. They also serve as entry into certain work areas. They provide an opportunity for students to experience the real world of work and to develop realistic attitudes toward work and toward a career.

Internships earn variable credit, usually 3-9 hours, depending on the hours worked and the merits of each position.

Students desiring an internship should discuss their goals with their major's internship coordinator and the Director of the University Career Center. Arrangements should be made in advance of the advising and registration period. Internships are available during all terms of the academic year. To be eligible, students must have at least a 2.5 academic grade point average. Internships are available in a variety of settings, such as the prestigious Washington Center in the nation's capital, the U.S. Congress, the Georgia state legislature, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, many other state agencies, local governments, and law firms.

GRADUATE/LAW SCHOOL

Students planning to attend graduate school in any social science discipline should take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Aptitude Test, in the spring of the junior year or the fall of the senior year. Other graduate programs (e.g., business, medicine) may require other aptitude tests. Students planning to attend law school should consult with the pre-law advisor in the Government and Sociology Department or the University's Pre-professional Coordinator. Students should understand that there is no pre-law major per se. The political science major with a concentration in legal studies is an especially helpful background for further study of the law, as are the criminal justice and sociology majors, but law schools accept students with good grades and high scores on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) regardless of major. Most students planning on law school take the LSAT in the spring or summer of their junior years or the fall of their senior years. Some students find that taking a course in Logic and Critical Thinking (such as PHIL 2250) can be helpful in preparing for the LSAT.

DEGREES AND MINORS OFFERED