Political Science

UW-Platteville has been selected as one of four Universities of Wisconsin campuses to host the 2027 Wisconsin Civics Games regional playoff competition next spring. The games, presented by the Universities of Wisconsin in partnership with the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation and other organizations, are designed to strengthen high school students' civic literacy. Last year 52 teams from 33 schools competed in matchups covering topics such as the role of government, the U.S. Constitution, Wisconsin and U.S. history, elections, public policy and current events. Organizers notified officials from UW-Platteville, UW-Oshkosh, UW-River Falls and UW-Milwaukee on Wednesday that their campuses were picked to host the regional playoffs in April.

Eleven UW-Platteville students visited New Orleans during Spring Break (March 14-18) as part of a one-credit Political Science field trip course focusing on the central theme of Jazz & Politics: Exploring NOLA through Music. The students visited historic sites such as New Orleans’ famous Jazz Museum, the French Quarter, Treme, and Frenchman Street. They participated in an interactive jam session at the Treme Petit Jazz Museum & the Historic Treme Collection hosted by historian and museum curator, Al Jackson. The session explored the origins of jazz to a significant confluence of world events, including the transatlantic slave trade and the rise of Congo Square.

Students participated in Bridging the Divide, a program sponsored by the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership that brings together people of differing political views for small group conversations to foster engagement and understanding.

Thirteen students embarked on a field trip to New York City, where they explored global and local initiatives. From the United Nations to urban farming, they gained hands-on experience in sustainability, service and cultural immersion.

The Department of Social Sciences recently announced awards highlighting outstanding student work and accomplishments, including the Outstanding Political Science Graduate Award, special recognition certificates for political science graduates and Outstanding Social Sciences Paper awards.

The work of two UW-Platteville faculty members, Dr. Shan Sappleton and Dr. Douglas Adams, was recently published in The Professional Educator, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal.

Mitchell Cotter, a junior political science major, is spending his summer gaining firsthand experience working with the Wisconsin State Legislature. Cotter is interning with Rep. Jodi Emerson, where he is contributing research related to current and future legislative proposals.