The department currently offers three courses which fulfill the government requirement for graduation:

Participation in Government

The Participation in Government (P.I.G.) course is designed to give students an understanding of how they can become active participants in the formal governmental process and their community. The course teaches students ways they can influence their government officials directly and indirectly. Also it shows them various forms of political activism that can be used to accomplish their political goals and agendas throughout life. The curriculum places a great deal of emphasis on the “civic responsibilities” that each citizen must accept if we are to maintain our democratic way of life.

The course instructs how to identify public policy issues, how to analyze public policy issues, and how to prescribe public policy as a solution to a problem faced by local, state, national, or international governments.

Service Learning

This is a Participation in Government course which follows a community service model. The course is designed to prepare students for participation and living in a democratic society. It will give students the opportunity to contribute directly to their community and to learn that by helping others they will help themselves. Students will have a wide range of placement opportunities including involvement with community agencies.

Requirements for the course include two classroom sessions per week and three on-site sessions per week. Also included will be successful completion of written work. Grading will be based on a combined evaluation between the teacher and the placement agency.

Organization of American States

The Organization of American States course is based on a Model United Nations principle where the students will be given a country, and over the course of the semester will study and research that country in preparation for a mock assembly of the OAS to be held on the campus of SUNY Plattsburgh in late May. The course is divided into five phases:

1. Research of the background of the country the students will represent.

2. The history and structure of the Organization of American States.

3. The art of questioning and argumentation (debate skills)

4. Practice of the various procedures and writing resolutions in the Model Assembly.

5. Attendance at the Model Assembly.

The course will count as credit for the Participation in Government course required for graduation. Students may opt to take the class for college credit. The cost of tuition is the responsibility of the student. In addition, each student who attends the mock assembly will have to pay a meal fee.