The main objective of the USM's Introduction to Political Science course, taught by instructor Khalilah Peters, is to help students better understand the environment in which political decisions are made and governments operate.
According to Peters, the intention is to, as much as possible, integrate St. Maarten's political issues, developments, and activities into the class program. St. Maarten is currently in the process of obtaining Country Status within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
"In doing so, students will be given the opportunity to not only witness St. Maarten's political developments surrounding its constitutional change, but they will also be expected to examine and discuss these developments through an analytical academic lens," she said
Classes will not be limited to classroom instructions and textbook readings, students will be expected to attend political rallies, sit in on Island Council meetings, interview politicians and assist with the organization of one of the AVS political debates scheduled during the month of September, 2010.
Topics covered in this University of St. Martin Political Science course will include: (1) approaches to the study of politics;(2) basic concepts of politics; (3) emergence of the state; (4) nature of various governments; (5) function of governments (6) the nature of various ideologies and their influences on politics; (7) the role of political parties and interest groups; (8) administration and function of a civil service apparatus; (9) democracy and it's various forms; and (10) international politics and how they relate to our new constitutional status.
This course is open to all matriculated and non-matriculated USM students, and classes will be scheduled for Saturdays from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon starting from August 21st, 2010 to December 11th, 2010. Persons from the wider community, who are interested in politics, can also take the class but their enrollment is subject to approval from the dean of academic affairs.
"For those persons interested in politics and who may have keen interests in serving their communities, this course will provide them with an analytical basis from which they can assess the political developments of Country St. Maarten," Peters concluded.
USM fall semester gets underway on August 16th and runs through December 11, 2010.
