402 COURSE WILL MEET MONDAY EVENINGS IN SPRING 2009 AT THE PHOENIX DOWNTOWN CAMPUS. Contact me (David.Wells@asu.edu) to be placed on the information update email list!

Nov. 13 update! The 401 deadline has passed---don't fret! Just enroll in the BIS 402 section. If you'd like to be placed in my BIS 401 section as well, please email me ASAP about the nature of your 401 placement and I'll explore placing you in my section, if feasible. If you're not doing BIS 401 or have another 401 placement--that's not problem with taking the BIS 402 course "Power, Politics, and Social Change."

ABOUT THE COURSE!

For students majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies, this unique opportunity allows you to pair your 401 experience with a 402 senior seminar which complements it. The course runs concurrently with the state legislative session and you have the option of pairing it with a 401 experiences related to politics or social change oriented organizations. You do not need a concentration area in political science to take the course. You just need an interest in the course! What's unique in this case, is the content of your 401 and 402 work togehter--as normally students have distinct and separate 401 and 402 experiences.

However, the paired 401 approach (#1 below) is only one way to take the course. See below.

There are THREE WAYS you can take the course:

1. As a combined 401/402 integrated experience:

The BIS 402 section you can register for directly (if it fills and you're doing the paired experience contact Dave). Dave Wells, the professor, has already worked directly with a large number of organizations to develop 401 experiences that you can explore. The 401 applied study internships all have a component that involves legislative related work and/or advocacy in some form. You may be tracking bills, attending committee meetings, meeting legislators, and/or helping build outside political pressure (media events, rallies, networking). In a past year a student even wrote a speech for the Governor! Just contact Dave Wells and say how your planned 401 experience matches or overlaps the focus of the 402 course. Use this form or send an email to David.Wells@asu.edu. You will still submit materials through the normal BIS 401 application process, but once approved you will be placed in a 401 section overseen by Dave Wells. NOTIFY DAVE THAT YOU ARE PURSUING THIS OPTION NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7. You would still need to complete the BIS 401 application by November 13 . No one contacting Dave by the Nov.7 deadline who submits an acceptable 401 application will be turned away from the 402 course--even if it's full. Click here for more information. Note--though the course is only offered during the Spring semester, many of the organizations listed seek interns year round!

2. As a 402 experience (with 401 already completed or a 401 experience of your choosing):

When you register for a BIS 402 course for the Spring, this section will be one of those you can choose from. During the first week of November Dave will email those who have registered to see if anyone would like to pursue option 1 above. Otherwise, you will be enrolled in BIS 402 and take BIS 401 (if you haven't taken it already) with another instructor, provided BIS 401 application is approved. Read more. Note this course is only offered during the Spring semester.

3. Related Course POS 394 Inside Arizona Politics

Dave Wells will also be teaching htis course in the Spring and at times students in both courses will listen to speakers or participate in joint activities. This class will start late afternoon on Mondays. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, we're not able to offer courses downtown that don't fit General Education and pre-requisite requirements. We've cut down on our Poliitical Science instructors, so Dave Wells will instead be teaching the higher enrollment POS 110 Government and Policy course.

THE 401 APPLIED STUDY EXPERIENCE:

The 401 experiences may also have other components which you can discuss with organizations that will enable you to explore a host of other issues from marketing, fund raising, social services programs, event planning, or research projects. Ideally in all settings you’ll negotiate a project to work on to give your applied study work a focus that you can later use as a resume enhancement. Unlike the typical 401 that meets exclusively on line via computer in this 401 course we’ll integrate much of our 401 processing time into the 402 class to discuss your experiences.

REMEMBER! You can also find your own internship beyond what's in listed under internships. You might try the complete list of lobbyists at http://www.azlobbyists.com/ to explore other options.

THE BIS 402 SENIOR SEMINAR and POS 394 Inside Politics:

The 402 senior seminar will build off students taking an integrated 401 by looking at the formation of public policy from media coverage, the basis of public perceptions, analysis of Arizona’s performance, as well as the guts of the legislative process. We expect to have numerous outside speakers in the course, including current and former legislators, journalists, and state leaders in public policy advocacy. Most importantly both at your internship and through our class project you'll be working to make a difference! One year our class project was featured on KAET's Horizon public affairs televison program! This coming year we may be developing a bill that our class will develop a strategy to make become law! Much of the content with a more detailed political emphasis will be done in POS 394 as well.

JOIN PROSPECTIVE STUDENT EMAIL LIST:

To get on the prospective student email list, contact Dave Wells (602)496-0615 or wellsda@mainex1.asu.edu and he'll be glad to tell you when new information is up and send you reminders of upcoming deadlines!