Political Science in the Small Technical College
| Published date | 01 September 1948 |
| Date | 01 September 1948 |
| Author | Milton R. Merrill |
| DOI | 10.1177/106591294800100311 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
302
POLITICAL
SCIENCE
IN
THE
SMALL
TECHNICAL
COLLEGE
by
MILTON
R.
MERRILL
Utah
State
Agricultural
College
Political
scientists
who
work
on
the
college
or
university
undergraduate
level
have
four
major
responsibilities.
(1)
They
should
engage
in
research
projects
and
contribute
their
results
to
the
community.
(2)
They
should
reach
as
many
students
as
possible,
preferably
every
student
in
the
institu-
tion,
in
classes
or
discussions
of
one
type
or
another.
(3)
They
should
dis-
cover
a
few
students
with
ability
and
interest,
and
encourage
and
stimulate
them
to
undertake
graduate
work
in
the
field
with
the
goal
of
eventual
en-
trance
into
the
profession.
Finally,
they
should
contribute
to
the
community
as
lecturers,
adult
leaders
and
advisers
in
areas
where
their
training
has
sig-
nificance.
Few
succeed
in
all
of
these
activities.
Political
scientists
exhibit
the
usual
variations
in
interests
and
qualifications,
and
it
is
rare,
indeed,
that
scholar,
teacher,
adviser,
and
community
leader
emerge
from
a
single
per-
sonality.
The
four
assignments
remain,
however,
and
every
political
scientist
must
give
attention
to
each.
Where
staffs
are
large
enough,
consideration
can
be
given
to
strengthening
weak
points
when
new
appointments
are
made.
If
productive
scholarship
is
quiescent,
or
non-existent,
as
is
often
the
case
in
the
small
college,
the
new
appointment
can
be
weighted
in
that
direction.
If
the
clubs,
churches
and
professional
groups
disregard
the
de-
partment
when
selecting
speakers,
the
next
appointee
should
have
both
the
inclination
and
the
ability
to
give
public
lectures.
In
this
respect,
however,
a
problem
arises
because
some
teachers
prob-
ably
talk
too
much,
appear
too
often,
strive
for
facility
and
popularity,
and
avoid
issues.
Such
an
approach
does
not
assist
the
profession
and
it
helps
the individual
little.
There
are
others
who
judge
all
outside
assign-
ments
on
the
basis
of
remuneration.
If
there
is
a
fee,
they
lecture-no
fee,
no
lecture.
This
approach
might
be
successful
at
a
large university
in
a
ma-
jor
city,
but
it
is
unjustified
for
the
small
college
and
its
contiguous
area.
That
is
particularly
true
in
the
West.
Every
group
should
hear
a
political
scientist
occasionally,
if
not
frequently.
People
can
get
along
without
them,
but
that
does
not
relieve
the
political
scientists.
The
profession
is
more
than
a
way
of
making
a
living.
In
fact,
its
status
in
that
respect
is
undis-
tinguished.
A
political
scientist
must
be
out
preaching
a
good
part
of
his
time.
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