Welcome back to school!
My name is Marina and I am the 2015-2016 President of the Political Science Undergraduate Association. Hopefully everyone knows who we are, but just in case, here is the low down.
The Political Science Undergraduate Association, or PSUA, is the Department Association for all undergraduate Political Science students. All students enrolled in at least one political science class within the last year are automatically members of the PSUA. Our mission to represent you and your concerns to staff and professors in the department to make sure the student voice is being heard. We also put on great events and social activities with the end goal of fostering a community within political science at the UofA.
This is an exciting year! We are planning a panel event with Alberta MLAs in the fall, as well as a Federal Election viewing party. Also, stay tuned for our annual Bonspiel and a Women in Politics event in the winter semester.
If you are looking to volunteer with the PSUA and also want to foster critical writing skills, you are in luck. This year we will be launching the Political Science Undergraduate Review (PSUR), if you have received an excellent grade on a political science paper you can submit it to the PSUR and we may publish it in our Fall or Winter publication. This is a great resource to have if you are looking to apply for grad school or just something to have in your portfolio. We are currently accepting applications to be on the editorial board (check out uapsua.com for details).
We are also starting a blog this year. If you have participated in a cool internship, studied political science abroad, or have any story to share about your experience in political science, consider contributing to the PSUA blog! We are excited to turn the spotlight back on some of the awesome people in our department. The PSUA is looking for both one-time and regular bloggers, so if you are interested, please contact Ben at psua.communications@gmail.com.
Lastly, whether this is your first or your fifth year of study, remember to enjoy yourself. Grades are important, but so is enjoying yourself and your classes, not to mention finding a community to be a part of. Sometimes we can learn just as much from staying a bit too late at Dewey’s talking about the federal election with classmates and friends as we can in class. This year, get to know a professor, say hello to the person sitting next to you in class, and remember to take care of yourself. Know that the PSUA is here to try to make your University experience the best it can be and that we are cheering for you all the way.
If you ever want to talk about how we can make the Political Science department or student experience better never hesitate to contact me at psua.president@gmail.com or drop by our office in Tory 15-04.
Here is to a great year!
Marina Banister
President