Adapting the Political Science Curriculum: CFP and Practical Focus for the 2027 APSA Teaching & Learning Conference

# Why this track matters Teaching & Learning Conference focuses on practical responses to current pressures facing liberal arts programs. The organizers name two central pressures: declining enrollments (the enrollment cliff) and heightened attention to career-readiness and employability. The track asks how undergraduate political science programs can reshape curricula, programming, and partnerships to address those pressures.

# What the track wants Proposals should center on the undergraduate curriculum and offer tangible responses. Suggested topics listed by the organizers include:

• Ways to incorporate career skills and map political science degrees to specific careers.
• Recruitment and retention strategies that increase and sustain student interest in political science majors.
• Collaborations with high schools and community colleges to expand pipelines into political science programs.
• Structured methods for helping students gain work experience and develop professional networks while they study.

Submissions that present evidence-based course designs, program models, partnership agreements, or assessment data will align well with the track's practical orientation.

# Conference context and logistics The 18th APSA Teaching & Learning Conference runs February 5–7, 2027 in Portland, Oregon, under the theme "Building Bridges: Dialogue and Discovery in Political Science." The TLC is framed as an interactive forum for teacher-scholars and students to share research and instructional tools. When registering, all attendees must select a track and are expected to attend that track's sessions. Workshops and roundtables are not track-restricted and remain open to any attendee.

• Proposal deadline: October 7, 2026, 11:59 PM PDT.
• Conference dates: February 5–7, 2027, Portland, OR.
• Track participants are expected to commit to attending sessions in their selected track.

# Practical advice for proposers Focus proposals on replicable practices, measurable outcomes, or clear models for implementation. Useful approaches include:

• Describe specific curriculum modules or courses that teach career-relevant skills and show how they map to employer needs or internships.
• Present recruitment pilots with quantitative or qualitative results (e.g., outreach to high schools, articulation agreements with community colleges, redesigned introductory courses) and include lessons learned.
• Share partnerships with external organizations (nonprofits, government offices, businesses) that provide reliable student placements and network-building opportunities.
• Offer assessment data or rubrics that show how curricular changes influence retention, graduation, or employment outcomes.

Formats that work well for TLC: short research presentations, hands-on workshops demonstrating a classroom tool or assignment, and roundtables that surface practice-oriented discussion among attendees.

# Takeaway This TLC track is aimed at proposals that go beyond theory and provide implementable ways for undergraduate political science programs to respond to enrollment and employability challenges. Proposals should be concrete about what changed, how it was implemented, and what the measurable results were.