Kaplowitz Goes to Washington
History Professor Craig Kaplowitz caught a bit of fever during his sabbatical in Washington D.C., where he served as Faculty Sabbatical Fellow at the American Studies Program of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.
“The American Studies Program has built its program around intentionality in relationships, and my responsibilities included multiple layers of relationship-building (academic, spiritual, vocational, personal) with all program participants, but in particular with my seminar advisees and internship group,” notes Kaplowitz about the 2008-2009 academic year.
By shepherding students through careful study of current policy issues, and engaging leading Christian writers and policy experts about the role of faith in the public arena, Kaplowitz gained valuable insight into his own field of recent American domestic policy. Program participants took full advantage of the resources of Washington D.C., including a meeting in the offices of the Speaker of the House in the U.S. Capitol, a briefing from the White House Director of Faith Based Initiatives, and final class presentations in the Longworth House Office Building. In addition, Kaplowitz spent much of the spring term engaged in research in the National Archives for his current projects on immigration reform and U.S. urban policy.
“I have already begun implementing ideas from my year in D.C. into my courses,” he notes. “And, I have to admit that I caught at least a slight case of what they call Potomac Fever while living on Capitol Hill.”