Hello!

As a political science student at PSU, there seems to be a clear lack of communication between what the students want and the budget that is dispersed within the College of Urban and Public Affairs. As it stands, Dr. Gies is our only Political Theorist, and provides distinct and unique classes that are based in class discussions that aim to include everyone's thoughts. While taking his classes, I have gained a respect for the history of politics and how it has emerged, and I have been able to make connections between the information he teaches us and other political science classes I have taken/am taking, which is incredibly useful in solidifying information in my memory.

Dr. Gies is the only professor at PSU who teaches classes such as Politics of Emerging Media, Liberalism and it's Critics, and Queer Theory - all of which are modern and relatively important subjects to include in political science studies. As a PHD graduate of John Hopkins University with a distance focus on Political Theory, there is no other professor more qualified than Dr. Gies for this job at Portland State. Further, there would be no replacement for this professor, and political theory classes would merge with other Political Science classes creating strain on not only the other professors who are not as qualified or willing to teach this material and combine it into their syllabus, but there is a distinct lack of respect for the students who came to the College of Urban and Public Affairs at PSU to study Political Theory further within their Political Science degree's.

Please show your support for PSU creating room in their budget for this adjunct professor who is more than deserving of pre-tenure, followed by tenure.