Lugar Program
Program Guidelines
The program honors the record and memory of Richard Lugar (1932-2019), Denison University class of 1954, who represented Indiana in the United States Senate from 1977-2013. His lifetime of engagement in public life, which included two terms as Mayor of Indianapolis, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and long-serving Denison Trustee, provides a model for all who aspire to public service.
Inspired by Senator Lugar’s legacy of academic excellence, distinguished service, and prominent role in American politics and foreign policy, the Richard G. Lugar Program in Politics and Public Affairs has provided Denison students with opportunities to develop their interest in public service through coursework, internships, and co-curricular programming since 1996. The Department of Politics and Public Affairs incorporates many of the curricular features of the Lugar Program formerly housed in the Department of Political Science, and continues to sponsor internships and programming geared toward students interested in a career in public service, regardless of partisan preference or academic major.
Information for Politics and Public Affairs Majors and Minors
Majors or minors in Politics and Public Affairs with a passion for public service, in either the domestic or international realm, are encouraged to declare their participation in the Lugar Program as Lugar Fellows in their PPA 201-Sophomore Seminar major proposal. Students following the International Affairs Track interested in international public service in fields such as security, homeland defense, weapons proliferation, and foreign affairs, will select an off-campus program attentive to these topics, and work with Department faculty to identify an internship or experiential opportunity abroad to fulfill the expectations of participation in the Lugar Program. Their two departmental electives will reflect this interest. Similarly, for PPA students on the Government and Legal Affairs Track who are interested in public affairs, their two departmental electives will be focused on American political institutions and policy. Lugar Fellows will receive a stipend to support a congressional or similar public service internship in the United States.
Both departmental electives used to fulfill PPA major requirements must be reflective of Senator Lugar’s record of public service [for example, Politics of Congress (PPA 307), The American Presidency (PPA 306), Foreign Policy Formulation (PPA 314), or, Conduct of American Foreign Policy (PPA 341)].
Information for Non-Politics and Public Affairs Students
The Lugar Program is open to students regardless of academic major. Non-PPA majors attracted to public service may declare their intention to join the Lugar Program by submitting to the program director a 250-word explanation before the end of their sophomore year detailing how their commitment to public service would be advanced by participating in the program.
Non-majors interested in becoming Lugar Fellows in American politics and public policy must complete PPA 102, Introduction to Policymaking in Democracies, and two 300-level PPA courses focusing on American political institutions and policy. Following completion of their required coursework, the Lugar Program will endeavor to place Lugar Fellows as congressional or similar public service interns and provide a stipend to support their experience.
Non-majors attracted to public service in the areas of national security and foreign policy must complete PPA 122, Introduction to Global Governance, along with two 300-level PPA courses on security or foreign policy. In addition, they must complete one additional foreign language course beyond Denison’s foreign language requirement. The Program will then guide these Lugar Fellows to complete an approved off-campus program that includes an experiential/internship component.
Additional Items of Note
The Lugar Program will only sponsor students for internships who have a record unblemished by serious disciplinary or academic infractions as reported by the Division of Student Life and the Provost's Office.
Students must earn a grade of C or better in each Lugar Program course.
Students typically intern during the summer following either their sophomore or junior year. Alternatively, students may opt to participate in an approved off-campus program and intern for an entire semester under the auspices of their off-campus study program.
The Lugar Program also sponsors lectures and other programming to encourage public service. For additional information on the Lugar Program, contact the program director: Dr. Andrew Z. Katz, katz@denison.edu, Department of Politics and Public Affairs, Denison University, Granville, Ohio 43023, Telephone: 740-587-6405.