2022 APSA Annual Meeting: Rethink, Restructure, and Reconnect

The convergence of a global pandemic, deepening political polarization, and mass organized protests demanding social justice and systemic change has propelled interest in politics to a historic high. The COVID-19 deadly virus amply upset the balance in higher education, causing universities to suddenly shift to online formats, close campuses, or cease operations. Students, isolated or sent home for remote learning, experienced the consequences acutely and directly. Faculty, separated from colleagues and support staff, pivoted to online course delivery or socially-distanced, in-person teaching methods. Academic conferences were delivered on virtual platforms or canceled altogether, depriving scholars of the ability to exchange ideas face-to-face, a critical part of what we do. Other challenges have preceded or emerged contemporaneously with this pandemic—in particular, how to conduct research in a more transparent way and the rapidly changing world of academic publishing with the move towards open access. Yet, there are also myriad opportunities and lessons learned to restructure political science as we approach the post-pandemic era.