When Dr. Constance Pruitt joined the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in August as an assistant professor of political science and international affairs in the Department of Social Sciences, the two-time Howard University graduate came on a mission.
“There were a few reasons why I absolutely wanted to join the Hawk family,” said Pruitt, who brings her Howard bachelor’s and doctoral degrees along with teaching experience from several institutions including, James Madison University, Trinity Washington University, and her alma mater. “One is the fact that I really loved my experience as an HBCU alum myself and I wanted to be back at a historically Black college and university give back to the community.”
This semester, Pruitt will teach introductory classes on American government and logic. The logic class will focus on how students can use the Socratic method to make sound arguments and apply them to the world of politics.
With much of the student population eligible to vote in their first-ever general election this November, Pruitt said she is looking forward to helping them understand the importance of their right to vote.
“One thing I’d like the students to know is that we are literally our ancestors’ wildest dreams,” she said. “So, to take all of the effort that they have put into voting and just to kind of discard it, that’s a huge disservice to our community.”
One of Pruitt’s goals at UMES is to bring in more information about politics to the campus and its impact on every aspect of life.
“It doesn’t matter what students are studying,” she said. “Politics is everywhere, and I want to make sure that, at least for my students and students on campus, even if they don’t take classes from me, that they are able to make well-informed political decisions.”
