Richard (Rick) Foster
Curriculum Vita
Revised February 2012
Current Position:
Visiting Professor of Political Science, Fort Lewis College
Professor Emeritus, Political Science, Idaho State University
Educational Background:
B.A. Political Science. Chico State College (now California State
University, Chico). 1968.
California State Secondary Teaching Certification. CSU, Chico. 1969.
M.A. Politics. McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada). 1970
M.P.A. Public Administration. University of Oklahoma. 1972.
Ph.D. Political Science. University of Oklahoma. 1974.
Dissertation: Canadian Intergovernmental Relations and the
Reform of Local Government: Regional Local Government in
Ontario.
Teaching:
Courses at Fort Lewis College (all undergraduate)
Introduction to Political Science
State and Local Government
The American Presidency
U.S. Foreign Policy
Public Policy Analysis
Religion and Politics
Senior Seminar
I regularly taught the following courses at Idaho State University:
American Foreign Policy (undergraduate)
Politics in the American West (both undergraduate and graduate)
Introduction to International Relations (undergraduate)
Administrative Process (both undergraduate and graduate)
Public Administration Ethics (both graduate and undergraduate)
World Politics Seminar (graduate)
Seminar in College Teaching (graduate)
International Simulations (undergraduate)
International Studies Senior Thesis (undergraduate)
Other courses I occasionally taught at ISU include:
Introduction to American Government
Introduction to Political Science
Senior Seminar (Political Science)
Honors Social Science (for freshman honors students)
State and Local Government (undergraduate)
Teaching Experience:
Fort Lewis College, Department of Political Science
Visiting Professor 2008 to the present
Idaho State University Department of Political Science
Assistant Professor 1973-1979
Associate Professor 1979-1984
Professor 1984 until taking emeritus status (June 2008)
Junior Statesman of America Foundation. Taught in summer schools for
this organization on the campus of University of California, Davis
(1981, 1982, and 1984); on the Georgetown University campus in
Washington, D.C. (1983); and Boise State University (1988, 1989,
and 1997).
Honors and Teaching Awards:
-Campus wide “Distinguished Teacher” award. Idaho State University.
1987
-NORCHE Prize for Instructional Innovation (with Dr. Mark McBeth)
1995.
-Idaho State University Achievement Award. An award given by the ISU
Alumni Association. Homecoming, 2005.
-Most Influential Professor. Chosen by Beau Husfloen, Outstanding
Undergraduate Student in the Humanities. April, 2006.
-Pi Sigma Alpha Excellence in Teaching Award. An award given by the
Idaho State University Pi Sigma Alpha (a political science
honorary society). April 2007.
Teaching Workshops:
Participant at weeklong “Boot Camp for Teachers” Albertson College of
Idaho, June 2003.
Participant at workshop “Cooperative Learning for Higher Education
Faculty: Using Groups to Promote Learning.” Conducted by
Barbara J. Millis, February 27, 2004.
Participant at “Assessing for Learning Workshop.” Conducted by Peggy
Maki, February 25, 2005.
Participant at “Building and Assessing Students’ Critical Thinking Skills.”
Conducted by Susan Wolcott, February 3, 2006.
Student Mentoring and Advising:
Undergraduate:
In my last year at ISU (2007-2008) I was the major advisor for 34 students
majoring in international studies and nine majoring in political science.
Fort Lewis College: 19 undergraduate advisees (2011-2012)
Graduate:
In my last year at ISU (2007-2008) I was the major advisor for one M.P.A.
student and one D.A. student.
Graduate degrees awarded to students under my supervision:
Doctor of Arts: 13—Sturmer (79), Veasey (79), Oase (81), Coffey (82),
Caldwell (83), Park (85), Jennings (90), McBeth (92), Burton (94), Chambers
(95), Kirtley (97), Wadman (98), and Hathaway (2008).
Master of Arts: 8
Master of Public Administration (MPA): 22
Administrative Positions (All at Idaho State University):
University Summer School Director. 1976-1979.
Director, CLASS Program (its first full year, 1998).
Chair, Department of Political Science. Idaho State University. 1981-82;
and 1984-2005.
Director, Interdisciplinary International Studies Program. Idaho State
University. 1989 to 2008.
Research Articles, Papers, Books and Monographs
Articles:
“Public Policy Pedagogy: Mixing Methodologies Using Cases.” Journal
of Public Administration Education. Vol. 16, No. 4. Fall 2010.
(with Mark McBeth and Randall Clemons).
“Politics in the 1990s.” Book of the Decades. Columbia, SC: Manly. 2000.
(with Anne McCulloch))
“Rural-Urban Influences in United States Economic Development and
Environmental Policy.” Journal of Rural Studies. Vol. 12, No. 4.
1997 (with Mark McBeth).
“Rural Environmental Attitudes.” Environmental Management. Vol 18,
No 3. 1993. (with Mark McBeth).
“Commentary on Weerayudh Wichiarajote’s ‘An Alternative Approach to
World Development.’” International Journal on World Peace.
Vol. IX, No. 2 (June), 1992.10
“The Federal Government in the West.” in Clive S. Thomas (editor).
Politics in the American West. University of New Mexico Press.
1991. 77-99.
“Leadership and Community Revitalization.” with R. Chambers and R.
Clemons. Economic Development Review. Vol. 8, No. 3 (Summer
1990). pp. 29-34.
“A Team Approach to Local Development.” co-author. Innovations. CRURAL (Spring 1989). pp. 5 and 7.
“A Shootout at Blackrock: The Politics of Land-Use Planning.” with
Lawson Veasey. Public Service. Vol. 8, No. 1 (August 1981). pp.
9-12. Subsequently reprinted and published in the Newsletter of
Natural Resource and Environmental Administration. Vol. 5, No.
6. 1982. 1-5.
“Planning and Decentralization: Can the Criminal Justice System
Accommodate Both Demands?” co-author. In Criminal Justice
Planning and Development. Alvin W. Cohn (editor). Beverly Hills:
Sage Publications. 1977.
“Planning and the Administration of Justice.” co-author. L.A.E. Journal
(Journal of the American Criminal Justice Association). (January).
1976.
“Canadian Intergovernmental Relations: Lessons for the United States.”
with Jeffery Rinehart and in General Revenue Sharing and
Decentralization. Walter F. Scheffer (editor). Norman: University
of Oklahoma Press. 1976.
Professional Papers, presentations, and panels:
An average of one to two conference presentations, papers in
conference proceedings, or panels organized and chaired during
my 35 years at ISU. This list is available on request. Papers have
been presented at meetings of the American Society of Public
Administration, American Political Science Association, Western
Political Science Association, Pacific Northwest Political Science
Association, Rocky Mountain Social Science Association,
Southwestern Political Science Association, and American Society
of Criminology. Most Recently:
Panel Organizer and Chair. State and Local Government. Pacific
Northwest Political Science Association. October 2007.
Panel Chair and Discussant. The Affect of National Political
Issues in the Pacific Northwest. Pacific Northwest Political
Science Association meetings. October 2007.
Roundtable Participant. Roundtable: Calculations, Choice,
Confounders, and Chance: Is American Foreign and
Security Policy Making an Art or a Science? Western
Political Science Association. March 2007.
Paper, “Just Another Special Interest: The Changing Role of
Public Higher Education in the Pacific Northwest.” (coauthor with B. Lunch, Oregon State University and C.
Thomas University of Alaska, Southeast). Pacific
Northwest Political Science Association. October 2007.
Panel Organizer and Chair. State and Local Government.
Pacific Northwest Political Science Association.
October 2006.
Paper, “The Higher Education Lobby in the Pacific
Northwest States: Lobbyists, Strategies, Tactics, and
Influence.” co-author with Bill Lunch (Oregon State)
and Clive Thomas (University of Alaska, Southeast).
Western Political Science Association conference, March
2006.
Chair and Discussant. Roundtable: Higher Education in
Public Policy Process in the Pacific Northwest States.
Pacific Northwest Political Science Association meeting,
October 13-15, 2005.
Roundtable Participant. Speaking Truth to Power: Is AnyOne Listening? Western Political Science Association
Meetings. March 2005.
Paper. Narrative Analysis and Foreign Policy: The Case of Iraq.
with R. Clemons. Western Political Science Association
meetings. March 2004.
Books and Teaching Guides:
Active Learning Guide for American Government. Addison Wesley
Longman, Inc. (with Mark McBeth, Joe Morris, Sean Anderson,
and Mark Mussman). 1999.
Internet Guide for Sabato and O’Connor’s American Government:
Continuity and Change. Addison Wesley Longman. 1998. (with
Mark McBeth, Joe Morris, and Mark Mussman).
Groups, Games, and Simulations. NORCHE. 1994. (With Mark McBeth
And based on a teaching grant from NORCHE).
Viewing International Relations and World Affairs. Englewood Cliffs:
Prentice-Hall. 1985. (with Robert V. Edington).
Current Projects:
American Foreign Policy: Politics and Process. Manuscript in
development but not being actively pursued at this time.
So, You Want to be A College Professor: Memos to Junior Faculty and
Graduate Students from One Who Has Been There and Done
That.
Other Professional Activity:
Member, Executive Council. Pacific Northwest Political Science
Association. 2006-2009.
Member, Officer Nominating Committee, Western Political Science
Association. 2004-06.
Member, Committee on Professional Development. Western Political
Science Association. 2000-2002.
Member, Committee on Chairpersons. Western Political Science
Association. 1986-1988.
Chair, Western Politics Group. Western Political Science Association.
1986.
Fellow, Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation Summer Seminar on
Global Security and Arms Control. University of California Irvine.
Summer 1985.
Organizing Committee for the Northern Rocky Mountain Conference on
Politics and Society. 1985.
President, Idaho Political Science Association. 1984 and 1985.
Editor, Idaho Journal of Politics. Volumes III and IV (1979-81).
Numerous Book Reviews in: Perspectives on Political Science; Teaching
Political Science: Politics in Perspective; American Political
Science Review; and the Journal of Developing Societies.
Article Referee (several times in the past five years). Environmental
Management.
Service:
Community:
Hearing Examiner, City of Pocatello (1986 to 2008). In this position I
acted as a quasi-judicial officer conducting public hearings on
cases involving requests for land use exceptions (variances and
conditional use permits), and made formal recommendations to the
Pocatello City Council.
Conducted numerous workshops for communities who were seeking
conflict resolution expertise and help with organizing public input
for economic development (1987-1995)
Hosted a weekly hour-long radio show Political Conversations 1990-94.
University:
Served on a number of University councils and committees including the
University Curriculum Council, University Planning Committee
(Chair), University General Education Requirements Committee,
and University Athletic Council. In addition, I served on a Provost
appointed ad hoc committee to recommend the resolution of a
tenure dispute (2003).
University Animal Welfare Committee (ISU’s name for the U.S.
Government’s required Institutional Animal Care and Use
Committee-IACUC), 1993-2005.
University General Education Review Committee (an ad hoc committee
appointed by the Academic Vice-President and charged with
reviewing, evaluating, and suggesting changes in the University’s
general education requirements), 2003-2005.
University Accreditation Audit Group. 2005-2006.
Served on the Program Review Committees for the Departments of
Economics ((2002) and Psychology (2004-2005).
Department:
In addition to administrative responsibilities as chair, I served as the
advisor to the student International Affairs Council from 1974 to
2004 (I resigned as advisor for the 2004-2005 school year when
my daughter became that student group’s elected president) and
returned as advisor in the fall of 2005 after her presidential term
expired. This group organizes the annual three day Frank Church
Symposium on International Affairs.
Higher Education:
Served on Program Review Committees for political science programs at
universities in California (California State University, Chico) and
Utah (Weber State University—Most recently in 2006).
Served as a professional program reviewer for the political science
program at Fort Lewis College (2009).
References
Available on Request.