Politics Prof. Larry Sabato announced he will no longer teach his introductory course in American politics — PLAP 1010 — after this semester. Sabato said the decision is partially personal and partially related to politics department staffing concerns.
“I agreed to teach [the introductory course] for 10 years, and somehow 10 years stretched into 35, though I have enjoyed each and every semester and have been privileged to teach more than 15,000 in the class,” Sabato said in an email. “This decision was precipitated by the politics department’s new directions, including the fact that there simply won’t be enough TAs to staff a class like mine of 350-400 students.”
The politics department plans to offer the introductory course with smaller enrollments in future semesters, Sabato said. He will continue teaching his upper-level courses and serving as director of the Center for Politics.
“I plan to add a course on ‘The Kennedy Half-Century — on JFK and presidential legacy,” Sabato said. “This will be linked to a re-offering of my recent massive open online course of the same name.”
Sabato said more than 100,000 people worldwide took his course on President John F. Kennedy between last October and November. Sabato said he will also open the speeches governors, senators and others made to his politics class to the broader University community.
“Between these events and the MOOC, I hope to reach far more people than I otherwise would have in a traditional lecture course,” Sabato said.
Sabato said he has many other goals left to accomplish in the next 10 years, before likely retiring.
“All good things must eventually come to an end,” Sabato said. “When you are starting to teach large numbers of the children of former 1010 students, as I am, that time has probably come.”
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