GPALC Program Overview

Students in the Global and Public Affairs Living-Learning Community are passionate about the social sciences – political science, international affairs, economics, sociology, and more! GPALC participants seek to understand society on a deeper level and engage with their local, national, and global communities. Participants can expect to live alongside peers from diverse backgrounds with different viewpoints.

Students participate in a 1-credit weekly colloquium in both Fall and Spring semesters, and must also enroll in a 3-credit class reserved just for GPALC students during the Spring semester. Participants are required to attend cultural and political events throughout the course of the semester. These classes and events will give students the opportunity to learn, discuss, and engage with topics of interest.

Course Information

Students must enroll in a 1-credit colloquium course in both Fall and Spring semesters. They must enroll in one of two 3-credit courses in the Fall. Note that the easiest way to register for these classes is to search for the Student Group “PALC” in the course catolog.

Colloquium – 1 credit

All GPALC students must enroll and pass this course in both the spring and fall semesters.

Instructor: Prof. Eric Coleman, Department of Political Science
Wed 1:20pm-2:10pm


This is a one-year course, which is offered for one credit hour in both the Fall and Spring semesters. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Global and Public Affairs Living-Learning Community in Dorman Hall, and students in the Community are required to take the course both terms. If you leave the LLC for any reason you may not continue to participate in the Colloquium, and you may no longer live in the LLC portion of Dorman.

My three main goals for this class are to:

  1. engage students with ideas about global and public affairs that they can discuss and learn with each other
  2. build a sense of community and peer support within the LLC
  3. introduce students to the many opportunities, both intellectual and experiential, at FSU that will enrich the college experience.

I have built the content of the course around these goals.

3-credit courses

Students must choose to enroll in one of the following courses in the Fall.

Option 1:

Instructor: Prof. John Reynolds, Department of Sociology
Tues/ Thur 9:45 – 11:00
BEL 048


Be sure to sign up for Section 8!

This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of sociology. In the course, emphasis is placed on exposure to the basic findings of empirical research studies in a wide range of areas traditionally examined by sociologists.

Option 2:

Instructor: Prof. Dotan Haim, Department of Political Science
Tues/ Thur 3:05-4:20
HCB 0212


Be sure to sign up for Section 1!

Domestic armed conflicts are one of the leading causes of human insecurity around the world today. This course addresses a number of key questions about these conflicts, including:

  • What causes civil wars to start? Why are civil conflicts so difficult to end peacefully?
  • How should we define terrorism and why do groups use this strategy?
  • What tactics do armed groups and governments use to fight each other? When do they work?
  • When do governments and armed groups use violence against civilians?

After addressing concepts that apply to civil conflicts more generally, we will focus on two case studies of conflict in Afghanistan and the Philippines.