Flora Davidson, Barnard Political Faculty

Flora S. Davidson

Term Professor

Political Science and Urban Studies

Address: 416-B Lehman Hall, Barnard College
3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027-6598
Tel: 212.854.6181, Fax: 212.854.3024
E-mail: fsd3@columbia.edu and fdavidson@barnard.edu

Schedule:
Research
Interests: Fall Spring

The effect of political leadership on political outcomes; American urban politics; New York City housing policy.

Courses: POLS V 3313
POLS BC 3332
POLS BC 3761-3762
FYSB BC 1618 Lecture Course on American Urban Politics
Colloquium on Exploring Political Leadership
Senior Research Seminar in American Politics
First-Year Seminar "Reacting to the Past"

Personal Statement:
Professor Davidson has been a member of the Political Science Department since 1973, where she has taught courses in American government, urban politics and policy, and political leadership, and she advises Political Science and Urban Studies majors. Her research interests include how political leadership affects political outcomes and urban politics and policy. In Fall 2008, she is teaching FYSB BC1618 First-Year Seminar "Reacting to the Past." In Spring 2009 she will be teaching POLS V 3313 American Urban Politics (lecture course) and POLS BC 3332 Colloquium on Exploring Political Leadership.

Professor Davidson served as Associate Provost of Barnard College from 1995-2008, as acting Dean of the Faculty in 1994-95, and as Associate Dean of the Faculty beginning in 1990. From 1984 to 1990, she served as Dean for Special Academic Programs where she created a number of summer programs, including Barnard's Pre-College Program for high school students. A Barnard alumna, she earned her Ph.D. in Political Science at Columbia University and taught at New York University before returning to Barnard as a faculty member in 1973.

As Associate Provost, she chaired the Committee on Instruction, served as Secretary to the Faculty Budget & Planning Committee, and ex officio on the Faculty Governance and Procedures Committee. She served as the Provost's representative on several committees, including the Barnard Library and Academic Information Services Committee, the Barnard Faculty Grants Committee and the Columbia College Committee on Instruction; and as the Provost's liaison with several administrative offices at Barnard and Columbia, including the Barnard Registrar and Dean of Studies, and joint Barnard-Columbia Study Abroad programs. She developed and implemented a variety of projects including junior faculty orientation and support programs, and has chaired or supervised several college-wide faculty searches. She co-chaired the Middle States Self-Study Steering Committee and was co-author and principal editor of the Barnard Self-Study, 1999-2000 and Barnard's Periodic Review Report in 2006.