Senate Document Number 1702S

Date of Senate Approval 01/24/02

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

APC Document 14:   Curriculum changes in Philosophy

Effective Date: Fall 2002

Changes to course listings.

#1
Delete: On page 178 Listing for PHIL 100, Introduction to Philosophy

Add: On page 178 New description for PHIL 100

100 Introduction to Philosophy (3)
An introduction to the basic concepts, methods, and areas of philosophical inquiry. Fall and Spring.

Impact: Changing the description of his course will not affect any department other than philosophy. The aim of the revision is to enable the class to be as flexible to the student's needs and interests as possible. Acceptance of the proposal should have no impact upon the Philosophy Department's staffing needs.

Rationale: This new description will allow the course to be taught in a variety of different manners. It will also allow the course to meet the interest of non-philosophy majors who are curious about philosophy.

#2
Delete: On page 178 Listing for PHIL 250, Ancient Philosophy

Add: On page 178 New description for PHIL 250

250 Ancient Philosophy (3)
A historical survey of philosophies, from ancient Pre-Socratics to Stoicism, with special emphasis on Plato and Aristotle. Fall

Impact: The change in Ancient Philosophy course content reflects a departmental commitment to strengthen the historical offerings by reducing the amount of philosophers and time span covered in PHIL 250. Because the content will be spread over another course philosophy majors will be required to take PHIL 260 in addition. This additional requirement will be mitigated by more flexible upper division offerings included in this proposal. Acceptance of the proposal should have no impact upon the Philosophy Department's staffing needs.

Rationale: The course as it is currently described tried to do too much. As is, it is a historical survey of Ancient through Medieval Philosophy. Assessment results have suggested that the thinkers have been treated too quickly and superficially.

#3
Delete: N/A

Add: On page 178 PHIL 255, Medieval Philosophy

255 Medieval Philosophy (3)
An historical survey of philosophies from Christian, Islamic, and Jewish writers from 350 C.E. up to the 1600s. Spring

Impact: This course will be added to the philosophy major requirements. The addition is to be implemented with the other changes below and therefore should have a minimal impact upon overall credit hour requirements for the philosophy minor or major. Acceptance of the proposal should have no impact upon the Philosophy Department's staffing needs.

Rationale: This course has been taught as a special topics course rather successfully. It has allowed the department to teach philosophy arising out of different cultures. By splitting what we are attempting to do presently in one course into two, students should have a better grasp of this time period. This change is to be considered with the following change.

Add: On page 178 New description and number for Modern Philosophy

260 Modern Philosophy (3)
Introduction to the major movements of Western philosophy since the Renaissance: British empiricism, continental rationalism, and German Idealism. Fall

Impact: The change in course number represents its new position in the Philosophy Department's historical sequence. The time period included is briefer, but the change will have no impact upon student requirements. Acceptance of the proposal should have no impact upon the Philosophy Department's staffing needs.

Rationale: The course as it is currently described tried to do too much. As is, it is a historical survey of Modern through Contemporary Philosophy. Assessment results have suggested that the thinkers have been treated too quickly and superficially.

#5
Delete: On page 179 Listing for PHIL 333, Existence and Meaning

Add: On page 178 PHIL 220, Existentialism

220 Existentialism (3)
An examination of representative philosophical works of various existentialists, e.g. Sartre and Heidegger. See department chair.

Impact: This course has been very popular with the students. Lowering it to a 200 level course should allow more students to enroll. Acceptance of the proposal should have no impact upon the Philosophy Department's staffing needs.

Rationale: This course attracted non-majors into an upper level philosophy course for which they were sometimes ill-prepared; majors were frustrated because of the lack of preparation of some non-majors. The course is being restructured as a 200 level course, Existentialism, which is intended for majors and non-majors.

#6
Delete: On page 179 Listings for both PHIL 350 and 351

Add: On page 179 PHIL 355, Great Figures

355 Great Figures (3)
An in depth examination of the thought of one or more great philosophers, e.g. Plato, Kant, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, or Wittgenstein. May be repeated for credit as subject matter changes. See department chair.

Impact: This course description covers the old classes but allows for greater flexibility so as to meet student needs and reflect faculty strengths. Acceptance of the proposal should have no impact upon the Philosophy Department's staffing needs.

Rationale: We currently teach a course on Kant and Hegel and a course on Kierkegaard and Nietzsche. The new description of this course will allow us the flexibility to offer additional figures.

#7
Delete: On page 179 Listing for PHIL 352, Contemporary Philosophy

Add: On page 179 New description for PHIL 352

352 Contemporary Philosophy (3)
A major tradition of 20^th century philosophy, e.g. American pragmatism, Phenomenology, linguistic analysis, hermeneutics, contemporary ethics, philosophy of science, or contemporary political philosophy. Prerequisite: two courses in philosophy or permission of instructor. May be repeated as subject matter changes. See department chair.

Impact: The suggested change should have no impact upon student requirements or staffing needs.

Rationale: This course would be the fourth in the historical sequence required of all philosophy majors. The description is intended to be broad and allow us to focus on one of these traditions in contemporary philosophy and to treat it in some depth. We have recently offered as special topics courses a course in American Pragmatism and a course in Phenomenology.

#8
Delete: N/A

Add: On page 179 PHIL 365, Feminist Theory

365 Feminist Theory (3)
An investigation of selected feminist theorists on a variety of topics that are current in the literature. Prerequisite: two courses in philosophy or WMST 100 and permission of instructor. See department chair.

Impact: The suggested change should have no impact upon student requirements or staffing needs.

Rationale: We need this course to help diversify our departmental offerings. This course would make explicit one of the Department's strengths as well as ensure greater diversity among the standard philosophy offerings. The course will also serve women's studies in which there is a demand for a higher-level theory course.

Add: On page 177 The required course list: "33 hours, including: PHIL 101, 200, 250, 255, 260, 303, 304, 352, 402, one additional course at the 300 level or above, and three credit hours of 499."

Impact: The suggested change substitutes a new requirement of Philosophy 255 Medieval Philosophy for the 100 Introduction to Philosophy class. The unit requirement for students stays the same, and there will be no impact upon staffing needs. In addition 352 will cover multiple topics and therefore many of the classes previously taught as special topics will now count towards more specific departmental requirements. This change will ensure that students lose no flexibility in offerings.

Rationale: The Introduction to Philosophy class repeated information that was covered much more effectively in other courses. The Medieval Philosophy class not only highlights a very significant strength of our Department but also ensures a much stronger understanding of the history of philosophy in the students.

#10
Delete: On page 178 The required course list for minors: "18 hours in philosophy: three hours at the 100 level; PHIL 250, 251; nine additional hours at the 300 level or above."

Add: On page 178 The required course list for minors: "18 hours in Philosophy: three hours at the 100 level; two courses from PHIL 250, 255, 260; nine additional hours at the 200 level or higher at least six of which must be at the 300 level or above."

Impact: The unit requirement for a minor in philosophy will not change. There will be no impact on staffing needs.

Rationale: The substitution ensures that a student who completes a minor in philosophy will be knowledgeable in the basic history of philosophy but still allows for class choices within the new historical sequence.

Add: On page 143 In the list of optional courses for Religious Studies minor "PHIL 220 Existentialism," and "PHIL 255 Medieval Philosophy."

Impact: The unit requirement for the religious studies minor will not change. There will be no impact upon staffing needs.

Rationale: The Medieval Philosophy class is a new philosophy course adopted because of the need to explore the medieval period more thoroughly. This period is much more relevant to religious studies therefore it strengthens the knowledge base that a minor will acquire. "PHIL 220 Existentialism" replaces the other two courses without any significant change in content.