The Department of Philosophy at Central Washington University (CWU) offers two programs that are closely linked. One program is a Major in Philosophy proper; the other program is a Philosophy Major with a Specialization in Religious Studies. The goal of this department is to sustain and promote both programs while also providing strong support for the General Education program and several interdisciplinary programs. The department is also actively involved in many of CWU’s Interdisciplinary Programs, such as Asia/Pacific Studies, the Douglas Honors College, Women’s Studies, Film and Video Studies, and American Indian Studies, in order to better prepare our students for the internationalism and growing cultural diversity of the 21st century. Philosophy plays an essential role in preparing students for real life. Therefore, in today’s high-tech world, the abstract reasoning skills, analytical tools, and communication skills, as well as an awareness of the corresponding religious ideals and cultural influences of an increasingly multi-cultural and global society, obtained through studying Philosophy and Religious Studies, are increasingly valuable.
The Philosophy Department’s mission aligns with that of the University in the preparation of students for “responsible citizenship, responsible stewardship of the earth, and enlightened and productive lives” through participation in the University’s general education Program, as well as its own major Programs.
The department will: 1. In education, encourage an understanding and appreciation of the diverse traditions, perspectives, and ideas in the disciplines of philosophy/religious studies by: a) offering excellent courses for majors, minors, general education students, and students in other programs, b) demonstrating to students the value of a liberal education for thriving intellectual lives, as well as careers in the professions, business, industry, public administration, and non-profit institutions c) cultivating critical reasoning skills d) promoting knowledge and employment of moral reasoning. 2. In scholarship, explore the questions that lie at the core of the human condition — including issues of value, purpose, identity, knowledge, and faith — by: a) supporting faculty and student research b) helping faculty to share that research in a variety of settings c) having clear performance standards in the area of scholarship. 3. In service, educate a wider audience about the value and significance of philosophy/religious studies by: a) sponsoring relevant public presentations and colloquia b) contributing to interdisciplinary programs and university-wide forums c) providing scholarly service activities for local, regional, national, and international professional philosophy/religious studies communities.
Again evaluations in the past were not systematic. But we did draw from evaluations to improve our program. For example, feedback from our graduates indicated that we did not have good coverage in analytic philosophy. We requested and filled a TT position in analytic philosophy in 2007.
The Philosophy Department is very effective overall in reaching its goals. Our courses give students good exposure to historical and contemporary philosophical and religious traditions of the world. We make excellent contributions to general education. Our programs stress the value of a liberal education for careers in the professions, business, industry, public administration and non-profit institutions. They also encourage diversity and cultural competence. Our faculty emphasize critical thinking skills in their teaching and prepare students for employment in the real world. Our faculty and students provide good service to link disciplinary scholarship to local community needs through a variety of activities.
(1) Our external reviewer made the following recommendations: (1) The department in consultation with the Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities should revisit its curricular assessment process, formalize and regularize it, and tie it to planning and resource allocation. (NWCCU Standard 2.B., Policy 2.2) (2) The Department together with the Associate Vice-President for Graduate Studies should re-examine the structure and goals of and support for the MA in Individual Studies in Philosophy or Religious Studies to insure that it satisfies NWCCU Standards 2.D & E and 5.A, and Policy 2.2. (3) The Department, through the appropriate channels, needs to join with the Administration and other concerned members of the University in thoughtful discussion toward meaningfully addressing the morale issues created by the implementation of the collective bargaining agreement. (NWCCU Standard 4.A.3 and Policy 6.2.) In implementing these recommendations, we have been establishing a formal assessment plan for our programs. The Individual Studies MA is not a formal program in our department; it is a university program in which some of our faculty participate. It is therefore appropriate for the program to be examined at the university level. We have discussed ways to improve the Individual Studies MA program if some of our faculty choose to continue their participation; currently there is no student working with this department. We have been working with the dean of our college to improve the environment to address faculty morale issues.
1. The department has made a successful and smooth transition to a new generation of faculty. Our faculty have fostered and maintained a collegial environment in the department conducive to effective teaching and productive scholarship. Department leadership has effectively created and fostered (both financially and intellectually) an unusually supportive environment for faculty to pursue professional and service oriented activities, while at the same time maintaining the integrity of our educational program. 2. We have been very successful in recruiting new faculty (both TT and NTT), who have considerably strengthened our program. Arrivals of new faculty also have brought great diversity to our faculty. Now nearly half of our faculty are female, in a traditionally male-dominated field. We have been successful in acquiring three new offices in the past five years to accommodate the needs of new faculty. 3. We have revised the program of the Religious Studies Specialization to reflect changes in the discipline and the strengths of our faculty. The program integrates religious studies with philosophy. Our students in Philosophy have opportunities to take classes in both areas of Philosophy and Religious Studies in order to build a broad knowledge base for future pursuits. We have added numerous new courses to further diversify and enrich our curriculum. These courses also contribute to programs beyond the department. 4. The department has been one of the most active departments involved in campus events, contributing a great deal to the diversity and intellectual dynamism at CWU. Our faculty are very active in campus activities, and are routinely invited to serve on various university committees and taskforces. 5. Carrying on a department tradition, our faculty have delivered excellent teaching in the classroom. In the meantime, the majority of faculty have been active in scholarly research and publishing, as well as service. We have played a large role in offering General Education courses and we offer a variety of GE courses (both lower-division and upper-division) to serve student needs. We have been able to generate a high number of student FTEs. 6. The average number of our registered majors and minors in the past five years is considerably higher than in the previous five years. We have been able to provide personal attention to our majors. Philosophy majors are required to write a senior thesis directed individually by a faculty member. Religious Studies students, who write their thesis in a Senior Seminar setting, are required to meet individually with their instructor as part of the evaluation process. Students routinely praise our close faculty-student mentoring relationship. 7. Our faculty have been involved in numerous interdisciplinary programs such as Asia/Pacific Studies, Women’s Studies, Film Studies, American Indian Studies, and the Douglas Honors College (DHC). Our courses contribute to their student needs. Our rather frequent faculty presentations and guest speakers also enrich these programs. Our faculty regularly teach and/or lecture for DHC. In recent years, we have co-directed two programs (one to Southeast Asia and the other to China) that have introduced students to the various cultures of Asia. 8. Our Philosophy and Religious Studies Club has been one of the most active student clubs on campus. The department has recently been awarded a chapter in Theta Alpha Kappa, the National Honor Society for Religious Studies/Theology. We have sponsored 13 students at the SOURCE conference. 9. We have been successful in offering a variety of summer courses and have been able to generate a relatively large amount of summer revenue to support faculty development and supplement office operation expenditures. 10. We have been successful in sending some majors to graduate programs (e.g., Oxford University, University of Washington, State University of New York-Stony Brook). We have nurtured several McNair Scholars. A good number of our majors have been students of the Douglas Honors College.
1. We are two disciplines (Philosophy, Religious Studies) in one department with a small number of T&TT faculty. We have a lot of territories to cover and many interdisciplinary programs to support, and have been spread too thin. The number of upper-division course offerings for majors has been very limited (former majors have commented that this was the reason why some of them did not continue their study at CWU). We have attempted to maximize utilization of our offerings in many ways; our Religious Studies Specialization incorporates appropriate philosophy courses as required and electives; our faculty have routinely cross-listed Senior Seminar in Philosophy with Special Topics so students can take these courses for different purposes. (A drawback of cross-listing these courses is the underreporting of the actual class size because the FTEs are split into two classes, and it gives the false appearance that faculty are teaching some very small classes.) 2. The nature of our disciplines requires relative small class size in order to engage students to serious inquiry in fundamental issues taught in class. But the class size has been increasing due to limited resources. Now most of our classes have about 40- 55 students. This causes difficulties particularly for faculty whose pedagogy is interactive and personal in nature. We have tried to deal with this problem with class techniques like small-group discussion and even taking student pictures to help in getting to know our students. But this difficulty cannot be adequately resolved with without reducing class size. A large percentage of our majors do not have adequate writing skills. Faculty members have tried to give students more opportunities to improve their writing skills. But the large class size has made it difficult to produce significant improvement. All our GEN ED courses for “Philosophies and Cultures of the World” are designated as carrying the “W” (“writing”) requirement. Faculty make enormous efforts to ensure that students are writing a minimum of seven pages of evaluated writing, but struggle with the balance between providing effective feedback and getting papers back to our students in a timely manner. This is primarily due to the fact that the current class-size is at 40 students, making it difficult to effectively teach writing. We have been having an average 32.4 Faculty FTEs/Student FTEs ratio, much higher than the college average of 18.6 and the university average of 20. In that way, our faculty bear a heavier teaching load than faculty in most other departments. This enormous productivity in teaching is carried out along with a very high load in service and research. This unusually high Faculty FTEs/Student FTEs ratio has put an unfairly large share of burden on our faculty. This challenge cannot be addressed by the department alone; it has to be resolved with solutions from the college or/and the university. 3. Despite its mission as a teaching institution, the university does not adequately recognize the time and effort required to generate new courses and significantly revise existing ones. Without this time and energy, pedagogy becomes stale and students do not learn about current developments in the field. Yet there seems to be little support from the university for such crucial activity. 4. Only half of our 10 faculty FTEs in the department are T&TT faculty. This situation limits our ability of operation and hinders our program growth. While our department is involved in a variety of programs and operations in the university, we do not have enough faculty to go around for university service and to represent us. Most of our T&TT faculty have been on multiple committees. With so few T&TT, it is difficult for us to recruit and retain majors. We have also invited NT&TT faculty to teach upper-division courses in their specialties. 5. Although our Goods and Services budget has increased recently, it is still inadequate to cover the basic operation of the department for the academic year. The annual funds for Goods and Services typically run out in February, barely covering half of the academic year. We have been able to generate revenues from our summer sessions to fill the holes. In addition, we do not have a common space at the department where faculty and students can hold informal gatherings for the purposes of information exchange and community-building. Our workroom is too small for such purposes. We have not been able to find a way to remedy this problem.
The Philosophy Department is critical to the university’s mission. By introducing students to the major philosophical and religious traditions of the world, we are central to the university’s goals “to prepare students for responsible citizenship, responsible stewardship of the earth,” and to lead “enlightened productive lives.” Our expertise in the great intellectual and spiritual traditions of the world provides our students and the community with the critical information and tools necessary to solve “human and environmental problems.” Our faculty are committed to providing Central’s students with “lifelong learning” and intellectual depth.
Students may choose either a 45 credit major or a 60 credit major. In order to graduate, a student who completes the 45 credit major must also have a minor or second major in another discipline. A student who completes the 60 credit major is not required to have a minor or second major. The Philosophy Major curriculum cover a sequence of history courses in Western philosophy as well as contemporary thought, integrated with breath requirements in the areas of logic, ethics, and other electives. In addition to a senior seminar course, all seniors write a senior thesis under the supervision of a faculty member as a capstone experience. Students majoring in Philosophy may choose a Religious Studies specialization. This specialization amounts to a major in religious studies. It is a path of inquiry into the nature of religion, its pervasive role in human life, and its contribution to understanding human existence and destiny. This specialization contains a philosophical component focused on religion. In addition, the student is encouraged to augment their study with course work in other disciplines to see the practices and influences of religion in various fields of human culture. The major provides a liberal education of an interdisciplinary yet focused character. It, as well as the minor, combines well with another major in the humanities or in the social sciences. The student is also prepared for graduate work in the humanities, social sciences, or religious studies itself, as well as for employment in the religious and social science fields. Students who specialize in Religious Studies may choose either a 50 credit specialization or a 60 credit specialization. In order to graduate, a student who completes the 50 credit specialization must also have a minor or second major in another discipline. A student who completes the 60 credit specialization is not required to have a minor or second major.
The Philosophy Department utilizes several tools for maintaining currency with the curricula of its disciplines. One resource has been The Philosophy Major, a book published by the American Philosophical Association, which describes in detail the principal types of undergraduate philosophy programs in the United States. In the recent revision of the Religious Studies Specialization, recourse was taken to the American Academy of Religion’s resources on U.S. undergraduate programs. Extensive research via the web is also utilized to compare our programs with those of peer institutions including Eastern Washington University, Western Washington University, Lewis and Clark University, Portland State University, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
The Department’s Curriculum Committee is a committee of the whole. As is the case with all departments, we drop old courses from the catalog and add new ones as former members who retire are replaced by professors with different areas of training and interest. As noted above, we are committed to diversity and training our students in global issues and interdisciplinary study. We are routinely approached by new interdisciplinary programs to contribute new courses, as evidenced in the four new courses approved last year. Recognizing the need for broader student participation in study abroad, the department has sponsored interdisciplinary short term experiences that contribute to our students’ elective options. Dr. Li was also awarded an Interdisciplinary Course team-teaching grant for his work with Dr. Bruce Palmquist in developing the Religion and Science course. Faculty annually develop a variety of Special Topics courses in response to student interest and as a means of augmenting their own research. Some recent examples include Legacy of the Hebrew Bible, Consciousness and Reality, The Holocaust, Comparative Apocalypticism, Lost Books of the Bible and Gender and Sacred Literature.
All members of the faculty are evaluated with Student Evaluation of Instruction (or SEOI) forms at the end of every course. The chair reviews these on a quarterly basis. The results are included in faculty files for dean’s review when appropriate. Faculty-chair discussions are held if results warrant consultation. Faculty under review for reappointment, tenure, promotion, and post-tenure review submit their evaluations to the Personnel Committee for its consideration. Faculty invite colleagues to observe them in the classroom as part of the review process. Faculty Professional Records are evaluated by the department chair and the dean of the college. Faculty also attend faculty development workshops.
Department chair meets with NTT faculty annually and meets with faculty who are under review to discuss performance, in addition to periodical discussion with faculty when issues arise. Department personnel committee routinely evaluate faculty performance as required by the code and, recently, the CBA.
We do not currently have a tool for entry level assessment. Because high schools usually do not teach Philosophy and Religious Studies, our incoming students have very little knowledge in these areas. Every course has its assessment mechanism including tests, papers, and sometimes other appropriate projects.
We currently do not incorporate general education student learning goals into assessment of students in the major.
We have sporadically offered distance education courses in recent years, including a web-based course and a DE course.
PHIL465 Advanced Ethics
PHIL306.01 Spring 2007
Information Technologies utilized in the classroom to foster student learning: Most faculty have taken advantage of the Smart Room’s technology available in the Language and Literature Building. This technology has greatly facilitated the use of films and film clips, overhead projections like lecture outlines and artifacts representations, and musical excerpts, to enhance lectures and discussions. The following courses have used Blackboard: Gary Bartlett Phil 101 (Intro to Phil) and Phil 201 (Intro to Logic) Li Phil 101.04, PHIL306.01 and PHIL445.01 Connor Winter 2007: Phil 101.002; Phil 201.003-.004; Phil 306.D01-.L01; Spring 2007: Phil 201.003-.004; Phil 312.002; Rels 320.001; Summer 2007: Phil 201.001-.002-.003. The following courses have used Internet support: Heidi M. Szpek Courses using the Internet 2006-2007 Fall 2006 RELS 101 Introduction to Religion RELS 201 Sacred Books of the World RELS 353 Judaism Christianity Islam Winter 2007 PHIL 376 Contemporary Religious Thought RELS 453 The Holocaust Tanya Whitehouse Used the Docutek Online Reserves system through the CWU Brooks Library for PHIL101..01 &03 Introduction to Philosophy courses Fall 2007.
As noted above, the Philosophy Department has become more active in the academic life of the university centers over the past several years. Dr. Hood served the Centers for nineteen years, until his return to the Ellensburg campus in 1993. While we do not offer any Programs at the centers, the department has revised two upper division courses (Environmental Ethics and Philosophy of Love) to meet the general education needs of center students in the new B.A.S. Programs. In 2004, Dr. Altman offered the Advanced Ethics course for the first time in several years, with a broadcast airing at the Yakima Center. In addition, Environmental Ethics has recently been taught through the Distance Education system. Broadcast from the Lynnwood Center, the course drew 36 students from the Des Moines, Lynnwood and Yakima Centers. At the request of the AVP for Undergraduate Studies, the course is also being delivered online to the Centers in the Winter of 2007. We also plan to develop the Philosophy of Love course as a Distance Education course.
All TT faculty advise students. New Faculty learn advising from other faculty members. Faculty are readily available to advise students during office hours or on a scheduled basis. Students are free to choose any adviser from among the faculty, with the goal of matching faculty and student interests and specializations (e.g. Western and Eastern traditions; Philosophy and Religious Studies).
The chair examines the course description and/or course syllabus to determine whether there is sufficient similarity with our courses. Where it is necessary, the chair consults with faculty members.
We recruit most of our majors and minors through the general education courses. We make information regarding our majors and minors available on our website and bulletin board. We have also hosted parties to publicize our programs.
The University provides tutoring service for our Logic course. Faculty provide tutoring during office hours and other times. Student interns also provide tutoring assistance.
Students in the Philosophy and Religious Studies programs have been actively encouraged to participate in relevant professional organizations and make conference presentations. Students also utilize their training in a variety of service oriented activities. Central Washington University is home to the Washington Alpha Chapter of Phi Sigma Tau (http://www.achsnatl.org/society.asp?society=pst), the International Philosophy Honor Society. The purpose of Phi Sigma Tau is to serve as a means to award distinction to students with high scholarship and personal interest in philosophy, to promote student interest in research and advanced study in the field, to provide opportunities for the publication of student research papers of merit, to encourage a professional spirit and friendship among those who have displayed a marked ability in the field, and to popularize interest in philosophy among the general collegiate public. Our chapter is involved with a variety of projects, including cultivating other chapters in the state and working to enhance the presence of philosophical discussion on our own campus. We have a number of social events each year at which we enjoy the camaraderie of other philosophically-inclined students and faculty. Phi Sigma Tau will receive into its membership those who attain high standards of scholarship in philosophy and other subjects, and who give evidence of professional merit, proficiency and distinction. Central’s program in Religious Studies has recently been awarded a chapter in Theta Alpha Kappa, the national honor society for Religious Studies and Theology (http://tak.syr.edu/). Founded in 1976 at Manhattan College in Riverdale (the Bronx) New York, Theta Alpha Kappa is the only national honor society serving the needs of those involved in the study of religion and/or theology at both the baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate levels of higher education. Its primary purpose lies in honoring excellence in these academic fields, and it currently hosts over 200 local chapters throughout the United States at institutions both large and small, public and private. In addition, the Philosophy and Religious Studies Club (http://www.cwu.edu/~philo/philosophyclub.html) has been an active student organization on campus. It holds regular activities throughout the academic year.
SOURCE (Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression)— Philosophy and Religious Studies students have been at the forefront of pioneering humanities based projects at this largely science and social sciences oriented forum. Students have also presented papers at regional undergraduate conferences and participated in the northwest Ethics Bowl in 2007.
While neither the Department nor career services maintain statistics on student employment, we have compiled a list of some of the graduate programs and employment positions that our majors have gone into since graduating from CWU. Both of our most recent graduate students in individualized studies have gone on to successful careers. Philip Lindholm, University of Oxford, completing Doctorate in Theology; earned Master of Studies in Theology (2005) and Master of Studies in Jewish Studies (2004); published “Jewish Philosophy Wins the Pot: How Stu Ungar and Emmanuel Levinas Coralled the Texans” in Poker and Philosophy: Pocket Rockets and Philosopher Kings, ed. Eric Bronson (Chicago: Open Court Press, 2006). LeAnn Haggard, Ph.D. program in Philosophy, University of Washington Caryn Johnson, M.A. program in Religious Studies, Andover Theological Seminary Mark Green, Ph.D. program in Philosophy, SUNY Stony Brook Christopher Moore, Masters of Social Work, Eastern Washington University Zachary Hymes, M.A. program in Philosophy, Washington State University Tami Lucero, MA Teaching Certification in Elementary Education, Whitworth College Kevin Rowles, Seattle University Law School Christopher Leslie, California Western School of Law Jennifer Bridges, Flight Attendant, Horizon Airlines Jessica Erickson, Applying for Law School Kyla Richards, Applying for Graduate School Jason Pique, Applying for Graduate School Don Puhlman, US State Department Valerie Nelson, Legislative Staff, US Senate Jennifer Stanberry, Army Officer Candidate School Amy Lee, EMT King/Snohomish County and graduate studies CWU Niki Abraham, Early Education Teacher, Headstart Program, Kittitas County Patrick Coffey, Registrar Assistant, CWU Christine Himlie, Master’s Program in Religion and Psychology, Andover Newton Theological College Bryan Davenport, Master’s of Divinity Program, Talbot School of Theology
Over all, the department provides good service to students. Besides in the classroom, faculty maintain communication with students via other channels such as student club and honors societies. They also provides career advice. In addition, the faculty host a spring BBQ party for students every year.
We currently have five full-time TT faculty (the sixth one just retired this December; we are in the process of hiring a replacement), five full-time NTT faculty (including one being the interim director of DHC), and three part-time NTT and one phased retiree. The current NTT ratio is higher than most departments, but we anticipate another TT hire in fall 2009.
Faculty visit one another’s classrooms, review syllabi and discuss our various approaches to teaching. All senior theses are also made available for faculty review. Faculty present at professional conferences and publish in professional journals regularly. Faculty also help each other in order to fulfill their responsibilities in teaching, scholarship, and service.
Personnel Committee: With three tenured and two tenure-track faculty members, this committee was responsible for the review of non-tenure track faculty and recommending tenure-track and tenured faculty to the college dean for reappointment, tenure, promotion, and post-tenure review. When the department has fewer than three tenured members, aside from the Department Chair, a tenured outside member was added to the committee. The make-up of this committee has changed in fall 2006 in accordance with the CBA. Now the Personnel Committee consists of Drs. Dippmann, Szpek, and Rath (English). Research and Scholarship Committee: Two faculty members are responsible for awarding annual grants for faculty research. Our current Personnel Policies and Procedures can be found at http://www.cwu.edu/~philo/philosophydeptproc.html We have developed a new Personnel Policies and Procedures, currently under review by the administration.
Over all, faculty maintain a good balance between teaching, scholarship, and service. At times, individual faculty members may shoulder more work in one or two areas. But in the department there is a good balance and in the long run each individual faculty member maintains a good balance of these responsibilities.
All members of the faculty are evaluated with Student Evaluation of Instruction (or SEOI) forms at the end of every course. The chair reviews these on a quarterly basis. The results are included in faculty files for dean’s review when appropriate. Faculty-chair discussions are held if results warrant consultation. Faculty under review for reappointment, tenure, promotion, and post-tenure review submit their evaluations to the Personnel Committee for its consideration. Faculty invite colleagues to observe them in the classroom as part of the review process. Faculty Professional Records are evaluated by the department chair and the dean of the college. Faculty also attend faculty development workshops.
Faculty in the department faculty are well prepared for their work. The department has been going through a generational transition and at times the ratio of tenured-faculty has been low, but we are coming out of that. The department has had a percentage of non-tenure track faculty that is larger than most departments, in part due to our large offering in Gen Ed.
Data provided by Instructional Research and other appropriate offices.
The Department relies heavily on the university library as a vital resource (including Internet subscriptions) in conducting faculty and student research at both the beginning and advanced levels. Faculty work closely with numerous departments in the library, to ensure quality resources for students and instructors alike.
Budget cuts have unfortunately severely diminished acquisition of journals, books, reference materials, maps, and primary source collections in the last decade. We are appreciative of the Library’s efforts to make resources more readily available to students and faculty, and encourage the continued expansion into relevant databases and inter-library loan services. This is particularly critical as the Philosophy and Religious Studies programs continue to grow and expand into areas such as Asian and Islamic Studies, where on-campus resources are limited, and library budgets preclude the acquisition of necessary primary resources and professional journals.
Faculty actively use the Summit interlibrary loan system and urge their students to use Summit for materials unavailable on this campus. Databases and world library catalogs are also utilized, with faculty often recommending the inclusion of new disciplinary databases such as the Bibliography of Asian Studies. Professors make judicious use of Inter-library Loan services and urge all of their students to do the same. In certain cases, faculty require that students in their general education classes obtain and critically review peer reviewed articles through the various databases. Most upper division classes require a research paper of students, necessitating their use of the campus library and interlibrary loan resources. Faculty assign Reserve Reading at the library for courses. Media services lends DVDs and videos appropriate to classroom instruction. The Department funds the video recording of sponsored special lectures and speaker series, and makes the recordings available to the campus community through the Library’s media services and Departmental library.
1. Faculty send evaluation cards to our library liaison, Kirsten Erickson, to suggest the purchase of key publications, audio and video media, and computer programs. 2. Dr. Li and Dr. Szpek have served as Departmental representatives to library acquisitions. 3. Faculty also work with Kirsten Erickson to continuously evaluate appropriate journals for new subscriptions, renewals of current acquisitions, or cancellation.
The department has a small library, containing books donated by faculty, faculty emeritus, and other sources. Faculty and students can come in to use books there. The library also has some video types and DVDs purchased by the department for teaching.
With about ten full and part-time faculty members, the Philosophy Department is a relatively small unit. Therefore the department’s governance follows a simple format. The department chair oversees the daily operation of administration, budgeting, and scheduling. Governance is usually by a committee of the whole; within that structure there are two standing committees (Personnel Committee and Scholarship Committee).
Faculty serve on a variety of university committees as part of institutional governance. Dr. Dippmann was CWU Faculty Senate Chair in 2006-2007 and is currently on the Senate Executive Committee.
Faculty serve on a variety of university committees, but it is not clear that faculty input is taken into consideration adequately in the university decision-making process.
1. We have been allowed to replace two TT faculty positions in the last five years. This year we are in the process of replacing another TT faculty. In addition, we have been able hire adjunct or NTT faculty to teach classes. 2. Our faculty have been able to receive various internal and external grants for faculty development. 3. With the assistance of CWU’s “Win-Win” program, we have been able to replace most old computers. 4. One faculty member has been granted a sabbatical leave for research. Four faculty members have been awarded research reassigned time for one quarter. We need to have adequate Goods & Services budget to cover daily operation rather than relying on generating summer revenue to sustain departmental operation on a regular basis.
Our office space, particularly in the main office, is not adequate. Faculty do not have a common area to hang out in order to exchange information and for community-building.
Our department does not use lab equipment.
The "Smart Room" with multi-media has significantly improved instructional access to technology.
When it is necessary, the chair consults with faculty on updating office equipment such as computers and copying machine.
We periodically examine the adequacy of our program and are honest with our students about our programs. We try to offer adequate courses for our students, even though sometimes budget shortage makes it difficult. When necessary, we use adjustment to satisfy student needs (such as course substitutions).