Philosophy

What is the program’s mission statement or statement of purpose? Why does the program exist?

The mission of the Philosophy Department is to provide a rigorous, comprehensive, and up to date curriculum to students majoring in Philosophy as well as to those studying Philosophy as part of their education in the liberal arts and sciences. The comprehensiveness of our curriculum is rare for a department of our size: we are genuinely "pluralistic" and represent all areas and historical periods in the discipline. The particular objectives of the department are twofold: to instill a basic knowledge of the foundations and methods of the discipline among students at all levels, and to provide advanced students with the opportunity to develop research projects according to their own interests. Our courses include a heavy emphasis on critical thinking and conceptual analysis, and are taught by faculty who support their teaching with active scholarship and research in their areas of specialization. Our mission, therefore, strongly enhances the mission of EIU, supporting free and rigorous inquiry, scholarly research, and a commitment to diversity within a student-centered campus culture.

How does the program mission align with the university mission?

The EIU Philosophy program is strongly aligned with the university mission as a whole. Aside from a basic knowledge of the foundations of philosophy, our required program components include courses in logic and critical thinking, advanced logic, value, and cultural diversity. In addition, we participate in six (6) interdisciplinary minor programs and are home to another: Religious Studies. Our classes routinely require students to go beyond the classroom, such as the field experience study in Introduction to Religious Studies which requires students to attend a religious service with which they are not familiar, the Community Service requirement in Introduction to Ethics, or the visit to the Japan House where students observe a Japanese tea ceremony. In Cultural Foundations II students also visit a Mosque and later, at the home of the faculty member, Professor Otto, have the opportunity to engage with students from the Mosque.

Our faculty are also routinely involved in activities that support the university mission beyond the classroom such as Study Abroad, the Education for Justice Project, EIU Reads, conferences, and even guest hosting "Keepin the Faith" on local NPR affiliate WILL radio. Even the physical space of the Philosophy Department supports the university mission by encouraging students to use the space to gather, socialize, and engage with faculty and other students. We have a computer available for student use and a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere that is extremely important in creating a student-centered environment. Finally, our program offers many opportunities for students to develop their own interests in ways that suit them academically. In addition to Independent Study opportunities and Departmental Honors, we offer Philosophy Club, weekly lunches with faculty, Symposium, the student philosophy publication, and Phi Sigma Tau the international philosophy honor society. 

Whom does the program serve?

The Philosophy program at EIU serves all EIU undergraduate students, the university, the community and the discipline. Aside from meeting the needs of our Philosophy majors and Philosophy and Religious Studies minors, we offer courses in General Education, participate in six (6) interdisciplinary minors, offer a Senior Seminar:The Meaning of Life course for nonmajors, participate regularly in the School of Continuing Education and have several online courses as well. We also offer courses off-campus and have participated in AIAI and other BGS programs. In addition we offer Study Abroad and have participated in the Education for Justice project at Danville Correctional Center. 

In addition to our focus on providing excellent undergraduate education in our courses, we also offer opportunities for students and others to participate in learning experiences outside the classroom. We regularly offer forums which draw overflow community attendance. "Does God Exist?" drew overflow crowds in Lumpkin Auditorium and "Why Can't Time Run Backwards?" presented by Nobel Laureate Anthony Leggett and hosted by both Physics and Philosophy students drew overflow crowds to Doudna. Philosophy Alumna Andrea Veltman presented the first lecture for the newly formed Humanities Center and her paper "On Meaningful Work" actually provided the theme for the series that year. Most recently Philosophy faculty member Jason Waller presented the Humanities Center Faculty Lecture on "The Cosmic Fine-Tuning Argument for the Existence of God."

Philosophy hosted the Illinois Philosophical Association conferences at EIU in 2005 and again in 2010 when it hosted jointly for the first time ever with the Indiana Philosophical Association. That Spring, we also hosted the Mill Memorial Conference in honor of the 150th anniversary of the first printing of J.S.Mill's On Liberty. That conference drew participants from as far away as Sydney, Australia and all but one paper commentator for that conference were philosophy majors.

What are the services provided? How do these services align with the university mission and program mission?

Philosophy at EIU strongly enhances the university's mission to offer superior education within a diverse, student-centered culture. Our program participates heavily in General Education and is represented in six interdisciplinary minor programs, including home to one -Religious Studies. We offer Departmental Honors, courses in University Honors program, Study Abroad, School of Continuing Education, courses both on and off campus, and online courses. We offer two scholarships for Philosophy majors, an Outstanding Senior award, Phi Sigma Tau, the international philosophy honor society, Philosophy Club, Symposium, the student philosophy publication, and other opportunities for students to pursue their own research interests such as Independent Studies. These services align with the university and program mission because they allow students the opportunity to voice their academic preferences and the flexibility to shape them.  For example, philosophy major Andy Masters is featured in International Education Magazine (Jan/Feb 2011) for his self-designed education abroad program in northern Thailand. Andy worked with the Honors College, Study Abroad and the Philosophy Department to create a "internship" that allowed him to pursue his education in a way that enhanced his particular interests. Philosophy does not traditionally have "internships," but we work to further educational goals in ways that may be as diverse as our student body. Another example, Cecily Randle-El a philosophy major with a strong interest in writing and publishing worked to create the first philosophy student publication, Symposium. These things have happened not because philosophy requested them; but because we provided an environment where students felt comfortable enough to ask for resources to pursue their individual interests and goals. Philosophy, and EIU, supported them. 

Describe the program’s origins (e.g. year established, purpose, expectations).

Philosophy courses were offered for the first time in 1961 when 8 upper-division courses were included in the catalog. Stuart Penn, the lone faculty member then, became the first "head" of the department in 1963. The Board of Governors and the IBHE approved the BA in Philosophy in 1967 and in 1968 the first Philosophy major was offered. There were then four faculty members (Stuart Penn, Robert Barford, Frank Taylor and Ha Poong Kim) and eighteen courses, including one graduate course. The purpose of the program was to provide courses that critically examine issues at the very foundations of human existence. Courses included philosophical inquiry in history, logic, ethics and aesthetics and examined topics such as the existence of God, the nature of reality, the value of beauty, and the nature of the Right and the Good. The expectation was that philosophy classes would contribute to the education of articulate, culturally literate students who could would use reason and critical thinking to understand the world around them. 

How has the unit changed or adapted over time?

What began as an offering of eight courses eventually turned into a minor (1963) and then a full-fledged major program (1968). In 1987 when the university began distribution requirements in General Education, Philosophy was among the options to satisfy those requirements. We continued as part of the Integrated Core and are still fully engaged in providing opportunities for students to broaden their learning experiences in General Education. In 1994 the department added Departmental Honors to the curriculum and in 2005 we expanded our program to include requirements in nonwestern or Eastern Philosophy. In addition to our participation in general education, Philosophy increased its collaboration both in and outside our own College through interdisciplinary minors, becoming part of the Pre-Law Minor in 1999, Medieval Studies Minor in 2004, Asian Studies Minor in 2006, Neuroscience Minor in 2009 and Criminology Minor in 2011. In response to contemporary needs and interests concerning one of the major forcers shaping human history, Philosophy created and offered the Religious Studies Minor in 2009. Additionally, we offered our first EIU Senior Seminar, The Meaning of Life in 2001 and were among the first departments to offer online courses with our PHI 1900G Introduction to Logical and Critical Reasoning offered in 2005. In 2004 Dr. Britton first offered our Good Life in Italy course in Study Abroad, one of the strongest enrolled Study Abroad courses offered. Our program has improved significantly over the years to maintain a rigorous, undergraduate, liberal arts degree that emphasizes both written and oral communication, critical thinking and problem solving, and literacy in the cultural foundations of both western and nonwestern philosophy. 

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the program’s history and relevance to university mission.

Provide data showing the four-year trend in the number of majors, minors, options, and concentrations.

Provide data showing the four-year trend in student credit hour (SCH) production, percent of SCHs that are general education, and percent of SCHs that are taught to non-majors.

What elements of the program’s curriculum are offered specifically to support other academic majors, minors, options, and concentrations?

Philosophy participates in several interdisciplinary minor programs. PHI 1900G Introduction to Logical and Critical Reasoning is required in the Pre-Law Studies Minor, PHI 3540 Philosophy of Mind is required in the Neuroscience Minor, PHI 3070 Philosophy of Law is required in the Criminology Minor and RLS 1200G Introduction to Religious Studies and PHI 3600 Philosophy of Religion are both required in the Religious Studies Minor. In addition, several of our courses are optional in several minor programs. PHI 3070 Philosophy of Law is an option in the required case-oriented approach in the Pre-Law Studies Minor and PHI 3720 Theory of Knowledge is an option in the minor, PHI 3780 Philosophy of Science and PHI 3900 Symbolic Logic are options in the Neuroscience Minor, and several Eastern Philosophy courses, PHI 2010 Eastern Philosophies, PHI 3310 Indian Philosophy, PHI 3320 Chinese Philosophy and PHI 3680 Buddhism are options in the Asian Studies Minor as are PHI 3110G Cultural Foundations II and PHI 4400 Independent Study. PHI 2000 Ancient Philosophy, PHI 3220 Medieval Philosophy, PHI 3980 Special Topics in Philosophy, PHI 4400 Independent Study and PHI 4480 Seminar, are options in the Medieval Studies Minor as are the Honors Seminar and Honors Independent Study.

Philosophy also participates in University Honors, Departmental Honors, and Study Abroad. We offer EIU 4167 The Meaning of Life Senior Seminar and both lower and upper-level online courses through the School of Continuing Education. 

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the internal demand for the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., curriculum changes made by another program) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

Internal demand for Philosophy is stronger than the numbers look. Consider that the numbers above do not take into account degrees conferred. For example, in FY 12 the numbers make it appear as though the number of majors simply dropped by six. However, considering that Philosophy conferred no less than 11 degrees in FY11, we actually added five majors FY 12. Our overall major numbers may be down, but, and again the numbers don't reflect this, we continue to add majors every year. (Consider that by 2010 we had increased our majors by almost 100% from 14 in 2006 to 27 in 2010.) Further, as we continue to successfully place graduates, demand will continue to grow. This past year our graduate placement rate was 100%, some in very prestigious programs. All graduates except one had funding of some sort and the one who didn't received full tuition waiver plus a stipend within her first year.

Philosophy became part of the Pre-Law Studies Minor in 1999, Medieval Studies Minor in 2004, Asian Studies Minor in 2006, Neuroscience Minor in 2009 and Criminology Minor in 2011. In addition, our own Religious Studies Minor program was approved in 2009 after we developed and offered our PHI 1200G (later changed to RLS 1200G) Introduction to Religious Studies. As stated above, some courses in Philosophy are required for other interdisciplinary minors and some courses are optional.

It should also be noted that Philosophy is represented heavily in General Education, with courses in Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences and Senior Seminar. We also have courses that satisfy the Cultural Diversity component of General Education.

List relevant data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) New Graduate Salary Survey, and the EIU Career Services Annual Report.

Critical thinking skills, problem-solving, organizational ability and effective oral and written communication are important for professional success and signal the hallmarks of transferable skills offered by a Philosophy degree. Thus it is a mistake to think that the special abilities of philosophers are not relevant unless "philosopher" is explicitly referred to in a job or postsecondary classification. That said, the following statistics are available for interpretation and include postsecondary teachers and lawyers, careers often pursued and occupied by philosophy majors. 

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Data for 2010-2020 predict a growth rate of 17% for post-secondary teachers, which is just above the national average of 14%. The 2010-11 Occupational Handbook notes that postsecondary teachers are expected to grow by 15% between 2008-2018, which is faster than the average for all occupations. They note that tenure-track competition will be tight, but PhDs will have the best job prospects. In 2008 there were 25,100 jobs held by Philosophy and Religion teachers. It is difficult to find data that separates Philosophy from Religion.

I include data concerning lawyers and the legal profession here because philosophy majors from EIU often transition successfully to law schools. Employment of lawyers is expected to grow 13% during the 2008-2018 decade, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Competition will be keen due to the increase in students studying law. Paralegals and legal assistant occupations will grow by 28%.

Occupational Projections and Training Data indicate above-average growth and above-average wage occupations for lawyers predating a 11% increase from 2006-2016 and a 22.9% increase in postsecondary teachers for this same period.

 EIU Career Services2012  Annual Report indicated 100% placement among those who responded in Philosophy.

NACE Salary Survey data indicated an average increase of just 2 percent to "Humanities and Social Science majors." They noted that in some humanities and social science majors increases could be as high as 3- to 4-percent.

Is the program accredited or approved by a recognized external agency or otherwise certified to meet established professional standards? Provide an executive summary of and link to the program’s most recent accreditation or certification report, if available.

No.

Is the program required to meet any regulatory or legal requirements? Is the program subject to any special auditing requirements?

No. No.

What are the most important outreach or public service activities supported by the program?

The most important public service activities supported by our program are our public Forums. We have offered forums on the existence of God, the morality of Abortion, the justification of Capital Punishment and others. Our speakers have included 2003 Nobel Laureate Anthony Leggett and others from both the university and outside. We deal with issues that are relevant, major forces shaping human history, and we often draw overflow crowds. In addition faculty participate in many panels across disciplines and engage with other departments and programs in ways that emphasize our commitment to shared and integrative learning. For example, Philosophy faculty participated in a celebration of Earth Day panel screening of the film "Chasing Ice" sponsored by Geology and Geography, and also the screening of the film "The Cove" presented in conjunction with the Tarble Arts exhibition, "Thriller: An Installation by Adam Parker Smith."

How do the local community and the region benefit from the program?

The local community and region benefit from our program in a variety of ways. Community service in the local area is a requirement of one of our ethics classes and can include anything from helping at a local school or animal shelter to raking leaves for a neighbor. Faculty participate in off-campus affiliations such as the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies or the Education for Justice Project, and both faculty and alumnae are recruited for community lectures and forums. For example, Dr. Andrea Veltman, a 1998 alumna who is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at James Madison University was the first speaker in the Humanities Lecture series and her paper on Meaningful Work provided the theme for that year (2010). The whole purpose of the Humanities Lecture series is to provide communication between academia and the community; to "foster creativity, engender tolerance, and spark further dialogue." Dr. Jason Waller was selected as the 2013 EIU Faculty Humanities Speaker and presented "The Existence of God: The Simple Argument That Changed the Mind of a Long-Time Atheist." Nobel Laureate Anthony Leggett was brought to EIU by students from Philosophy Club and the Society of Physics Students in 2010 and spoke to an overflow crowd in Doudna, "Why Can't Time Run Backwards?" These opportunities for the community exist because students and faculty are fully engaged with each other and across campus.

If needed, provide supplemental comments or data sources to help the reader understand the external demand for the program.

Philosophy (B.A.)

Significant Achievements that Document Quality/Improvement

Significant achievements that document support of VPAA and/or University goals

Integrative Learning Opportunities

Student Research/creative Activity

Faculty-student collaboration

Strategies to improve P-16 teaching and learning

External Partnerships

Pass rates on any professional/ occupational licensure exams

Faculty Achievements

Student Achievements

If needed, provide supplemental comments or data sources to help the reader understand the quality of program outcomes.

Philosophy majors typically score among the highest in our College in all areas of the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal. In 2013 the Total Composite Mean for Philosophy in the WG was 32.17, significantly above the next closest of 27.98. 

Note any special benefits (e.g., personnel support, equipment, permanent improvements) that the program has received in the past three years from its grants and other sponsored programs.

Philosophy Department does not have external grants or sponsored programs.

How does the program benefit from donor gifts (e.g., scholarships, endowed chairs)? Does donor support provide a significant percentage of the program’s overall funding?

Philosophy program benefits significantly from two scholarship recently created. The Athenaeum Philosophy Scholarship, created by current Philosophy faculty member Gary Aylesworth in 2006, was first awarded in Spring 2013. The Robert Barford Philosophy Scholarship was created by Judy Barford and family in 2012 to remember the contributions of former Professor and Chair Robert Barford. The Robert Barford Philosophy Scholarship will be first awarded Fall 2013. The Philosophy program and its students benefit greatly from this support. These scholarships acknowledge and encourage student achievement and support program growth and development. Perhaps even more importantly, they assist students financially and can be crucial in helping students meet the financial obligations of school.

Donor gifts do not provide a significant percentage of the program's overall funding. However, the importance of these gifts cannot be overstated. The Athenaeum and Robert Barford Scholarships are the first and only scholarships in the Philosophy program and they were created specifically for philosophy majors. Because Philosophy is not part of teacher certification our majors are ineligible for many awards and scholarships they would otherwise be very competitive for. These scholarships acknowledge their achievements and hard work; but also their place in the humanities.

Aside from scholarships, other donor gifts support our student-led on-campus programs, activities and events. These gifts help with activities that promote a sense of community among majors and collaboration with students in other disciplines. Our Philosophy Club is very active and meets every Tuesday evening. They often meet with other student groups such as The FreeThinkers and the Society of Physics Students to collaborate on activities and events. Also, our student publication, Symposium, is a collaborative effort and has included students from Art, English, Journalism, and Foreign Language. 

List two or three key relationships that the program maintains with external constituencies (e.g., community colleges, other universities, government bodies). How do these relationships advance the university mission or otherwise benefit the university?

Philosophy program does not have any formal relationships with external constituencies. 

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the resources generated by the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., revenue pass-throughs) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

Philosophy recently awarded the Atheneaum Philosophy Scholarship for the first time. This scholarship was established by Dr. Gary Aylesworth a current faculty member in the department. The Robert Barford Philosophy Scholarship will be awarded for the first time Fall 2013. This scholarship was created by Dr. Judy Barford and family to honor the contributions of Robert Barford, former faculty member and chair of Philosophy. 

These two scholarship provide significant resources for Philosophy to acknowledge the achievements of its students.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the productivity of the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., accreditation requirements, curricular changes, program restructuring) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

Please note that in terms of the numbers for philosophy majors, SCH production has fallen only 3 hours from the numbers in 2010. Moreover, since most of Philosophy's SCH production is tied to General Education, lower overall student enrollments would inevitably affect the Philosophy overall SCH production. 

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the costs associated with the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., expenditures made centrally or externally, expenditures made on behalf of other units) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

How does the program seek to distinguish itself from similar programs at other institutions?

Philosophy has a distinctive sense of community that permeates our program. Our physical space welcomes students, offers refreshments and opportunities to engage with faculty at almost every hour of the day. Faculty are not stuffed away in their offices, they are in the main office, chatting, snacking, sharing a coffee and a good argument with students. Our main office is a community space; it gets used. Our extracurricular activities are regular and welcoming. Our Monday lunches engage students and faculty in questions about research, careers, and personal narratives; questions students wouldn't ask in a classroom. Our curriculum is flexible, such as when we worked with both Study Abroad and the Honors College to construct an internship so one of our majors could travel to Thailand on a self-designed education abroad experience. Our undergraduate research is active and stimulating, such as our conference celebration of the 150th anniversary of J.S. Mill's On Liberty that engaged almost every major in writing a response to papers by philosophers who came from as far away as Sydney, Australia, or our new student publication, Symposium, created and produced entirely by students. Our much improved contact with alumni reflects the professional interest that teachers have in the personal lives of their students. The result is something like a recent alum asking how a former teacher's seminar went, or another telling us about his new business enterprise creating a web resource of philosophy arguments called Aletheia (Greek for Truth). 

This kind of relationship with students isn't created and developed by lecturing or exchanging information. It comes as a result of consistent and active engagement. Faculty in Philosophy provide learning opportunities both inside and outside the classroom, in both formal and informal environments. This models the value of lifelong learning that is the vision of higher ed.

Note any unique and/or essential contributions that the program makes to the university.

Frederick Schleiermacher said, "The teaching of philosophy is generally recognized to be the basis of all university activity." Philosophy students - from Socrates to those in our classes - are immersed in thinking about the fundamental problems of human existence; issues concerning war, medicine, business, even love and family. Questions are raised and students are asked to think deeply, creatively and an in new and different ways about things that are part of their everyday lives. Education and cultural literacy are not simply about the job prospects; but Philosophy does not shy away from those difficult questions either.

What are you going to do with a Philosophy degree? EIU Philosophy LOVES that question. This past year we placed 100% of our graduates. Four students went into law programs; one to the prestigious Minnesota Law School ranked 19th in the country. All of them went with funding of some kind. One student went to UIUC Graduate School in Library and Information Science Program. She didn't have immediate funding, but before her first year ended she had an ALA Spectrum Scholarship which paid her tuition and offered her a stipend as well. Our last graduate went on to graduate school in Religious Studies at University of Missouri, Columbia. He left EIU with a assistantship which paid his tuition and offered a stipend as well. 

So Philosophy majors are prepared for a variety of ways to transition from EIU. Many departments are talking about "transferrable skills." Philosophy has to be among the leaders in this area as the tools of our trade include critical thinking, logic, conceptual analysis and analytical writing. These skills have practical application to a wide range careers such as law, medicine, and business, (we have placed graduates in all areas) but they also provide excellent preparation for graduate work in any area.   

Provide any program-specific metrics that help to document program contributions or program quality. Examples of some commonly used program-specific metrics may be found here.

• 7/8 faculty have PhDs
• 100% placement of graduates in 2012-2013
• 2 new Scholarships: Athenaeum Philosophy Scholarship and Robert Barford Philosophy Scholarship
• Philosophy was awarded the first Integrative Learning Award (2011)
• Philosophy produced its first student publication: Symposium (2011)
  
• 4 Redden Fund Awards in the last 2 years
• 6 interdisciplinary minors - program participation
• 4 Achievement and Contribution Awards (2 in 2012 and 2 in 2013)
• 15- year high of 11 degrees awarded in 2011
• 1/2 classrooms recently remodeled as "Smart Room"
• 2 new gen ed courses available in online delivery 

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the program impact on the university mission.

Provide a link to or listing of the program’s goals and/or strategic plan.

Philosophy Department Goals:

• Continue to provide a rigorous, quality, undergraduate philosophy program
• Increase enrollments in the Philosophy major, minor and Religious Studies minor and in our General Education offerings
• Enhance alumni contact
• Increase visibility of the program and student/faculty achievements  
• increase student participation in Departmental Honors
• Increase student participation in Study Abroad
• Increase interdisciplinary participation and collaboration
• Maintain high graduate placement rates
• Continue to attract diverse, highly motivated students
• improve physical opportunities (such as obtaining a seminar room for Philosophy)

What role will the program have in the implementation of the university’s strategic plan (provide link to strategic plan)?

www.eiu.edu/strategicsummary

Philosophy has an important role to play in supporting the university's strategic plan.

Academic Excellence: Philosophy provides a rigorous, quality undergraduate program that emphasizes critical thinking and effective writing and communication. Our students consistently perform very well on the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal, and place well in post-graduate schools such as law school and graduate programs in Philosophy and Religious Studies. Our department was the first to be recognized for Integrative Learning and we continue to collaborate both within and outside our College. Further, our program has arguably the best sense of community on campus. 

Global Competition and Changing Demographics:

Philosophy department is committed to providing a diverse and student-centered campus learning environment. Dr. Young Sook Lee teaches in the Asian Studies Minor and participates in activities to provide opportunities for students and others to learn about Eastern culture. Philosophy program offers courses in Buddhism, Chinese and Indian philosophy and requires an Eastern Philosophy component as part of the major. We are also home to the Religious Studies Minor which examines diverse religious beliefs, participate in Study Abroad and examine issues of cultural relativism in our ethics classes. Philosophy often contributes to speakers brought in by Women's Studies and other programs.

Emerging Technologies:

Philosophy continues to explore the best use of technology, this year adding two new online courses and turning one of our two classrooms into a "smart room."

Campus and Community Life: 

Philosophy is committed to enhancing the relationship between campus and the community. Jason Waller was selected as the Faculty Speaker for the Humanities Center, and Philosophy has hosted several Forums that have drawn overflow community participation.

Financial Sustainability: 

Philosophy has two new scholarships to attract and retain quality students.

Marketing and Communication:

Philosophy student publication Symposium is sent to all donors. 

What are the program’s two or three most promising opportunities that could help advance the university’s academic mission? Provide an estimate of additional investments or other costs required and additional student credit hours, revenue, or other resources generated.

One of our most promising opportunities concerns contact with alumni and donors. Recently, Philosophy awarded its first ever scholarship, the Athenaeum Philosophy Scholarship, established by Gary Aylesworth a current professor in the Philosophy Department. This Fall we also plan to award, for the first time, our second scholarship, the Robert Barford Philosophy Scholarship, created by the family of Robert Barford to honor the memory of Bob, who was a member and former chair of the department. These are the only scholarships Philosophy has and they have been established very recently. Philosophy Department has never had an alumni event. Our budget is very small and we don't have the gift account that many other departments enjoy. However, hosting such an event would be productive, in the long run. It would strengthen relationships and provide a bridge and connection to our alums that would begin a new kind of relationship; one the Philosophy to date has not really pursued. Social media available today is also helpful in making and keeping these connections. Though more needs to be done, Philosophy is better than ever at maintaing and nourishing our relationships with alumni.

On of the best ways to nourish our relationships with alumni and donors is through our events and activities. Dr. Grant Sterling was recently elected President of the Illinois Philosophical Association (again!) Once again EIU will have the opportunity, as we did in 2005 and 2010 to bring the Illinois Philosophical Association meetings to our own campus. In 2010, we collaborated and held the meeting in conjunction with the Indiana Philosophical Association, inviting them to our campus. This is an opportunities to increase the visibility of our program and highlight the scholarly achievement of both our faculty and students. 

Another opportunity that integrates nicely with the one above concerns an external review. Philosophy is currently in the process of a self-study in order to prepare for an external review. We have never had an external review and one would be useful in helping us see the program and its students through a different lens. Items on the table include curriculum, including general education, support for teaching and research, student advising and equipment. 

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand future opportunities for the program.