I

I have three basic pedagogical objectives: (1) to give my students a sense of the rich but unfinished business of philosophical questioning, (2) to encourage them to develop their perceptual faculties, with regard to their own motives, the actions of others, and the structures of situations in which these motives and actions are played out, and (3) to show them the power inherent in the ability to read and critically evaluate both written and verbal texts. As I see it, and within the setting of most of my courses, these three aims are fundamentally interrelated. In brief, to understand one's own tendencies and those of others it is vitally important that one develop one's ability to question. What better way to do this than to see both the successes and the limitations of those who have distinguished themselves as questioners, both past and present? Finally, only if one can read with depth and sensitivity what others have written and said, can one really claim to have a decent sense of what is happening in that setting. Only in this way is it possible to perceive the ethical, political, or irrational edge inherent in an event.

Below you will find a short account highlighting some of my efforts in teaching.

I. Teaching/Learning Goals and Practices

A. Curriculum Development

1. New Courses

a) In 1993, I led the way in developing an ongoing philosophy course known as "The Philosophy Seminar." The structure of the course stress careful reading and open discussion. Although only one of the three resident philosophy faculty count the course as part of his load, we are all committed to full attendance and participation in the seminar. Offered every spring semester since its inception, the course has been so valuable and successful that we have made it a formal requirement for completion of the Philosophy major. This past spring (2002), the tenth year of the seminar, deals with the writings of Aristotle. This Spring (2003) we are tackling Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit. I was responsible for developing the syllabus for this course.

B. Pedagogical Improvement and Innovation

In addition to the efforts mentioned in the previous section, I spent the entirety of 2002 implementing a new research paper project requirement for my upper-level courses. This requirement is a response to my concerns over the failure of the R200 requirement and the need to ensure that all philosophy majors have adequate training in the development and production of research papers. Students are expected to complete a semeter-long research agenda, beginning with a prospectus and culminating in a formal presentation and 15 page research paper. This project was used in four courses in 2002: Phenomenology and Existentialism (P335) and Modern Philosophy (P314) courses in the Spring; Nineteenth Century Philosophy (P304) and Problems in Ethics (P342) in the Fall. Considerable modification of the project took place in the summer.

II. Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness

1. Peer Response

I team-teach in at least one course every year. These experiences have been invaluable in learning more about what constitutes a good teaching professor. Through them I have gained greater insights into my strengths and weaknesses in the classroom. Further, the very positive nature of theses experiences, for both students and faculty are an indication of my teaching abilities. Comments from these colleagues confirm my sense of the success of my pedagogical style and strategies.

2. Written and Web-based Evaluations

My own experience with both standardized and written teaching evaluations, and related discussions with colleagues, has convinced me that they serve to ensure that students feel they have power to respond, and give me a sense of how student's perceive what is going on in a given course. Over a period of several years I have developed and refined a written evaluation form of my own for such a purpose. I believe it also gives students an additional opportunity to reflect upon our collective course work. Also, SETs as usually administered have the disadvantage of providing the instructor with data only after the semester is finished. A better procedure would allow for "midcourse correction" during the semester. Therefore, I have developed a second evaluation form to be handed out halfway through the semester.

I am currently developing a new web-based student feedback system which will take advantage of the Oncourse system.

III. Serving as a Catalyst for Enhancement of Teaching

A. Most of my work as the Program Coordinator of Philosophy deals quite directly with enhancement of teaching by my colleagues and myself. Below I offer a brief account of the relevant initiatives I have take in this role

1. Program Initiatives

Philosophy began its first ever program review in the Fall of 1995. As chair of this review, I have accepted responsibility for implementation of various initiatives arising from the review. During 2002 I worked on the following initiatives:

IV. Interaction With and Availability to Students

Since my arrival at IUS, I have constantly tried to develop new ways of encouraging and enhancing student involvement, both in and outside the classroom. I have listed a few examples of this fundamental commitment to working closely and consistently with my students:

1. I spend a great deal of time reading drafts of student papers and offering them detailed comments on what they can do to strengthen their written projects. (It is my policy to encourage students in all courses to submit at least one draft for each paper assignment.) I also produce topics specifically designed for some of my more advanced students. The advent of my new research project requirement represents a redoubling of my efforts in this regard.

2. I wrote several letters of recommendation for students applying for graduate study, internships, and scholarships.

V. Teaching Awards, Honors, and Grants

1. I was awarded the status of Full Member of the IU Graduate Faculty.