Course Descriptions

PEVM 399 - Seminar

PEVM 496 - Individual Study

PEVM 497 - Honors

PEVM 498 - Special Topics

PEVM 499 - Seminar

PEVW 110 - Basketball

PEVW 111 - Cross Country

PEVW 116 - Track and Field

PEVW 117 - Volleyball

PEVW 118 - Soccer

PEVW 119 - Softball

PEVW 120 - Cheerleading

PEVW 121 - Rugby

• Demonstrate mastery of the basic rugby skills necessary to successfully participate in practice and matches at the varsity level
• Describe the basic rules and strategies needed to effectively participate in rugby matches at the varsity level
• Demonstrate appropriate sportsmanship/character behaviors during practices and games

PEVW 298 - Special Topics

PEVW 299 - Seminar

PEVW 396 - Individual Study

PEVW 397 - Honors

PEVW 398 - Special Topics

PEVW 399 - Seminar

PEVW 496 - Individual Study

PEVW 497 - Honors

PEVW 498 - Special Topics

PEVW 499 - Seminar

PFP 298 - Special Topics

PFP 299 - Seminar

PFP 310 - Introduction to the Financial Planning Profession

• Explain the Fitness Standards for Professional Financial Planner Candidates and Registrants
• Explain the Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility for CFP Professionals
• Describe the Prqactice Standards employed during the financial planning process
• Discuss the fiduciary standard and its importance to financial planning
• Diagram the personal financia planning process
• Prepare statements of financial positions and cash flows
• Evaluate financial statements using ratios and growth rates.
• Analyze cash inflows and outflows related to a current financial needs and long-term financial goals

PFP 386 - Information Technologies for Financial Planning

• Describe the types of information and decision support systems used in the personal financial planning profession.
• Explain the purpose of each of the major software categories to support financial planning activities.
• Manage a hypothetical individual investment portfolio.
• Analyze alternative investments that may be used to recommend to a prospective customer base on their assets and needs.
• Propose how an individual’s current assets may be invested to achieve stated retirement goals.
• Demonstrate how an industry-specific customer relationship management system can be used to pursue stated performance goals.

PFP 396 - Individual Study

PFP 397 - Honors

PFP 398 - Special Topics

PFP 399 - Seminar

PFP 440 - Estate Planning

• Compare and contrast the most common types of tilting property
• Describe the probate process, its advantages, disadvantages, and costs.
• Explain the alternative methods of transferring property at death
• Propose the most appropriate property transfer mechanism for a client’s situation
• Diagram the components and relationships among estate planning documents used to facilitate the transfer of one’s assets.
• Describe the roles of the parties used in estate planning including executor, trustee, power of attorney, beneficiary(ies), heirs, and guardians
• Select the appropriate estate planning tools to meet a specific case client’s coals and objectives
• Prepare a cash flow plan for maintaining a client’s estate from date of death to final distribution including payment of tax liabilities.
• Compare the application of the different types of trusts including revocable, irrevocable, living, and testamentary trusts
• Compare and contrast the components of charitable and non-charitable trusts
• Diagnose the income tax consequences of a cast trust including deductions, exemptions, credits, tax rates, and penalties for non-compliance
• Evaluate the income tax implications of trust income and distributions to beneficiaries
• Distinguish the relationship between the marital deduction and the qualified interest trust
• Choose the appropriate business transfer techniques based on specific scenarios
• Compare the forms of postmortem financial planning.
• Assess the impact of divorce and/or remarriage on an estate plan.

PFP 450 - Insurance and Risk Management

• Explain the risk management process
• Compare and contrast the primary risk management techniques available to clients
• Explain how insurers use risk pooling to pay for losses incurred by policyholders
• Distinguish among the factors that affect policyholder premiums
• Differentiate between group and individual health insurance alternatives, including fee for service and managed care plans.
• Describe alternatives for acquiring health coverage including COBRA and Medicaid
• Distinguish between short-term and long-term disability plans.
• Formulate a plan for meeting individual disability income needs
• Compute the tax implications of paying for and receiving disability benefits
• Propose a long-term care insurance plan based on needs, financial resources, policy coverage, and cost
• Compare and contrast annuities (fixed and variable) with other investment alternatives.
• Assess the most appropriate life insurance coverage to match a client’s circumstances
• Estimate a client’s insurance needs using alternative approaches
• Prepare an insurance needs analysis for a case client
• Recommend appropriate insurance products, given a case client’s circumstances
• Diagram the components of property and casualty insurance
• Differentiate among the basic homeowners insurance (HO) forms and features
• Evaluate the components of automobile insurance for potential property damage or liability exposures.

PFP 460 - Retirement Planning

• Describe common assumptions used in analyzing retirement
• Design a savings plan to maximize the probability of achieving a case client’s goals and mitigating longevity risk
• Calculate the retirement funding and income distribution plans under varied scenarios
• Explain work-to-retirement transitions and phased retirement
• Describe the purpose and practices surrounding the Social Security System
• Calculate the optimal date to begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits and the impact of the earnings test for a case client
• Describe the Medicare program, including the payroll taxes and eligibility structure
• Distinguish between the four parts of Medicare coverage related to benefits, out-of-pocket costs and alternative insurance options to cover the gaps in coverage.
• Propose the proper Medicare coverage and any supplemental coverage based on client circumstances
• Distinguish between qualified, government, non-qualified, and private tax-advantaged retirement plans
• Compare the various types of defined benefit, defined contribution and individual retirement accounts
• Differentiate between the various types of Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)
• Propose an appropriate IRA for a client’s needs.
• Identify the factors that will affect the selection of a retirement plan for a business
• Choose a qualified or non-qualified retirement plan given a business owner’s goals and objectives.
• Discuss the rules and penalties regarding retirement plan distributions
• Evaluate investments for both funding and retirement distribution purposes, considering the time horizon and risk tolerance of plan owners and beneficiaries.
• Prepare an investment portfolio that minimizes retirement income risk
• Describe how life insurance products may affect retirement plan decisions
• Outline the factors a business owner should consider when creating a succession plan.

PFP 475 - Financial Planning Investments

• Describe and compare the investment characteristics of asset classes
• Explain the appropriate use for each asset class and investment vehicle based investment goals.
• Describe tax implications of holding and disposing of various security types or asset classes
• Identify, measure, and differentiate between types of investments risks.
• Explain the impact of low-probability economic events on portfolio design.
• Estimate the expected risk and return using the Capital Asset Pricing Model for securities and portfolios
• Calculate modern portfolio theory statistics in the assessment of securities and portfolios.
• Explain the use of return distributions in portfolio structuring
• Apply advanced analytic techniques to portfolio analysis.
• Identify, measure, and interpret various approaches to determining investment returns.
• Calculate and interpret risk-adjusted performance measures
• Construct a portfolio associated with a specific investment goal.
• Explain the role of portfolio rebalancing.
• Recommend an asset allocation strategy consistent with a specified risk tolerance
• Value a bond using discounted cash flow and explain how interest rates affect bond values.
• Estimate the value of a stock using discounted cash flow, the CAPM, and price multiples.
• Differentiate between fundamental and technical analysis.
• Develop alternative strategies to meet investment objectives, time horizons, and risk tolerances.
• Select an appropriate benchmark for assessing the value of portfolio management services.
• Develop an appropriate Investment Policy Statement (IPS) for a client.
• Apply duration and convexity in constructing a fixed income portfolio.
• Construct a tax-efficient diversified portfolio based on a stated goal, risk preference and time horizon.
• Calculate and communicate a client’s portfolio performance using different risk and return measures
• Explain the role of alternative investment strategies such as buy-and-hold, immunization, core and satellite, passive (indexed) and active management techniques such as tactical allocation, market timing, and sector rotation
• Evaluate how options and futures support investment risk management purposes.
• Define and describe what qualifies as an alternative investment.
• Explain asset class and describe the basic differences between the traditional asset classes and alternative asset classes
• Explain the primary rationale and uses for alternative asset classes
• Explain the potential advantages and disadvantages of utilizing alternative investment strategies
• Explain how the incorporation of alternatives asset classes can affect both absolute and risk-adjusted portfolio returns

PFP 480 - Financial Planning Capstone

• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the content found within the Financial Planning curriculum and effectively apply and integrate this information in the formulation of a financial plan
• Effectively communicate the financial plan, both orally and in writing, including information based on research, peer, colleague or simulated client interaction and/or results emanating from synthesis of material
• Collect all necessary and relevant qualitative and quantitative information required to develop a financial plan
• Analyze personal financial situations, evaluating clients’ objectives, needs, and values to develop an appropriate strategy within the financial plan
• Demonstrate logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to a specific problem
• Evaluate the impact of economic, political, and regulatory issues with regard to the financial plan
• Apply the CFP Board Financial Planning Practice Standards to the financial planning process

PFP 490 - Personal Financial Planning Internship

• Apply learning in professional workplace environment
• Demonstrate professional behavior in the workplace
• Substantive discipline-based outcomes developed by individual students in consult with faculty advisor

PFP 493 - Personal Financial Planning Boot Camp

• Prepare a research brief on each organization participating in the boot camp.
• Exhibit professional behavior and appropriate business skills in industry setting.
• Establish a professional network within the industry professionals.
• llustrate an awareness of the organization(s) participating in the boot camp.

PFP 496 - Individual Study

PFP 497 - Honors

PFP 498 - Special Topics

PFP 499 - Seminar

PHIL 101 - Philosophical Inquiry

• Examine the basic methods of the philosophical tradition: critical thinking and argumentative writing
• Analyze diverse perspectives on key issues in philosophy, such as morality, free will and responsibility, knowledge, and justice
• Evaluate the strength of the arguments that support those perspectives
• Examine their own conceptual and normative presuppositions
• Defend their own reasoned positions on these issues, in argumentative writing and in class discussion

PHIL 102 - Knowledge, Mind and Reality

• Show awareness of assumptions about fundamental topics such as free will, or personal identity, or the relation between mind and brain; and of how those assumptions shape one’s perspective, via one’s language, perceptions, and values.
• Demonstrate an understanding of, and an ability to express, some representative theories on these fundamental topics.
• Show awareness of how different beliefs or theories about these fundamental topics can influence one’s perspective on and behavior in the world, concerning both oneself and other people.
• Identify the philosophical questions that authors address, and demonstrate an understanding of how the authors answer those questions. Identify how those answers relate to one’s own views, or can help to clarify those views.
• Explain and justify one’s own position on these fundamental topics.

PHIL 103 - What Is Enlightenment?

• Examine diverse definitions of the concept of enlightenment from multiple global traditions
• Examine what the concept of social justice is, especially around issues of gender and race
• Analyze why social justice and other forms of enlightenment are difficult to achieve
• Evaluate the arguments for these positions
• Examine how these diverse perspectives challenge their own conceptual and normative presuppositions on these issues
• Identify and justify their own positions on these issues, in class discussion and in argumentative writing

PHIL 104 - Moral Controversies

• Identify the philosophical questions addressed in class and describe how major positions on these questions have changed over time while paying specific attention to issues of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and class.

• Identify how a liberal political system introduces specific moral problems that confront Western-style democracies and their citizens.

• Distinguish major positions on pressing moral issues and describe arguments offered for or against these positions.

• Explain the arguments presented in course readings, compare those arguments to one’s own lived experience.

• Evaluate arguments and identify the strengths and weaknesses of those arguments.

• Use philosophical ethics to interrogate, analyze, and evaluate one’s own positions on major ethical issues.

PHIL 105 - The Meaning of Life

• Recognize and evaluate arguments regarding the meaning of life in a variety of philosophical approaches, from Eastern and Western philosophical traditions, including hedonism, pessimism, thesis, scientific humanism, and existentialism.
• Compare the authors’ philosophical assumptions to your own in order to identify shared and differing personal and cultural assumptions regarding the meaning of life.
• Identify how having a sense of purpose affects personal psychological and physical well-being, and how one’s psychological and physical well-being affects our sense of purpose.
• Identify social policies that impact our personal sense of purpose and develop concrete policy proposals to improve societal well-being.

PHIL 106 - Asian Philosophy

• Articulate an understanding of the development of the major philosophic traditions of Asia within their contexts of origin.
• Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the primary tenets and symbolic systems of Asian philosophy as they relate to the health & well-being of yourself and the planet.
• Explain how sustainability relates to our lives and values from an Asian perspective.
• Explain how our actions impact issues of sustainability at individual, community, organizational and societal levels.
• Demonstrate a recognition of the relationship between personal, social, professional, and economic well-being.
• Appraise key factors and strategies that propagate an individual’s personal, social, and professional future well-being.

PHIL 107 - Political Philosophy and Social Democracy

• Describe various philosophical theories of citizenship and the state. 
• Describe the historical events and cultural movements that influenced the development of contemporary western political thought.
• Identify the ethical and metaphysical assumptions that underlie various philosophical theories of citizenship and the state.
• Identify the influence of discussed philosophical systems on contemporary systems of government.
• Apply theories of citizenship and the state to contemporary political issues and evaluate contemporary systems of government in light of discussed theories of citizenship in the state.
• Create and describe a personal theory of the requirements of citizenship rooted in some of the discussed theories.

PHIL 110 - Beyond Belief? Exploring the Fringe and the Paranormal

• Analyze reports of paranormal and fringe phenomena from an objective, scientific perspective; and in particular, use inference to the best explanation to evaluate such reports.
• Identify and evaluate the evidence that a phenomenon did (or did not) occur, rather than demanding proof that it did (or did not) occur; and explain why demanding proof is obstructive and unnecessary.
• Read texts about paranormal and fringe phenomena critically and rhetorically, and summarize them objectively, accurately, and ethically.
• Recognize when various cognitive biases and errors might be influencing someone’s (including your own) thinking about a reported paranormal or fringe phenomenon.
• Express ideas in clear and coherent academic prose, and cite and document sources precisely and effectively.

PHIL 150 - Critical Thinking

• Accurately summarize an argument contained in a prose passage, identifying its thesis, premises, and assumptions.
• State the distinction between the truth of an argument’s premises and the validity and strength of its reasoning; and display awareness of this distinction in one’s writing.
• Identify whether a given argument is deductive or inductive, and accordingly evaluate it for either validity or soundness or for strength and cogency; and recognize whether it commits any common argumentative fallacies.
• Identify the logical form (propositional or categorical) of English statements and arguments; be able to exhibit that form by symbolization; and be able to use that form to determine the validity of arguments.
• Display, in one’s writing, an awareness of one’s assumptions, and a willingness to question them; and hence be able to engage seriously and respectfully with others who disagree with those assumptions.
• Take a reasoned position on a complex question while acknowledging that one’s position might be incorrect - but still avoid collapse into a default relativism on which “it’s all a matter of opinion”.

PHIL 151 - Arguments about Life and Death

• Accurately analyze arguments contained in prose passages concerning life and death, identifying their premises and conclusions
• Distinguish between the truth of an argument’s premises and the validity or strength of its reasoning, and evaluate that strength or validity
• Craft a strong argument for a position on a complex question concerning life and death
• Identify and synthesize high-quality sources and use them effectively in support of an argument, and cite and document sources according to MLA guidelines
• Craft prose that conforms to academic expectations regarding rhetorical effectiveness: clarity, coherence, unity, style, and meaning
• Identify core concepts and positions in debates around life and death, including: whether death is to be feared, how to define death, and whether assisted suicide is morally or constitutionally justified.

PHIL 152 - Arguments about Healthcare

• Accurately analyze arguments contained in prose writing on healthcare issues, especially regarding the supposed right to healthcare, identifying their premises and conclusions.
• Distinguish between the truth of an argument’s premises and the validity or strength of its reasoning, and evaluate that strength or validity.
• Craft a strong argument (one which is adequately supported by evidence) for a position regarding the government’s provision of healthcare for its citizens.
• Identify and synthesize high-quality sources and use them effectively in support of an argument, and cite and document those sources using MLA guidelines.
• Craft prose that conforms to academic expectations regarding rhetorical effectiveness: clarity, coherence, unity, style, and meaning.
• Appraise arguments for and against single-payer healthcare system, the Affordable Care Act, and a libertarian approach.
• Identify the major contributors to health outcomes, including the social and psychological determinants of health.

PHIL 153 - Arguments about Social Issues

• Accurately analyze arguments contained in prose writing on social issues, identifying their premises and conclusions.
• Distinguish between the truth of an argument’s premises and the validity or strength of its reasoning, and evaluate that strength or validity.
• Craft a strong argument (one which is adequately supported by evidence) for a position on a complex question concerning a social issue.
• Identify and synthesize high-quality sources and use them effectively in support of an argument, and cite and document those sources using MLA guidelines.
• Craft prose that conforms to academic expectations regarding clarity, coherence, unity, style, and meaning.
• Apply research and theory to the problems posed by social issues such as (but not limited to) freedom of speech, environmental preservation, identity politics, and firearm laws.

PHIL 201 - Introduction to Logic

PHIL 298 - Special Topics

PHIL 299 - Seminar

PHIL 302 - Ethical Theory

• Explain and analyses the content of three major ethical theories: Kantianism, Utilitarianism, and Virtue Ethics.
• Identify the foundational assumptions that each of these theories rests upon.
• Apply the major ethical theories to issues in contemporary society.
• Articulate criticisms of the major ethical theories.
• Identify and explain contemporary movements in ethical theory (for example feminist ethics, contractualism, value theory, error theory, emotivism, etc.).
• Explain how contemporary movements in ethical theory are a response to criticisms of both the content and assumptions of the major ethical theories.

PHIL 304 - Business Ethics

PHIL 305 - Philosophy of Religion

• Examine and critically evaluate major issues in religious philosophy (such as epistemology, nature of evil, interreligious dialogue, proofs of the divine, etc)
• Critically assess philosophical positions taken by representative thinkers and traditions for their implications, plausibility and applicability to contemporary discussions on the philosophy of religion.
• Research, formulate and defend an interpretation and critique of various philosophical perspectives on religion.
• Develop analytical, reading and writing skills.

PHIL 306 - Environmental Ethics

• Identify basic philosophical positions on the human relationship with the natural environment.
• Identify philosophical positions in relation to different cultural tradtions.
• Critically evaluate various positions on the human relationship with the natural environment.
• Develop students’ own view on issues in environmental ethics.

PHIL 307 - Introduction to Formal Logic

• Symbolize English statements into formal logic, using the propositional and predicate calculus.
• Classify and compare statements, and determine validity of arguments, by using the truth table method – for both the propositional and predicate calculus.
• Use the method of natural deduction to derive the conclusions of valid arguments, in both the propositional and predicate calculus.

PHIL 308 - Medical Ethics

• Identify and explore connections between the theoretical principles and practical implications involved in a number of issues in medical ethics
• Identify how ethics, law, and social policy are related to one another
• Demonstrate strong critical thinking skills and evaluate their own and others’ moral positions
• Discuss ethical issues openly, respectfully, and knowledgeably with those from different backgrounds and perspectives.
• Demonstrate the ability to investigate problems new to themselves, draw conclusions, and evaluate source materials utilized in these investigations

PHIL 309 - Ethics through Film (Put on reserve 9/16/17)

• Identify ethical themes in contemporary films from around the world and across a spectrum of diverse viewpoints, including those of different economic classes, gender, and ethnic / minority groups.
• Apply literary criticism and theory to analyses of ethical dilemmas and contemporary ethical issues in film.
• Critically watch films and evaluate how their form and content work together to produce / construct meaning.
• Develop analytical reading and writing skills.
• Assess, discuss, and write critically about film from a philosophical perspective.
• Identify and discriminate between a variety of ethical theories (such as utilitarianism, ethical egoism, deontology, relativism, feminism, etc.) as they appear in film.

PHIL 314 - American Wilderness Philosophy

• Identify various themes and focuses in wilderness thinking (conservation, preservation, re-wilding, etc).
• Identify contemporary environmental issues to which wilderness philosophy is particularly relevant.
• Apply themes from wilderness philosophy and writings to contemporary environmental issues.
• Evaluate the ability of wilderness philosophy to contribute to contemporary environmental issues.
• Distinguish wilderness philosophy from broader environmental movements.

PHIL 317 - Philosophy of Technology

• Identify philosophical problems related to existing and emerging technologies.
• Explain major positions in the philosophy of technology.
• Apply arguments in the philosophy of technology to contemporary technology usage.
• Discuss how changes in technology impact and alter human experience.
• Evaluate one’s own technology usage and the usage of others from a philosophical perspective.

PHIL 324 - Philosophy and Science Fiction

• Examine and critically analyze issues in contemporary philosophy that are raised in science fiction works (books, short stories, films, television).
• Recognize and describe the treatment of these philosophical issues as they appear in science-fiction works.
• Critically assess a philosophical position for its implications and its plausibility.
• Formulate and defend a position of one’s own on these issues, with reference to the relevant positions described in the philosophical literature and the ideas displayed in science fiction works.
• Display knowledge of the core concepts and methods of philosophy, and the ability to deploy those concepts and methods in reasoning.

PHIL 325 - Women and Philosophy

• Examine the dominant conceptions of gender in the history of philosophy
• Identify how these conceptions play out in contemporary gender articulations
• Examine contemporary feminist theory’s challenges to these ideas, and the range of perspectives used in those challenges
• Critically evaluate these theoretical assumptions, identifying both their strengths and limitations

PHIL 345 - Chinese Philosophy

• Identify the major schools of the Chinese philosophical tradition.
• Explain the differences and commonalities of the various philosophical traditions of China.
• Verbally and expositorally articulate an understanding of the philosophical traditions of China and their influences on the wider social milieu.
• Develop analytical, reading and writing skills.
• Recognize and describe the full tradition of Chinese philosophy.
• Recognize and identify the difficulties in defining Chinese philosophy and separating it from religious ideas and practices.

PHIL 347 - Philosophy of Law

• Demonstrate an understanding of the major theories regarding the philosophical basis of law, including natural law theory, legal positivism, and legal realism.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of law and its connection to morality.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the major theoretical justifications for state-sponsored punishment, including retributivism and deterrence theories.
• Identify the theoretical issues involved in specific debates surrounding personal privacy and government authority.

PHIL 348 - Social and Political Philosophy

• Demonstrate knowledge of primary texts in social and political philosophy.
• Recognize the key components of political theories and their connection to moral and political principles.
• Evaluate political theories by appealing to moral theories, theories of human nature, and/ or historical events.
• Compare and contrast political theories by considering both the principles supporting various theories and the content of those theories.
• Diagnose problems in various political theories by appealing to the principles which support that theory.

PHIL 352 - Greek and Roman Philosophy

• Read primary texts from the time period, and explain the author’s arguments and conclusions.
• Compare the work of two authors and observe their points of agreement and disagreement.
• Construct a reasoned criticism of an author’s argument.
• Write a coherent and cohesive paper in which they engage respectfully but critically with the work of a primary author of the period.
• Read primary texts from the time period, and explain the author’s arguments and conclusions.
• Compare the work of two authors and observe their points of agreement and disagreement.

PHIL 353 - Early Modern Philosophy

• Read primary texts from the time period, and explain the author’s arguments and conclusions.
• Compare the work of two authors and observe their points of agreement and disagreement.
• Construct a reasoned criticism of an author’s argument.
• Write a coherent and cohesive paper in which they engage respectfully but critically with the work of a primary author of the period.
• Read primary texts from the time period, and explain the author’s arguments and conclusions.
• Compare the work of two authors and observe their points of agreement and disagreement.

PHIL 354 - Kant and Nineteenth-Century Philosophy

• Read primary texts from the time period, and explain the author’s arguments and conclusions.
• Compare the work of two authors and observe their points of agreement and disagreement.
• Construct a reasoned criticism of an author’s argument.
• Write a coherent and cohesive paper in which they engage respectfully but critically with the work of a primary author of the period.

 Learner Outcomes Approval Date:
1/8/2015

PHIL 357 - Philosophy of Race

• Examine the way in which social identity is formed and maintained, and its pervasive influence on our lives.
• Analyze historical conceptions of race, and how these ideas and associated practices have influenced contemporary society.
• Analyze philosophical positions on the reality and legitimacy of race, as a category of identity.
• Critically reflect on their own positions on these issues and those of others, both in writing and in discussion.

PHIL 358 - Existentialism

• Demonstrate an understanding of the major concepts of existentialism.
• Trace the historical development of existentialism in philosophical and literary texts, and compare differing positions within this movement.
• Reflect critically on their own positions on these issues and those of others, both in thesis-based writing and in discussion.

PHIL 359 - Contemporary European Philosophy

• Demonstrate an understanding of the key concepts and methodology of phenomenology
• Evaluate the arguments provided that support these concepts and claims
• Articulate and justify original interpretations of these issues
• Practice the process of brainstorming, drafting, and revising a thesis-based philosophy paper

PHIL 361 - Theory of Knowledge

• Examine and critically analyze issues in contemporary epistemology.
• Critically assess a philosophical position for its implications and its plausibility.
• Formulate and defend a position or ‘one’s own on these issues, with reference to the relevant positions described in the philosophical literature.
• Display knowledge of the core concepts and methods of analytic epistemology, and the ability to deploy those concepts and methods in reasoning.

PHIL 364 - Philosophy of Mind

• Examine and critically analyze issues in contemporary philosophy of mind.
• Critically assess a philosophical position for its implications and its plausibility.
• Formulate and defend a position of one’s own on these issues, with reference to the relevant positions described in the philosophical literature.
• Display knowledge of the core concepts and methods of analytic philosophy of mind, and the ability to deploy those concepts and methods in reasoning.

PHIL 377 - Literature and Philosophy

• Contrast the philosophical and literary ideals of a cultural tradition with competing traditions or predecessors.
• Define the elements of a philosophy of art or literature relevant to a literary tradition.
• Apply a theoretical framework to representative literature from a historical period or movement, citing several relevant authors for comparison.
• Identify the representative literary forms of a particular historical period or movement.
• Survey a literary and philosophical movement with reference to philosophical texts and a variety of literary genres.

PHIL 378 - Philosophy of Love

• Identify the various connotations of the word ‘love’ as expressed both diachronically and synchronically in various cultures as informed by various disciplines.
• Delineate the various connotations of the concept of ‘love’ in the Classical World, while acknowledging that the multi-semantic potential of Greek ‘love’ both precedes and proceeds these Classical texts.
• Describe the nature of love in Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China and compare these non-Western conceptions of love to those in the Classical World.
• Describe the nature of love in both western and eastern religious traditions, again making comparison to the nature of love in the Classical and Ancient Worlds.
• Describe the manner in which the various connotations of ‘love’ can be found in the cycles of human life.
• Describe how various films, works of art, music and autobiographical books depict the concept of love.
• Report their philosophy of love to their classmates.
• Demonstrate the skills of team work.

PHIL 380 - Philosophy of Science

• Examine and critically analyze issues in contemporary philosophy of science, and recognize their relevance to current and/or historical instances of the scientific enterprise.
• Critically assess a philosophical position for its implications and its plausibility, especially in relation to science as it is done by scientists.
• Formulate and defend a position of one’s own on these issues, with reference to the relevant positions described in the philosophical literature.
• Display knowledge of the core concepts and methods of analytic philosophy of science, and the ability to deploy those concepts and methods in reasoning.

PHIL 396 - Individual Study

PHIL 397 - Honors

PHIL 398 - Special Topics

PHIL 399 - Seminar

PHIL 403 - Philosophy of Art

• Demonstrate an understanding of the major philosophies of art: representational theory, institutional theory, formalism, naturalism, expressivism, and phenomenology.
• Identify the ways in which an artist’s intention matters and does not matter in interpreting a work of art.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the ways in which metaphor in art helps us epistemically to understand the world and other people more clearly.
• Demonstrate the relationship between art and philosophic vocabulary.
• Identify the ways that philosophy has influenced art and art has developed its own philosophies, especially in the Dada movement; as well as how artists have challenged philosophies of art.

PHIL 459 - Phenomenology

PHIL 465 - Advanced Ethics

• Discuss and evaluate current research in philosophical ethics.
• Explain the connections between general claims in ethical theory and specific issues in the field.
• Analyze and evaluate the reasoning and justification for (as opposed to merely the content of) various positions in ethical theory.
• Develop and defend criticisms of positions held in contemporary philosophical ethics.
• Explain how abstract positions within philosophical ethics connect to particular issues in society and apply those abstract positions to particular issues.

PHIL 485 - Capstone Project

• Synthesize the various approaches and ideas they have encountered in their previous coursework in the ethics minor.
• Display an understanding of those various approaches and ideas.
• Apply what they have learned to their academic, professional and personal plans for the future.

PHIL 488 - Junior Seminar

• Identify major concepts and issues on selected topics.
• Evaluate critically major concepts and theories covered in the course.
• Approach selected issues from a pluralistic perspective.
• Advance and support a thesis.
• Read analytically and critically relevant primary texts.

PHIL 490 - Cooperative Education

PHIL 494 - Undergraduate Thesis Preparation

• Demonstrate progress towards understanding the major ideas within philosophical traditions, specifically those relevant to the self-designed thesis topic.
• Demonstrate progress in the ability to advance and support a thesis, as well as analyze and critically evaluate the beliefs and arguments of others.
• Demonstrate pluralistic and flexible thinking, considering new ideas and critically reflecting on them.
• Respond productively to advisor suggestions on topic, thesis statement, sources, and organization of the senior thesis.
• Evaluate the relevance and reliability of scholarly sources, specific to the topic of the senior thesis.

PHIL 495 - Undergraduate Thesis

• Demonstrate an understanding the major ideas within philosophical traditions, specificity those relevant to the self-designed thesis topic.
• Demonstrate the ability to advance and support an original thesis.
• Analyze and critically evaluate the beliefs and arguments of others.
• Demonstrate pluralistic and flexible thinking, considering new ideas and critically reflecting on them.
• Respond productively to advisor’s suggestions for revision.
• Evaluate the relevance and reliability of scholarly sources, specific to the topic of the senior thesis.

PHIL 496 - Individual Study

PHIL 497 - Honors Thesis

• Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the major ideas within philosophical traditions, specifically those relevant to the self-designed thesis topic.
• Demonstrate an advanced ability to develop and support an original thesis.
• Analyze and critically evaluate the beliefs and arguments of others.
• Demonstrate a high degree of pluralistic and flexible thinking, considering new ideas and critically reflecting on them.
• Respond productively to advisor’s suggestions for revision.
• Evaluate the relevance and reliability of scholarly sources, specific to the topic of the senior thesis.

PHIL 498 - Special Topics

PHIL 499 - Seminar

PE 115 - Beginning Climbing

• Demonstrate the correct spotting technique.
• Identify the types of climbing holds.
• Demonstrate the ability to move effectively on a wall by performing the following: square to the wall, front step, back step, straight arms, scumming, gripping techniques, precise placement, quite placement, edging, smearing, toeing and matching.
• Demonstrate the knowledge of how to practice and use resting and breathing techniques.

PE 116 - Intermediate Climbing

• Demonstrate correct lead belay and lead climbing technique.
• Identify types of climbing including, bouldering, top roping, leading sport climbing, traditional climbing multipitch climbing and aid climbing.
• Demonstrate the ability to move effectively on a wall by performing the following: gripping techniques, hip twist, precise foot placement, heel booking and toe booking.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the causes and prevention of the most common overuse injuries in climbing.
• Demonstrate ability to properly clean climbing gear from fixed anchors.
• Demonstrate correct rappelling technique.