SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
S.10-14
Senate Committee on University Priorities
Memorandum
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:
Senate
FROM:
Jon Driver
Chair
,
SCUP and
Vice President, Academic
January
13,
201
~
RE:
Department of Philosophy
DATE:
~
The
Senate Committee on
University
Priorit
i
es (SCUP) has
revie
d
t~
External
Review
Report on the
Department
of Philosophy,
together
with
res
ons s
from the
Department, the Dean of Arts
& Social Sciences and input from
the
ss ciate Vice
President
,
Academic
.
Motion:
That Senate approve the recommendation from the Senate Committee on
University Priorities to implement the Action Plan for the Department of
Philosophy that resulted from
its
External Review.
Following
the
review
team's site visit
the report
of the
External
Review Team
*
for
the
Department of Philosophy was submitted
in
May 2009.
After
the
Report was
received
a meeting was held with
the
Dean of Arts & Social
Sciences, the
Department
of Philosophy and the
Director
of Academic Planning (VPA)
to
consider the recommendations. The Department
then
prepared an Action Plan based
on
the
Report and these discussions and submitted
it to the Dean
who endorsed the
Action Plan on
November
30
,
2009.
The
Rev
i
ew Team members stated that the
Department
of Philosophy has
long
been a
significant presence on the Canadian philosophical scene with a reputation
for its
work
in
philosophy of mind and
language,
logic
,
cognitive science and ethics
.
SCUP
recommends
to Senate that
Department
of
Philosophy
be advised to pursue
the
Action
Plan
.
Attachments:
1.
Department of Philosophy External Review - Action Plan
2.
Department
of Philosophy Externa
l
Review Report
External Review Team:
Samantha Brennan (Chair) - University of Western Ontario
Mark Rollins -Washington University in
St Louis
Bruce Hunter - University
of Alberta
CC
L Cormack - Dean, Arts
&
Social Sciences
L
Shapiro - Chair, Department of Philosophy.
2
EXTERNAL REVIEW - ACTION PLAN
Unit under review
Date of Review Site visit
Responsible
Unit person,
Faculty Dean
PHILOSOPHY
25-27 March 2009
Lisa Shapiro
Lesley
Cormack
..................................................................
................................................
.............................................................
....................................................
Note: It is not expected thot every Recommendation made by the Review Team needs to be included here. The majar thrusts of the Report should be
identified. Some consolidation of the Recommendations may be possible while other Recommendations of lesser importance may be excluded.
External Review
Unit's response notes/Comments
Action to be taken
Resource implications
Expected
Recommendation
(if any)
(if any)
completion
date
1
The Department agrees with this
none
none
The Department should
recommendation, and indeed already does
reconstrue its historic area
of
conceive of itself in this way. The
strength in cognitive science as
Department takes this recommendation,
'metaphysics/epistemology
along
with the reviewers' noting two other
plus'
- broadly construed to
departmental strengths, to support the
include philosophy
of cognitive
articulation
of our departmental identity in
Science, philosophy of mind, and the Three Year Plan as a tightly knit
philosophy
of language -- to
constellation of three strengths, evidenced
reflect departmental realities
in teaching (both undergraduate
and
better, and should target it as an graduate) and research: Ethics, History of
area to be solidified and
Philosophy, and what the reviewers term
enhanced, which still leaving the
Metaphysics/Epistemology
Plus. In our
Department in a position
to
recent three year plan, we articulate our
provide support
to the Cognitive
departmental identity in greater detail.
Science programme.
Briefly, our research focuses on the central
question
of how to reconcile key normative
dimensions
of human life with a scientific
understanding
of the world.
1
2 Staffing needs
The Department fully endorses this set of
(1) Should the targeted
(1) An LTD or/and CFL
(1) Fall 2010
(1) University administration
recommendations. We very much
hire
of
fail, we
or Fall 2011
should take advantage of
appreciate the limits of the financial
will ask for an L T A for
(2) LTD, followed by a CFL
the opportunity to secure
situation of the University, and we have
the 2010-11 academic
in
2012 (NOTE: CFL for
the promised foreign natural been and continue to be very willing to
year, with approval to
2012 has already been
(2)FaIl2012
spousal hires \
take advantage of the opportunity to make search for a CFL position
approved
as a spousal
, in addition
to its
spousal hires.
to start Fall 2011. [At
hire
of
I)
new hire (Andersen). This
the
time of this writing,
(3),(4) Upon
will secure the services of
While the Reviewer's Report is clear that
the hire of
has
(3),(4) Replacement
any
three junior scholars, all
Philosophy should have a continuing
failed, and we have
positions
for any
retirements
apparently very impressive
faculty complement
of 14, considering the
asked for a position.)
retirements.
within the
on paper, working
in areas
recommendations concerning the
department
close
to the department's
graduate, and to some extent the
(2) While we
wait for
traditional areas of research
undergraduate, programmes helps in
arrival in
Fall
and collaborative activity,
understanding why they so forcefully
2012, we request an lTD
and will bring the overall
recommend this.
to support programming
complement
of continuing
in the interim.
faculty
to 14, thereby
It is hard to articulate these reasons in this
allowing
it to deal with the
format, and so we append a larger
main problems
in the
discussion to this document in Appendix A.
delivery of its graduate and
undergraduate programs.
(2)
If the services of '
cannot be secured, the
Department should be given
a position, preferably
upgraded, in the area
we
call
'epistemology/metaphysics
plus,' thereby also bringing
its complement
to 14
continuing faculty.
(3) The Department should seek
to fill its next position, when
2
available, in the History of
Philosophy, preferably in an
area, e.g. the history of
ethics, which both
complements current
strength in
the history of
philosophy and its other
strengths, and strengthens
its position
for collaboration
in research and teaching
with other programmes in
the university.
(4)
Current faculty members
should be replaced, upon
retirement,
to maintain a
continuing
faculty
complement
of 14.
3 Graduate and Upper Division
The Department endorses
(5)
Implement
See (1)-(4) above.
See (1)-(4)
Course Offerings
recommendation (5), and will opt to limit
departmental policy
To successfully
above
(5) The Department
should
the number of directed readings any given
regarding number of
implement this
restrict
the number of
student can take. We also endorse
directed studies each
recommendation the
graduate student directed
recommendation (6).
In order for students
graduate student is
Department requires
readings extra
to load,
to complete their degrees in a timely way,
permitted
to take to
additional 2 CFL staff to
either to one per faculty
if we limit directed readings, we must offer
satisfy his or her degree
ensure
that both
member per year,
or to one
some additional graduate level courses,
requirements.
Undergraduate and
per graduate student during
i.e.,
400/800 level courses. Doing so will
Graduate courses
the course
of his or her
also serve our undergraduate majors,
as
(6) In order to achieve
offerings are at a
programme.
they now require a
400-level course to
the additional graduate
sufficient level to ensure
3
(6) The Department should use
satisfy the major requirements (while also
courses and 400-level
timely degree
some of the additional
satisfying their upper division W
undergraduate courses
completion.
teaching capacity
from its
requirement).
recommended, the
expected new appointments
It is important to note that these
department requires a
to put on more classes at
recommendations do not target the overall faculty complement of
the 400 and 800 levels.
quality of either the graduate or
14 CFL. At the very least
undergraduate programs,
but rather aim to
we need support in the
sustain that quality.
form of temporary
instruction budget to
In Appendix A, we provide additional
replace course release
discussion
of the challenges, and indeed
and study leaves, and
impossibility,
of meeting these
ideally we would be able
recommendations given
our current staff.
to hire LTDs until we
reach our full faculty
complement of 14.
The Undergraduate
Curriculum Committee
will review the
curriculum to see if
additional efficiencies
can be found
4
Research Productivity
(7) As the reviewers note, various
(7) The
Department will
(7) Fall 2009
(7) The
Department should
departures (Jeff Pelletier, Oliver Schulte)
define its 'identity' in its
and
Fall 2014
undertake a planning
and health issues have compromised the
3 year plan. The
Chair
process, under the guidance
research profile of the department. While
will mentor new faculty,
(8)
Fall 2014
of the Chair, to determine
some members do have active research
and work with
what it wants to be and do
programmes, a number of members'
continuing faculty
to set
in
five years.
research efforts
targets and develop
(8) The Department should set
need invigoration.
strategies
for achieving
itself a target for SSHRC
(8) The Department wants to emphasize
them. The Chair will
SRGs, e.g., 1/3 of graduate
that holding of research grants is but one
also aim to identify and
faculty, and the Chair should
of several equally valid measures of
nurture departmental
indicate to incoming junior
research success in our discipline (and
strengths that emerge
4
faculty Department
indeed, in many
disciplines in Arts and
or solidify.
expectations of application,
Social Science), and indeed grant holding is
assigning them mentors
not even typically taken to be the principal (8) Faculty will be
from successful grant
measure
of success. Nonetheless, the
encourage to apply for
applicants in the
Department supports this recommendation SSHRC grants, with a
department to advise them
as a way of strongly encouraging faculty to goal of having 1/3 of
on their applications.
apply for SSHRC funding, and notes that
faculty (currently 4)
preparing a
SSHRC application can help in
either hold grants or
focusing research aims. Additionally, it
apply.
notes
that younger scholars have an
advantage in applying for SSHRC funding,
and the Chair
will both encourage and
mentor new faculty on the application
process. However, since
the results of
competitions are not predictable, we want
to emphasize that the percentage of
faculty holding grants is a
target.
S Senior lecturer Replacement
The Department believes this issue neither
Upon
the retirement of
Upon the
The Department should consider
has to be nor
ought
to be addressed now.
Peter Horban, the
retirement of
a regular tenure track
As our senior lecturers retire, the
Philosophy Department
Peter Horban
replacement
for Dr. Horban,
Department can,
at those times,
consider
will require either an
when he retires, in
order to
what sort of replacement position would
Assistant
Professor or a
bring
it in line with other
best serve the long-term interests of the
Permanent Lecturer as a
research universities and
SFU's
Department. It should be noted that the
replacement position.
goal
of being a research
department
as a whole very much
intensive university.
appreciates the choice
SFU has made to
have teaching appointments. Permanent
lecturer positions provide a distinct
advantage not only
to the lecturers, who
have job security and full benefits, but also
to departments and students to whom
lecturers afford consistency in both course
offerings and high quality instruction.
5
6
The department will
December
The reviewers
mention a
undertake a review
of
2009
number of issues involving
its policies regarding
criteria used
in salary review
tenure, promotion and
(see
I(c), lI(i), lII(i), and IV(b».
salary review in Fall
2009.
Any revisions to
the expectations will be
applied in the biannual
review
of the cohort in
January
201l.
7
While not within
our purview, the
The reviewers recommend
that
department concurs with this
FASS should establish a number
recommendation.
of awards for undergraduate
teaching, and
the University
should consider establishing
teaching awards for
different
kinds ofteaching
and different categories of
teachers.
8
Funding for the proposed Surrey
Philosophy will propose
Coordination with FASS
Certificate
The external reviewers
programme was frozen, and so MA
an Undergraduate
and
other faculties to
Program will
found "the MA programme
programme there
has been put on hold.
Certificate in Ethics.
conceive
of and fundraise
be proposed
[proposed
for Surrey) in
However, we note that the VPA's recently
for a Centre for Ethics.
in 2009-10
professional and applied ethics
announced strategic plan emphasizes
the
Philosophy will work
academic
innovative and
well
place of ethics and citizenship, as well as
with the Dean of FASS
year.
thought
out, and the certificate
relevance and community involvement, in
to collaborate with
programme a good idea."
SFU's educational mission. A programme in
other faculties, including
Timeframe
Professional Ethics would
fit perfectly into
Business, FHS and
for Centre for
this part of the strategic plan. Additionally,
Environment,
to
Ethics will
this programme, and an associated Centre,
conceive and initiate a
depend on
6
would allow for a central core through
Centre for Ethics.
cooperation
which applied ethics courses associated
of others.
with the new Faculties (Le., Environmental
Ethics, Health
Care and
Biomedical Ethics, and Ethics and
Technology)
could be taught.
The above action
plan has been considered by the Unit under review and has been discussed and agreed to by the Dean.
Unit Leader (signed)
Date
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Dean's comments and endorsement of the Action Plan:
The external review team assembled to evaluation the Department of Philosophy has done a full and exemplary job of appraising the strengths and
weaknesses
of the Department, as well as providing thoughtful suggestions for the future. I am in broad agreement, both with the external review and
~
with the Department's response. Let me take the main points in order.
1) I leave it to the Department to decide what areas of strength would best develop their research and teaching programs. The idea of a
'metaphysics/epistemology plus' area fits
well within the areas of strength already established in the Department and will provide a good focal point
for much of their research. I also agree with the external review team's assessment that history of philosophy is an area of strength for SFU and one
where we
could make a strong national and international showing.
2)-5) Staffing.
I have been delighted to facilitate the hiring of Holly Andersen in the past year. I know her participation will be significant to the
Department.
I am also pleased to have secured the funding for 2 spousal hires in the next 2 years.
J
have been working with the Chair and the
Department to
make these hires happen and I am hopeful that they will be successful. If
does not come, we will do our best to provide the
position in another form.
In the case of
. however, there is no funding available in advance of his taking up the position and so a Limited Term
may
not be possible.
6) and 7) Teaching capacity. I am in complete agreement with both the external review and the Department's response. However, FASS has no
7
temporary instruction budget and therefore is not able to replace faculty on study leave or administrative duties in any departments. This is also true
for replacing a course release for the graduate chair. At the moment, FASS does not have the resources to replace this teaching.
8) Research. The 3-year plan was a good first step in planning for the Department and I encourage them to take up the external review
recommendation to think carefully about their 5 year plan especially in research.
I also encourage the Department and the Chair to continue to think of
ways to reengage faculty members whose research programs have stalled.
9) Given that SSHRC funding is important not just for the researcher, but for the graduate students who can be funded and for research funding more
generally in the Department, I agree with this recommendation. In making this recommendation, I recognize that input measures are only one (and not
the best) measure of research productivity and success. FASS will be working with department chairs and directors to develop more robust output
measurements in the coming year.
10) Replacement for Dr. Horban.
I leave this to the Department, as the time approaches, to consider this recommendation and I neither agree nor
disagree. Much will depend upon circumstances at the
time of this decision, both in terms of funding and teaching capacity, and research directions
and productivity.
There are several recommendations
that speak to the need for a robust salary evaluation, taking into account all three areas of teaching, research, and
service. While
I believe that this is generally the case already, I applaud Philosophy's decision to work on this area, and will work with them to ensure
that excellence in all three areas is appropriately rewarded. After some delay, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Teaching awards will be
proceeding in Spring, 2010, thereby fulfilling one of the other recommendations of the review.
Finally,
J
would
like to note that, although the funding for a Surrey program in applied ethics has probably disappeared for any foreseeable future, FASS
is working with Philosophy to conceptualize a centre for Applied Ethics, or Ethics in the professions. We will be working with the faculties of Business,
Health
Sciences, and Environment especially in order to make use of synergies in these areas.
Date
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8
APPENDIX A
The External Review recommends strongly that Philosophy have a faculty complement
of 14, rather than our current 12. This Appendix aims to
explain that recommendation.
As evidenced
in the table below In order to mount
simply
a bare bones set of undergraduate courses (i.e., with any general education courses
offered only at
SFU Vancouver and Surrey where they can still be taught by scssionals), allowing for course releases to the Chair (2) and Grad
Chair
(I; see IV(a) below), and
not
allowing for any study leaves, we require a faculty complement of 12, two of whom are Senior Lecturers,
which
is our current size. At this size,
without allowing for study leaves,
we can add two graduate courses.
The problems begin to arise as soon as study leaves are allowed for. Allowing for one study leave a year, we require a complement
of 13, and
allowing for two study leaves a year (reasonable enough
in a department this size), we require a complement of 14. And again, this is teaching
only a
12 bare bones undergraduate curriculum and adding only two graduate courses.
The reviewers recommend we add additional graduate and
400-level courses, both to relieve the pressure on faculty of offering mUltiple directed
studies
in addition to load and to improve the graduate program. Currently, we do not have the capacity to offer additional graduate level courses.
To add an additional 1-2 graduate courses a year, as the reviewers recommend in their more detailed discussion, would require a faculty
complement
of 15.
These data reveal just how thinly stretched the department is: we are operating at super-maximal efficiency, and have absolutely no room for
expansion. With our current faculty complement it is
unavoidable
that a significant number of graduate students will have to complete directed
reading courses simply to complete their degrees
in a timely manner while focusing on an area of interest.
We anticipate the loss of budget for temporary instruction to impact us quite hard, in terms of being able to allow both for well-deserved study
leaves and regular offerings of undergraduate courses. Indeed, the reviewers note that this is a 'source of stress' and 'seriously jeopardizes the
vitality and diversity
of the programme.' To try to manage this pressure, and to see if there is a way to offer additional graduate courses with
current staff, while allowing for study leaves, the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee will review the curriculum to see
if additional efficiencies
can be found.
Moreover, it is worth noting that any new course ofTerings must be viable ill terms of enrolments. But to have sufficient students registered in the
3-4 additional graduate courses the reviewers recommend, we would need to increase the number of students in our graduate program, and be able
to support them financially. Second, as already noted above, our current faculty complement (even with the arrival
of Andersen) is insufficient to
our graduate program as it currently stands.
In order to mount two additional graduate courses, we would need not only the two additional faculty
required to maintain a program
of ollr current size but also at least one morc, for a complement of 15. See the table below for further detail.
9
Bare Bones Course Offerings with Assessment of Staffing Requirements
Total number of courses at Burnaby
Total
number of tt faculty and no admin release
Adjustment for senior lecturers ( 2 Senior lecturers
=
3.25 tt faculty)
Total
number of faculty and admin release ( Chair
2,
Grad Chair
1)
Addition of 2 Graduate courses
Allowance
for
1
faculty study leave per year
Allowance for 2 faculty study leaves per year
Addition of
1
Graduate courses,bringing total to
3
Adding yet another Graduate course, bring total to
4
001 Critical Thinking Q
100 Knowledge & Reality W
47.5
49.5
frequ
ency
3
3
enrol/yr
900
72S
11.875
(10.625 tt faculty plus 2 SR
10.625
Lee)
(11.375 tt faculty plus 2 SR
11.375
lee)
(11.875 tt faculty plus 2 SR
11.875
Lee)
(12.875 tt faculty plus 2 SR
12.875
Lee)
(13.87S It faculty plus 2 SR
13.875
Lee)
(14.125 tt faculty plus 2 SR
14.125
Lee)
14.375
(14375 tt faculty plus 2 SR Lee)
tt faculty
0.75
0.75
10
110
Intro to Logic Be Reasoning Q
3
425
0.75
120
Facts and Values W
3
525
0.75
144
Intro Phil 01 Natural
&
Soc. Sci B
2
150
0.5
150
Hist 01 Philosophy I B
2
90
0.5
151
Hist of Philosophy II B
1
35
0.25
201
Epistemology
2
70
0.5
203
Metaphysics
2
70
0.5
210
Natural Deductive Logic Q
2
85
0.5
214
AKiomatic Logic
1
10
0.25
~
220
State and the Citizen
231 Selected Topics
240 Philosophy of Religion
0.5
35
0.125
241
Philosophy in literature
1
35
0.25
242
Philosophy of Art
280
Intro to EKistentialism
1
35
0.25
300
Intro to Philosophy
-- --
-
11
lower division totals
26.5
3190
6.625
302 Topics in Epistem and Meta
1
35
0.25
314 Topics in LoCic I
1
5
0.25
320 Social
& Political Philosophy
1
35
0.25
321 Moral Issues and Theories
1
35
0.25
322 History of Ethics
0.5
17.5
0.125
331 Selected Topics
1
35
0.25
332 Selected Topics
1
35
0.25
333 Selected Topics
1
35
0.25
.........
!lJ
341 Philosophy of Science
1
35
0.25
343 Philosophy of Mind
35
0.25
344 Philosophv or language I
1
35
0.25
350 Ancient Philosophy
1
35
0.25
352 17'" Century Philosophy
1
3S
0.25
356
lSi"
Century Philosophy
1
35
0.25
357 Topics in History of Philosophy
0.5
17.5
0.125
12
300 lellel totals
14
460
3.5
421 Ethical Theories
0.5
10
0.125
435
Selected Topics
15
0.25
444 Philosophy or language
II
0.5
7.5
0.125
451 Kant
O.S
7.S
0.125
455 Contemp Issues ;n Epist
&
Meta
0.5
7.S
0.125
467 Seminar
II
2
30
0.5
477 lionours Tutorial
478 Honours Tulorial
II
I
8XX
2
25
0.5
400 plus
grad tolals
7
102.5
1.75
47.5
3752.5
11.875
13
Report of The External Review Team
Department of Philosophy
Simon Fraser University
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
I
We, the members of the External Review Team, visited Simon Fraser University from
March
25-27,2009, and, together with Gordon Myers, Chair of the Department of
Economics at Simon Fraser University, met each member of the academic and non-
academic staff individually, as well as groups (self-selected)
of undergraduate students
and graduate students. In addition, we met the Chair of the Department of Philosophy at
the University of British Columbia, the Director of the Cognitive Science Programme,
SFU library representatives, and senior administrative staff at Simon Fraser. We very
much appreciated the friendliness and cooperation we received from everyone we met, as
well as the help we received from Dr. Myers and Bal Basi throughout our visit.
The Philosophy Department at Simon Fraser has long been a significant presence on the
Canadian philosophical scene, relative to its small size, with a reputation for its work in
philosophy
of mind and language, logic, cognitive science, and ethics. More recently, it
has acquired distinction in the history
of philosophy.
It
has also been a leader within
Simon Fraser
University itself, e.g. in developing the programme in cognitive science,
and in stepping up to develop courses satisfying university breadth, quantitative, and,
especially, writing, requirements. Creating and fine-tuning courses satisfYing these
requirements have clearly been a major focus
of department efforts
in
recent years, along
with more than doubling the size
of the graduate programme. Thriving enrolment in both
its undergraduate and graduate programmes testifies to its success in these endeavours
and to the overall quality
of its teaching
However, recent retirements and health issues have seriously affected its research,
teaching, and service capacities and performance. In addition, although we recognize
that there will always be differences in research productivity among faculty members,
there has been a recent tailing
off in research performance by too many mid-level faculty
due to a multitude
of factors, some of which may be solved by modest increased faculty
numbers, some changes to department and institutional procedures and practices, and a
more explicit overall department plan with reference to which individual department
members reinvigorate careers. Although we
don't see the department as "at risk" at this
point, it has the potential to be "at risk" if its position were to further deteriorate. At the
same time, we think that very little, beyond what seems to be already in the works
or
promised, may be needed, to restore its historical prominence, and, indeed, bring it to
even greater institutional, national, and international prominence.
We have ten main prioritized recommendations, together with a number
of specific
prioritized recommendations under each area on which we were asked to comment, all
of
which we discuss in context in the main body of the report.
IL{.
2
(1) The Department should reconstrue its historic area of strength in cognitive science
as 'metaphysics/epistemology
plus'~~~~broadly
construed to include philosophy
of cognitive science, philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, and philosophy
of
language~~~to
reflect departmental realities better, and should target it as an
area to
be solidified and enhanced, while still leaving the Department in a
position to provide support to the Cognitive Science programme.
(2)
University administration should take advantage of the opportunity to secure two
promised foreign national spousal hires (Begby and Nanay), in addition to its
new hire (Anderson). This will secure the services
of three junior scholars, all
apparently very impressive on paper, working in areas close to the department's
traditional areas
of research and collaborative activity, and will bring the overall
complement
of continuing faculty to 14, thereby allowing it to deal with the main
problems in the delivery
of its graduate and majors programme.
(3)
If
the services ofNanay can't be secured, the Department should be given a
position, preferably upgraded, in the area we call "epistemology/metaphysics
plus", thereby also bringing its complement to 14 continuing faculty.
(4) The Department should seek to fill its next position, when available, in the
History
of Philosophy, preferably in an area, e.g. the history of ethics, which both
complements its current research strength in History and its other research
strengths, and strengthens its position for collaboration in research and teaching
with other programmes in the university.
(5) Current faculty members should
be replaced, upon retirement, to maintain a
continuing faculty complement
of 14.
(6) The Department should restrict the number of graduate student directed readings
extra to load, either to one per faculty member per year, or to one per graduate
student during the course
of his or her programme.
(7) The Department should use some
of the additional teaching capacity from its
expected new appointments to put on more classes at the
400 and 800 levels.
(8) The Department should undertake a planning process, under the guidance
of its
Chair, to determine what it wants to do and be in five years.
(9) The Department should set itself a target for SSHRC SRGs, 'e.g.
113 of graduate
faculty, and the Chair should indicate to incoming junior faculty Department
expectations of application, assigning them mentors from successful grant
applicants in the department to advise them on their applications.
(10) The Department should consider a regular tenure track replacement for Dr.
Horban, when he retires, in order to bring it in line with other research
universities and
SFU's goal of being a research intensive university.
I~.
II. SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS IN ORDER OF PRIORITY
WITIDN TOPIC:
Undergraduate Programme and Teaching
(a)The Department should agree on rough expectations for normal 2-2 teaching with
respect to numbers
of students (within a range) and kind of classes, including
equivalences when some teaching is large class lecture/tutorial instruction.
(b )In the absence of any agreement on the latter, department expectation should be that
every regular faculty member will be rotated over time through some large
100 level
class or other, in the absence
of volunteers.
3
(c) Receipt ofa major teaching award should be a ground,
ceteris paribus,
for extra
incrementation, and, even in the absence
of an award, outstanding teaching over an
extended period
of time should be rewarded with extra incrementation, even if not on
a biannual basis.
(d)FASS should establish a number
of awards for undergraduate teaching, and the
University should consider establishing teaching awards for different kinds
of
teaching and different categories of teachers.
(e) The department should seek to ensure that some additional capacity that expected
new faculty members bring is devoted to the
400 level, with at least one 400 level
class per year that isn't cross listed, and 3-4 400/800 cross listed classes each term.
(f) The department should seek to retain the services of a Lecturer with at least part time
responsibilities for mentoring and supervising tutors.
(g) Instructors in
100 level classes should forward the names of their best students
(perhaps
B+ and above) to the Undergraduate Advisor, and signed letters should be
sent to these students
by the Advisor, inviting them to consider a major in
Philosophy, and to consult with him or her (if this is not already done).
(h) Academic departmental undergraduate advisors should have ready access to the files
of students whom they are advising.
(i) The department should consider reducing and streamlining its logic offerings,
department and university constraints permitting, with content adjusted (moved up
or
down), and an appropriate requirement for majors found in the streamlined sequence.
(j) The department should discuss the pros and cons of moving its History of Philosophy
1 and II to the 200 level.
(k)The department should consider the possibility
of encouraging current or new faculty
members to develop courses in Feminist Philosophy and Environmental Philosophy,
perhaps to
be taught alternatively with other non-core courses.
lb.
(1) The SFU undergraduate student association should be encouraged to stage an
undergraduate conference with UBC students,
or to participate in the Prairie
Undergraduate Student Association conferences.
Graduate programme and teaching:
(a) So long as the graduate programme remains at its current size, the department should
maintain its planned continuing faculty complement
of 14, with current members
replaced, upon retirement, to maintain that number.
4
(b)The department should institute one of the following rules: (1) a faculty member may
offer only one extra to load directed reading course for graduate students per year, OR
(2) a graduate student may take no more than one directed reading during his or her
programme.
(c)The department should ensure that some
of the additional teaching capacity its
expected new faculty bring is devoted to graduate level seminars, so that each major
term 3-4 cross listed
400/800 level seminars are offered, and two in the summer term,
in addition to the pro-seminar and two pure graduate joint seminars with UBC.
(d)The department should set a target for students supported
by SSHRC research
assistantships, e.g. 3-4, and seek to direct
RA funding to students over the summer
when possible, depending
on researcher needs.
(e)The department (especially its Graduate Chair) should monitor graduate student
programmes, and mentor students appropriately, to ensure that M.A. students take
no
more than 2 years to complete their programmes.
(f) The department should ensure that graduate student programmes contain a research
component that satisfies university expectations for significant research project,
whether that be a
MA Project, or in some cases, a Thesis project, while still ensuring
that students have a polished writing sample for application to
Ph.D. programmes.
(g)On an annual or bi-annual basis, the Chair should formally solicit suggestions from
graduate faculty for graduate (and senior undergraduate) seminars, and make decisions
in consultation with the Graduate and Undergraduate Chairs, with input from the
Department Manager concerning scheduling and time tabling issues.
(h) The Graduate Chair should advise students about possibilities
of supervision for their
research project, while recognizing that (normally) students (and supervisors) must be
free to make these decisions.
(i) The Department Chair should recognize extraordinary supervisory duties or other
teaching duties over time,
ceteris paribus,
in increment recommendations or
occasional adjustments to teaching load.
5
(j)
Graduate students must
log
the hours they work as a TA to determine whether they are
working more
than
the
210 hours in order to allow instructors, and the Graduate Chair,
to monitor
their workload
Research:
(a)
The
Departm
e
nt
should reconslrue its historic area
of strength
in
cognitive sc
ience
as
'metaphys
ic
s
/
ep
i
ste
mol
ogy
plus'
so
as
10
reflect departmental
realitie
s
better, and
should
target
it as an area to be
solidifie
d
and enhanced, while still
leaving
the
Department
in
a position to provide support to the
Cogn
it
ive
Science programme.
(b) The department and university
should
capitalize
on the opportunity
to
secure
the
spousal recruitment
of
,
in the
thought
that
severe constraints
on university
resources make
it important to
act strateg
icall
y,
as long
as
the
candida
t
e
has a
s
trong
research
profile and fits well, as
appears to do, and the department should be
granted a position,
preferably
upgraded,
in
'metaphysics
/
epistemology
+
'
iflhe
targeted
hire of
fails.
(c)The department and university
should
capitalize on
the opportunity
to
secure
the
spousal
recruitment
of
,
and
cons
id
er ways
of developing its strength in ethics
funher, partly for the sake
of
university wide interdisciplinary initiatives, but
also
as a
way
of
devel
oping
an area which is underrepresented
i
ll
UBes
philosophy department.
(d)
The department should capitalize
on
its resea
rc
h
strengt
h
in the history ofphilosophy
by adding a position
in
this area, e.g. perhaps a position in the history of
e
thics,
when
retirements pennit, that complements
current
strength
in the history of philosophy as
well
as
otber
strengths
in the department,.
(e)
The
Department should undertake to form a plan, under the guidance
of
ils
Chair,
laying out what
it
wants to
d
o
and
be
in
five years, with reference
to whi
ch
individual
faculty members may
reinvigorat
e
their careers.
(f)
The
Department
should set
itself a
target
for SSI
-
IRC
Standard
Research Grants held
in the department at any given time,
e
.
g.
1/3 of graduate
faculty, indicate
expectations
of SSHRC
appl
i
cation
to
incoming faculty, and usc
sllccessfu
l
departmental applicants
to
menlor new applicants.
(g)
The
Chair
should
make clear to
new
faculty
members expectations of
re
search
in a
research
int
ensive
university, and mentor---or appoint mentors
---
appropriately.
(h)The
Chair
,
with the
Dean's
support, should
use
the
increment
system
to reward
research
that exceeds
expectations,
and
indi
cate
with increment recommendations less
than 1 where research
over a period of time doesn't meet
expectations, even
when
overall perfonnance in other areas
i
s
clearly satisfactory
or
better.
(i)
10
cases where research seems permanently stalled, the Chair, wiih the Dean's support,
might suggest that a faculty member consider a more teaching
intensive
workload.
Administration:
(a)The Graduate Chair should be given course release of one semester course per year
(for a
2-1 load).
(b )Just as outstanding teaching demonstrated over a substantial period of time, even in
the absence
of teaching awards, should be recognized cumulatively in increment
recommendations, so should administrative service that is well over and beyond the
norm, when it
isn't otherwise compensated for.
(c) Responsibility for student advising and course offerings ought to
be made clear to
students and faculty members.
(d)The Department should undertake to revise its webpage and keep it up to date, under
the direction
of the department manager.
Environment and atmosphere:
(a). Although the Senior Lecturers are doing an excellent job currently, the Department
should consider replacing them, as they retire, with regular tenure track faculty
members for whom research is an expectation
(b )The Chair should seek to make clear to department members the principles at work in
decisions at the departmental level, routine and otherwise, and, when possible, in
decisions at the higher levels of administration, that affect all members of the
department.
6
III. RATIONALE FOR RECOMMENDATIONS:
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMME AND TEACHING
The overall quality of undergraduate education is clearly high, and the department has
been active
in
extending its undergraduate teaching reach beyond the SFU campus to
Fraser International and plans for the Surrey campus.
Enrolments at the
100-300 level are clearly thriving, a testament to the overall quality of
teaching. A great deal of care has gone into the construction of its 100 level classes,
including those that meet university writing, breadth, and quantitative requirements.
7
Philosophy develops, in part, by responding to and critically reflecting on developments
in the sciences and other areas of culture and society, and this allows it to be a bridge
between Arts departments and between the Arts and Sciences. However, philosophy is
also a Humanities discipline that is defined, in part, by critical reflection on a very long,
constantly renegotiated history
of texts, and that accordingly prizes and cultivates
especially rigorous forms
of critical reading, analysis, and written and oral expression.
All philosophy classes, apart from Logic classes, therefore involve writing argumentative
essays and essay exams. This is a key element
of Philosophy's teaching mission and is
intrinsic to the discipline, not
just a desirable "add-on".
The problem is how to satisfy student demand, given these requirements and the
constraint
of limited faculty numbers. The department has chosen to combine
intermediate sized classes, mostly at the 200-300 level, taught and graded entirely by
their instructor, with large classes, mostly at the 100 level, with an instructor taught
lecture component and a tutorial component, taught and graded
by teaching assistants
who are mentored and supervised by course instructors and
by a Lecturer shared with
F
ASS who specializes
in
tutorial instruction.
This is a reasonable solution, with the work
of the tutorial specialist Lecturer position
especially noteworthy
in
comparison with other universities. Philosophy 100 level classes
are among the toughest in F
ASS, but this is typical in other universities as well, and
probably shouldn't be an excessive concern. Somewhat surprisingly, none
of the majors
we interviewed complained about the size of the 100 level classes. Although future
majors hardly form a representative sample
of these classes, this is still some testament to
the quality of the teaching in these classes, and to the care which is put into their design
and delivery.
RECOMMENDATION:
The department should seek to retain the services
of a Lecturer
with at least part time responsibilities for mentoring and supervising tutors
The requirements for a major in philosophy are demanding, with respect to both number
and breadth
of courses required. That clearly prepares students well for placement in
graduate school. Yet, overall majors numbers are very solid, more than some even larger
philosophy departments,
but smaller than others.
8
(i) Mentoring
Students also seemed a bright, reasonably content group, who felt that their teachers were
approachable and cared about them. There is merit in having majors' progranunes
reviewed by continuing non-academic personnel who often understand the requirements
for a major, and overall degree requirements, better than frequently changing academic
advisors, and can advise students appropriately, and this was appreciated by
undergraduates. However, there is also an important place for regular academic advising
by academic staff, as part of overall academic mentoring for undergraduates. Certainly,
academic advisors need to have ready access to undergraduate records to do so.
RECOMMENDATION:
Instructors in 100 level classes should forward the names of
their best students (perhaps B+ and above) to the Undergraduate Advisor, and signed
letters sent to them from the Advisor inviting them to consider a major in Philosophy and
to consult with
him
or her (if this is not already done).
RECOMMENDATION'
Academic departmental undergraduate advisors should have
ready access to the files of students whom they are advising.
(il) Curriculum
Majors students did express some concerns about the number and variety of 400 level
classes available and expressed some desire for 400 level classes of their own that
weren't cross listed. Cross listed classes are inevitable in a programme
of SFU's size, but
new faculty members might help the Department address both these concerns.
RECOMMENDATION:
The department should seek to ensure that some of the
additional capacity new faculty members bring is devoted to the 400 level, with perhaps
one or even two pure 400 level classes per year that are not cross listed, and 3-4 cross
listed classes each term.
Students suggested that
400 level course descriptions were publicized late, but that was
contradicted by department administrators. We were also given the impression that, on
rare occasions, what was being taught under a course title in a class bore little relation to
what was normally thought to
be the subject matter of the course and to what students
might reasonably expect to
be taught. If so, this needs to be looked into and corrected. In
addition, some students complained about the logic requirement. This
isn't an unusual
complaint
in
other universities as well. Nonetheless, there did seem to be some
peculiarities about the
SFU logic offerings. There are two courses at the 100 level or
below (Critical Thinking, Introduction to Logic) that seem to
be non-formal or mostly
non-formal, and so below the level typically required for a major. However, the two
classes at the
200 level (210, 214) seem more advanced at this level, at least
in
the way
they are often delivered,
e.g.
210 often including meta-logic, than those typically required
for majors in other universities, but one
of which (210) is required by SFU.
We also were somewhat surprised by dedicated History of Philosophy classes at the 100
level that were also required for the major. We can understand the rationale of
background in the history of philosophy for other 200 and 300 level courses, but the
d/.
9
relative difficulty
of dedicated history of philosophy classes in comparison to other
introductory classes might make them better placed at the 200 level, while being retained
as majors requirements. Finally, although we were impressed
by the broad and interesting
variety
of courses at the 200 and 300 level, and recognize the limitations faculty numbers
put on deparbnent offerings, we noted two omissions of courses that are common
nowadays in other universities
and that might help to broaden Philosophy's role in the
university: feminist philosophy and philosophy
of the environment.
RECOMMENDATION:
The department should consider reducing and streamlining its
undergraduate logic offerings, department and university constraints pennitting, with
content adjusted (moved up
or down), and an appropriate requirement for majors found in
the streamlined sequence.
RECOMMENDA TION:
The department should discuss the pros and cons of moving its
History
of Philosophy I and II to the 200 level.
RECOMMENDATION:
With additional faculty numbers, the department should consider
the possibility of encouraging current or new faculty members to develop courses in
Feminist
Philosophy and Environmental Philosophy, perhaps to be taught in alternative
years.
One source of stress for the undergraduate programme, due to the current financial
situation at
SFU and universities more generally, is the decision to cut temporary
instructor budgets, even, it seems, when these funds are simply replacing regular faculty
members on leave. This is certainly unfortunate. In the short run, it can be coped with
by
teaching non-core courses at the 200-300 level less frequently. However, in the long run,
this seriously jeopardizes the vitality and diversity of the programme.
It
eliminates
classes that often appeal to seniors from other disciplines. Thus, it eliminates courses that
allow students from those disciplines to engage in philosophical reflection on issues that
bear
on their disciplines and that foster intellectual interaction between philosophy
students and students in other disciplines in ways that can impact eventually on ways that
philosophy students, instructors, and researchers conceive
of their own discipline.
(iii)
Student
Activities
Students expressed considerable appreciation for Professor Jennings' assistance in
staging undergraduate student colloquia at
SFU. However, they also expressed some
desire for the opportunity to present in a wider forum to undergraduates from other
universities.
Student conferences can be both educational and fun for undergraduates.
RECOMMENDATION:
The SFU undergraduate student association should be
encouraged to stage an undergraduate conference with
UBC students, with support from
SFU and the Department, or contact philosophy undergraduate groups in the Prairies to
arrange participation in the Prairie Undergraduate Student Association conferences.
(iv) Workload and Reward
Concerns about equity in teaching responsibilities were raised by the Self-Study and in
our interviews. These can seriously affect department morale. There are several issues
here, some
of which are addressed in our discussion of graduate programmes and
teaching, and in our discussion
of administration and environment.
10
However, an issue that directly concerns undergraduate teaching are variations in the
number
of undergraduate students taught and the kinds of classes taught. To address
these, the Department needs to reach some agreement, with Chair advice, about what
constitutes the normal expectations for those on a 2-2 load teaching classes they
themselves grade entirely, with respect to student numbers (within a broad but acceptable
range) and kinds
of classes. Then it should determine rough equivalents---again within a
range---for those whose teaching includes some large lecture/tutorial classes, with
responsibility for mentoring tutors.
If an agreement proves impossible, then department
expectations for teaching need to include the expectation that each faculty member will
be rotated over time through the large
100 level classes in the absence of volunteers.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Department should agree about what constitutes normal but
rough expectations
of teaching with respect to numbers and kind of classes for 2-2 faculty
teaching classes they alone grade, and then determine rough equivalences when some
teaching is large class lecture/tutorial instruction.
RECOMMENDATION'
In the absence of any agreement about the latter, department
expectation should be that every regular faculty member will be rotated over time
through some large
100 level class or other, in the absence of volunteers.
In addition, several faculty members indicated that teaching didn't really matter in faculty
evaluation or factor into incrementation awards, but others denied this claim
or expressed
skepticism about it. This is something that needs to be made clear to faculty members by
the Chair (and Dean). In any case, it is clear to us that outstanding teaching, all other
things being equal, needs to be recognized.
RECOM:MENDATION: Receipt of a major teaching award should be grounds, all other
things being equal, for some extra incrementation, and, even in the absence
of an award,
outstanding teaching over
an extended period of time should be recognized with extra
incrementation, even
if not on a biannual basis.
Finally, we noted with some dismay the absence ofteaching awards at the Faculty level.
These can be a valuable source
of recognition for teaching. Even if they carry no
monetary stipend themselves, they can be a basis for recognizing outstanding teaching in
incrementation decisions, and serve as steps
in
identifying candidates for university and
eventually national awards. As well, it might be useful for the university to consider a
variety
of awards at the university level that recognize different kinds of teaching.
RECOMMENDATION'
FASS should establish a number of teaching awards, perhaps
recognizing differences between regular tenure track faculty, permanent lecturers, and
temporary instructors, and the
University should consider establishing teaching awards
;23
different kinds of teaching in addition to regular tenure track faculty, e.g. large class
teachers or lecturers or graduate student tutors.
GRADUATE PROGRAMME AND TEACHING
11
The graduate programme has grown dramatically in recent years in overall numbers, with
the main growth at the M.A. level, through a conscious department decision
to
concentrate its efforts at that level rather than on the Ph.D. The department is right to
keep its Ph.D. progamme for the reasons it indicates, but, so long as graduate faculty
numbers remain below 13-14, it
is probably wise to concentrate on the M.A.
The M.A. programme is well designed, with strong area requirements that prepare
students well for further Ph.D. studies. The quality
of the students is high, as evidenced
by several external indicators. Application numbers are excellent, especially for a small
programme. Professor Margaret Schabas, Chair
of Philosophy at UBC, praised the
quality
of SGU graduate students and their performance in joint SFUIUBC seminars,
comparing them well with UBC students, as did Professor
Jeff Pelletier, fonner CRC at
SFU, in informal comments to a member of the Review Team. Their views certainly fit
the impression we gathered from our own conversations with SFU graduate students.
Finally, the record
of placement ofM.A. graduates in leading Ph.D. programmes is very
strong, as
is the record for Ph.D. and M.A. SSHRC fellowships.
Nonetheless, there are some serious problems with the delivery
of the programme, as
noted in the
Self-Study and conversations with the Review Team.
(i)
Graduate Seminars and Directed Readings
The chief problem is the shortage of graduate seminars,
in
particular the shortage of
cross-listed
400/800
seminars in a suitably wide range of areas, in addition to the two
pure graduate seminars taught with UBC, and the pro-seminar.
The other side
of the problem is the number of graduate course credits given through
Directed Readings. (We do not know the extent to which graduate student culture at
SFU
might bear partial responsibility for this side of the problem, in addition to the shortage of
seminars.) Graduate students do need to have the option to do some independent study in
directed readings that allow them to pursue special research interests, but within limits,
and without allowing graduate students to have ''tailor-made'' programmes.
UWO and U
of A, for example, normally restrict the number of permitted directed readings to one
during the course of the programme. What is clear is that in a research intensive
university, it
is simply unacceptable that one third of graduate course credits is granted
through directed readings, whether one-on-one, undergraduate lectures with extensive
additional meetings with instructors,
or small
pro bono
mini-seminars, all of which is
extra to load for faculty members and takes away from their time for their own research.
Fortunately, a new hire and two planned spousal hires should put the department in a
position to address these problems easily, so long as the new complement
of 14
continuing faculty (12 graduate faculty plus 2 senior lecturers) isn't reduced by
retirements. Meanwhile, the department should consider putting on more graduate
seminars even at the short term cost of putting on some 200-300 level classes less
frequently.
RECOMMENDATION:
So long as the graduate programme remains at its current size,
current faculty members should be replaced, upon retirement, to maintain a continuing
faculty complement
of 14.
12
RECOMMENDATION:
The department should ensure that some of the additional
capacity its expected new faculty members bring is devoted to graduate level seminars, so
that each major term 3-4 cross listed
400/800
level seminars are offered, and 2 in the
summer tenn, in addition to the pro seminar and 2 pure graduate joint seminars with UBC.
RECOMMENDATION:
The department should institute one or other rule: (1) a faculty
member may offer only one graduate student directed reading
per year OR (2) a graduate
student may take no more than one directed reading in the course
of his or her
programme.
We recognize how last minute contingencies can affect graduate offerings and thus think
it appropriate for exceptions to be made occasionally to these last two recommendations.
Graduate instruction also serves a valuable role in fostering faculty research projects, and
the assignment
of graduate courses should be made with this in mind, as well as helping
graduate and senior undergraduates satisfy their requirements.
RECOMMENDATION:
On an annual or bi-annual basis, the Chair should formally solicit
suggestions from graduate faculty for
800 and
400/800
level assignments, and make
decisions in consultation with the Graduate and Undergraduate Chairs, with input from
the Department Manager concerning scheduling and time tabling issues.
We also think that these recommendations should make it unnecessary for graduate
students to take more than the one
300 level class they are currently permitted, unless
they are clearly
"qualifying" students needing extra course work for their M.A, and think
that these classes shouldn't
be turned into "directed readings" courses.
These recommendations would go far to resolve what we see as the main issue
concerning faculty teaching workload and equity
in the department.
(li) Supervisory Load and Reward
A less important issue, but a more difficult one to solve, concerns extra to load
supervisions and differences in the numbers of supervisions. Sometimes, students may be
unaware
of supervisory possibilities in the department, and here the Graduate Chair may
advise students. However, there will always be differences in supervision in universities--
-reflecting a number
of factors, such as research prominence, charisma, the variable
interest and trendiness
of research areas, etc.---and students, ultimately, must be free to
choose their supervisor.
In
universities with more than a 2-2 load, some of this extra
work can be recognized with formalized procedures for course reduction, but part of the
J.s.
justification for a 2-2 load is the recognition that graduate supervision is part of the
normal responsibility
of graduate faculty in research intensive universities.
13
Nonetheless, differences in supervisory load can and should be recognized over time by
the Chair,
ceteris paribus,
in cumulative increment recommendations or adjustments to
teaching, looking back
at the record of a few years, but without formal rules.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Graduate Chair should advise students about possibilities of
supervision for their research project, while recognizing that (normally) students (and
supervisors) must be free to make these decisions
RECOMMENDATION:
The Department Chair should undertake to recognize
extraordinary supervisory duties
or other teaching duties over time, all other things being
equal, in increment recommendations or occasional adjustments to teaching load.
(iii)
Graduate Student Funding and Workload
Concerns were raised in the Self-Study and by graduate students about graduate student
funding, and teaching assistants expressed concern to
us about their tutor workload.
However, we note that the
per term rates cited by graduate students (roughly $3000 plus
tuition) seemed roughly equivalent to that provided
by UWO and U of A and other
Canadian universities to their M.A. students---but
not to their Ph.D. students. (Moreover,
M.A. students in some Canadian universities with large Ph.D. programmes receive
limited funding.) However, cost
of living in Vancouver may make the rates inadequate in
ways
we are not able to judge.
The more striking concern for graduate students thus was tutor workload, especially for
writing intensive, W, courses.
The number of tutorial students whom teaching assistants
were responsible for marking
per term seemed to be in the range of 50-60 students, which
is higher than that for section leaders at
UWO or U of A. However, it does seem SFU
students are contractually required to work 15 hours per week as opposed to the 9-10
hours at UWO or U of A. We take this to be an issue for contractual negotiations
between the
SFU graduate student association and SFU administration and thus beyond
our purvIew.
Students seemed unclear
how many hours they were supposed to be working. They were
convinced they were working many more hours than the
210 per semester for which they
were paid. They also said they were afraid to formally complain since
they'd be
complaining to the people who would decide whether they
got a T A-ship the next
semester.
Obviously this is not a happy situation. However, faculty members teaching the
W courses were not convinced that TAs worked more than 210 hours a semester. Faculty
told us that TAs were given log books in which to record their hours and that they
expected students to let
them know when they were close to running out of hours. Yet,
none of the students we talked to actually kept track of their hours.
RECOMMENDATION:
Graduate students must be required to log the hours they work as
a T A to see whether
or not they are working more than the 210 hours so that instructors
and the Graduate Chair
may monitor workload.
14
(iv) Times to Completion, Programmes, and Funding Mix
What is clear is that teaching assistant duties lead students to take 2 courses per term
typically, rather than three, as a result of which their M.A. degree takes more than a year,
even when they are not in the thesis stream, and in some cases cases, more than two.
At
first, this struck us as defeating the point of a non.thesis M.A. stream. However, we were
convinced by faculty members and officers of the reasonableness of taking a second year
for a M.A., even without a thesis, as a way of putting students in a strong position for
further Ph.D. studies in other departments. Moreover, if students usually take only two
courses
per term, the department needs to offer fewer graduate seminars each term to
provide students with adequate choice. (Three to four cross listed seminars together with
one or two pure grad seminars, plus the pro-seminar, should be plenty.)
Yet, we do think the department should perhaps recognize more strongly that the M.A. in
Canada often plays an important role in professional education as a stepping stone to
careers outside academe.
(Of course, the proposed Surrey M.A. programmes in
professional ethics clearly recognize this role.) Moreover, for these students, among
others, a thesis might be desirable as an indication of the ability to carry out research in
public service or government, for example.
The problem
of students taking more than two years to complete a M.A. is aggravated by
the limited availability of teaching assistantships over the summer. The department needs
to find a better mix of support from teaching assistantships, scholarships, and, especially
research assistantships, while recognizing that teaching assistantships will remain the
chief source of support, given the limitations of SSHRC funding for Philosophy
According to senior administration, the awarding
of university fellowships to
departments takes into account a number
of factors: (a) total enrolment (b) the degree to
which student programmes contain a significant research component, as part of the SFU
goal of being a research intensive university (c) times to completion, and (d) meeting
modest enrolment increase targets.
It
is important that the department takes these
considerations into account in its graduate programmes,
but we also think it feasible for it
to do so while maintaining the overall character and vitality
of its programmes.
RECOMMENDATION:
The department (especially its Graduate Chair) should monitor
graduate student programmes, and mentor students appropriately, to ensure that M.A.
students take no more than 2 years to complete their programmes
RECOU\1ENDATION:
The department should set a target for students supported by
SSHRC research assistantships, e.g. 3.4, depending on the number of graduate faculty,
recognizing that this figure
is subject to fluctuation, and seek to direct RA funding and
scholarships to students over the summer when possible.
RECOMMENDATION'
The department should ensure that graduate student programmes
contain a research component that satisfies university expectations for significant
research project, whether a Thesis stream or a M.A. Project stream ..
:11.
15
Finally, the Ph.D. programme is well thought out and allows for considerable individual
attention, appropriate to a small programme. However, it does strike us that it could be
streamlined in ways that hastened times to completion.
For example, the department
might consider requiring only six courses (rather than seven) beyond graduate courses
previously taken for graduate credit at the M.A. level or equivalent. In addition, two
attempts at each
of three comprehensive examinations, and four for the Dissertation
Prospectus, seems to allow for a very long programme. (This concern may be more
potential than actual, and the Department may have a better sense
of this than we do.)
RESEARCH
(i) Research Areas, Strengths, and Potential Directions
The department identifies three areas in which research is concentrated currently: (a)
cognitive science related;
(b) history; and (c) value theory.
It
should be noted that there
are existing and potential connections across these areas that enhance them as defining
Joci
for this department, for instance, in moral psychology and topics in the history and
philosophy
of science. In addition, history and value theory are generally recognized as
essential areas of teaching and research in good philosophy departments. History figures
less often than value theory as an area of particular strength. However, the solid research
of faculty here make it a genuine pillar of the department and puts SFU in a position to
achieve some distinction in this regard.
Philosophy at
SFU also has an important history of work in cognitive science. Among
other things, the Cognitive Science programme was founded
by a member of the
department, and Akins' expertise and potential was acknowledged by the substantial
Mcdonnell Centennial award that has benefited
SFU enormously in terms of graduate
student support, visiting speakers, visiting professorships, and research connections with
other universities.
However, various factors have conspired to weaken the connections to Cognitive
Science, including departures and health problems. In addition, faculty on the ground in
this area have not been very active in research in recent years.
As a consequence, the
department
is not now in a position to provide leadership in the area, and the description
of it as an area of current research strength is no longer as valid as it once was, We
believe that, as Philosophy moves forward, this area should be redefined as
"metaphysics/epistemology plus"---- broadly construed to include the philosophy of
cognitive science, philosophy of science, philosophy of language, and philosophy of
mind-- and it should be targeted as an area to be solidified and enhanced.
RECOMMENDATION: The Department should reconstrue its historic area
of strength
as 'metaphysics/epistemology plus' and target it as an area to be solidified and enhanced.
There are three reasons for this recommendation. (1) With this reconstrual, the
department's profile becomes more consonant with the view held by many philosophers
that strong departments are those with active faculty in Metaphysics and Epistemology.
(2) At the same time, however, with cognitive science as a prominent aspect
of the area,
16
the department remains in a position to provide substantial support to Cognitive Science
now and to reclaim its leadership role
in cognitive science in future years. Finally, (3) the
recent appointment
of Holly Anderson, who works on the causal structure of conscious
agency, and the possible appointment
of Bence Nanay, whose research is on perception,
opens the door to developing a cohort
of faculty whose work on certain aspects of
knowledge, action, and mind overlaps, extends to other areas of strength in the
department, and gives SFU a distinctive identity.
In particular, the importance of
questions about the foundations and methodology of cognitive science link it to
philosophy
of science in profitable ways, and, in addition to the fact that Nanay's interests
in perception could complement that
of Akins and Hahn, Nanay applies his research on
this topic to issues in aesthetics, giving the department a resource that it does not
presently have.
RECOMMENDATION:
We thus encourage the department to capitalize on the
opportunity to recruit Nanay, without wishing to specify
how this area be built, in the
thought that severe constraints
on university resources make it important to act
strategically, as long as the candidate has a strong research profile and fits well, as Nanay
appears to do, and encourage the university to grant the department a position, preferably
upgraded, in 'epistemology/metaphysics+'
if the targeted hire ofNanay fails.
Moral philosophy is
an area of considerable research strength at Simon Fraser University,
with three philosophers working in his area. Zimmerman is a senior scholar with a solid
and steady record
of publication over a long period who works centrally in meta-ethics
and theories
of free will and moral responsibility and whose work is well known to other
scholars in ethics.
SFU also has two mid career scholars. Black works in social and
political philosophy,
and the history of ethics and political philosophy, as well as in
ethics, and has a book length project on reasons to
be moral. Tiffany works on human
agency and reasons to
be moral and a book length project in that area. With the
pUblication
of both books, SFU will establish itself as an important centre of research in
ethics. Given the overlapping areas
of research interest by these mid career scholars, they
might consider submitting a
joint application to SSHRC for research funding.
The overlap
of the work of all three ethics researchers with the work of colleagues in
philosophy
of mind and moral psychology is a real strength of the department. As well,
Shapiro's interests in feminist philosophy connects her teaching and research interests to
the ethics stream. The links here might
be developed further, should retirements occur,
with an appointment in the history
of ethics. In addition, an already slotted spousal hire
in three years (Begby) works in the field
of communicative ethics and draws on
philosophy
of mind and language to connect to traditions in continental ethics and
political philosophy tradition. This will broaden further the department's research (and
teaching strengths)
in the area of ethics broadly construed, as well as adding to its
strength in moral psychology. These are potentially exciting developments.
One area in which the department lacks strength in ethics is in normative ethics proper.
However, the university recently hired an ethicist (Snyder) in the faculty
of health
sciences with a Ph.D. in Philosophy and publications in leading applied ethics journals---
Black from Philosophy was on the hiring committee. Snyder's research
on the nature of
ethical obligations to vulnerable populations broadens SFUs expertise in ethics
considerably, and his connections with Philosophy should be strengthened for both his
benefit and that
of the Department.
17
RECOMMENDATION:
The Department should seek to have Snyder cross appointed to
Philosophy so as to be available to work with Philosophy graduate students, and explore
the possibility
of having Snyder teach a cross listed graduate seminar to enhance
offerings for philosophy graduate students at
SFU and UBC.
This strength in ethics allows
SFU to bring something of considerable value to graduate
level cooperation with the philosophy department
ofUBC. Ethics is central to a graduate
level education
in our discipline, and currently UBC is not in a position to offer ethics
courses,
or supervision in ethics, to its doctoral students. Moreover, it puts Philosophy in
a strong position to contribute to research and teaching initiatives across campus that
involve normative ethical and political issues.
RECOMMENDATION:
The department should consider ways to develop its strength in
ethics further, both for
its ability to contribute to university wide teaching and
interdisciplinary research initiatives, and as a way
of developing an area which is
underrepresented
in
UBCs philosophy department, as the UBC Chair independently
confinns.
Black, we note, put considerable effort in developing a plan for developing applied ethics
at the
Surrey campus of SFU, including novel M. A. programmes
in
professional ethics.
We applaud his work in this area and were sorry to hear that those plans have been
shelved in the current financial climate.
Should funding re-emerge for this plan, we
encourage the department to follow through.
The department has recently gained considerable research strength and profile in the
History
of Philosophy, in particular ancient philosophy and early modern philosophy,
with two scholars (Macpherran,
Shapiro) who have very strong records of well placed
publication and international conference participation. Although the history
of philosophy
may never be an area where most graduate students will be doing their primary research,
SFU's profile in this area should over time increase the number of applicants wanting to
work in this area. Moreover, instruction in the history of philosophy is widely regarded as
essential for a strong undergraduate and graduate education.
In
addition, strength in the
history
of philosophy will put Philosophy in a position to engage with other units in the
university concerned with cultural history, including the history
of science, and issues
about cross-cultural understanding.
RECOMMENDATION:
The department should capitalize on its research strength in the
history
of philosophy by adding a position in this area, when retirements permit, that
complements current strength in the history
of philosophy, as well as other strengths in
the department, e.g. a position in the history
of ethics perhaps.
Finally,
we applaud the Chair's efforts to secure funding for a Chair in Asian Philosophy,
and hope the department and university continue
to pursue possibilities here in the future.
30.
18
(ti)
Research Grants and Funding
Research in philosophy centres largely on the individual researcher and single authorship,
albeit in conversation with colleagues inside and outside one's department and university,
and in critically testing
one's ideas at colloquia and conferences, and will continue to do
so. Nonetheless,
SFU has a striking history of co-publication and joint research with
departmental colleagues and with colleagues elsewhere, as well as collaborative research
grants (e.g. Jennings, Akins). With respect to interdisciplinary research, the philosophy
department has genuine ambitions and potential in this area but given how thin the
current faculty ,are spread, it may be difficult for the department to make good on all its
ambition and potential.
Akins' Mcdonnell Fellowship is especially striking for its size and its ability
to enhance
the research environment at
SFU, despite a rather small official departmental visiting
speaker budget.
RECOMMENDATION:
The university and department should seek to boost the Visiting
Speaker budget at SFU to $6000 per year, when fmances permit.
Nonetheless, the McDonnell was not only unusually lucrative grant for a philosopher,
it
is winding down, and SSHRC will have to become the main source of external funding
for conferences, individual research, and interaction with colleagues from other
universities, as well as graduate research assistants. The Department's record with
SSHRC Standard Research grants is good by national standards, with two of9 or 10
eligible graduate faculty holding SSHRCs, with a further application pending. This is a
sign
of the regard with which these faculty member's research is held outside the
university, but nonetheless, given
SFU's reputation, SFU's record could reasonably be
better. What matters here
isn't the value of awards---the character of most philosophical
research means that
it
rarely requires expensive equipment or teams of research
assistants, and granting agencies can hardly be expected to be fooled by "padded"
requests ---but what does matter is the
number
of such awards held in the department.
RECOMA1ENDATION:
The Department should set itself a target for SSHRC Standard
Research Grants at any given time, e.g.
113
of graduate faculty, recognizing the
contingencies of success.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Chair should clearly indicate to new faculty members
departmental expectations that they apply for
SSHRC grants, including funds, where
feasible, for graduate research assistants, workshops, etc., as well as grant holder travel
and research costs.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Chair should ask successful applicants to mentor new
applicants.
(iii) Research Productivity and Reward
Finally, we note that though some researchers have continued to be highly productive, the
overa111evels
of publication and international conference participation seem to have
3f.
19
tailed
off somewhat over the past four or five years. Doubtless, there are complicated
reasons for this, some
of which were relayed to us. Nonetheless, it is a disturbing
development, especially in the case of mid career faculty whose earlier records were quite
impressive, and was raised as an issue with us by many faculty members, including ones
who were critical
of their own efforts. There are no easy answers here, and restored
faculty numbers with promised hires over the next few years, the end
of the time
consuming process
of first year curriculum development, and some of the workload
recommendations made above, may help. Nonetheless, we make a number of further
suggestions.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Department should undertake to form a plan, under the
guidance of its Chair, laying out what it want to do and be in five years, with reference to
which individual faculty members may reinvigorate their careers.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Chair should make clear to new faculty members
expectations
of research in a research intensive university, and mentor---or appoint
mentors---appropriately.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Chair, with the support of the Dean, should use the
increment system, if this isn't already done, to reward research that exceeds expectations,
as well as indicating with increment recommendations less than I where research over a
period
of time doesn't meet expectations, even when the overall performance in other
areas
is clearly satisfactory or better; and, in the case of some department members, if
research activity has been lacking for a considerable period of time, the Chair should
consider suggesting a change to a more teaching intensive workload.
ADMINISTRATION
The Department has two non-academic staff ---a department secretary and a department
manager --both of whom are busy but neither of whom complained of being overworked
or in need of assistance---except perhaps for some temporary help during the fITSt week
of term. Faculty members and students seemed satisfied with computing and library
resources. Discussion with SFU Library staff confirmed that library support for research
and teaching in Philosophy was strong.
Students and faculty praised the department manager for his efficiency, his knowledge of
department and university rules and regulations, and his ability to answer administrative
questions promptly and correctly.
However, there seemed to be some misunderstanding about the role
of the department
manager. For example, some faculty members seemed to think that only the department
manager, not faculty student advisors, had access to student files, and others seemed to
think that the department manager was in charge
of determining course offerings. On
examination, it was determined that faculty advisors had the primary responsibility for
academic advising, and the Chair determines course offerings. We were also struck by
the students' perception of the extent to which the department manager has responsibility
for scheduling classes, advising, and other aspects
of the life of the department that affect
32..
20
them. They seem to accept this as a matter of course, although there also seemed to be
some discomfort here. Again, other evidence indicated that the students' view should be
qualified. Nonetheless, it is clear that the department manager identifies with the
department and expresses views about its academic directions that are ordinarily outside
the scope
ofa manager's responsibilities, and this may have encouraged students' view
that the manager's role in the department is atypically large, and created some
discomfort.
RECOMMENDATION:
Responsibility for student advising and course offerings ought to
be made clear to students and faculty members.
During the course
of our review, we spent a lot oftime using the department's website.
While generally attractive and easy to use, some aspects
of the website need revision. The
department's status as a research intensive department, competing for the best
MA
students, would be enhanced by keeping its website up to date. For example, the website,
under
"Employment", lists a faculty position with an application deadline of November
2008 that has since been filled, and the link to research papers by faculty members
includes only papers
by Swartz and Bradley, two long retired faculty members. Finally,
most faculty members
don't seem to have their own websites, on-line CVs, or links to
papers and publications. This might make it difficult for potential grad students to find
out more about the people they will
be working with or taking classes from.
RECOMMENDATION: The Department should revise its webpage and keep it up to
date, under the direction
of the department manager.
The department has a large number
of committees, though no more than most philosophy
departments, and a large number
of administrative tasks to be performed by faculty
members within the department. The most onerous departmental administrative task after
department Chair is that
of Graduate Chair, and we were surprised that there is no course
reduction for that job, especially
in the light of the substantial increase, and current size,
of the programme.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Graduate Chair should be given course release of one
semester course
per year (for a 2-1 load).
In
addition, some department members have been active in administrative work for the
university as a whole, e.g. in planning for the Surrey campus.
In
the past few years,
thanks to sick leaves
and other absences, administrative responsibilities have likely been
onerous
on remaining faculty. There seemed to be some feeling that administrative duties
weren't recognized in faculty evaluation, as there seemed to be some feeling that teaching
wasn't recognized.
RECOMMENDATION:
Just as outstanding teaching demonstrated over a substantial
period
oftime (e.g. three to four years), even in the absence ofteaching awards, should
be recognized cumulatively in increment recommendations, so administrative service that
is well over and beyond the norm should be recognized cumulatively, when it
isn't
otherwise compensated for.
33.
21
There also seemed to be some frustration expressed at the time spent in committee
meetings, even in the normal course
of affairs. This is common in small and medium
sized departments. However, to some degree, the problem at SFU seems to be somewhat
self-imposed, the result
of a longstanding departmental culture at SFU, indeed an
institutional culture across
SFU, emphasizing a highly democratized, bottom-up, decision
making process, and the need for consensus, that isn't content to trust the Chair and other
administrative officers with most decision making.
ENVIROMl1ENT AND ATMOSPHERE
Faculty members seem to feel themselves under considerable stress. Some faculty
members even give the impression that they have lost confidence in their ability to solve
their problems as a department, even
if they haven't lost confidence in themselves. Part
of the problem seems to be a lack of transparency about procedures and decision making,
e.g. concerning course scheduling, who has access to files, whether teaching and
administrative service are taken into account in incrementation, or even whether research
is. Even
if in some cases this is simply inexplicable ignorance of longstanding practice,
there is a problem here for the Chair to address.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Chair should seek to make clear to department members the
principles at work in decisions at the departmental level, routine and otherwise, that
affect all members
of the department.
Faculty members also seem to feel squeezed between two conflicting demands from
senior administration: an apparent need to increase the size
of the graduate programme
and the need to increase the amount
of service teaching they do to support graduate
students with teaching assistantships, despite cutbacks that limit growth in faculty
numbers and growth in funds for tutors. We aren't convinced that senior administration in
fact expects a department like Philosophy, which is highly efficient in its undergraduate
teaching and has grown its graduate programme considerably in recent years,
to continue
to grow significantly. Moreover, we have made some suggestions, e.g. about
SSHRC
supported research assistantships, that would increase its graduate student support
without increasing its undergraduate numbers and allow some modest growth in the
graduate programme. In any case, it would be good for the morale
of the department for
senior administrators to
m~e
their expectations clear to ordinary faculty members, either
directly or through department administrators.
Although faculty all feel overburdened due to colleagues on sick leave and parental leave,
as well as diminished faculty numbers, we note that, for the most part, the actual
individual faculty work load is well within the normal range for Canadian research
universities. A 2-2 teaching
load, consisting of large classes in which all the marking is
done
by T As and of classes marked by the instructor that are
in
the 20-40 student range,
should be manageable, and is comparable to that in many other large public institutions.
What is important for department morale, however,
is that faculty members feel that there
is relative equity in the distribution
of course assignments, and that outstanding service
in
teaching or administration over the long run, all other things being equal, is recognized
3Cf.
22
eventually in incrementation, even
if not on a biannual basis. What is crucial here is
arriving at some idea
of normal expectations of teaching for faculty in terms of numbers
of students and kinds of classes, and equivalences when varied,
in
terms of which the
Chair can make clear to faculty members that course assignments are being made on an
equitable basis.
We have made some recommendations above in discussing
undergraduate teaching.
Nonetheless, what is clear is that many faculty members are burdened with directed study
courses and extra to load seminars to an extent that is unacceptable in a research intensive
university. These courses currently play an important role
in the graduate programme,
but they are an unsustainable relic of a much smaller graduate programme, and faculty
members need to rethink how many they teach and how many students can take. We have
made some suggestions to that effect above in discussing graduate teaching.
On one matter, the department was unanimously positive, the senior lecturers. They do
much
of the department's undergrad teaching and are much respected by students and
faculty members. Both of them are skilled and enthusiastic teachers, and valuable
contributors to department administration, and, indeed, to university wide administration.
Nonetheless, senior lecturers are
not the norm in research intensive philosophy
departments with graduate programmes. The more people who are around not doing
research, the harder it can
be to handle graduate level teaching and maintain a research
intensive atmosphere. As well, lecturers themselves are often people who want to be
doing research,
or who are doing research, and take these teaching-only positions because
they are all that is available. This can lead to resentment as well. Neither
of the current
senior lecturers feel this way, but with different personnel the situation might change.
RECOMMENDATION:
As Senior Lecturers retire, the Department should consider
replacing them with regular tenure track faculty members.
We heard the phrase "disrespect" many times, more than a dozen, in our interviews about
departmental atmosphere. Tension between senior colleagues has affected the interactions
between all of the colleagues in philosophy. For example, many people seem not to work
in the department, arrive only to teach and then leave,
or work with their doors closed.
We understand there might be reasons, sometimes longstanding, for conflicts in the
department, and clearly these conflicts
haven't undermined the department's ability
altogether to engage
in
joint research, administrative tasks, and new departmental
initiatives
in
teaching. However, managing them, if not dissolving them, and securing
the department's confidence in its ability to solve issues it faces
will be a major task for
the incoming Chair.
Nonetheless, it should be noted that, during the course
of our visit, we encountered no
concerns about discrimination
or disrespect toward women
in
the department from
faculty or students, despite
our raising the issue on several occasions. The ratio of women
among undergraduates is about average for Canadian departments, and that among
graduate students a bit below average, although it has been higher in the past and is
highly subject to annual variations in the acceptance
of offers. The department should
consider ways to increase further its numbers for female students, although it should be
3S'".
23
recognized, in the light of the national patterns, this is easier said than done. What bears
emphasis, however, is that the department has a ratio
of women among continuing faculty
(4
of 12) that, while subject to improvement, exceeds the Canadian average for
philosophy departments (22.6%, according to CAUT figures), and provides enough
critical mass to help create a good climate for women around the department.
IV PARTICULAR ISSUES WE WERE ASKED TO COMMENT ON:
A: An evaluation of faculty teaching loads in relation to the Department's
expanding undergraduate and graduate programs; advice on how to maintain
equity in the areas of TA supervision, thesis supervision, directed studies, committee
work, and manage stress in the face of constrained resources:
We have addressed these issues, sometimes at length, in the sections on Undergraduate
Programmes and Teaching, Graduate
Programme and Teaching, and Environment and
Atmosphere, with recommendations.
B. An evaluation of the undergraduate programme, particular with respect to
future recruitment and retention of majors/minors, and the feasibility of using a
mentorship programme for majors, using faculty and alumni.
We addressed the undergraduate programme, including issues of recruitment and
retention in the section on Undergraduate Programmes and Teaching, and made some
suggestions concerning invitations to outstanding students and academic faculty advising.
No one discussed the mentorship programme with
us, although faculty mentoring (seven
students per faculty member, roughly) is an idea worth thinking about. We suspect it
might be much appreciated by undergraduates, so long as it is well understood that the
mentoring is strictly academic. (Faculty members lack qualifications in broader
counseling, and engaging in such counselling could get them and the university into legal
problems.) Even
so, faculty members sometimes get confused about exact degree
requirements, so that the mentoring system would still require majors to check with
department and university administrators. We suspect that alumni mentoring is
impractical.
C. An evaluation of the graduate programme, particularly with respect to
maintaining and improving quality, the numbers and kinds of course offerings, and
the assignment of supervisors.
We addressed these issues in the section on Graduate Programme and Teaching.
D. An assessment of the research strengths of the Department and suggestions
regarding possible new strategies or initiatives for the future.
We addressed these issues in the section on Research.
E. Advice on how to maintain and strength ties with SFU's Cognitive Science
programme.
3(P.
24
We addressed this issue in the section on Research.
F.
An
Evaluation of the Planned SFU Surrey Programmes
There was little discussion of the Surrey Philosophy programme
t
chiefly because it has
been put on hold indefmitely. We find the M.A. programme in professional and applied
ethics innovative and well thought out, and the certificate programme a good idea. The
Surrey programme is a unique opportunity to add substantially to the SFU Philosophy
faculty complement, which the Department was correct to seize on. The Department
should ensure that,
if Surrey goes ahead, that Surrey faculty are integrated with Burnaby
faculty, and participate in the graduate programme. With the added faculty members
Surrey would bring, the Department might wish to consider increasing its
Ph.D.
emolment again.
Team Members:
Samantha Brennan, Chair, Department of Philosophy, University of Western Ontario,
Mark Rollins,
Chair
t
Department of Philosophy, Washington University in St. Louis,
Bruce Hunter,
Chair
t
Department of Philosophy, University of Alberta