Department of Philosophy
Policy on Senior Assignment
Revised September 2012
I.
The Senior Assignment provides a capstone experience for graduating seniors. In the senior year, each philosophy major, whether a first or second major, must satisfy the university graduation requirement of a senior assignment by successfully completing PHIL 480, whose goal is to engage students in independent research culminating in a substantial paper and presentation.
Students are expected to produce the sort of paper that could be submitted to conferences (such as the Undergraduate Conference held at SIUE), or as a writing sample for Philosophy graduate programs. While PHIL 480 will involve some discussion and instruction on good philosophical writing, it is not a goal of the course to teach students from scratch how to write a philosophical paper. Rather, the goals are to provide instruction and guidance on conducting independent philosophical research, to provide constructive criticism, including peer review, as the project progresses, and to provide the opportunity to engage the work of one’s peers. Students will receive a letter grade for Phil 480. As for other Philosophy courses, to count for credit toward the philosophy major the grade must be C or better. A senior assignment paper may be accepted, and a student may receive a C or better in this class, only if the course paper is free of misspellings and usage errors. While the course and the grading are fully the responsibility of the instructor, philosophy faculty members are expected to be available at least once to discuss senior assignment projects with students who contact them.
II.
The Senior Assignment, including the oral presentation, is also a tool for the internal assessment of the effectiveness of the philosophy program. To that end, on the basis of equitable distribution, if the teaching schedule permits, each faculty member will be required to attend and evaluate student presentations and to read and evaluate student papers.
On the basis of the learning objectives of the philosophy curriculum, the criteria for assessment include:
(a) Cogency of argument
(b) Clarity of expression
(c) Knowledge of issues and alternatives
(d) Accuracy of interpretation
(e) Creativity and originality of expression
The criteria are applied as follows.
 Cogency of argument:
1.
Exceeds expectations: The argument of the paper is organized well, tightly constructed, philosophically sophisticated, and plausibly valid.
2.
Satisfies expectations: The argument is clearly organized, philosophically interesting, and either plausibly valid or interestingly invalid .
3.
Does not satisfy expectations: The argument is poorly organized, loosely constructed, or uninterestingly invalid.
 Clarity of expression:
1.
Exceeds expectations: The paper is so clearly written that the philosophical points are easily grasped, as are the connections between ideas.

2.
Satisfies expectations: Meets (1) with only a few lapses.
3.
Does not satisfy expectations: The paper is written in such a way that the philosophical points are frequently obscured.
 Knowledge of issues and alternatives:
1.
Exceeds expectations: The main argument of the paper is presented in relation to the relevant literature and takes note of the major theses in dispute in the literature that bear directly on the argument. The major alternatives in each dispute are clearly and accurately identified and evaluated.
2.
Satisfies expectations: The main argument of the paper exhibits sensitivity to the disputes in the relevant literature that bear on it.
3.
Does not satisfy expectations: The main argument of the paper assumes without comment or defense a significant position that has been disputed in the relevant literature.
 Accuracy of interpretation:
1.
Exceeds expectations: Interpretations of philosophical positions fit within the standard interpretations (including emerging views that have gained substantial
 acceptance) or are justified by careful exegesis developed in the paper.
2.
Satisfies expectations: Meets (1) with only a few lapses, which don't materially affect the argument of the paper.
3.
Does not satisfy expectations: The main argument depends on interpretations that neither fit within the standard range nor are defended by careful exegesis.
Creativity or originality of expression :
1.
Exceeds expectations: The paper exhibits philosophical originality.
2.
Satisfies expectations: The paper employs original arguments, analogies, metaphors, or examples in the development of the main argument.
3.
Does not satisfy expectations: The paper relies on common analogies, metaphors, and examples in the development of the main argument--so much so that the author's own philosophical vision is not manifest.
The assessments are due to the chair within two weeks of the end of the semester during which the student presentation took place and the senior paper was completed.
III.
At the beginning of the fall term, the Chair of philosophy will appoint a faculty member to review the assessments and on that basis write a report on his/her findings about the effectiveness of the philosophy program. The faculty member will serve for the academic year.
At the end of the academic year s/he will promptly provide information to the Chair noting the number of students who exceeded, met, or failed to meet expectations in each semester.