Division of Academic Affairs
Annual Reports 2009-2010
Academic Departments
(and Other Units to Which Student Learning Outcomes Pertain)
Annual reports for units in the Division of Academic Affairs are to be posted to the Annual
Report section of the unit’s strategic planning site on UPIC according to the following schedule:



Academic departments/divisions:
Colleges and other units:
Division of Academic Affairs:
Wednesday, June 30
Wednesday, July 21
Wednesday, August 11
For questions related to the UPIC site contact Keith King at kcking@uwf.edu.
An electronic copy should also be forwarded to the Office of Academic Affairs
(academicaffairs@uwf.edu)
PART I
Part I-SP, Summary Report on Status of Strategic Planning Goals/Objectives
To be completed by all units. See attached template for Part I-SP.
To be completed only by academic departments:
Go to Part I-ALC/ALP/AFP, Summary Report on Assessment of Student Learning
Undergraduate Programs:
Academic Learning Compacts (ALCs)
Graduate Programs:
Academic Learning Plans (ALPs)
General Education:
Academic Foundation Plans (AFPs)
PART II
Part II-A, Major Unit Accomplishments and Changes in Programs and Services
To be completed by all units. See attached template for Part II-A.
Part II-B, Distinguished Individual Accomplishments
To be completed by all units. See attached template for Part II-B.
Part II-C, Community Engagement Activities with Participation on Behalf of UWF
To be completed by all units. See attached template for Part II-C.
Annual Report, 2009-2010
2
PART III
Part III-A, Strategic Planning Goals/Objectives
To be completed by all units. See attached template for Part III-A.
Part III-B, New Degree Program Projections
To be completed only by the Dean for the college-level annual report. See attached
template for
Part III-B.
Annual Report, 2009-2010
3
Annual Report, 2009-2010
Department/Division: Philosophy and Religious Studies
College:
Arts and Sciences
Part I-SP, Summary Report on Status of Strategic Planning Goals/Objectives
Program/Function/Service
Strategic
Goal/Objectivea
Philosophy
Hire an Ethicist
Philosophy
Establish
Environmental
Philosophy and
Environmental
Ethics as a
departmental
“signature”
Annual Report, 2009-2010
Related
UWF
Strategic
Goal b
5a
1a,4f
Method of
Assessment
Job Search
Successfully
Completed
Recognition of
the Department
as high caliber
in
Environmental
Philosophy and
Environmental
Ethics by (in
successive
order over
time) UWF
community,
local
community,
and regional
and national
universities
Summary of
Assessment
Resultscd
Use of Assessment
Results to Improve
Program/Function/Servicee
Not achieved
N/A
Dr. Lawrence
Howe’s presented
on environmental
ethics at UWF
Earth Day
Symposium on
Campus. bringing
recognition to
Department in
campus, local, and
regional
community
N/A
4
Religious Studies
offering
graduate
programs in
Environmental
Philosophy and
Environmental
Ethics
Job Search
Successfully
Completed
Hire a Religious
5a
Not achieved
N/A
Studies Faculty
Member with a
Specialization in
World Religions
(esp. Islam)
a
From unit’s 2009-2010 strategic or action plan. Add lines as necessary.
b
Insert Focus/Goal number/letter from the UWF Strategic Priorities and Measurable Achievements, 2008-2012.
c
Data/information used to determine goal/objective status.
d
Can comment on status of goal as “met,” “not met,” or “in progress.”
e
Describe decisions made based on assessment results to improve program
Annual Report, 2009-2010
5
Annual Report, 2009-2010
Department/Division: Philosophy and Religious Studies
College:
Arts and Sciences
Part I-ALC/ALP/AFP, Summary Report on Assessment of Student Learning
Undergraduate Programs:
Academic Learning Compacts (ALC)
Graduate Programs:
Academic Learning Plans (ALP)
General Education:
Academic Foundation Plans (AFP)
To be completed by academic units offering degree programs or general education.
I-ALC Undergraduate Programs: For Each Program
See attached TEMPLATE
I-ALP Graduate Programs: For Each Program
See attached TEMPLATE
I-AFP Academic Foundations: General Education Status: For Each Course Assessed
To be completed by academic units offering one or more courses in General Studies /
Academic Foundations. Submit a report for each course in which assessment activities
for General Studies/Academic Foundations took place in 2009-2010.
See attached TEMPLATE
Annual Report, 2009-2010
6
Part I-ALC, Summary Report on Assessment, Academic Learning Compacts (ALC)
Program Titlea: Philosophy and Religious Studies Degreeb B.A. CIP Code:38.0101/38.0201
aPrepare
bFor


separate summary table for each degree program.
example, BA, BS, BSBA
Based on direct measures of student learning in the domain(s) your department assessed,
compare your students’ performance this year to their performance last year.
Duplicate this section when reporting assessments for more than one domain for a given
program.
Indicate the student learning outcome assessed (check one):
Content
Communication
x
Critical
Thinking
Integrity/Values
Project
Management
Other (describe)
Based on departmental assessments, student learning in this domain was (check one):
Worse than last year
Equivalent to last year
x
Slightly better than last year
Moderately better than last year
Dramatically better than last year
Cannot be compared (this is the first year for this assessment)
Describe the direct measure(s) used to assess student learning in this domain (e.g., answers to
questions included on an exam, performance on a paper or project scored with a rubric, etc.).
Include information about any additional measures used to assess learning outcomes in this
domain.
Capstone Project, generally a research paper of length ~15 pages, embedded within a
course of the student’s choosing, covering topics that span and integrate several course
areas. Paper scored with a rubric and with comments from instructor directing project.
If you observed changes in student performance on this measure when comparing the two years,
briefly describe (in one or two sentences) the nature of these changes.
Assessment committee, Dr. Brian Hood and Dr. Nicholas Power, met to review the
assessment data points collected in 2009-10 in the form of nine “capstone research papers”
and found only one third of them to have exceeded expectations, a middle third having met
them, and with the remaining three failing to meet expectations in regard to the plan’s
main student learning outcome, viz. "describe the content of major philosophers."
Use of Assessment Data for Making Decisions. Describe the process used in your department
to evaluate assessment evidence and make decisions (include dates of relevant department
meetings if known). Describe the decisions made to improve student learning in your program.
Describe how these decisions are related to the assessment evidence collected by your
department.
Dr. Power met with Dr. Claudia Stanny back in the fall to discuss preliminary problems
Annual Report, 2009-2010
7
PRS was seeing with the nature of the embedded exercise used to asses our student learning
outcomes. Later in the spring, Dr. Jane Halonen and Dr. Stanny met with the Department
separately to discuss the deficits of assessment plan and activities. The problems regarding
the embedded exercise and the capstone course were highlighted and possible alternatives
to the Capstone course assessment plan discussed. None of these options were fully vetted
and more discussion of these is required.
Use of Assessment Data for Improvement of Assessment Procedures. Describe any changes
made to assessment methods. Explain the relation between these changes and the information
obtained from previous assessments.
The assessment committee proposes that the Department meet in the early fall to finalize
necessary changes to the assessment plan.
Describe the Department’s Commitment to Assessment Activities in 2010-2011
Domain(s) to be examined from department’s multi-year assessment plan in 2010-2011
To be determined in fall 2010 meeting.
Assessment question(s) to be addressed in 2010-2011
To be determined in fall 2010 meeting.
Annual Report, 2009-2010
8
I-ALP. Graduate Programs - To be completed by academic units offering graduate degree
programs.
Annual Report, 2009-2010
Department/Division Philosophy and Religious Studies
College:
Arts and Sciences
Part I-ALP, Summary Report on Assessment, Academic Learning Plans (ALP)
Program Titlea: Humanities Interdisciplinary_____ Degreeb MA__CIP Code: N/A_________

Former graduate program, Humanities Interdisciplinary MA, had been suspended,
with no new admissions as of fall 2007. Removal of the program from all catalog and
web listings was achieved in spring 2008. Final approval of removal by BOG was
made in June 2009. Therefore, the following sections have not been completed.
aPrepare
bFor

separate summary table for each degree program.
example, MA, MS, M.Ed., Ed.D.
Based on direct measures of student learning in the Academic Foundations domain(s)
your department assessed, compare your students’ performance this year to their
performance last year. Duplicate this section when reporting assessments for more than
one domain for a given program.
Indicate the student learning outcome assessed (check one):
Content
Communication
Critical Thinking
Integrity/Values
Project
Management
Other (describe)
Based on departmental assessments, student learning in this domain was (check one):
Worse than last year
Equivalent to last year
Slightly better than last year
Moderately better than last year
Dramatically better than last year
Cannot be compared (this is the first year for this assessment)
Describe the direct measure(s) used to assess student learning in this domain (e.g., answers to
questions included on an exam, performance on a paper or project scored with a rubric, etc.).
Include information about any additional measures used to assess learning in this domain.
If you observed changes in student performance on this measure when comparing the two years,
briefly describe (in one or two sentences) the nature of these changes.
Annual Report, 2009-2010
9
Use of Assessment Data for Making Decisions. Describe the process used in your department
to evaluate assessment evidence and make decisions (include dates of relevant department
meetings if known). Describe the decisions made to improve student learning in your program.
Describe how these decisions are related to the assessment evidence collected by your
department.
Use of Assessment Data for Improvement of Assessment Procedures. Describe any changes
made to assessment methods. Explain the relation between these changes and the information
obtained from previous assessments.
Describe the Department’s Commitment to Assessment Activities in 2010-2011
Domain(s) to be examined from the department’s multi-year assessment plan in 2010-2011
Assessment question(s) to be addressed in 2010-2011
Annual Report, 2009-2010
10
I-AFP. Academic Foundations / General Education - To be completed by academic units
offering courses related to General Studies.
Annual Report, 2009-2010
Department/Division: Philosophy and Religious Studies
College:
Arts and Sciences
Part I-AFP, Summary Report on Assessment, Academic Foundations Plan
General Studies Coursea:
 No direct measure assessment was undertaken in General Education courses this year.
In April faculty meeting, a commitment was made to devise a plan to assess gen ed.,
which will be reinitiated in 2010-2011.
aPrepare


separate summary table for each course assessed.
Departments offering Academic Foundations/General Education courses are required to
report on at least two student learning outcomes.
Based on direct measures of student learning in the domain(s) your department assessed,
compare your students’ performance this year to their performance last year. Duplicate
this section when reporting assessments for more than one domain for a given course.
Indicate the Academic Foundations learning domain assessed
(check one):
Critical Thinking
Integrity/Values
Communication
Project Management
Based on departmental assessments, student learning in this domain was (check one):
Worse than last year
Equivalent to last year
Slightly better than last year
Moderately better than last year
Dramatically better than last year
Cannot be compared (this is the first year for this assessment)
Describe the direct measure(s) used to assess student learning in this domain (e.g., answers to
questions included on an exam, performance on a paper or project scored with a rubric, etc.).
Include information about any additional measures used to assess learning in this domain.
If you observed changes in student performance on this measure when comparing the two years,
briefly describe (in one or two sentences) the nature of these changes.
Use of Assessment Data for Making Decisions. Describe the process used in your department
Annual Report, 2009-2010
11
to evaluate assessment evidence and make decisions (include dates of relevant department
meetings if known). Describe the decisions made to improve student learning in your program.
Describe how these decisions are related to the assessment evidence collected by your
department.
Use of Assessment Data for Improvement of Assessment Procedures. Describe any changes
made to assessment methods. Explain the relation between these changes and the information
obtained from previous assessments.
Describe the Department’s Commitment to Assessment Activities in 2010-2011
Domain(s) to be examined from the department’s multi-year assessment plan in 2010-2011
Assessment question(s) to be addressed in 2010-2011
Annual Report, 2009-2010
12
Annual Report, 2009-2010
Department/Division: Philosophy and Religious Studies
College:
Arts and Sciences
Part II-A, Major Unit Accomplishments and Changes in Programs and Services
List major department/division accomplishments and changes in programs and services for 20092010. (Add lines as needed.)
1. Hired Dr. Brian Hood on a stimulus hire
2. Received confirmation that Ms. June Watkins will be returning to Department in
fall 2010
3. Hired Ms. Leslie Reithmiller as a half-time office administrator
4. Continued to revise Religious Studies Program, removing outdated courses, adding
new multicultural offerings and strengthening the program’s base in traditional
courses
5. Dr. Hershel Elliott, Professor Emeritus University of Florida, was hosted on campus
at the invite of Dr. Howe
Annual Report, 2009-2010
13
Annual Report, 2009-2010
Department/Division: Philosophy and Religious Studies
College:
Arts and Sciences
Part II-B, Distinguished Individual (Faculty, Staff, and Student) Accomplishments
List college/departmental distinctions earned by faculty, staff, and students during 2009-2010.
A. Faculty
1. Promotions
2. Tenure
3. Awards
6.







Other Distinctions
Dr. Howe submitted article manuscript to Contemporary Philosophy
Dr. Howe presented at UWF Earth Day celebrations
Dr. Power completed terms as Vice President of the Faculty Senate and President of
the UFF
Dr. Power signed to co-edit the 6th edition of The Philosophy of Sex
Dr. Maina’s manuscript, The Making of an African Christian Ethics was submitted
to, and accepted for publication by, the University Press of America
Dr. Maina submitted numerous article manuscripts to journals in African
philosophy and religion
Dr. Hood presented “Realism and Operationism in Psychiatric Diagnosis” at the
Florida Philosophical Association meeting in Gainesville.
B. Staff
 Mr. Bobby Johnson, Adjunct Professor and UWF alumnus (class of 2007), has been
admitted to the Ph.D. program in Philosophy at the University of Utah. Mr.
Johnson also gave a talk entitled “Creation, Deism and Lamarckism: A Look at the
Social Climate Prior to Darwin,” at the UWF conference “Darwin and His Impact.”
C. Students

Mr. Stefan Georgi has been named awarded a Faculty Merit Scholarship in
Philosophy. In October, Mr. Georgi represented UWF and the Department of
Philosophy and Religious Studies at an environmental philosophy conference in
London, England. Mr. Georgi’s trip was co-sponsored by the SGA and the
Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies. He will be attending the
University of Miami Law School in the fall of 2010.
Annual Report, 2009-2010
14


Mr. Kaj Falls has accepted an invitation to begin graduate studies in philosophy in
the fall of 2010.
Ms. Ashlee Anne Palmer presented at two different conferences: “Mad Men:
Revamping the Problem that Has No Name” at the UWF Woman's Studies
Conference, and “A Woman’s Place: Portrayal of Women in The Leviathan” at the
SUNY Oneonta Undergraduate Philosophy Conference.
Annual Report, 2009-2010
15
Annual Report, 2009-2010
Department/Division: Philosophy and Religious Studies
College:
Arts and Sciences
Part II-C, Community Engagement Activities (Faculty, Staff, and Student)
Information about community engagement will be used to document the University’s activities
related to its service mission, to comply with a new SACS standard pertaining to community
service, and to support the University’s application for classification by the Carnegie Foundation
as a “community engagement” institution.
List all college/departmental community engagement activities with participation on behalf of
UWF by faculty, staff, and students during 2009-2010. Please include a very brief description of
the Activity, the Community Partner, and the Outcome/Impact of the activity.
Examples of community engagement activities include participation on community-based
projects, organization and/or presentation of cultural community events, faculty scholarship
related to community action, student scholarship related to community action, participation on
community organization boards, and community-based student learning activities such as service
learning projects, internships, and capstone experience projects.
Activity
A. Faculty
Lawrence Howe
Paper referee
Member
Wilson Maina
Presented paper,
“African Art: A
Religious and
Philosophical
Perspective”
Presented at UWF
Earth Day
Symposium
Judge
Annual Report, 2009-2010
Community
Partner
Outcome/Impact
Florida
Philosophical
Association
Conference
Scenic
Highway
Foundation,
City of
Pensacola
Pensacola
Museum of
Art
Community ed.
Hosted on
campus
Community ed./community
relations
Regional
Forensics
Community ed./community
relations
Community relations
Community ed./community
relations
16
Nicholas Power
Volunteered to dance
Reviewed several
submissions
B. Staff
C. Students
Annual Report, 2009-2010
Competition
“Dancing
with the
Professional
UWF Stars”
annual
fundraiser
Florida
Philosophical
Association
Annual
Meeting and
Journal
Community relations
Community ed./community
relations
17
Annual Report, 2009-2010
Department/Division: Philosophy and Religious Studies
College:
Arts and Sciences
Part III-A, Strategic Planning Goals/Objectives for _2010-2015_ (specify time frame; e.g.,
2010-2011, 2010-2015).
List strategic plan goals/objectives and planned method of assessment (if applicable).
Strategic Goal/Objectivea
Hire an Ethicist, 2011-2012
Establish Environmental Philosophy
and Environmental Ethics as a
departmental “signature”
Related UWF
Method of Assessmentc
Strategic Goalb
5a
Job Search Successfully
Completed
1a,4f
Recognition of the department
as high caliber in Environmental
Philosophy and Environmental
Ethics by (in successive order
over time) UWF community,
local community, and regional
and national universities
offering graduate programs in
Environmental Philosophy and
Environmental Ethics
5a
Job Search Successfully
Completed
Hire a Religious Studies Faculty
Member with a Specialization in World
Religions (esp. Islam), 2010-1015
Carry out successful 7 year external
1c
External reviewers report and
review
report of dean of college
a
Add lines as needed.
b
Insert Focus/Goal number/letter from the UWF Strategic Priorities and Measurable
Achievements, 2008-2012.
c
If applicable.
Annual Report, 2009-2010
18
Annual Report, 2009-2010
Department/Division: Philosophy and Religious Studies
College:
Arts and Sciences
Part III-B, New Degree Program Projections
This section to be completed only by the Dean for the college-level annual report.
NOTE: This information is shared annually with the UWF Board of Trustees and is used to
complete the Board of Governors Work Plan.
List new degree programs and specializations under consideration and planned year of
implementation.
Program Title
Level
a
New Degreeb
Yes
No
New
Specializationc
Yes
No
Implementatio
n Year
N/A
a
For example, BA, BSBA, MEd.
For degrees not currently offered as stand-alone programs; will require submission of requests
to Faculty Senate and Board of Trustees.
c
For new specializations within an existing degree program; will require submission of request to
Faculty Senate but not to Board of Trustees.
b
Annual Report, 2009-2010