About the Department 
Mailing
Address:
Humanities Division
Office
Western Oregon
University
345 N. Monmouth
Ave.
Monmouth, Oregon
97361 USA
Humanities Office Location: HSS 313
Humanities Office Phone:
(503) 838-8408 (Voice); (503) 838-8056
(Fax)
Faculty Members:
Dr. Ryan Hickerson, Assistant Professor
Department Head 2009-2010
Dr. Susan Daniel, Associate Professor
Dr. Ken Kirby, Adjunct Assistant Professor
General Mission Statement
The mission of the Philosophy and Religious Studies Department is, through its several programs , to do what philosophy has always done, namely, nurture the development of reason--namely, a thoughtful, informed, and critically reflective intellectual conscience that is ever ready to identify and reassess basic assumptions--within the College community generally but most especially within our students.
When it comes to philosophy, such things as mission statements, basic objectives, and learning outcomes are more problematic than they are for any other discipline. Why? Because it is of the essence of philosophy to question, inquire into, and think critically about fundamental assumptions, whatever be the field, and, above all, the assumptions of philosophy itself. Consequently, for philosophy to be true to itself, no such assumption as may be found in a mission statement can ever be wholly settled and taken for granted. Particularly problematic is the truth of the assumption that qualitative objectives are subject to quantitative assessment.
The Philosophy and Religious Studies Department has responsibility for several programs within the College: the Philosophy Minor, the Humanities Major for students who concentrate in Philosophy, the Humanities Minor for students who concentrate in Religious Studies and Philosophy, the Elementary Education Support Area in philosophy, the Elementary Education Support Area in Religious Studies, the Philosophy Component of the Honors Program, the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum requirement of a course in Philosophy or Religious Studies, and its support of the student Philosophy Club discussion group, sponsored lectures, and symposia on campus. In addition, members of the Department understand themselves as philosophers to have an important role to play in fostering the reflective intellectual culture that this institution is supposed to represent and promote.