coronavirus
TagPhilosophers On How the Pandemic Has Changed Us
In this group post, philosophers reflect on how the pandemic has transformed higher education, our everyday lives and practices, and ourselves.
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Junior Yearly Progress Reports in Pandemic Times
A junior faculty member has questions about the assessment of faculty on the tenure-track over the past year, particularly regarding how such faculty should, if at all, discuss how the challenges of the pandemic affected their progress. (more…)
Will Conferences Recover? Should They?
With promising news of a vaccine, one might hope not just for saved lives, but a return to “normal life,” including the regular features of academic work. Among these are the typically in-person events of conferences, workshops, and talks. (more…)
Much Fewer Academic Philosophy Jobs Advertised This Season
Compared to previous years, the number of academic jobs advertised this season is much lower. (more…)
A Pandemic Ethics Book Club with the General Public (guest post by Jesse Hamilton)
“If philosophy is to thrive, it must be sensitive and responsive to the world it is meant to engage with. The non-philosophers in our reading group shed light on a world that may be difficult for us philosophers to see and point out aspects of lived experiences that we may not have access to.” (more…)
The Effects of the Pandemic on Journal Submissions
Journal editors: how has the pandemic been affecting submissions to your journals over the past eight months? (more…)
Conversations with Philosophers about the Pandemic
Over the past few months, Sahana Rajan (University of Delhi) and Alan Nelson Isaac have been conducting interviews with philosophers, with a focus on “exploring the philosophical dimensions of pandemic situation.” The result is In Limbo Conversations. (more…)
Notre Dame President and Philosopher Contracts COVID-19 after White House Visit
John Jenkins, president of the University of Notre Dame and member of the univerity’s Department of Philosophy, has contracted COVID-19 after visiting the White House at the end of last month for the ceremony announcing the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. (more…)
University Pandemic Policies as Business Ethics Case Studies
Earlier this week, the University of South Carolina noted on its COVID-19 “dashboard” that 27.7% of the students tested for the virus were infected with it. (more…)
2021 Eastern and Central APA Meetings Moved Online
The American Philosophical Association (APA) has announced that its 2021 Eastern Division Meeting, scheduled for New York City from January 4th to 7th, and its 2021 Central Division Meeting, scheduled for New Orleans from February 24th to 27th, will instead both be taking place online. (more…)
U. Chicago Philosophy Suspends PhD Admissions This Year
The Department of Philosophy at the University of Chicago has made an announcement concerning applications to its PhD program this year. (more…)
One Week Into Semester, UNC Chapel Hill Switches to Fully Online (Updated)
One week into the semester, the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill administration reversed its decision to open its campus for teaching and housing, and moved all instruction online, owing to its inability to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus among the student population. (more…)
Philosophers On Reopening Colleges and Universities in a Pandemic
Six philosophers discuss various issues related to the operation of institutions of higher education this fall, in this edition of Philosophers On, guest edited by Lisa Fuller. (more…)
How Should We Grade Students During a Pandemic? (guest post by Wes Siscoe)
How, if at all, should instructors grade their college students this coming term? In the following guest post*, Wes Siscoe, a postdoctoral fellow at Florida State University and the Mellon Course Design Coordinator for the Philosophy as a Way of Life Project at the University of Notre Dame, offers some suggestions.
Major Videogame Developer Partners with Philosophy Department
Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, currently one of the world’s most popular video games, and Unreal Engine, a virtual 3D design tool, has partnered with the Faculty of Philosophy at Moscow State University (MSU) in Russia. (more…)
Philosophers, Epidemiologists & Others Call for Human Challenge Trials for COVID-19 Vaccine
125 experts in various fields have signed a letter to the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Francis Collins, calling for the U.S. government “to undertake immediate preparations for human challenge trials” for a vaccine for COVID-19. (more…)
Six Ways to Use Tech to Design Flexible, Student-Centered Philosophy Courses (guest post by Paul Blaschko)
As the pandemic continues, there are lots of uncertainties about how universities will function in Fall 2020, but it is likely that many courses will be taught entirely online or have substantial online elements. In this guest post*, Paul Blaschko provides some advice for making those courses go well. (more…)
An Argument to Move College Students to Follow COVID-19 Guidelines
Though the COVID-19 pandemic is strengthening in parts of the United States, many universities here are planning to reopen their doors in the fall to educate, house, feed, and entertain students. (more…)
BU Philosophers Object To University’s Fall 2020 Plans
Two philosophy professors at Boston University (BU), Russell Powell and Daniel Star, have authored a statement objecting to their administration’s plans for how teaching during the Fall 2020 term will proceed, in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. (more…)
The Status of “Philosophy Labs” this Fall
Mohamed Mehdi, chair of the Department of Humanities and Philosophy at Oakton Community College, updated his faculty on the plans regarding their “philosophy labs” for this coming fall. (more…)
Fordham Grad Students Seek Support
Graduate students at Fordham University are seeking support in their call for their administration to take various steps to help them, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its broader effects. (more…)
Cambridge: All Lectures Online Until Summer 2021
There will be no in-person lectures at the University of Cambridge until the Summer of 2021 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the school announced today. (more…)
Ending Face-to-Face Instruction Before Thanksgiving Break
Earlier this month we looked at the University of South Carolina’s plan to offer in-person courses this coming fall term. The university has now updated its plans by announcing a change to the fall term schedule. (more…)
Missouri Western to Phase Out Philosophy and Many Other Majors
Missouri Western State University is cutting a quarter of its faculty over the next year and “phasing out” approximately 100 of its degree offerings, including Philosophy. (more…)
If Given the Choice Whether to Teach In-Person or Remotely in the Fall…
Last week, the University of South Carolina announced it is planning to have in-person teaching in the fall, but also that each faculty, staff, and student will be allowed to make for themselves a “decision to either return or delay their return”. Other schools are considering similar arrangements. (more…)
Fast Science and the Philosophy of Science (guest post by Jacob Stegenga)
“So much science having so much impact, yet philosophers of science have been relatively quiet…” (more…)
California State University System This Fall Will Be Primarily Online
Timothy White, Chancellor of the California State University (CSU) system, which includes 23 campuses, announced that most courses scheduled for the Fall 2020 term will be taught online, rather than face-to-face, owing to the current Covid-19 pandemic and a possible “serious second wave” of it. (more…)
Courses at McGill this Fall: “Primarily Through Remote Delivery Platforms”
McGill University announced today that most teaching there in Fall 2020 will be done remotely, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. (more…)