Professor Teresa Castelao-Lawless (left), Professor Alycia LaGuardia-LoBianco (center), and Professor Andrew Spear (right) at the Tenure and Promotion Reception on September 11, 2025 in the GVSU Alumni House. 

Grand Valley State University

Department of Philosophy

2026 Dewey J. Hoitenga

Philosophy Essay Contest

The Department of Philosophy invites you to submit your entry to the 2026 Dewey J. Hoitenga Philosophy Essay Contest. The winning paper will receive both recognition and a prize.

Papers on any philosophical topic and from any student enrolled at GVSU are welcome. Submit one copy of your paper to Allyssa Wetzel ([email protected] / MAK B-3 105) by Noon on Friday April 17, 2026. Papers must be unpublished, at least 10 pages (double spaced, 12-point font), and may not have been submitted unmodified to previous philosophy department essay contests. Please have your paper ready for “blind review,” that is, do not write your name on it, but rather attach a separate sheet or file with your name, email address, and the paper’s title, and remember to write your title at the top of your paper as well.

With questions contact: Prof. Spear, Department of Philosophy, [email protected]

Philosophy Colloquium Series Presents...

Learning Management Systems Are The Enemy Of Information Literacy

Teaching Critical Thinking Skills In The Digital Age

A Talk By Quinn Harr (GVSU Philosophy)

April 3, 2026, From 3:00 PM-4:30 PM

in Mackinac Hall B-1-138

Distrust of experts, information overload, overreliance on social media, shortened attention spans: these are the conditions facing many students today. To meet these conditions, we need to transition from a content-delivery to a skills-development model of the classroom. However, learning management systems do not fit this model well. First, they perpetuate the idea that all knowledge can be mediated through screen-based technologies, moving the source of insight from the activity of the (distractible) mind to the content on our (distracting) machines. Second, they provide instant access to content via hyperlinks and embedded files, mirroring the fast-paced information environment of social media and the open web, and reducing opportunities for students to practice, in slow and sustained ways, critical analysis of information sources and creative integration of their contents. Third, once the semester has ended, they restrict access to the knowledge they allegedly provide, not simply putting it behind a paywall but blocking students from it altogether. Fourth, they reinforce the tendency to view classroom knowledge as a one-and-done affair, as opposed to a foundation for continued reflection and synthesis, through features like quantitative measures of course completion and predictive grade calculators. For these and other reasons, I suggest that educators need to seriously consider transitioning away from learning management systems if we are to meet this critical moment. And I provide some practical ideas, drawn from my own evolving classroom practices, for how we might begin to do so.

About Quinn Harr: Quinn Harr, also known as Dr. Q, is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at GVSU. Dr. Q’s work in public libraries, before his time at GVSU, has transformed his approach to the classroom. Libraries emphasize civic responsibility and information literacy, and Dr. Q has come to believe that the skillsets taught in the college classroom are, at their core, enabling an engaged and informed citizenry. For academic skillsets to be applied in this way, however, students need practice: they need to learn how to reliably and effectively share and assess arguments and evidence with their peers. Dr. Q thus tries to facilitate what he calls a “conductor-less classroom.” In this model, students are trained to take collective responsibility for leading the classroom, hopefully as a precursor to their engaging in responsible democratic self-governance in society at large.

Questions: Please email Alycia LaGuardia-LoBiaco 

PHI 102: Ethics

PHI 102-01

May 11, 2026-June 24, 2026

Fulfills Foundations-Philosophy and Literature

Course Description: What is good? What is evil? Are there objective standards for right and wrong? What ae these objective standards? How can they be applied to important contemporary moral problems? This course considers the answers philosophers give to these and related questions. 

Days: Mondays and Wednesdays

Times: 12:00 PM to 3:20 PM

Location: Mackinac Hall A1151

Professor: Professor John August

Email Professor John August (Leads to email pop-up)

Professor Judy Whipps