CEP Details

(Please note the deadlines associated with each task below. You must meet these deadlines to make satisfactory progress on your CEP. The page guideline is for double-spaced pages)

1. Project Proposal

You must write a project proposal in the fall semester of your second year and submit it to the faculty member you would like to guide your CEP. Pick something interesting to you and challenging. It should 1) show that you can take the initiative, 2) allow you to use campus and/or community resources to accomplish your goals, 3) impact a current environmental issue, and 4) Allow you to get something done, to make a difference. In other words, the project must go beyond book-based research.

(Two pages. Complete by Thanksgiving Break)

2. Written Project Portfolio

The portfolio is a 25-30 page document detailing your project. It should be written alongside the engagement work you do. Completing each stage of the written portfolio by the deadlines indicated will keep you on track. The portfolio will include the following elements:

a) Introduction

Give a summary of your project. (This summary could be your updated and improved proposal). Describe what you plan to do and what you hope to accomplish. Explain the importance of your work and how it is related to environmental philosophy. Show what values your project demonstrates. Explain its contribution to social justice and environmental sustainability.

(2 pages. Complete by the first Monday after the start of the spring semester)

b) Background Context and Plan

Describe what others have done in this area. How does your contribution build on existing efforts? Explain the logistics of your engagement work. What will you do? In what order? How will you do it?

(3 pages minimum. Complete by the second Monday after the start of the spring semester)

c) Theoretical Applications

Here you outline the key ideas learned in at least three of the five core graduate seminars. Explain the main theoretical ideas from the class and show how they inform your project. This is the part of the CEP most like a traditional philosophy paper. Be thorough and creative.

(Write 3-5 pages for each seminar. Complete one by the end of week 6, a second by week 8, a third by week 10)

d) Actions Taken

List all the engagement activities you completed. Be sure to explain what each step entailed. It's okay if you ran into some dead ends. Explain why something worked or why it did not. Show the reader everything you managed to do.

(2-3 pages. All your engagement activities should be completed by week 12 of the semester. Write them up in this section as you do them)

e) Accomplishments and Challenges

Explain what you achieved. Tell us what you feel best about. Also include some reflection on the parts that did not go so well. How might you advise someone hoping to repeat your project? What other avenues do you think you should have explored? Compare what you accomplished to what you planned.

(2-3 pages. Complete by the end of week 14)

3. Presentation

You will give a presentation of your work to your CEP supervisor, the philosophy faculty, and your peers. You may choose to present at the Philosophy Colloquium, the Philosophy Society, or other public venues. Arrange a time and a room with the department administrative assistant. Be sure to invite people you have engaged with throughout your project. It is a chance to publicly showcase your experience.

(Your presentation should last about 45 minutes and you should budget additional time for questions. It should be completed by the end of the week before finals)

4. E-folio

You will create an e-folio (webpage) to display your final project using the Cascade CMS administered by the University.  Cascade takes some effort to learn. To help you with this, there is an introductory training video on how to use Cascade, Zoom office hours by Cascade staff, and a wide-ranging support page.

There is flexibility in how you put together your webpage.  Do your best to make it visually appealing. You can use some text and structure from your portfolio, but be sure to add some images, some useful links, and some video/audio. (Note that images and video/audio will require permissions).  Your webpage should also contain a link to a pdf of your written portfolio. You can look for ideas on how to structure your page from previous students here. Think of this page as an advertisement for your skills, knowledge, and experience. Previous students have used their pages to their advantage in job applications.

(Request access to Cascade here by the first week of the semester. Site name is 'Student Projects,' site URL is 'https://www.umt.edu/student-projects/philosophy-students/default.php,' supervisor is Christopher Preston. Watch the introductory video by the end of week 3. Your website should develop as the semester unfolds. It must be completely finished by the end of finals week).