About the Faculty
Subject groups
Education and research in the Faculty of Philosophy is divided into four main areas. Academically, the Faculty is organised on the basis of four subject groups, each of which is led by a professor: History of Philosophy (Prof. Wiep van Bunge), Philosophy of Man and Culture (Prof. Jos de Mul), Theoretical Philosophy (Prof. Jack Vromen) and Practical Philosophy (Prof. Ingrid Robeyns).
Students can base their choice of specialisation on these academic areas, but not before they have become acquainted with all of the philosophical disciplines. The Faculty aims to offers multi-facetted programmes by teaching the different styles of the practice of philosophy.
Every research project falls into one of the four subject groups. There is, however, no question of compartmentalisation because academics from different areas mix with each other wherever possible, including colleagues from other faculties – both from Rotterdam and elsewhere
Governance and Participation in Decision-Making
Management Team
The Management Team consists of:
Prof. L. (Wiep) van Bunge, Dean
Dr. W.M.J. (Willy) Ophelders, Faculty Director
Dr. P.J.J. (Patrick) Delaere, Education Director
Prof. J.J. (Jack) Vromen, Dean of International Affairs
Faculty Advisory Board
Major decisions and policy proposals are presented to the Faculty Advisory Board (Faculteitsraad), which acts as a participation body with both advisory power and the power of assent. Consisting of four staff members and four students, the Faculty Board discusses the general state of affairs in the faculty with the Dean.
Programme Committee
The Programme Committee (Opleidingscommissie (OC)) in the Faculty of Philosophy mainly deals with educational matters. Every year, the Committee issues advice about the proposed curriculum and considers whether the study programmes are feasible for the students. The Programme Committee monitors the implementation of educational assessments and also makes its own proposals for improving the quality of the education provided. The Committee organises study days on the theme of education and how to improve the quality of education. The Programme Committee consists of staff members, student members and advisory members.
Examining Board
The Examining Board (Examencommissie) of the Faculty of Philosophy supervises a range of matters in relation to examinations. The Board assesses the quality of testing and the implementation of Binding Study Advice (BSA). It also supervises the cohesion of the final graduation programmes, the quality of the Bachelor’s and Master’s thesis and the provision of proof of admission to the Master’s study programme. This approach ensures the Faculty’s overall quality. Finally, the Examining Board also monitors examination results and the return from courses, and passes this information on to the Programme Committee.
Permanent Committee on Academic Practice (VCW)
The task of the Permanent Committee on Academic Practice (Vaste Commissie voor Wetenschapsbeoefening (VCW) is to safeguard the quality of the products produced by the faculty staff members. In practice, VCW’s largest job is to prepare for the national external review (every six years) and the local external review (every three years). As part of the preparation for this, Committee members compile a comprehensive research report in which the holders of the various chairs present their research programmes. The report also lists all of the publications of the faculty staff, which includes not only academic articles and books, but also academic and popular publications.
