HCC Philosophy Mission Statement

Philosophy is at the heart of all learning and community life. To broaden and nurture learning and good citizenship in a free democratic society, the HCC philosophy program provides students opportunities to explore and cultivate open, critical ways to understand the search for truth and to examine the moral implications of thinking and action in an increasingly technologically driven multicultural world. These aims are pursued in courses that introduce students to the principles and methods of logic and argument; sound judgment and practical decision-making; and the history of ideas in science, the arts, and religion. Philosophy courses are tailored to the demands of rigorous academic preparation and transfer requirements, workforce training, and lifelong learning interests.

History of HCC Philosophy Program

Dr. Bernard Mahoney, retired Northwest College Professor, founded the HCC philosophy program in 1975.   First hired as an adjunct English instructor in 1972, and then as a fulltime faculty member in 1974, Dr. Mahoney proposed that he also be allowed to teach a course in philosophy.   Dr. Mahoney's doctorate from Birmingham University (England) is in philosophy.   His proposal was accepted and the first Houston Community College "Introduction to Philosophy" class met that year at the old Sharpstown High School campus with 75 students enrolled.  Soon after, Dr. Mahoney was proposing that additional courses be added to the catelog of credit offerings.   As the number of courses and enrollments grew, the demand for a larger teaching staff necessitated the hiring of adjunct instructors, including Dr. Anthony Palasota who was hired to teach classes at Central College, and who even now teachings distance education offerings for Southeast College.  When HCC was divided into five independent colleges, Dr. Mahoney was assigned to Northwest College where he remained until his retirement in May 2000, teaching both Philosophy and English courses and serving as the HCC Philosophy Discipline Chair.  Until the hiring of Professor Susan Goll by Southwest College in August 1997, all philosophy courses at the then four other HCC colleges were staffed with adjunct instructors.   When Dr. Mahoney retired, Professor Goll assumed the position of Discipline Chair, which she held until August 2001 when Dr. Thomas Urban was hired to replace Dr. Mahoney at Northwest College and to devote his energies exclusively to teach philosophy and develop a program of regional and national significance for community colleges.      

Since that time, the number of distinct philosophy courses regularly offered across the HCC system has grown from five to eighteen, with the inclusion of several courses featuring areas of special emphasis including "Issues In Bioethics", "Integrity In Business". "Art and Aesthetics", "Women In Philosophy", "Aesthetics and Community Life", and "Gender and Community Values".   A choice of five different courses are regularly availble to distance learning students, and there are three different choices of Service Learning courses in philosophy.   Courses in religious studies have also been revamped with HCC now offering both a course in World Religions and separate course on current issues in the philosophy of religion titled "Existence and Faith."   At the same time, philosophy courses are now represented in three HCC CORE areas (Multicultural, Humanities, and Social Science), count towards the HCC Global Studies Program, and serve as the basis of an HCC AA-degree Plan for students planning a four-year philosophy major.   Since Dr. Urban assumed the Discipline Chair position, philosophy enrollments have steadily grown with his own Northwest College leading the way, moving from third to first place in the system in terms of courses offered and students served.   Also, three additional fulltime faculty have been added to the roster of fulltime philosophers at HCC.   Professor Nathan Poage became the first fulltime philospher at Central College in January 2003, and has since been joined by Raymond Lew, a fulltime Government Professor who completed the requisite number of graduate hours to also teach philosophy.   And, in August 2008, Professor Nathan Smith was hired by Northwest College President Zachary Hodges to fill the need for an additional philosopher.  Along with teaching courses in philosophy, HCC philosophy professors are also certified to teach courses in Humanities, a new HCC program first developed in 2003 by the administration and faculty members from English, Philosophy, and Fine Arts.   Professor Nathan Poage of Central has served as Discipline Chair of Humanities since 2006.   This close association of philosophy with the Humanities progam included the development of a Humanities Master Course for HCC's Distance Education Department in 2006.  Three of the four developers were philosophers, with Dr. Urban being the lead.  In 2008, Professor Poage served as lead developer when the master course was reconfigured for use in Blackboard.

HCC's philosophy program has also actively involved itself in the profession by hosting two regional conferences of the New Mexico-West Texas Philosophical Society, first in 2002 and again in 2009 when Northwest College hosted the organization's 60th anniversary meeting that was attended by philosophers from 30 different colleges and universities from across the United States.  Dr. Urban, the meeting/event planner for both meetings is a former president of the organization, its incorporator of record as a non-profit 501(c)(3) public educational charity in Texas, and member of the Society's Board of Directors.   Dr. Urban also serves on the American Philosophical Association's Committee for Philosophy in Two-Year and Community Colleges.

Philosophy and Student Success

Whether academic or workforce in orientation, HCC students soon discover that learning about philosophy and how to philosophize is an effective way to add to their thinking skills. Students also gain in perspective and understanding of the things that matter most in life and education, namely personal fulfillment, cultivated insight, and a rewarding livelihood. Adding philosophy to any major field of study and career choice adds vision, and with that quality of perception comes a clearer, more definable sense of the rich, practical opportunities that abound in our culturally diverse, urban environment. Philosophy students show themselves to be better prepared to take on the responsibilities and benefits of what follows their sojourn as undergraduates. They are consistently the top scorers on entrance exams for those seeking more knowledge and career options through graduate study, law school, medical school, and seminary. In the world of business, a survey taken a few years ago showed the top five moneymakers among the Fortune 500 CEO's were all undergraduate philosophy majors. This is no accident. It is also no accident that you are reading about philosophy on a web page. Almost a century ago, philosophers introduced the logic that makes the worldwide web the virtual reality it is for us.  Additional information from the American Philosophical Association on the relations between philosophy and student success can be found HERE.

Home Page Header Photo:  Auguste Rodin - The Thinker, at San Francisco Legion of Honor Museum. 

© 2001 Thomas Urban, All Rights Reserved - Used with photographer's permission.