WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE SCHWIRCK AWARD?
To be eligible, you must:
- be a current UNCG student;
- be majoring in Philosophy;
- have completed five Philosophy courses by May of the current year (current PHI courses, and PHI courses completed at other institutions count);
- have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher;
AND - submit a well-written, well thought-out paper on any topic in Philosophy for consideration by the review panel.
More information
About Roger Schwirck
Roger David Schwirck graduated from UNCG in 1989 with a BA in Philosophy and a minor in Latin. His pursuit of these elements of a classical education was distinctive and admirable. Roger Schwirck was an outstanding student who exemplified the ideals of academic excellence (and a good person who was much loved and respected by his professors and fellow students). Excelling in Logic, The Theory of Knowledge, Metaphysics, and Ethics, he maintained a perfect record in the philosophy courses he took at UNCG.
In 1989, Roger Schwirck won a prestigious UNCG Student Excellence Award and became a member of Phi Beta Kappa. When he graduated from UNCG later that year, he received his BA in Philosophy with Honors, Magna Cum Laude. After graduation, Roger Schwirck continued his studies at Ohio State University in a nationally recognized PhD program in Philosophy. He was not able to complete his graduate work due to the tragic events which led to his death in 1998.
Here’s what the award committee is looking for:
- It is suggested that the papers be between 2,000-5,000 words. This is not a requirement.
- The paper should use proper citations of texts and any other sources used.
- Technical terms should be clearly defined.
- Every paper should explore a philosophical topic; clarity is highly valued, as is fairness to all relevant philosophical points of view.
- If a paper tries to solve a philosophical problem or to answer a philosophical question, then it should
- clearly state the problem it is trying to solve, or the question it is trying to answer,
- take a position regarding that problem or question,
- and construct at least one argument or critical assessment of a position.
- If the paper addresses opposing positions, those positions should receive charitable treatment.
- Most papers are revisions of papers written for class, but that is not required.
Submissions
The next deadline for submission will be in Spring 2025. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Insa Lawler ([email protected]).
Everyone who submits a paper gets a complimentary Schwirck Award t-shirt!