Zusman, Steve

My name is Steve Zusman and I have been a faculty member at Waubonsee since the Fall semester of 2012.  I have an undergraduate degree in Philosophy, Mathematics, and Psychology from the University of Notre Dame, and a Master’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where I completed all coursework towards my Ph.D.  My area of interest is Ethics, although I have always been fascinated with all of those ‘deep’ questions that philosophers look to answer.  I have more than 20 years of experience teaching Philosophy on the College Level (including at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois State University, Heartland Community College, Indiana University Northwest, and Lincoln College-Normal).  As an instructor, I strive to pass on my enthusiasm for this subject to my students.  In my courses there is a focus on examining values, expanding knowledge, and building critical thinking skills.  I enjoy teaching immensely and value discussion, learning, and debate on the many interesting issues within the field of philosophy.  I am very excited to be teaching here at Waubonsee!

When I am not teaching, I spend a majority of my time with my family. I am happily married and have three wonderful children, two boys and one girl, who are all so very special.  I like sports, movies, music, and traveling, although I’ve found that traveling with three kids takes a lot of work!

University of Notre Dame (B.S.)

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (M.A.)

Here are some of the courses I teach:

PHL 100: Introduction to Philosophy

PHL 101: Introduction to Logic

PHL 105: Introduction to Ethics

PHL 107: Introduction to Medical Ethics

PHL 110: Introduction to Critical Thinking

PHL 120: Introduction to World Religions

PHL 140: Philosophy of Art

HUM 108: World Mythology

HUM 112: Greek and Roman Mythology

COL 110: Leadership Studies

I have also had the opportunity to teach some interesting Special Topics for Philosophy courses (PHL 296) based on student requests, including "Nietzsche, Sartre, Existentialism, and the Meaning of Life" and "Philosophy and Popular Culture."

I am a big proponent of Learning Communities.  The version of Learning Communities that I teach are where two professors teach together in one combined time frame, breaking down barriers between disciplines and allowing you to apply what you’re learning in an interactive community!  These Learning Communities create an exciting and new learning experience for students and students earn credit in two courses.  Having two instructors at the same time helps to foster dialogue, debate, and discussion.  Both classes are part of a community where learners can engage one another in meaningful and memorable ways!

Some examples of previous Learning Communities I've taught with others include:

(1) "The Human Spark: What Makes Us--Us?" (combined: Introduction to Philosophy (PHL 100) [Zusman] AND Survey of the Humanities (HUM 101) [Lawler])

(2) "Games, Gaming, and the GoodLife: Programming & Philosophy" (combined Introduction to Philosophy (PHL 100) [Zusman] AND Introduction to Programming (CIS 115) [Moriarty]

(3) "The Write Path Through the Multiverse: Alternatives to Alter Thinking" (combined Introduction to Philosophy (PHL 100) [Zusman] AND First-Year Composition I (ENG 101) [Clark])

Here are some useful links to learn more about Philosophy:

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - a peer-reviewed academic resource in Philosophy.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - a nice resource for more in-depth articles on different areas of Philosophy.

Project Gutenberg - offers numerous free online texts of major philosophical (as well as literary, etc.) works.

Philosophical Gourmet Report - this is a (somewhat controversial) ranking of Philosophy graduate programs and also contains post secondary considerations.

Crash Course Philosophy - introductory lessons from Western Philosophy on YouTube.

Please see syllabus or contact me.