By Melissa Kraman

At the end of April, Ball State students in an immersive learning course will publish their 2020 volume of Stance, the only international philosophy research journal that is entirely edited and produced by undergraduates. The COVID-19 threat did not stop them from continuing a tradition that started 13 years ago.

Stance is a peer-reviewed academic journal that champions philosophical research from undergrads across the globe. Its past 12 volumes have won various awards — including the American Philosophical Association/Philosophy Documentation Center Prize for Excellence and Innovation in Philosophy Programs and the American Scholastic Press Association Award for Best University Journal — and have even included interviews with famous philosophers such as Linda Martin Alcoff and David Chalmers.

“I love seeing all the philosophy of undergraduates around the world,” said Rose Winters, junior history and philosophy major. “Their ideas are truly original and amazing.”

Like a real-world professional publication, the interdisciplinary immersive learning class includes an editor-in-chief, copywriters, designers, content editors, external reviewers, and social media specialists. The group works throughout the academic year analyzing more than 120 submissions from different universities and countries. They provide feedback for every submission, and work closely with the 11 student authors whose research was selected for Stance’s 13th volume. When Ball State responded to COVID-19 by moving in-person classes to remote learning, the project continued with virtual communication.

As part of the course, students present Stance every year at a national philosophy conference. This year in February, the team traveled to Chicago to exhibit their work.

By demand, the team distributes 350 copies of every volume, and EBSCO Information Services, a renowned research database, disseminates Stance to academic libraries across the country.

“Stance has established a reputation as the world’s best undergraduate philosophy journal,” said David Concepción, faculty mentor of the project and professor of philosophy and religious studies. “The creation of the publication supports high-impact learning for Ball State students and hundreds around the world.”

Learn more about the programs offered in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies by visiting their website.