Diversity
Our department seeks to do all it can to make philosophy an inclusive discipline. We understand the value that diversity brings to philosophical inquiry, and that the health of our profession depends on greater inclusion of under-represented groups in the ranks of philosophers. As a training program, we play an important role in cultivating a diverse philosophical community. Our goal is to recruit and sustain a diverse graduate student body.
In order to realize this goal, we will
- encourage a full range of applicants with diverse backgrounds, for instance from two-year community colleges or from “non-elite” undergraduate institutions
- collect and publish data concerning the demographics of our graduate student population on our website and in the APA’s Guide to Graduate Programs in Philosophy, among other places
- provide financial support, academic assistance, and advisement that reflects the diverse needs of a diverse population
- strive for a curriculum that illustrates that a diverse group of people have contributed in the past, and should contribute in the future to the richness of philosophy
- continuously strive toward an environment of greater inclusion and respect through critical self-examination, paying due attention not only to overt forms of prejudice or exclusion but also to its subtler manifestations.
Minorities & Philosophy
Since 2005, faculty and graduate students in the philosophy department have organized a Minorities and Philosophy group, or MAP (formerly the Society for Women's Advancement in Philosophy, or SWAP). The department's MAP organization holds an annual conference and regular meetings. The organization also partners with similar on-campus organizations like the Hispanic Graduate Student Organization — the leadership of which includes philosophy graduate students.
Demographics
20% of our graduate students are minorities.
24% of our graduate students are women.