UNC Charlotte Philosophy Department

Graduate Recruitment Of Underrepresented Philosophers(GROUP)

November 13, 2017

***Application deadline: October 13, 2017***

GROUP is a one-day, expense-paid workshop to be held at UNC Charlotte on November 13, 2017, for up to ten promising prospective M.A. students in philosophy from traditionally underrepresented groups (such as African Americans, Chicano/as and Latino/as, Native Americans, Asian Americans, women, LGBTQ students, and students with differing physical abilities of all races). GROUP is designed to increase the diversity of the academic pipelinein the discipline, particularly at UNC Charlotte,by recruiting a diverse group of undergraduates to the philosophy department’s M.A.program in Ethics and Applied Philosophy. We are committed to diversifying the discipline because of the philosophical importance of different standpoints and experiences for investigating and creating knowledge.

UNC Charlotte’s philosophy department is composed offourteen fulltime faculty, specializing in a wide range of philosophical fields and representing several different philosophical traditions (philosophy.uncc.edu). We embody an intertraditional approach to philosophy, working within and between philosophical traditions and aiming to build a philosophical culture where sub-disciplinary boundaries are less important than the resources they provide for addressing concrete practices and problems.We value dynamic relationships between theory and lived experience in which each informs and transforms the other. Our department is closely affiliated with UNC Charlotte's Center for Professional and Applied Ethics (ethics.uncc.edu).

During their visit to campus, GROUP students will be exposed to the life of philosophy in the department by attending a philosophy colloquium (featuringguest speaker Dr. Keisha Ray, Texas State University), a philosophy graduate seminar, and a graduate program application workshop; speaking with graduate students and faculty; and investigating more generally what it means to pursue a graduate degree in philosophy at UNC Charlotte. The program blends the scholarly with the practical, work-shopping the application process with prospective students and answering questions they have about how to create as strong an application to our program as possible.

SCHEDULE:

MondayNov 13 / Morning – drive to Charlotte
12noon-1pm – Welcome: casual working lunch with Department Chair and Graduate Program Directorproviding an overview of the departmentand the graduate program (Winningham 107—Conference Room)
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1-2pm – Informal meetings with individual faculty members (Winningham offices) and/or tour of the campus conducted by philosophy MA students
2-3:30 pm – Philosophy Colloquium: Dr. Keisha Ray, Texas State University: “Using Narratives to Justify Affirmative Enhancement” (Winningham 107)
3:30-5pm – Informal meetings with individual faculty members (Winningham offices) and/or tour of the campus, conducted by philosophy MA students
5:30-6:15pm – Buffet reception/dinner with the philosophy faculty, graduate students, and guest speaker (Winningham Lounge)
6:15-8:30pm – Graduate Seminar on Philosophical Methods and Analysis, (Winningham 107)
Depart or hotel reservation if needed: University City Drury Inn
Tuesday Nov 14 / Breakfast on one’s own – provided by the Drury Inn
Depart at your convenience

APPLICATION PROCESS:

We welcome applications from underrepresented students who have shown promise in philosophy or related fields and who are considering applying to graduate school in philosophy for the spring 2018 or the 2018-19 academic year (fall 2018 or spring 2019 admission). The application includes:

  1. a brief letter of nomination (email is acceptable) from a faculty member familiar with the student’s philosophical work; and
  2. a one page maximum statement of interest (email is acceptable) from the student.

Both itemsshould be sent electronically to Dr. Shannon Sullivan (). To ensure full consideration, both letters should be received by October 13, 2017. Accepted students will be provided up to $200to cover travel, lodging, and other expenses, as needed. (Hotel reservations for all participants will be made on their behalf at the nearby Drury Inn, and more information will be provided to accepted students by the third week of October.) Please direct questions about GROUP to Dr. Sullivan, Department Chair ().

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