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    Change The Face Of Philosophy; Fund PIKSI!

    By: Samir Chopra

    Folks, there is a new initiative underway to 'change the face of philosophy.' (It was brought to my attention by my Brooklyn College colleague, Serene Khader.) I urge all of us to get behind it.

    For nine years, PIKSI, or the Philosophy in an Inclusive Key Summer Institute, has been helping students from underrepresented groups develop the skills, confidence, and community needed to pursue graduate study in philosophy. Our students include women, people of color, LGBT individuals, individuals with disabilities, and people from economically disadvantaged communities. 

    PIKSI aims to change philosophy's status as the least diverse in the humanities. Only 16% of full-time academic philosophers are women. Of the 13,000 professional philosophers in the United States, only 156 are black. The experiences of members of diverse groups can cast new light on traditional philosophical questions as well as raise new ones.

    PIKSI needs funding: 

    PIKSI has traditionally received two sources of funding. The program is housed at the Pennsylvania State University’s Rock Ethics Institute, who together with Pennsylvania State University School of Liberal Arts, have pledged to continue their partial financing of PIKSI, conditional upon funding from a partner organization. Until recently the American Philosophical Association (APA) has co-funded PIKSI, but beginning 2014, this is no longer funding we can count on.

    Please, pitch in!

     

     

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    4 responses to “Change The Face Of Philosophy; Fund PIKSI!”

    1. Serene Avatar
      Serene

      Thanks so much for sharing this, Samir! We talk about the hostile climate for minorities in philosophy a lot; this is something concrete we can do to change it!

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    2. Barbara Andrew Avatar
      Barbara Andrew

      Please watch the video, too, on the indiego site. The Philosophy in an Inclusive Key Summer Institute (PIKSI) has helped many students considering graduate school as well as current grad students who serve as TAs for the institute. Together, we can make academia better!

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    3. Mike Avatar
      Mike

      Why did the APA drop its funding? That’s terrible.

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    4. Jon Shaheen Avatar
      Jon Shaheen

      Mike,
      I believe the following is (or unobjectionably should be) public information: The APA is trying to increase the impact of the funds it used to give solely to PIKSI by redirecting them into a competitive seed grant program, for which PIKSI is eligible to apply. The APA Board of Officers passed the proposal to do so at its November 2013 meeting.
      Commentary from me: This is a real obstacle for PIKSI but I hope it will be able to survive through crowd-funding efforts until it can find a new partner organization. The current crowd-funding effort has been in the works for several months at least. (I’ve known it was coming since March, and I’m not all that well connected.) Hopefully they can find a new partner organization sooner rather than later, as the uncertainty is undoubtedly a headache. For what it’s worth, I think the idea to use APA funds for seed grants rather than as a regular source of operating income for a single program is a good one.

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