Student Resources

The Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Committee is a student-faculty committee formed in 2021 to lead the development of more inclusive practices in all aspects of the philosophy program. Its current members are:

Faculty - Serene Khader, Muhammad Ali Khalidi (chair), Naomi Zack

Students - Caitlin Love, Itsue Nakaya Perez, Jodell Ulerie

The committee aims to generate practical new initiatives in consultation with other bodies in the philosophy program, and also to serve as an approachable body to which any student, faculty member, or staff member can easily communicate a positive suggestion, or negative feedback, in relation to any aspect of inclusivity, diversity and equity in our program's practices and climate.

The committee’s efforts are an integral part of the philosophy program’s commitment to sustaining a culture of equal opportunity for academic and professional flourishing in the department as a whole.

The Graduate Center's Philosophy community can also reach out (anonymously if desired) to the Student Steering Committee, which meets monthly to discuss student concerns and bring proposals to the program. The committee also meets with faculty on the Executive Committee to discusses important business as it relates to the program including job searches and the approval of changes to the curriculum and other areas. Students have a voice in all of these areas and a vote except in faculty appointments and exam results. Additionally, the committee meets with the Climate Advisory Committee to pool ideas. The committee can be reached at gcphilosophyssc@outlook.com.

Its current members are:

• Michael Greer
• Alex Mendez
• Sai Ying Ng
• Jenny Schiff
• Nicholas Whittaker
• Callum MacRae (alternate)
• Milan Ney (alternate)
• Eliana Peck (alternate)

• Get lots of experience giving talks and talking about your work on your feet.
• Get feedback on your written work from your supervisor, other committee members, your fellow students, and philosophers at other schools.
• Keep a document of research ideas you’d like to pursue at some point (this will help you write your statement of future research).
• Keep a document of thoughts you have about teaching--things that did and didn’t work, experiences you have, etc.  This will help you write your teaching statement.
• Have someone (preferably the person who will write your teaching letter) observe your teaching several times.  Have them visit your sections and come to your guest lectures.
• Think about how your work is going to fit together. It's important that, on paper, one's writing sample look like a part of a larger project.

October of the year before your market year

• Apply to dissertation fellowships the year before you intend to go on the market. Many applications are due in October.
• Apply to the ACLS/Mellon. That’s the most strenuous application and by applying to it you’ll have most of your materials together for other dissertation completion applications (e.g., Dekarman, Ford, Newcombe, Liebmann, the CUNY dissertation fellowship etc).
• Spend 2 days the summer before this searching for fellowships through the library fellowship database. Do not assume your professors know all of the relevant fellowships. They do not. No one does. The library has a fellowship database and librarians are always running workshops for this and are generally quite helpful. Go talk to them.
• You’ll need a chapter of your dissertation, 2 or 3 letters of recommendation, anywhere between a 1 and 10 page dissertation abstract (generally, you’ll need different sizes for different applications) and a timeline breaking down, chapter by chapter, what you’ll be writing when if you win the fellowship.

May of your market year (all other months are of market year)

• Meet with your supervisor and other committee members to discuss what your plans should be regarding writing sample, job talk, letters, CV and abstract, etc.
• Think about whether there are any people outside of CUNY that might write a letter for you.

June/July

• Polish your writing sample.
• Write your CV, dissertation abstract (all 3 versions), and research statement.
• Create a website. Check on your online presence. Remove inappropriate posts, photos, etc.
• Ask letter writers for letters of recommendation. You need 1 teaching letter and at least 3 research letters. Send letter-writers materials early!
• Society of Fellows are due starting in August. If applying you’ll need, at least a writing sample, CV, 3 letters of reference, sample syllabi, and a research statement. Plan! Get docs drafted early!
• Finish a draft of your dissertation.
• Join the APA (APA membership includes reduced fees for Interfolio, the GC also offers 50 free Interfolio deliveries.
• Set up an Interfolio account (letter-writers will upload letters here, all other materials can also be uploaded here to streamline sending apps)

August

• Your writing sample should be in very good shape now. Keep editing, polishing and getting feedback on it. Get feedback on it from your supervisor, committee members, friends, etc. You want lots of eyes on this document.
• Have a job talk drafted and in good shape. You will not have a lot of time or energy in the fall.
• The Harvard Society of Fellows application is due in early August.

September

• Other SoF applications (Princeton, Columbia, Michigan) due in early September.
• Start a spreadsheet of jobs to apply for. Include what documents will need to be sent, what method they need to be delivered in, due dates, etc. Get super organized! This will help make things slightly less stressful.
  • Find jobs on philjobs.org, http://higheredjobs.com/, http://chronicle.com/, https://www.jobs.ac.uk/categories/philosophy
  • Sign up for job notifications from Philos-L.             
• Complete your teaching portfolio.
• Start writing cover letters.
• Get an unofficial transcript from the GC and from your undergraduate and M.A. programs (if applicable)

October

• Send applications. Many applications are due in mid-late October.
• Write more cover letters.
• Schedule your mock interview.

November

• Send more applications.
• Schedule mock job talk by November 1. Flyouts start in January and everyone is busy in December.

December

• Interview notifications

January

• APA (not many interviews here, but there are still a few)
• Interview notifications
• Interviews

February-May (or later)

• Interview notifications
• Interviews
• Fly-outs
• Keep applying for jobs. Postdocs, VAPS, fellowships, and 1-2 year positions are often advertised in the spring. Sometimes TT jobs are as well. Be persistent!

• CUNY Philosophy Professional Development Resources
• The Graduate Center's Office of Career Planning and Professional Development

The Graduate Center Student Handbook provides examples of the types of accommodations coordinated by the Student Affairs office that may be appropriate for a given disability. For academic activities, non-discriminatory equal access is achieved through a variety of accommodations, including academic modifications and auxiliary aids and services. Types of accommodations include auxiliary aids and services for students with visual impairments (readers/library assistants and such technology as adaptive computer software and hardware, etc.); qualified sign-language interpreters; CART; scribes; extended or divided time on examinations for students with learning disabilities or reduced physical stamina; adjustments in course load when appropriate; voice recognition software; use of a computer for exams; and recording classes. Student Affairs works closely with faculty and the academic program offices to arrange for accommodated exam administration and other types of academic modifications. Assistive Technology aids and services are coordinated by Student Affairs in collaboration with the GC’s Information Technology services as well as with CUNY’s Assistive Technology Services office.

The process of accommodation usually starts with contacting the Student Affairs office and discussing needs and possible accommodations. Documentation appropriate to the requested accommodations is required to be provided to the Student Affairs office and is kept on file and not shared with any faculty by Student Affairs unless necessary and agreed to by the student.

The Vice President for Student Affairs is the 504/ADA Compliance Coordinator (Room 7301; (212) 817-7400). For more information and to request accommodations, contact Elise Perram in the Student Affairs office (212-817-7400 or disabilityservices@gc.cuny.edu ) and see “Services for Students with Disabilities” in the Graduate Center Student Handbook link above.

The Graduate Center Offers a variety of financial awards, scholarships, grants, and employment opportunities to help current doctoral students finance their education and research.

Learn more about funding opportunities for current doctoral students »

You have three options:

1.     You can contact the professor leading the course to request an extension. (Sometimes the professor may ask you to provide a medical note, though this is unusual for a term paper. Any medical information that you disclose will be kept confidential, unless disclosure is both necessary and agreed to by you.)

2.     You can contact the EO (Executive Officer), who will liaise on your behalf with the professor teaching your course.

3.     If you would prefer not to share your medical information directly with any philosophy faculty, you can contact the Student Affairs Office, where student disability services are housed, and request that they mediate for you.

You have three options:

1.     You can contact the Qualifying Paper Coordinator to request an extension. (The QPC will then liaise with the Executive Officer, whose authority is required to grant QP extensions.) A medical letter, if applicable, is normally requested. Any medical information that you disclose will be kept confidential, unless disclosure is both necessary and agreed to by you.

2.     You can contact the EO (Executive Officer) directly, who will liaise with the QPC.

3.     If you would prefer not to share your medical information directly with any philosophy faculty, you can contact the Student Affairs Office, where student disability services are housed, and request that they mediate for you.

You may submit documentation of your illness or disability at any time, though be aware that in some cases, depending on the circumstances, you may be asked to submit a further medical letter covering a specific period in order to secure a deadline extension. Advance documentation may be submitted to:

1.     The Executive Officer (EO)

2.     The Student Affairs Office, where student disability services are housed

Please note that submitting information in advance is entirely optional—it has no effect on whether or not an extension is granted. The option is merely offered in case you find it helpful for your own planning.