The Department of Philosophy has a strong commitment to making the climate at Princeton respectful and supportive for all who work and study here. Toward that end, the Department has created a Climate and Inclusion Committee and an Anonymous Feedback Form.  Both initiatives provide opportunities for raising issues of general concern by members of the Department.

Climate problems, both small and large, shorter-term and longer-term, can arise in any organization. These problems are sometimes difficult for those creating them to recognize. Students who feel that they are being mistreated in some way have various options, depending on the circumstances.

If students feel able to do so, they can attempt to resolve the problem themselves by talking with the parties involved, or they can bring the problem to the attention of a faculty member they trust, and enlist that faculty member's help to resolve the problem. If the problem is more difficult to deal with, they can bring the problem to the attention of the Director of Graduate Studies, or the Equal Opportunity Officer, or the Chair, and enlist their help to resolve it. For more difficult problems, they can go to the University Ombudsman's office and enlist that office's help to resolve the problem; or, in the case of sexual misconduct, they can go to the SHARE office and enlist that office's help to resolve the problem.

Diversity and Inclusivity

The Philosophy Department supports various initiatives aimed at helping philosophers from a wide range of backgrounds join the profession. It partially funds Athena in Action, a mentoring workshop that addresses problems faced by graduate student women in philosophy. It helps fund Minorities and Philosophy (MAP) which sponsors talks and seminars and facilitates its own mentorship program. Aimed at graduate students and undergraduates in philosophy, MAP enables the coordination of activities across universities in the USA, Canada, and the UK. The Department also sponsors an annual COMPASS workshop, a two-day workshop for female and transgender undergraduates interested in going on to do graduate work in philosophy.

Members of the Department faculty are also involved in diversity initiatives across the University, such as the Faculty Advisory Committee on Diversity, the Advisory Committee on Women’s Leadership, Princeton Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, and the Women’s Mentorship Program. Department faculty have also served as mentors for the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship, which supports undergraduate students from underrepresented groups who are interested in attending graduate school.

The Department’s Equal Opportunity Officer is Boris Kment.