History
The idea for Compass grew out of a regular reading group organized by female graduate students at Princeton for female undergraduates interested in pursuing philosophy. Both the reading group and the Compass Workshop were initiatives of the Princeton chapter of MAP (Minorities and Philosophy). The name “Compass” is a pun on MAP: the workshop is intended to help undergraduates “find their way” in the discipline.
Since the initial workshop at Princeton, several other departments have held Compass events. The first Compass workshop at UT-Austin was held in the Spring of 2018, and it brought together 10 undergraduates from around Texas. It, too, was sponsored by UT-Austin's chapter of MAP, and had extended its call for applications not only to gender minorities, but to minorities in philosophy per se. We now have a Compass reading group at UT-Austin, as well!
Testimonials
Elise Watley
Sam Houston State University
"Attending Compass was one of the highlights of my undergraduate journey thus far. My favorite aspect of the program was getting to meet other individuals who share a passion for philosophy and are willing to take part in discourse in an open and scholarly manner. As a result of participating in engaging discussion across a variety of topics, I was able to expand my knowledge in areas of philosophy I had no prior exposure to or experience in. I highly recommend Compass to anyone who has a genuine interest in philosophy and a desire to expand their philosophical repertoire."
Christine Vo
University of Texas, Austin
"This program was an eye-opening experience for me. It was one of the first times that I felt as if my thoughts and opinions mattered in a space made for philosophers. I felt comfortable sharing my ideas to the graduate students and professors involved, without the fear of being judged. It's hard not to feel underrepresented in a field that is so dominated by people who do not look like me, or share my experiences--but Compass showed that there is a seat reserved at the table for minorities like me, and that our voices matter."
Ethan Russo
University of Texas, Austin
Compass, first and foremost, was an awesome experience. It's not often that you get to spend a weekend with people who don't look at you like you're crazy when you declare your love of metaphysics! Everyone at the event--organizers and participants both--made me feel like I belonged among them. The philosophical confidence I gained from that sense of belonging has transferred into my daily life. I feel more comfortable speaking in discussions in my classes (both in philosophy and other subjects). Overall, I cannot recommend applying to Compass highly enough."
Resources
Advice for Philosophy Undergrads from Underrepresented Groups:
https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.apaonline.org/resource/resmgr/diversity/Advice_for_Undergrads.pdf
Haslanger, Sally; "Changing the Ideology and Culture of Philosophy: Not By Reason (Alone)"
http://www.mit.edu/~shaslang/papers/HaslangerCICP.pdf
Martín Alcoff, Linda; "A Call for Climate Change for Women in Philosophy"
http://alcoff.com/articles/call-climate-change-women-philosophy
"Implicit Bias, Stereotype Threat and Women in Philosophy"
http://as.nyu.edu/content/dam/nyu-as/philosophy/documents/Saul_IBStereotypeThreatWIP.pdf
"THE CHILLY CLIMATE: How Women and Men are Treated Differently in Classrooms and at Work"