A philosophy department where women thrive is a place where women philosophers and women philosophy students are full partners in the philosophic enterprise.
Course curricula include women philosophers in significant numbers and central roles.
When writers in the philosophical canon ignore, disparage, or discount women (as they often do), professors acknowledge the misogyny and invite discussion.
There is a strong female presence in the department's self-portrayal-bulletin boards, quotations, photos, news releases, brochures, websites.
Women students feel comfortable speaking in classes, which means that faculty call on women students, refrain from interrupting or allowing others to interrupt, follow up on comments, and in other ways, model, maintain, and insist on an atmosphere of respectful listening.
Faculty outline procedures in their classes that ensure that small group discussions honor women students' contributions and allow their voices to be heard.
Faculty recognize that different people are comfortable with and responsive to different modes of questioning and discussion, and so classes have a variety of formats, including round-table discussions.
The faculty, including instructors and TA's, includes women faculty in significant numbers, who can serve as mentors and role models and create examples of women in philosophy.
Men as well as women faculty and staff take seriously their responsibilities for service and other activities that serve the common good.
A philosophy department where women thrive works in many ways to create a community of colleagues.
There is a "student lounge," a welcoming place where students can gather informally, where they can get to know each other, mentor each other, share information, relax, and work, creating in these ways a mutually supportive community.
There are numerous other opportunities for creating community; for example, mailboxes where graduate students can leave materials and messages, a message board where they can make appointments or connections, informal gatherings, and other elements that help people feel "at home."
The extracurricular activities of the department-the Philosophy Club, office hours in coffee shops, informal study sessions, social events after classes-are open and welcoming to women students. This means that all people are notified of these events, and their ideas are acknowledged and considered.
There is an active, optional mentoring program that pairs undergraduates with upper-division or graduate students-both individual pairings and meetings of undergraduates facilitated by graduate students.
A philosophy department where women thrive is a place where everyone feels safe.
Faculty model mutual respect, support, and collaboration in their relationships with one another and especially with staff.
Intimidation is never part of a teacher's (or student's) repertoire. A student is never afraid that someone will shout at her or belittle her.
Women are, and feel, physically safe from unwelcome touching and unwelcome advances from their professors and peers.
Women can develop close teacher-student relationships without worrying that the relation will turn in inappropriate directions. In other words, in a department where women thrive, it is safe for a student to assume that a professor will take an interest in her because of her ideas and educational goals, and not for his own physical or personal gratification.
People of all age groups and ethnicities are equally welcomed, and everyone understands that a student may be as likely to be a parent with financial and child-care responsibilities as a person with responsibility only for him- or herself.
A vibrant diversity of ages, cultures, languages, ethnic backgrounds-in students and in faculty-creates a department where no one feels out of place.
In a philosophy department where women can thrive, all can thrive, because this department will be a welcoming, open, safe, mutually nourishing community of people learning together.
Also, check out Grad Programs for Women and Women in the Profession.