Undergraduate News

Philosophy Club and MAP Chapter

By Oliver Hyde

As Undergraduate Activities Coordinator for the 2024-25 academic year, I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of the steady flow of philosophical engagement within the IU philosophy department — particularly, on the side of the undergraduates in our community. My dedication to organizations like the Philosophy Club and IU’s chapter of Minorities and Philosophy (MAP) almost entirely stems from the fruitful discussions had by the organizations’ eager members and participants, so I wish to share some words about this year here:

The Philosophy Club: The Philosophy Club enjoyed a number of discussion session, ranging over a variety of topics in philosophy, such as epistemology, aesthetics, philosophy of language, political philosophy, and more. Members of the club also participated in a reading group, where they engaged in the works of Roy Sorensen and, during his visit to IU, discussed the contents with him.

Minorities and Philosophy (MAP): The IU MAP chapter saw a mix of graduate and undergraduate students, both groups with a lot to say about the contemporary issues that were the topic of our discussion sessions. Such topics included, for example, homelessness, online hate-speech, and problems faced by individuals with disabilities.

In closing, I’d like to shout out those who have been most helpful in keeping the Philosophy Club and MAP running smoothly: Much thanks to Grace Chaumell and Maxwell Cool, Co-presidents of the Philosophy Club, for all the time and extra help they’ve dedicated to the club. I’d also like to thank KayLee Witt and Gwen Fisher for all their help behind the scenes, much of what we’ve been able to accomplish is due to their efforts.

Graduate News

Philosophers and The Indiana Graduate Workers' Coalition

By Ashton Hoene, Matthew Jackson, & David Lorenzo

In Fall 2023, the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition launched a renewed campaign for union recognition and a living wage titled “More Say, More Pay”. Throughout September, the philosophy department especially was home to many in-depth conversations about the campaign and unionization efforts. These conversations provided valuable insight to the views and concerns of fellow grad students, and helped guide the broader conversation moving forward.

The official launch of the campaign saw over 800 graduate students signing union cards within the first 24 hours, and the philosophy department was proud to be one of the leaders with the majority of grad students in our department signing cards on that first day. Shortly after the beginning of the Spring 2024 semester, a letter was delivered to the administration demanding the right to a union election, along with the list of over 1300 SAAs who had signed union cards, the majority of SAA graduate employees on campus. This was one of three letters delivered to the administration which saw no response.

This complete dismissal led to escalation toward the end of the semester, in which graduate students participated in a “3 Days for a Raise” strike leading up to the Little 500 bike race. The strike started April 17th (IU Day), following a historic faculty vote of no-confidence in top administrators, and ended April 19th, with several members of the philosophy department helping to lead the charge.

Among the numerous IGWC organizers within our department, Joshua Paschal and Zara Anwarzai both held leadership positions within the IGWC and were integral to the planning and execution of the strike. They were joined by Matthew Jackson, who took on the role of picket captain to lead union members in marches and chants as they formed picket lines outside various academic buildings.

A couple weeks later, on April 29th, following administration-sanctioned violence and arrests of peaceful protestors in Dunn Meadow, the IGWC joined members of faculty in organizing a rally encouraging the defense of free speech on campus and calling for the resignation of President Pamela Whitten and Provost Rahul Shrivastav. The rally was extremely successful, with over 500 attendees, and the philosophy department was well represented among the organizers of this event.

Our goal of union recognition and a living wage is not something that ended in the spring. The goal is to continue building off of what we have accomplished so far, and to keep in mind that this may be a long-term struggle. But we are fortunate to have a greatly supportive department — from the faculty and staff to the graduate students who volunteer their time to help organize for the union. Despite an uncooperative administration, the resilience of the union, along with the contributions of the philosophers in this department, is something we ought to be proud of.

In Solidarity…