Student Groups & Events

Our graduate students are involved within our department and broader academic communites in a wide variety of capacities.


Minorities and Philosophy

MAP is an internationally established group of philosophers from around the world who are committed to improving our profession with respect to both theoretical and practical issues regarding equity and diversity. There are MAP chapters in several countries around the world. Western’s chapter was officially approved on January 1, 2015, making it the third Canadian chapter.
Contact: mapwestern@gmail.com.

mapconf


Three Minute Thesis

Our first Western University Philosophy 3MT event was held in 2022 with great success. We look forward to making this an annual occurence.

3mt


PhilMilCog

PhilMiLCog is Western's inter-disciplinary annual graduate conference in the Philosophy of Mind, Language, and Cognitive science. This conference is usually scheduled in April or May. 


Logic, Math & Physics Conference

The LMP Graduate Student Conference brings together philosophers of logic, mathematics, and physics for two days of presentations and discussions with some of the leaders in these fields.


Philosophy Graduate Student Association 

PGSA Constitution

Download .pdf

  • To give philosophy graduate students a forum through which they may express their needs and their opinions.

  • Serve as an advocate for philosophy graduate students on issues and concerns affecting the life of philosophy graduate students in the University of Western Ontario’s Philosophy Department.

  • Serve as representatives of philosophy graduate students to the department.

  • Organize events and activities for philosophy graduate students.

Elected Roles

 

Role Responsibilities Elected Representatives 2022-23
Co-Presidents
  • Serve as treasurer for the PGSA.
  • Serve as a representative to the Graduate Philosophy Affairs Committee (GPAC):
    • Attend GPAC meetings.
    • Voice concerns of graduate students to the department/faculty representatives.
  • Attend departmental meetings as a student representative.
  • Organize PGSA elections for subsequent year.
  • Call and chair PGSA meetings.

Carson Johnston

Yusheng Xia

Secretary
  • Attend all PGSA meetings and take minutes.
  • Submit minutes to the President(s) for approval and distribution.
  • In the event of both Presidents being unable to fulfill their duties, the Secretary is responsible for organizing a new election.
  • Alternative Secretary to perform the duties of the Secretary should he or she be unable to attend a meeting.

Jaipreet Mattu

 

SOGS Councillors
  • Must attend Society of Graduate Students monthly meetings from October until September.
    • PGSA receives money per councillor for each meeting attended.
  • Serve as liaisons to inform our department about events and changes in SOGS.
  • Once nominated at the September PGSA meeting, Co-Presidents and Councillors must fill out Councillor Nomination form and give to SOGS: https://sogs.ca/council/
    • SOGS council meeting information is posted here: https://sogs.ca/events/
    • If a councillor cannot attend a meeting, they must find a replacement. This replacement must take a completed Councillor Alternate form to the meeting: https://sogs.ca/council/

Nicholas Michieli

Kawthar Fedjki

PSAC Local 610
Department Steward
  • Attend Stewards and General Membership meetings- PSAC communicates this information by email.
  • Serve as the representative of the union local to the PGSA
  • Serve as first point of contact for grievances and other labour issues
  • Fill out the Department Steward form and return to PSAC office: https://www.psac610.ca/index.php/stewards-committees

Yifei Ren

 

Colloquium Organizers
  • Planning and advertising weekly graduate student talks over the fall and winter terms.
  • Organizing a “Congress Practice Session” early in the summer term (before the annual “Congress of the Humanities and the Social Sciences”).
  • Organizing a works in progress series to run throughout the summer term.
    • All colloquium organizers must read the abstract for each paper prior to its distribution to the members of the PGSA and the faculty.
  • Organize Works In Progress Series (WiPS) in the summer term.

Pavle Jovanovic

Carson Johnston

Yusheng Xia

Mailing List Manager
  • Update phil-gsa mailing list with new students’ emails, and removing graduated students’ emails.
Webmaster
  • Create and maintain PGSA website

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Committees

 

Committee Responsibilities Elected Representatives

Committee for Inclusivity in
Philosophy (CIP)
/ Be on Climate Committee

  • Organize professional development activities targeted at issues relevant to the climate for underrepresented or marginalized groups in philosophy.
  • May work with faculty members to organize department-wide development activities.

Heather Champion

Amy MacKinnon

Social and Wellness Committee
  • Having diverse social and wellness events for increased accessibility and inclusiveness.
  • Communicating with the graduate community to ensure that their needs and wants are well-reflected in the organized events.
  • Promoting wellness awareness by the dissemination of mental health resources. 
  • For wellness initiatives, you may apply for SOGS’ Graduate Student Wellness Fund.

Kawthar Fedjki

Yifei Ren

Kardelen Kucuk 

Welcoming Committee
  • Serve as the first point of contact for new students.
  • Solicit graduate student volunteers for hosting new students.
  • Introduce prospective students to hosts via email.
  • Being present and available at the Open House in the Winter Term as student representatives.
  • Acquiring a list of incoming students from the Graduate Chair and sending an introductory email.
  • Introducing new students to the department at the beginning of the fall term.
  • Running the Mentor Program:
    • Soliciting graduate student volunteers for mentorship.
    • Assigning mentors to new graduate students.
    • Introducing new graduate students to their mentors

 Yusheng Xia

Lindsay Hachey