The American Association of Philosophy Teachers (AAPT) is launching a new teaching mentorship program designed for philosophers teaching in small philosophy departments.

A small department, for the purposes of this AAPT program, is either a philosophy department with three or fewer faculty in it, or a multidisciplinary department with three or fewer philosophers in it.

The “Mentor Observation Program” is meant to address the following concern:

Faculty in small philosophy programs often lack access to effective feedback about teaching. Such feedback may come from faculty in other departments who are not familiar with prevailing practices for teaching philosophy, or from a very limited number of philosophy colleagues. 

The program is funded by the American Philosophical Association (APA).

Jack D. Musselman (St. Edwards University) of the AAPT writes:

Are you a new faculty member in a small department with only a few philosophers? Maybe you’ve only been teaching for one year, or two years, and would like feedback about your teaching from a philosopher on another campus? If so, apply for the Mentor Observation Program. We’re looking for five new faculty who would like an experienced college teacher on another campus to observe them remotely and engage in discussions to improve their pedagogy.

See here for details regarding the program and eligibility. The deadline to apply is September 2, 2024. Questions about the program may be sent to Jack D. Musselman ([email protected]) or David Gray ([email protected]).