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APA Statements on the Profession

Clarification of Qualifications

The following statement was revised by the Committee for Defense of the Professional Rights of Philosophers (Debra Nails, Chair) and approved by the APA Board of Officers, November 2003.

The American Philosophical Association recognizes as a professional right of applicants for any position advertised in Jobs for Philosophers that no qualification for the position that will be given weight in making the appointment should be concealed from such applicants. In particular, if there is an official departmental or university policy requiring the job to be reserved for a qualified person of a certain sort, for example, one belonging to a certain religious or intellectual tradition, or having a degree in another field, or one who is currently a US or Canadian citizen or permanent resident (or that such a person is to be preferred, other things being equal, for the position), then all applicants have a right to know of that policy before they apply. Either the full relevant criteria for selection should be stated in the advertisement or, if that would be awkward, the advertisement should recommend that interested parties, before preparing an application, write to the department for a full statement of the qualifications sought. The APA urges advertisers to prevent even the appearance of secret reservations that could result in persons applying in good faith for positions for which they have no chance. Standards and qualifications should be applied evenhandedly to all candidates, both internal and external.