Dr. Anita Silvers Scholarship Fund in Philosophy for Incoming M.A. Students

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL AND CREATIVE ARTS
This scholarship will be awarded for the 2025-2026 Academic Year. Students must enroll HALF-TIME (6 units graduate) during the 2024-2025 Academic Year to receive the scholarship

Dr. Anita Silvers was an internationally recognized philosopher and advocate for disability rights and a professor of Philosophy at San Francisco State University for over 50 years. She also served as department chair from 1981 to 1986 and from 2006 until her death in 2019. Dr. Anita Silvers was an ardent supporter of providing access to higher public education for students who would not be able to access such an education on their own.

Of her many accomplishments, one of which she was especially proud was being able to bring the Department of Philosophy to national recognition. Over the past decade, SF State’s master’s degree program in Philosophy has consistently ranked among the top 10 in the United States.

The brother of Anita Silvers, Dr. David Silvers, and his family wish to honor the memory of Dr. Anita Silvers by providing scholarships to students who are currently enrolled or who have been accepted into the M.A. program. This gift will serve to strengthen and advance the M.A. program in Philosophy that is one of the cornerstones of Dr. Anita Silvers’ long and storied career at San Francisco State University.

• Awarding Department: Department of Philosophy
• Scholarship Intent: The purpose of the Dr. Anita Silvers Scholarship in Philosophy for Fall Applicants is to provide
  substantial scholarship assistance to students beginning the M.A. program in Philosophy. The number
  and size of scholarship awards may vary from year to year based on the applicant pool. It is the Donor’s
  wish that the scholarship award be significant enough to retain students of a caliber who will strengthen
  the reputation, mission and standing of the program both as a leader in the field of Philosophy
  education in higher public education and as a leader in diversifying the field of Philosophy.
• Criteria:
  1) Newly admitted to the SFSU Philosophy M.A. Program.
• Additional Criteria:
  1) Names of two faculty who can serve as references for academic achievement
  2) Unofficial transcripts from student’s prior degree programs; unofficial transcript from SFSU; list of
  courses currently in progress
  3) Explanation of why the scholarship would be useful and additional information applicant thinks
  would be useful in evaluating the application.

• NOTE: The scholarship award may be disbursed over multiple semesters. These students
  receiving the award over multiple semesters must be registered in a minimum of four (4) units each
  semester to receive disbursement.

• Major: Philosophy
• Class Level: Undergrad: N/A; Grad: Masters/MFA
• Enrollment Status: Incoming SF State student
• Enrollment Requirement: Undergrad: N/A; Grad: 4 UNITS
• Financial Need: as determined by the FAFSA and/or CA Dream App: No
• Citizenship: Any
• Minimum GPA: HS GPA: N/A; SF State Undergrad GPA: 3.3; SF State Grad GPA: 3.3
• Contact Person: Olivia Walters
• Campus Address: Humanities 388
• Street Address: 1600 Holloway, San Francisco, California 94132-4011
• Phone Number: (415) 338-1596
• Email: grdphl@sfsu.edu
• Web page: Department of Philosophy
• Amount of Award: Varies up to $15,000
• Number of Awards: Varies