Notes: Getting a Job at a State School
Getting a Job at a State School
Created Friday 04 November 2011
PUI (primarily undergraduate institute)
many have balance of teaching and research
1 What is the appeal of a CalState?
- it’s in California
- the more teaching experience you can get, the better
- esp. if they are your own classes
- likes the mixture of teach and research
-
can make impacts on student like (help with papers, career path, etc).
- are eval’d on the teaching
- likes the diversity (ethnic, economic)
- not driven to publish in the High Impact 0% acceptance journ
2 hiring is done based on demonstrated need
- have 100 applicants for a political theory job
- have to give a talk, helps to be local
3 CSU requires some research
- 40% of progress to tenure, 20% on service
- does NOT look at only teaching
- path to tenure beaucratic but also clear
- turn dissertation into a book (art history) before you’re in job market
4 How get connections?
- knowing how to present yourself
- cold call
- cover letter to department chair
- pithy local conferences
- apply for jobs, give talks
-
send out CV for teaching (lecture positions available)
- don’t do too often (school will want to hire someone new)
5 CSU doesn’t get sabbatical until after tenure
- and they’re competitive
- tenure is strong, if you do your homework
-
might want to keep some work backup, to count towards tenure (book chapters of dissertation, above)
- work counts on publication date (not acceptance date)
6 can teach the survey courses (cave art to pop art)
- must know the field well
- assessment of student learning outcomes and goals
- be familiar with language of assessment
- prepare a syllabus for intro courses (what book, what assignments, etc)
- show you can think through class design
7 candidates often pitch the teaching too high, and research too low
- faculty is actively engaged in research (offended if suggest otherwise)
8 be reflective about how you teach
- what did you do for that struggling student
- how did you help that one improve their writing
- what books best expose students to disciplinary knowledge
- how/why you use powerpoint
9 make a teaching portfolio
- doesn’t refect the concepts
-
focus on the students
- outcomes
- backgrounds
- diversity
- engagement techniques
10 fold the 40/40/20 ratio into cover letter?
- no more that two pages, don’t force into one
- put the research first
- signal open to cirriculum development
- have done investigation into the department
- signal that you know you won’t have a dream job
- you aren’t above the students, or staff
- know about the current initiatives
-
READ their website, target your letter
- focus on department
- don’t be rude, ever!
11 probably also inclue a 2pg teaching phil overview
- make avail to the reviewer (so they don’t have to ask)
12 short list phone intervew
-
give detailed answers
- use all your time
-
enthusiasm in voice
- dress up, walk around, smile, pretend you are in person
-
go for the first interview
- get the committee aware, happy, energetic
13 keep your materials organized
- then riviewer can sift for what they want
- highlight, overview
14 don’t sacrifice research for teaching
- get papers/dissertation done and out
15 give clues that you are also fit for administrative positions
16 teaching demo:
- give one that you can do on the fly
- don’t create something totally new
-
make sure that you can finish on time
- esp if you give overview of everything (history of world)
- be aware of jargon
17 interview
- both teaching and research
-
you take over someone’s class
- don’t argue too much over your specialization
- don’t belittle the research
18 it’s ok to cold call dept after submitting your application
- but not too often