next »

[Considering]

Well, are there any normal ones nowadays?

Seriously, I'm trying to weigh my situation here and I'd appreciate some general feedback.

I currently hold a tenure track position.  It looks like I am about to be offered a part-time position at another college.  Why would I even consider it?

1) It's near where my partner and I want to be permanently.
2) The college pays its faculty better overall (so if I eventually get a full-time position, I would be in a better financial situation)
3) For a host of reasons, it would be better for my long-term career plans

They are confident that the part-time position will become full-time, tt in a year or so, if enrollment grows.  I have agreed to be involved in their recruitment efforts if hired.  But for now, it's considered a half-time appointment (so the salary cut would be about 35-40%).  The position includes teaching 3 classes (a full load is 4).  They believe its 50% because the usual administrative requirements would not apply.  

I feel like it would be reasonable to negotiate for 3/4 pay, on the basis that I would still be deeply involved in their recruitment efforts.  So if they only paid me for half-time, I would only be compensated for that work if, and only if, they hired me for the tenure track position.  If I am never picked up for the full-time position, I'll have done this work for them for free, in every sense of the word.

If you were in the administration's shoes, would you buy this argument and try to get me a higher salary?  I realize that in a perfect world, administrators would always love to pay us better, but that budgets are tight, etc.  But would this situation compel you to make it a priority?  I wanted to get some opinions before I start playing hardball.

In more general terms, what would you do if you were in this situation?  Say no to the new place or goodbye to the old place?

[Dr. Zarkov]

I'd be a bit skeptical about the whole deal, particularly the *IF* enrollment increases part.  This sounds like something Dilbert's boss would dream up: Let's achieve results with no resources.  If they really are committed to the program, why aren't they committing the staffing and marketing resources to make it succeed?

Perhaps in your negotiations, you can frame the issue more on the program and its resources, vs. your own situation.

PS: I once interviewed for a director job of a new grad program.  I'd do program development, some marketing, maybe teach some grad classes, and maybe some undergrad classed too if things were slow.  Talk about lack of committment!

Good Luck!

[history anon]

I would strongly advise against moving under these circumstances, unless there is some compelling reason you're not telling us why you want to leave your current position.   There is no guarantee that the new job would turn from part-time to full-time, and no incentive for the new institution to make it full-time if they can get you for a part-time salary.   Also, I don't know how the institution works, but at most places, if a new faculty line is created, the department is required to do an open national search to fill it, which means anything could happen and you could be out on the street after a year.   The whole thing strikes me as highly irregular and possibly dishonest.

[EC]

Why don't you take a one year leave from your current position? A lot of people do that to try out new job.

[Aristotelian]

Maybe you could just wait a year, when they claim that they will have a TT position.  I agree with Zarkov and history anon: the deal they are offering is highly suspect.  There are just too many things that could go wrong.  They could renege on the TT line, or they could do a search and select another candidate.  If moving is really worth it to youand your partner, it's your choice to go ahead and take the job.  But you should do so ONLY assuming that you would not be promoted and that any promotion would be "bonus."

[marta]

I agree with everybody...

This deals looks a lot like the deals start-ups or dotcoms were offering new hires here in Sil Val back when... Low salary with tons of stock options, so your cash would go up with their success bla bla bla... when the bubble burst, some of my friends got in trouble with huge mortgages and credit card debt, and lots of shares with zero or close to zero value...


m

[Adjunk]

Promises promises, and alot of ifs.  They're already trying to exploit and cheat you by offering half time pay in exchange for 3/4 time work PLUS the recruitment efforts they've managed to get you to offer them for free.  You take this job at your own risk, but don't be surprised at all if things don't work out.  And it might take you awhile to find out because they'll probably string you along for as many years as they can with the promise that just as soon as enrollment increases, you'll be full time.
As so many part-timers can say,  been there done that.

[dr. joe]

I've had friends on the same type of promises, adjunct, part-time gigs (with promises of TT) for over 25 years -- so  my vote is a resounding NO WAY.

Don't be a fool to their manipulative dealings.

[Beyonce]

Laugh in their faces and say "I bet you tell that to all the girls" when they try to get you to give it up for that old, old line that nobody, not even the newest of the newbies, should ever ever ever believe ("it will turn into a t-t and you will be the first pick for it" or any variation thereof).

Are they offering you first bid on the prime, oceanfront property in central Kansas, too?

[loco]

Location matters...I'm contemplating a similar situation though for full-time work.  To me, being where I want to be is really important.  If you can afford being part-time or 3/4 time for a while, then why not?  But if you could negotiate a year off of your present position to test the waters, as some have suggested you do, even better.  In the end, you only live once and alot of academic types seem not to realize this.

[catnip]

I agree with the others. They have no incentive to do what you want them to do. The old saying about the cow and the milk.....

If you accept the job, you should accept it AS IS and not expect that they will do anything to make it better, or even to continue it AS IS. They do not have your best interests at heart, so don't think that they really "mean it" when they make promises. They may tell themselves that they are being sincere, which perhaps they are--at this very moment--when not all the pieces of the puzzle are in place.

But when things change, and no added enrollment happens (or whatever the contingencies are), the administrators will sleep soundly in their beds at night because "things changed" and the promises they once made are no longer applicable. They will feel fine about their treatment of you because they didn't know that enrollments weren't going to do whatever they thought they would. They feel fine because they can reassure themselves that they told you in the beginning that it was an "if, then" situation. They will continue snoozing and dreaming sweet dreams.

If you need to move for the good of your relationship, then do it, by all means. Just don't expect the job situation to improve once you get there. What they offer you at the beginning is likely to be the best that they will ever offer you.

[prytania3]

You sound like you have other important reasons for wanting the job. I would make my decision based on those considerations rather than what the college promises in the future. In other words, if the promises don't pan out, will this still be a good job move?

You could try to get them to put their promises in writing. That would probably be hard to do, but you never know. Even in writing, however, the the criteria set for x,y, and z may never be met.

Again, weigh it in "as is" and consider the location and being with your partner vs. how in love you are with the job you have.

[B.F.]

I agree with those who have posted. Don't make the move expecting that the position will turn into a full-time position. If you are willing to move for the part-time position, do it, but you can't count on anything else.