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[help]

This is one of those questions I feel dumb asking, but I need help!

A couple of positions I am applying for (I'm in the humanities) require a "Statement on Teaching in a Liberal Arts Context."  I am finishing a PhD in an R1 and went to an R1 for undergrad as well, so I'm a little confused on this terminology.    

Is the "context" equivalent to environment? (as in, teaching in a liberal arts college setting?)  Or is context more about teaching strategies (approaching my subject matter with an interdisciplinary focus, etc.). Or both?  

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

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[anon]

I would interpret that as referring to a school whose primary emphasis is on teaching (as opposed to research) and developing so-called well-rounded individuals.

[equally unsure]

I'd read the mission of the school, the mission statement of the consortium of slacs, and check for relevant sections in The Handbook for the Academic Jobsearch.

However, I have seen a few ppl mention something I would never have thought of: student research possibilities.
It had never occured to me to mention how students could participate in my own research. I do literature so perhaps they don't expect that of people in my area.

Anyone in the know willing to opine on the ways a lit person could incorporate undergrads into research? I can see asking undergrads to collect bibliographies or something (I did that for a prof as an undergrad before there were databases online).  What else might be good?

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[Mentor]

A key part of being faculty at a SLAC is not simply incorporating students into your research, but mentoring them with their own independent research.  So, even if it might be difficult for you to give an undergrad something useful to do on your own work, guiding them the process of literature "research" is very important.

Foe example, SLACs will not be impressed if you're in literature and you tell them that you'd be happy to send undergrads to the library to pick up books for you or to go through online databases for you.  They will be impressed if you say you are interested in mentoring students with their own independent studies in literature.

[PosterChild]

I think you should talk about the value of a liberal arts education, not simply that you're interested in being at a smaller school.  Many liberal arts colleges would object to seeing the distinction as being more interested in teaching than research.  A liberal arts college often has a somewhat different vision of education (certain majors, for example, are far less likely to exist at a liberal arts college).  Read up on a liberal arts education, read the mission statement of the particular college, etc....  The last thing that you want to do is to convince them that you see a liberal arts education as simply teaching-intensive.  I'd also agree with mentor that it's more about mentoring than allowing students to help you with your research.

[anon]

I came across the same situation when I applied for the position I am currently at two years ago.  As a matter of fact, the hiring department asked me to submit a statement of how to adapt my major to the context of a liberal arts education.

I would interprete the statement of "liberal arts context" as not gearing to your teaching to a highly specialized subject matters but adapting it to a broad field of many disciplines.

I am also in the humanities.  If you are interested, I can email you the statement I wrote.

Good luck!

[equally unsure]

Mentor wrote:

So, even if it might be
> difficult for you to give an undergrad something useful to do
> on your own work, guiding them the process of literature
> "research" is very important.

What do undergrads do as literature research? Their papers for courses? Creative writing for fun?  Isn't it the responsibility of their instructors to mentor them on these whether they are at an R1 or a SLAC?
 
They will be impressed if
> you say you are interested in mentoring students with their own
> independent studies in literature.

I can't believe they would be "impressed" by something so natural. Geez. there must be some awful people out there.

As regards tweaking a major/discipline for a liberal arts context, would this be something like highlighting the interdisciplinary links between your own field and various other disciplines?

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[Artsearch]

"As regards tweaking a major/discipline for a liberal arts context, would this be something like highlighting the interdisciplinary links between your own field and various other disciplines?"
****
Maybe something simpler than that...

I also attended R1's, in programs where I took courses almost exclusively in my major area, but when I went to teach music in a SLAC, the whole major was literally 8 courses out of the students' entire 4 year undergrad degree. I found this rather shocking, and I think I never really got on board with the idea--but I think in your case, they want to make sure you understand what you are getting into and that you are philosophically aligned with it. I'd take a detailed look at the college catalogue for the degree requirements.

[perhaps not too complicated...]

I feel as though we are over-analyzing this issue.  I ended up at my current SLAC after spending all of my academic life at R-1 institutions, and this is what I think teaching in a liberal-arts context means:

Teaching/learning for the heck of it, without an explicit focus on its utilitarian end.

At least, this is what we mean by "teaching in liberal arts contexts" when we design our position ads.

For example, in developmental psychology, teaching in "liberal arts contexts" would indicate that you'll be focusing on facilitating your students' learning of the theories and research in "traditional" academic settings.

By contrast, teaching in non-liberal-arts contexts would mean teaching in teacher training programs, counseling programs, or even in med school.  In such contexts, you are teaching them the APPLICATION of the theories and research (e.g., Piaget is ONLY  meaningful to the extent to which his theory can inform them how to deal with 4th-grade math lessons, counseling processes, or developmental pathology).

I don't know how this would translate into OP's field in humanities, but I hope this makes sense...

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[help]

thanks to all, this was quite helpful!