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[fiona]

The Fiona would be proud--I killed this thread! Of course, a Natchitoches meat pie always did hush a conversation.

I don't know what this thread is about, but I do like Natchitoches meat pies. So cheers for you!

The Fiona

[the_honey_badger]

Oh, gawd, that's awful.  Was this recent?  Sounds like things haven't changed much in Nacogodoches.

Yes, this was pretty recent. I believe it was January or February. Needless to say, when my colleague mentioned this to one of our professors—who had also been a mentor of the Search Committee Chaire at SFA—, our professor was positively mortified, saying that it seemed very unlike his former student. Maybe there is indeed something in the water at that campus.

They hired the single worst grad student I've ever encountered. He later said in my hearing that he liked it because "the guys are like me! No PC police here!"   That said volumes to me about that college and department even if I didn't know of their rep from other sources.

[horseshoecrab]

I just discovered this thread and read the whole thing with amusement. I retired from SFA a bit over a decade ago after having spent a twenty-some-odd year second career there.

The critics are right that the upper administration is ignorant and provincial. That's the way the Board wants it. In the past few decades they have actually managed to hire two first rate presidents, but got rid of each within three years. The current guy is a local product who ran the dorms and the sacred football team for decades.

All that to the contrary notwithstanding, I had a fine go there. In spite of the nominal 4/4 expectation, I never taught more than 3/3. I always had good graduate students together with whom I published regularly. I was able to acquire a little reputation in my field, so never lacked for invitations to give colloquia, and I  had a couple of nice, year-long sabbaticals. There is no doubt that my department, at least in my time, was superior to its equivalents in all the other Texas third tier institutions.

Just sayin', as they say.

[creepies]

So I just had a really nice phone interview with a SC at SFA, and as I'm waiting to hear back about an on-campus interview I thought, why not check the forums for any comments about working at SFA?  Wow.  I am taken aback by all of the stern warnings to avoid SFA at all costs.  Granted, the really scary stuff was from four years ago and mainly concerned the English department, but it's giving me serious pause.  Does anyone out there have any updates? 

I knew about the low pay and high teaching loads, and I grew up in rural TX, so that's not a big deal for me...but is it really that bad (relative to similarly sized, regional public universities)?

[losemygrip]

I'm just excited to see my favorite thread of all time resurrected.

[anahuacbob]

I'm still at SFA, though I started the job seeking process last year.  Again, this may be a great place for southerners, but the community and distance from family are starting to wear me down.  Still, picking at SFA seems like the low-hanging fruit of the academic harvest of shame.

While the problems of a few years ago seem to be gone, new problems have popped up in sociology and history.  I lost a good friend out of the history department, and while he was tight lipped about his reasons for leaving, he was just one of three faculty that left - four if you count an adjunct faculty member that was fired for making some less than cordial drunken comments about a TT native Texan at a bar one night.  Current friend in history supposes that one of those four is currently trashing SFA history positions on the job wikkis... I guess you would have to check the IP address to know for sure.  Sociology problems seem to stem from clashes with the chair, but it rotates through the department and those problems may go away soon.

[undisciplined]

creepies, just make sure you get a Natchitoches meat pie when you visit!

[creepies]

Thanks so much for the info, anahuacbob!  So far my experiences communicating with folks down there have been good.

And I'm headed down for an interview, so I'll keep an eye out for meat pies, undicsciplined!

[undisciplined]

way to go, creepies!

[anahuacbob]

Anahuac Bob is leaving the building.  I've accepted a job and am packing up the wife, kids, and dog and heading out.  It was tough to see my friends in other departments leaving, and after 5 years I can't stay here for the Golden Cuffs.  Again, this would be a great gig for some, but it the isolation and culture have ground me to a nub.  Hasta la pasta, SFA.

[clean]

Good for you!

From someone who has been at a toxic place, I will warn you that there will be times when you remember the bad things.... In the beginning, I used to say, "I dont work there anymore" a couple times a month.  Now It is only a couple of times a year... and Ive been gone for 8 years or so now. 

It will get better!  The first step is to get out and youve done that!  Do what you can to put it behind you as soon as you can!

[watermarkup]

Congratulations, A. Bob. Good luck in your new promised land.