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[abd_chem]

Is it just the housing cost/salary mismatch?

Why does Cal State Fullerton have so many jobs posted each year?

[epistephiliac]

I saw that, too, but I didn't know it was a recurring issue.

I was actually thinking about applying for one of them, but now I'm reconsidering it. Their ad does mention "affordable faculty housing," although I suppose it's all relative.

What gives?

[pink_]

Cal State Fullerton is the fastest growing of all the cal state campuses, so while there may be an issue with retention and faculty turnover (I don't know), there is also a need for more bodies in front of the classroom.

[mittens]

I've read that Fullerton's big problem in recent years has been a shortage of professors relative to the number of students.  Fullerton might simply be taking steps toward addressing this issue.  Also, Fullerton is not a small school at all and so 100 openings might not be all that high, really.

I've looked at Fullerton myself in the past.  For me, the number of advertised positions is much less of a concern than the teaching loads and the cost of housing.  :(

[anonecon]

I thought 100 faculty positions was surprisingly large as well when I first saw their advertisement, but I think it might just be normal for a school that sized.  I am at a university of around 8,000 students and we just hired around 25-30 faculty this year.  Fullerton has 35,000 students, so maybe it makes sense that they would hire 4 times as many faculty since they have over four times as many students.

[fishfolk]

I think it's probably all of the above: numbers of new faculty needed; course loads and cost of living affecting retention rates, etc.  But I know at least one nightmare department which lost 4 faculty members in one year-- and two didn't even have alternative jobs lined up.  That's how desperate they were to get out of there.

I am sure that was a unique case, however, and not a  universal problem.

[science_expat]

FWIW, I have a friend in science at Fullerton and he loves the place.

[epistephiliac]

Just out of curiosity, how does the cost of living compare to, say, San Diego or Los Angeles? What about quality of life?

[notaprof]

The cost of living is not significantly different in Fullerton than in Los Angeles or San Diego.  The rule of thumb on cost of living in most of Southern Cal is essentially the same, in nice neighborhoods with convenient shopping, nearness to the university - costs are high.  In less desirable, more population dense areas with traffic or significant commutes, cost of living is lower but still high.  My daughter rented a three bedroom apartment near the university in a run down complex for $1600 a month.  That was two years ago.  After a semester, she decided it was better to move back home and make the 45 minute commute from our city.

In terms of the area, I liked the feel of the downtown area but I only visited a couple of times.  I did have some good meals at a couple of restaurants.  I can't comment on day to day living there but I'll check with my daughter and her boyfriend for more feedback if you want a student's perspective.  Just let me know.

[abd_chem]

Interesting opinions all.  I'm actually applying to much smaller schools in cheaper parts of the country and I guess that colored my surprise at the announcement.

I was also thinking that with so many openings, a lot of people must be wondering about the school.

$1600 for a three bedroom doesn't actually sound that bad to me, but then I currently live in the shadow of New York City and am desperate to get done and get out.

[pink_]

You won't have the cultural offerings of LA or San Diego, though LA would be about an hour's drive if the traffic isn't bad, so you could make the trip in for a concert or something . . .  San Diego is a bit farther.  Traffic is the real problem in either scenario--if it's bad it might well take you more than twice the usual drive time.

You don't get the benefit of having the ocean nearby, so it's a bit hotter and the air quality is a bit less (no breeze).  I had a friend from grad school go there for her first job, and I was surprised that her rent was a bit higher than what she would have paid in Los Angeles, but as a single woman, she didn't really have the option of living in a run-down neighborhood.  She liked her students and her colleagues though and said that she was impressed by how committed everyone was to their teaching.

[losemygrip]

I also believe that for several years all the Cal State schools went through a major budget crunch and they've never quite caught up from the hiring freezes due to that.  I also know that in my field the department (a quite large one) has had numerous hirings due to a whole generation retiring around the same time.