next »

[anywho]

How on earth would a search committee know if the OP didn't register?  There's no need to do so to attend panels or get to interviews.  Registration badges are a ticket into the book exhibit, and that's about it.

Hmm.  We must attend very different conferences.  I am accustomed to being met at the convention center front door with either a request to see a badge or directions to registration and they do watch to make sure you go over to the table.  Staff check badges to enter most of the sessions, the food court, and the exhibit hall.

I guess I just don't understand why one would even debate about registering for the conference.  It's a chance to see some interesting talks, meet some new people, and catch up on the gossip with old colleagues.  Even if the search committee doesn't find out one skipped (and there are ways to find out other than just checking badges), it still seems like missing a great opportunity to further ensconce oneself into the proper community.

I've been to this conference before, and yes pollymer, we do go to different conferences. First, the search committee will not be asking me about which panels I've attended during our 30 minute interview. There are more relevant questions to cover in that short amount of time. Besides, SCs are often doing back-to-back interviews all day, and missing panels themselves. Second, at my conference, interviews happen in private hotel rooms, so obviously you don't need a registration to get in.

Regarding the interesting panels at the conference, I've attended in the past (last time was years ago), and sometimes do attend panels. However, I'm not a recent grad - I've been working in industry for almost a decade, so I don't need to attend a conference to network. I have a network, and I have other ways of connecting with people in my field. If I do want to attend at the last minute I'll buy a day pass.

Finally, the conference is an extremely stressful place to be when you're a job seeker, so I plan to keep a distance so that I can stay focused on doing my best in the interviews.

Of course, none of this will matter one bit unless I actually GET interviews, hee hee.

[gastr1]

Anywho, conference attendance is not a requirement of the interview process--an SC cannot legally require it.
If you have to do a phone interview, they must honor that. You know, there are conferences other than CAA--
many ceramics people only go to NCECA, and international candidates often go to neither.

[gastr1]

And, you do not have to register for the conference to interview at CAA, nor do you have to stay in your hotel. That would kind of discriminate against local candidates, wouldn't it?

[svenc]

There were discussions on registering for conferences in two other recent threads as well.  Rather than repeat my own viewpoints on this, I will post the links:

http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,45077.0.html

http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,44338.0.html

[gastr1]

With all due respect, svenc, I believe this is somewhat field-specific. As anywho and I are in the same field (determined on another thread), I can say with confidence that no one in our field will give a damn if OP interviews there without registering.

[anywho]

Thank you all for the advice and opinions. I do appreciate hearing all of the different perspectives on this.

I probably won't register this year, although in the future, with institutional support (being optimistic here), I will look forward to not just registering but even presenting or running a workshop at the annual conference.

[onestep]

Actually, that's an angle.  Will your department, school or university (even if you're adjunct) provide funds for travel if you present?  Is it too late to submit an abstract?  Even if they don't, maybe your chair or other admin has some discretionary funds that they can use.  At one school, regular faculty pitched in a few thousand bucks every year to support professional development of our adjuncts and research staff.  I realize your situation is probably different, but it's worth asking.

[gastr1]

Actually, that's an angle.  Will your department, school or university (even if you're adjunct) provide funds for travel if you present?  Is it too late to submit an abstract?  Even if they don't, maybe your chair or other admin has some discretionary funds that they can use.  At one school, regular faculty pitched in a few thousand bucks every year to support professional development of our adjuncts and research staff.  I realize your situation is probably different, but it's worth asking.

Yes...you mentioned in the other thread that you have a lecturer position currently. Often support can come for coneferences as part of a temp hire package. Even if there's no support for helping you find another job, you should go for professional development reasons (which would make me more inclined to support svenc's position...faculty members of all stripes should do all they can to go to the conference).

[jwormold]

Anywho, I wanted to second all gastr1 has said about not needing to register for CAA and still interview. I hadn't planned on attending a while back, and very few of the jobs I was applying for were interviewing at CAA. Of course, the Sunday night before the conference, I got an email from my top choice inviting me for an interview. (The institution in question was based in the conference city, so I suppose I should have expected such a thing...).  Luckily, grad school friends already had a hotel room with an unfilled rollaway bed, and it was at least on the right side of the country for me!

No one at the interview asked what sessions I attended. I went to a few receptions (which don't require registration) and wandered around for about 1/2 hour at the conference site, saw a few people, said hello, and then left town.

And, most importantly, I got the job. Unfortunately, it wasn't a permanent position, hence my lurking around here these days!

[anywho]

A couple of people suggested that I ask my department if there are funds available to cover the conference costs. The thought of asking has occurred to me, but wouldn't it be inappropriate or presumptuous for an adjunct lecturer to request funds for the conference, especially when my main reason for going is for a job search?

Also, it's too late for me to participate in a panel this year, and I don't have time to prepare. I don't know of anyone in the department who is presenting at the conference, either. This is a studio art department, so  unlike, say, art history, presenting a lecture or serving on conference panels is not as frequent among the faculty.

Our chair was in the office today. I popped in to say hi, but was afraid to ask about the conference. My department and the chair (it's a rotating post) are super nice and supportive, even of temporary faculty.

[gastr1]

Also, it's too late for me to participate in a panel this year, and I don't have time to prepare. I don't know of anyone in the department who is presenting at the conference, either. This is a studio art department, so  unlike, say, art history, presenting a lecture or serving on conference panels is not as frequent among the faculty.

You know me (in an anonymous forum kind of way). I'm presenting a paper!

ASK the chair for money for the conference. They should know you will be looking; sometimes it is a built-in expectation that a temp position be designated conference travel in order to find another job. But hey, you could just be going to learn something and make connections.

You won't get if you don't ask.

[anywho]

Thanks for the encouragement - I might try to speak to the chair tomorrow.

How fun to know that someone from these fora will be giving a talk at the conference! I wish you good luck with your lecture.

[pink_]

Also, it's too late for me to participate in a panel this year, and I don't have time to prepare. I don't know of anyone in the department who is presenting at the conference, either. This is a studio art department, so  unlike, say, art history, presenting a lecture or serving on conference panels is not as frequent among the faculty.

You know me (in an anonymous forum kind of way). I'm presenting a paper!

ASK the chair for money for the conference. They should know you will be looking; sometimes it is a built-in expectation that a temp position be designated conference travel in order to find another job. But hey, you could just be going to learn something and make connections.

You won't get if you don't ask.

ASK.
Even if they say no, I guarantee that you won't be struck down by a lughtning bolt.
Seriously, you are still represnting the dept and benefitting that institution, even if you are not a permanent hire. It's a totally normal and non-pretentious question.