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[wd813]

I recently learned that a chair position I really wanted, I didn't get.  Of course, as luck would have it, the day after the rejection letter came, I received a call for another chair position I'd applied to before Christmas. 

I am scheduled for a phone interview; I've never interviewed for a chair position, so I'm a bit nervous.  I've also started to wonder:  how many candidates do they phone interview for chair positions?  Where I am presently we just did three phone interviews for a Asst. position.  They offered me three times as an option for the interview.  So, I started thinking, three times for three people? 

Just wondering what others experience has been...

[drangie]

It's not uncommon. 

But I assume there are more than three persons being interviewed via phone.  In my experience, telephone interviews are usued to winnow a "long short"  list of names to a short list of 3 who will be invited for the campus interview.

[anthroid]

Yeah.  It's not a big deal.  We've done up to five phone interviews for a chair interview.  Talk about collaboration and shared governance and people-centered leadership and other management words.  Talk about fostering scholarship and fighting for faculty development and advocating for faculty interests and helping faculty maintain rigor and high standards and combatting plagiarism and so forth.  You'll be good!

[drangie]

So, OP, how did the interview go?

[wd813]

Well, I am excited to report that I leave this week for an on campus interview.  I have been trying to do all the prep I can over break:  looking at rentals/homes in the area, jobs in nearby cities for partner, schools for kids, and, most importantly, reading as much info. on their website as I can. 

I am still concerned about the tenure issue; the job was advertised as tenure-track at the Associate Professor rank.  I really don't want to move without tenure, but I am in a toxic dept.  Four people have left in recent years.  However, I think as a chair I need tenure; this is a new position and there seems to be lots of flexibility, which can be good, or bad, I guess.

I also don't know what to expect for salary.  I have looked up the AAUP guidelines/faculty salaries through the CHE.  The pay for Assistant Prof. is on par with my current institution, but the pay (average) for Assoc. rank is lower, so I'm not sure where I would fall. 

Any thoughts about salary? It's a smaller SLAC and I'm in the humanities. The department is small (approx. 6) and the school is located in the Midwest.

For some reason, I think I may be the only candidate they're bringing to campus.  I know they had phone interviews with other candidates, but I think they bring one person in and if they don't like that person, they move on down the list.  Anyone ever heard/experienced this?

Thanks for asking; I will keep you posted, and anyone please chime in with salary options/expectations or any pointers/tips for interviewing for a chair position.