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[madhatter]

Are you saying that I need to appear less desperate?  These people called me, all but begging for a last minute interview.  I think we're equally desperate, but point taken.

I'm just teasing. But, yes, try not to appear desperate. Interested, eager, but not desperate. I'm sure you'll knock 'em dead.

[mad_doctor]

Am I the only one who thinks there doesn't seem to be a hiring freeze on administrators?  I encountered about three times more listings for admins than faculty in my job search - dept. chairs, deans, institute directors, coordinators, etc.  It's like the people who run our system really believe that they can run a university w/o faculty, but administrators are @#$%-ing indispensable.

[barred_owl]

Am I the only one who thinks there doesn't seem to be a hiring freeze on administrators?  I encountered about three times more listings for admins than faculty in my job search - dept. chairs, deans, institute directors, coordinators, etc.  It's like the people who run our system really believe that they can run a university w/o faculty, but administrators are @#$%-ing indispensable.

It may seem that way, but there is likely greater turnover among the adminicritter ranks than faculty ranks, too.  That is unless you're seeing more new admin positions than faculty positions in your system; for that, I have no explanation, only empathy.

[madhatter]

Am I the only one who thinks there doesn't seem to be a hiring freeze on administrators?  I encountered about three times more listings for admins than faculty in my job search - dept. chairs, deans, institute directors, coordinators, etc.  It's like the people who run our system really believe that they can run a university w/o faculty, but administrators are @#$%-ing indispensable.

Not in my experience. I applied for many administrative jobs over the last two years, and quite a few of them were cut due to hiring freezes.

[michaelrwalden]

Ohio State also has a hiring freeze, at least their Veterinary School does.

[icanhazphd]

The Cal State System has put adjuncts and lecturers on the chopping block big time. San Diego State alone let go 500 lecturers. I guess being in a cheaper  faculty category always help you. Many folks in my area are looking to head off to industry.

[joesephpeabody]

Am I the only one who thinks there doesn't seem to be a hiring freeze on administrators?  I encountered about three times more listings for admins than faculty in my job search - dept. chairs, deans, institute directors, coordinators, etc.  It's like the people who run our system really believe that they can run a university w/o faculty, but administrators are @#$%-ing indispensable.

80% of them are dispensable. However they rig the system so that you can't do anything w/o them.

[joesephpeabody]

Watch out for Lousianna Tech's Faculty Advertisements this Season!!

Two days past, an enlightening experience culminated for my application as an assistant professor at Lousianna Tech, in Raston, LA. The job was in Chemistry, but the lessons learned may be more broadly applicable.

A year back (Fall 2008), I applied for this position. The advertisement that I responded to announced faculty openings in a number of departments. The advert may have been on 'Chronicle Careers'. Anyway, I never heard back from the search committee (I assumed that this was the result of the statewide hiring freeze in LA).

However this August, the same advertisement appeared. So I contacted their Chemistry Department, the HR division and eventually the office of their Dean. The information that I obtained is as follows:

• The 2008/2009 search (in Chemistry) was cancelled in late 2008.
  
• Even though LA Tech is now advertising a (Chemistry) position for the 2009/2010 season, there is NO money to fill the job. They placed the advert knowing that there was no job for 2009/2010 in the first place.

• The HR office and the Office of the Dean were not able (or willing?) to address this issue.

Whereas it is speculation as to whether the same policy applies for positions in other departments at LA Tech, it now seems pretty clear that before applying, it is a good idea to confirm the existence of actual funding for the job line before wasting one's time in applying for faculty jobs at this joint. Best to confirm this through the actual, concerned department.

JP

[conjugate]

Of course, if there were a position available, it would help if you spelled it "Louisiana" rather than "Louisianna," as most schools like candidates who don't misspell the name of their state. 

I'm not trying to be nasty here, I'm merely pointing out that potential employers do look at those things.  It will be more serious if you misspell the name consistently, rather than just a one-time typo.

[joesephpeabody]

Of course, if there were a position available, it would help if you spelled it "Louisiana" rather than "Louisianna," as most schools like candidates who don't misspell the name of their state. 

I'm not trying to be nasty here, I'm merely pointing out that potential employers do look at those things.  It will be more serious if you misspell the name consistently, rather than just a one-time typo.

thanks that escaped my spelling checker, but not on the cover letter!

[zombie]

Also, it's Ruston. Not Raston.  Hopefully your spell checker or you caught that one, too. 

LA is a tricky state right now.  There have been multiple hiring freezes:  Bobby Jindall is out to run for Prez one day and wants to look like he's "cracking down" on us liberal whack job academics.  But if the department NEEDS the position, it's possible the university can still get the funding. 

In my humble opinion, it's not a waste of time to apply anywhere in this market. 

[embitteredhistorian]

The recent news from the UC suggests that California will be a pretty tough nut to crack, unless you go the small college route--but even then competition for jobs will increase accordingly.

I applied for about 30 positions last year and around 12 told me that there would be a hiring freeze; a few others didn't fill in the positions (or at least didn't put the new staff members on their websites). This year I've seen about a third of the openings I saw last year. A bad time for the humanities indeed.

[strutsandfrets]

Do I really need to say that California is frozen solid?  Only one opening in my field in the entire state, and that is at a private evangelical university.

[embitteredhistorian]

Do I really need to say that California is frozen solid?  Only one opening in my field in the entire state, and that is at a private evangelical university.

I applied to a job t a private evangelical university too, horrified at the thought of actually getting it (I'm quite athiest). However, I wasn't even shortlisted.

I have seen a few (very few) job advertisements in my field in California from private universities this year.

On a related topic: have "subject to availability of funding" disclaimers always been so common on academic job ads?

[conjugate]

Do I really need to say that California is frozen solid?  Only one opening in my field in the entire state, and that is at a private evangelical university.

I applied to a job t a private evangelical university too, horrified at the thought of actually getting it (I'm quite athiest). However, I wasn't even shortlisted.

I have seen a few (very few) job advertisements in my field in California from private universities this year.

On a related topic: have "subject to availability of funding" disclaimers always been so common on academic job ads?

Many evangelical universities require a statement of faith in order for applicants to be seriously considered.  If you mentioned being an atheist, of course they wouldn't have hired you.  If they didn't require a statement of faith, then they might not have cared if you were willing not to criticize those who do believe.  In any event, they may have had someone in mind already.