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[monklein]

Hello,
I'm going on the market for the first time this year and I just came across an ad for a tenure-track assistant professor at a fairly well known liberal arts college.  Since the position has an open specialization, I went to the program website (subfield of a department) to see if there were any faculty members already covering my obscure specialization or if I could indeed compliment their program.  To my surprise there were no professors listed in the program, only a Visiting Professor and two Instructors.  How would you interpret this? This looked like a red flag to me, but maybe I am missing something?

[ruralguy]

You might indeed be missing something.

If this program is relatively new, or even it is old, but people see that it is floundering or too muddled, or has no one to claim ownership,
they may have now decided that it needs a tenure line. This could be a very good sign. That is, of all the things at the college that could have been started up, they chose YOUR specialty!

[hyperbole]

Also, don't forget to search more widely among the faculty in other departments and programs related to your field, as the website may not list those associated faculty members who may regularly teach in the program but who come from more established departments on campus.

Don't think that just because the school is top-notch that all its websites are too.

[losemygrip]

The real red-flag is one that screams "inside candidate."

[larryc]

I don't think there is any flag here at all. The have recently come to understand the importance of what you do and are looking to hire someone. Maybe you. Apply and find out.

[monklein]

Thank you Ruralguy, Hyperbole and LarryC for helping me see the potential of this position more clearly.  I've decided to apply and keep my fingers crossed.
Losemygrip, at this point I have no idea if this position, or any other for that matter, screams "inside candidate" or not, but you're point is well-taken.  Thanks.     

[secretweapon]

Also, don't forget to search more widely among the faculty in other departments and programs related to your field, as the website may not list those associated faculty members who may regularly teach in the program but who come from more established departments on campus.

Don't think that just because the school is top-notch that all its websites are too.

Check their online course catalogue and you might be able to find out who teaches the classes in your field. 

[sibyl]

It's also possible that the college has lots of resources and care for your subfield, but the person who has covered it for many years was suddenly called away (a better job, an administrative job, a job outside academe, death), and they've brought in a Visiting Professor to tide themselves over for a year while they do a search.

Also, SLACs aren't like universities.  My alma mater had 13 US historians, 16 European historians, 5 Middle East historians, 3 East Asian historians, and 3 Latin American historians; my workplace has 3 US, 2 European, and 1 East Asian historian.  Breadth of coverage doesn't mean the same thing.

You've made the right choice.  Don't take yourself out of any pools unless you have to.  Good luck.