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[anon200]

Is anyone familiar with NYU's Liberal Studies program? The job ad states that "full-time faculty hold three-year contracts, renewable with satisfactory performance." Is it possible for the three-year contract to be 'upgraded' to a TT?

[pink_]

I don't know about NYU specifically, but usually if a job is advertised with renewable three-year contracts, it is more like a post-doc, and it is unlikely for the line to be converted into TT.

[onion]

From what I understand of that program, no.  It's a revolving door of contract employees.

[secretweapon]

From what I understand of that program, no.  It's a revolving door of contract employees.

That's what I understand, too.  NYU has advertised jobs like this in other departments and centers.  I think they see it as win-win-win:  they get relatively cheap labor, they tell their students that they employ hot young talent, and the employed person gets NYU on the CV.  I'm curious to know how well they pay.  I've also noted that their ads say something to the effect of "pending administrative approval," and I've seen a few of these 3-year posts apparently not get filled.  (Unless they are just really not into updating their website). 

[thehighking]

I want to resurrect this topic. Does anyone have any experience w/ this or have anything to add? Is this a sort of dead end or can one presumably use this as a springboard to a TT job (not at NYU, but generally as a search), or is the teaching so time consuming that it is impossible to get anything done? (Realizing, also, that these sorts of things are relative.)

[onion]

I want to resurrect this topic. Does anyone have any experience w/ this or have anything to add? Is this a sort of dead end or can one presumably use this as a springboard to a TT job (not at NYU, but generally as a search), or is the teaching so time consuming that it is impossible to get anything done? (Realizing, also, that these sorts of things are relative.)

I have had a couple of friends in positions like this at NYU and various other "prestigious" institutions.  I think that, like any other VAP, they can be helpful as a springboard into a TT position somewhere.  The friends I've had who got "stuck" were those who refused to leave NYC or Boston and only applied within a couple hundred mile radius.  From what I understand of the NYU gigs, the teaching is not onerous (as compared to some positions that require a 5/4 load); many of the NYU gigs are imagined to have a research associate/post-doc aspect to them.  Of course, this varies by unit, department, discipline, etc.  I'd say that if you can snag one of these, it would be a good deal.  I'd be more concerned that exploring NYC would take up most of your free time.  ;D