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[onthefence]

I’m sure others have been in this situation, but I haven’t found anything in the archives that is directly relevant (except the poll on reneging=> grudge, which prompted me to write this).

I interviewed for as close to my dream job as I can probably ever hope to find late last year (dream job mostly because of research opportunities particular to my area of research, but otherwise a not particularly great state school).  About 6 weeks later, I received an email from the SCC stating that they had offered the position to someone else (I will call this person FC for first choice) and had received a verbal acceptance and anticipated written acceptance within a week.  He said he knew he shouldn’t be writing until then, but knew I had other decisions to make, etc.  In a debriefing call I made a few weeks later to a very friendly and encouraging member of the SC I found out that I had come in 2nd by one vote and there was quite a bit of disappointment by the younger members of the department that I wasn’t hired.

As it turns out, the person who was offered the position is in the same city as I am and in fact, my post-doc advisor is in the process of moving his entire lab (me included) to the same university FC is at.  Without seeking any information, I have now heard through a few different colleagues that FC is unlikely to take the position. In the meantime, I have been offered essentially an adjunct position at a local university for one semester starting in August.  I obviously won’t want to have committed to this if my dream job were to come through after all.  Also, since the dream job would require an international move, moving at short notice would be very difficult.

Here are the things I don’t know:
-   whether FC signed; (I doubt there would be much damage done to FC’s reputation if FC reneged since we are outside the U.S.)
-   what the timeline is for FC to sign/start (the job was advertised for starting Jan 2009)—sources say FC is in no hurry to decide;
-   whether the hiring freeze that supposedly was imposed in the state 2 months BEFORE the offer was made would affect the department offering the position to its second choice (me);
-   what university protocol is anyway regarding going to second choices (is there a cut-off time after which a search is considered failed?).

My inclination is to call the friendly SC member and see if under the hypothetical situation that FC did not take the position after all would the department still be able to go to their to their second choice and how long that option might be open.  But I’ve also had advice to write to the SCC inquiring whether the deal was actually finalized and to reiterate my interest if not.  I’m afraid that might come across as a bit desperate, now that 4 months have gone by since my rejection email. 

So, questions are:  what would you do in my situation?  And, are there any unwritten/general/understood protocols for going to 2nd choices?  I’m guessing not, but would like to hear some insights from those who have been on search committees, especially in times of budget crises.  If it matters, I’m in the natural sciences.  Thanks.

[zuzu_]

Accept the adjunct position and sit on your hands. You can ALWAYS back out of and adjunt position. No sane person would hold that against you. Reneging rules do not apply to adjuncts.

I would not NOT contact the other place, except PERHAPS a brief reply to the rejection email stating something like..."Thank you for for the notification. I was truly impressed with your uni, and I hope to work with you in the future."

[yellowtractor]

Accept the adjunct position and sit on your hands. You can ALWAYS back out of and adjunt position. No sane person would hold that against you. Reneging rules do not apply to adjuncts.

I would not NOT contact the other place, except PERHAPS a brief reply to the rejection email stating something like..."Thank you for for the notification. I was truly impressed with your uni, and I hope to work with you in the future."

Agreed, though I would make the note to the SCC a little more personable.

[sciencephd]

Seriously ?  Contacting them about a rumor ?  Do not contact the SC in any way. 

[yellowtractor]

No, I was going with Zuzu's idea.  Not contacting them about the rumor, but simply sending a friendly follow-up to the rejection e-mail, the subtext of which is "I'm still out here, and still interested, if it matters."

[sciencephd]

No, I was going with Zuzu's idea.  Not contacting them about the rumor, but simply sending a friendly follow-up to the rejection e-mail, the subtext of which is "I'm still out here, and still interested, if it matters."

That was not a reply to you, but to the OP.

[ruralguy]

I assume the SC person who called you and ratted out the rest of the committee was not the Chair? What he did was very inappropriate (even if he was the chair). You aren't supposed to reveal votes or what people said. Just tell it like it is: An offer is out.
You are still in the running.  What is so freakin' hard about an SC just saying that without spilling the beans.

But, as far as you are concerned: You can't do anything. Don't call.
Definitely don't encourage the "friendly" SC member any more.
just wait. You might get the offer. Sometimes Deans force the committee to revote after a renege, and you may no longer be the choice. So, there is no guarantee you will be "next".

[red_queen]

Wow. This is an awful idea all around. The rejection email came four months ago so it's too late for a casual response to the rejection. You also may not necessarily be the next in line, as ruralguy mentioned. Those who voted for FC the first time around may vote for someone else the second. Finally, you do *not* want to be the one to alert the SC to FC's wavering, especially if you still hope to get the offer if/when FC backs out.

So no, do not do this. Best of luck.

[klausk]

Whether FC signed or not is none of your business. Even if FC backed out, there's no guarantee that you would be their choice. If they want you, they'll contact you. Don't do anything.

[aristotelian]

Don't mention any hypotheticals or rumors or anything that might sabotage the other candidate.  The only legitimate reason you can have to contact the SC at this point is a general inquiry on the status of the position.

In the meantime, take the adjunct job, and back out of it if something changes.

[svenc]

The whole issue about being the "second choice" and the narrowness of the vote, etc. is irrelevant here, whether you end up with an offer or not.  If you don't get one, it doesn't matter much that you were close (other than to reassure you for future job searches); if you get the offer, the fact that you were not the first choice will quickly be forgotten by your new colleagues.

For now, you've committed to an adjunct job; move ahead as if that is what you are doing this fall.  Don't make any plans on the basis of a rumor.  And, unfortunately, in a year like this you might not get an offer even if FC backs out, if budgetary issues force an early close to the department's hiring window.

If you do indeed get an offer from dream school, take it!  Chime to the posters above who said you can back out of a one-year position if you must, and you can swing the move on short notice if you must.

Right now, you've got a one-year position - and some hope that something else might show up.  Don't overthink it.

[kamiakin]

Don't mention any hypotheticals or rumors or anything that might sabotage the other candidate.  The only legitimate reason you can have to contact the SC at this point is a general inquiry on the status of the position.

In the meantime, take the adjunct job, and back out of it if something changes.

Yes and yes.

[onthefence]

Thanks for the advice, everyone.  I've decided not to contact anyone and to forget all about the rumors.