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[parrothead]

To make a long story short: I'm an advanced assistant professor at an R1 with 1 more year before tenure decision time. I love my U. but really want to be "home."  Large CC has a chair position open, and everyone in their department is MA only, and the ad specifically states Ph.D. desirable.

I am a truly committed teacher, and have a fair amount of pubs. I have been active in service, advising, educational seminars for teaching, etc.

Is it ludicrous for me to even apply given the differences in institutions? If I should throw my name in the hat, what might be the MOST important things to emphasize in the cover letter?

Thanks for any thoughts...brutal is fine!

[untenured]

The worse the search committee can say is 'no', so why not apply?

That being said, beware the stereotype that you are trying to slum it in a CC because you couldn't hack the R1 life.  You'll need to give compelling reasons why you want to make the switch, including your support of the CC mission.  The whole 'home' motivation, while compelling for you, may or may not be a positive for the committee.

Does the ad cite administrative experience, and do you have any?

Untenured

[neutralname]

Do you know people at the CC who can tell you who the Dean is and who is on the search committee?  In this kind of case, the more info you have the better.  It would be possible to get taken seriously, but you will be walking a fine line.  If you letter spends too much time explaining why you are interested in such a lowly job, they may take offense.  If you don't address the issue, they may think you are just being opportunistic. 

Of course, you will also need to show that you would do well in the job.  Exactly what experience do you have that makes you a good candidate?  You better make sure you have a good idea of what skills are needed and how you can convince the committee that you have them. 

Unless you are an unusual R1 prof, my guess is that you won't be able to make the case. 

[parrothead]

Thanks to both of you! I do have some administrative skills from my U., plus outside consulting, etc. I think you are both right-- it is a fine line. The  CC is HUGE and I don't know anyone who knows anything at all...sadly. I will spend some time really examining their mission, students, etc. and go from there.

[diefluffykitty]

The Chronicle has run a number of helpful articles about tailoring your application materials to CCs. I am so not willing to wrestle with the search function to find them!

[maybe]

Hi Parrot,

As someone who works at a CC, I definitely think you should apply and give it your all.

A few thoughts:

Don't assume too much about the PhD recommended business.  Our CC HR is putting that on all job ads now, but at least for regular TT positions I don't think it carries too much weight. 

You say it's a huge CC in an urban area.  I don't know what your field is, but if it's a big department one thing you may be responsible for hiring and evaluating many many adjuncts.  In my English Dept. we have about 20 full-time faculty and about 40 adjuncts.  So you may want to stress that you are prepared to oversee these difficult personnel situations. 

There are other curricular things that are peculiar to CCs that may exist in the department you're applying to.  For example, we have Placement and Exit Exams (Math and Biology also have Exit Exams), which are very difficult to administer; we have developmental and college-level classes; we have a huge number of ESL students.  If this is relevant to your field, then you may want to address these issues.   

CCs tend to be cookoo about assessment and assessment language (all of which is tied to accreditation and state funding).  Course Objectives; Student Learning Outcomes; measurability of student learning; "stakeholders", etc...in some institutions, like mine, those who want to advance go around using this corporate sounding lingo every chance they get; I'd be careful about how you play this one, but you at least want to sound as if you have some familiarity with these terms and ideas.

Finally, if the CC is unionized the faculty contract is most likely online.  Are contract spells out what the chair's duties are.  It would be helpful to read this before applying.

Lots of luck.

[maybe]

  Are contract spells out what the chair's duties are. 

Make that "our" contract.

[neutralname]

Just a note.  My school is unionized, with an contract available online, and the contract does have lists of responsibilities of chairs and committees. However, there are many responsibilities in the contract which people don't actually do, and there are many responsibilities not in the contract which people do need to carry out, established by past precedent.   

Dealing with adjuncts and working on outcomes assessment are both jobs our department chairs are burdened with, and are reasons why I decided to avoid being chair as much as I could. 

[mathprofdk]

If you letter spends too much time explaining why you are interested in such a lowly job, they may take offense.  If you don't address the issue, they may think you are just being opportunistic.

These are good points.  I would just add that there may be some concerns about your commitment.  The SC may worry that you view the job as a stepping stone to bigger and better things.

[parispundit]

You will, of course, if you get this job, be happy to give up all research for the rest of your career? 'Cause you won't get any time to do it as chair, or probably later on at the CC, and the odds of moving from 10 years at a CC back to R1 are near zero

[dgcamp]

I would suggest that you teach as an adjunct at your local community college before making such a leap.  You may find that the environment leaves a lot to be desired.  It certainly isn't R1.  Some people, like me, love it because of the emphasis on teaching and the challenge/pleasure of working with so many nontraditional students. 

In addition, while serving on numerous search committee, I have generally found that the "I wanna come home" routine does not get anybody a job.  You have to be passionate about the mission of the community college.  You have to fit with their plans and their needs, not vice versa.

[neniaf]

Far be it from me to call you silly, but I think there are some issues you need to consider.  If you take this position, you will be making a permanent decision about how the rest of your career will go, and it will not just be another version of what it has been like in the past.  You will have to be prepared to give up research altogether, because not only won't you have the time for it(it will be outside the evaluation characteristics of your job), it really won't be valued, regardless of what they tell you before hiring you.  You won't get a research budget, and you won't have graduate students to help you with anything.  You will be expected to be around at all times during class terms which, even if you were willing to continue attending conferences at your own expense, may keep you from being able to remain connected with your colleagues in your discipline.  Your colleagues at your College have made the choice they have made and may not appreciate all you have accomplished.  They may look upon you with suspicion, thinking you see yourself as better than they are.  You will still get the occasional great student, but the mean capability will have shifted.  You have to be prepared to like teaching students who are not all even 4-year college, let alone research university, material. 

You would be making the decision to become a teacher/administrator.  It is usually not a reversible decision.  Finding an R1 job again will probably not happen.  So if you are really deciding to change your priorities.  It is really tempting to live closer to home, and I know some people who deliberately made that choice so that they could care for ailing parents or allow their spouse to pursue a career as well, but if you are thinking that only your workplace and a few of your responsibilities would change, you need to give it more thought.