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[frenchgirl]

I interviewed recently for a VAP at a research univ. and was informed that the Dept. had originally wanted the line to be TT (b/c the position is a replacement position for someone who retired several years back) but was refused a TT line by admin. due to the economy. So they advertised a VAP while hoping to attract someone who would stick around for a while.

As the Dept. sees it, the person hired will technically be a VAP but will be fully incorporated into the Dept. as a regular member of staff and they will fight continually to convert the position into the TT line it should be. This may take several years or may never happen but they will continue to petition the admin to get the TT line back and put the current VAP in that line if it does open.

Does this scenario seem at all realistic? I'm sure they're being earnest, but have my doubts that such a possibility could ever come to fruition. I've rarely heard of VAPs being converted down the line, despite the wishes of the dept., without a new national TT search being advertised. 

[august_leo]

Does this scenario seem at all realistic?

Nope.

[larryc]

The thing is, if they do get the TT line someday they will almost certainly be required to do a national search. At which point all bets are off.

[msparticularity]

The only time I have ever seen this work was when the conversion language was actually in the original VAP contract. Otherwise a new national search would almost certainly be required--even if against the will of the department.

[sagit]

I think you need to find out what *fully incorporated into the department* will mean.  Is this the normal state of affairs for a VAP?  Will they be asking you to do service to the university that, when it comes down to it, won't help you get a TT job?  Make sure that you put your focus on what will get you a TT job *anywhere*, not just in pipe-dream-school, and not on tertiary activities.  Because at the end of the day, if you don't look tenurable on paper when they get that TT job, you won't get the job.

[systeme_d_]

Frenchgirl, as the other posters have noted, you should most definitely be wary, and you should absolutely not count on the scenario to unfold as the department wishes/hopes.

However, I can tell you it is possible.  This is how my department regularly works.  We hire a VAP, and then press, press, press for a tenure line in that area, because we can then demonstrate student interest, coherence of curriculum, interdisciplinary value, etc. 

The search for the TT hire must, of course, be nationally advertised and above-board, but at my place, the VAP almost always has an edge on the gig.  Why?  Because they've just gotten through a year-long (or two-year-long) interview!  Of course, if they suck, all bets are off.  And of course, if we find someone way better than they are, then the TT job goes to the better candidate.

I got my own TT job this way.  So did two of my departmental colleagues.

[polly_mer]

OP, I'm in this situation right now.  Like Systeme_D wrote, I'm pretty happy about it because this department and this college has a history of either converting people (after a nationally advertised search just to make sure they aren't missing someone even more amazing) or letting them go with no dangling carrot after the contract is up.  Nobody wants to live here so the college very much views the VAP time as an extended interview and a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Now, that's good for those of us who do assimilate and function in ways that will get us either a TT position here or beef up the CV to the point that we are competitive for TT positions elsewhere as the end of contract appears.  It's not so good for those who get sucked into doing things that take a lot of time and energy, but don't translate into something that will definitely add to the CV in ways that search committees (internal or external) like to see.  Showing an interest in your college by doing some service and continuing your research instead of just teaching is good.  Devoting yourself to a lot of service and signing up for every volunteer opportunity while neglecting your research and other scholarly activities is bad.

[frenchgirl]

Thanks for all of the great responses. I agree that VAP--> TT in same dept. is a highly unlikely scenario. (Knowing several former/current VAPs myself, all were interviewed when the TT national search was held, but not one of them, however, was hired.)
It is nice that the dept. wishes it were so at the moment, but things change. Having even a contractual offer of employment on the table at a R1 would be nice, though, irrespective of the future. And hopefully it would enable me to gain the experience needed to secure a TT down the line.
Thanks again for any thoughts on this VAP process.

[larryc]

You have the right attitude. Just keep applying for TT jobs elsewhere. Good luck.