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[what_else_can_i_do]

A few weeks ago a professor passed away at a small school.
By coincidence, I fit what he taught very closely.
There has not been time for them to advertise, and as a private
school, I'm not even sure if they have too.

So, would it be wrong to just contact the chair/dean and ask
about the evolved vacancy?  This was a sudden thing that was
certainly unexpected.

Don't get the idea I am being uncaring, I knew the prof well enough
that when I saw the announcement that he/she died I was in fact
pretty taken back.

[gsawpenny]

Sure, send the message.  I would hedge it with a few genuine statements of regret over the loss, but the world keeps turning.  If this were an apartment in NYC people would be there before the body was removed.  In that positions in areas you consider nice and livable might be hard-to-find, an alert go-getter might be appreciated.

[offthemarket]

No. If this person was a colleague, perhaps you can write a note to express your sympathy.  And don't mention that you want a job.

Actually, I change my mind. Go ahead and ask if they're hiring. That way, less callous people will wind up with the job.

[zharkov]

Most private schools do real searches, so it is likely that if they have a need, the most they'd hire you for would be a VAP or adjunct.  In any case, I see nothing inappropriate about sending a brief letter (or email) of inquiry, themed "I'd pitch in to help," not "Hey, how about a job?"

[larryc]

Don't forget to ask what will happen to his library. And his widow is single! There are no end of opportunities for you here.

[what_else_can_i_do]

I know that some of you look at this as complete evil, but I was at a school where a prof died at about this time in the year.  By the time the dust settled, they had a series of courses with no one to teach them 3 weeks before the semester and every one in the department ended up teaching overloads to compensate.  It was a huge problem for all of the faculty and the administration.  So, I am not insensitive to the death, but I am also not insensitive to the last minute mess this will cause in a much smaller department that is not located in the middle of a metro area. 

I really appreciate the insulting comments from folks....this was my loss too you know.

[prytania3]

This is not like going to a landlord and asking for an apartment.

They will do a search, and you will come across looking bad if you do anything before hand.

Or they will cut the line.

[seniorscholar]

Most private schools do real searches, so it is likely that if they have a need, the most they'd hire you for would be a VAP or adjunct.  In any case, I see nothing inappropriate about sending a brief letter (or email) of inquiry, themed "I'd pitch in to help," not "Hey, how about a job?"

I agree with this one -- including doing a lot of work considering the best way you can figure out to phrase it. Note: during my 3 years as director of graduate studies, I twice had letters from nearby small schools (one public, one private) in these circumstances and about this time of year, asking if I knew of an ABD or recent PhD who would be suitable for a one-year appointment filling in for whoever had just died, and mentioning the courses that person had taught. The one who I recommended to the private school became the successful inside candidate for the job when the search was done. The public decided to search in a slightly different combination of fields, I think; at any rate, our former student did not become TT faculty there.

[what_else_can_i_do]

This is not like going to a landlord and asking for an apartment.

They will do a search, and you will come across looking bad if you do anything before hand.

Or they will cut the line.

I agree.  Just wanted to hear the thoughts.  While academia may function as a family, at the same time it functions as a business.  This unusual melding of the emotion and the emotionless sometimes creates scenarios that are not consistent from one place to another.  In business, no one would think twice about asking about such an opening.  IN a family setting, no one in their right mind would ask the widow out on a date (to reference larryc).  However, this is neither a family nor business, or it is both.  Hence why I asked about appropriateness.  Thank you for a strait answer, the mockery of others is unwarranted.  In fact, its just plain immature.

[theritas]

In business, no one would think twice about asking about such an opening.

I worked in a number of business settings, and can honestly say that all of the people I worked with would have thought twice about asking.

[august_leo]

I agree with this one -- including doing a lot of work considering the best way you can figure out to phrase it. Note: during my 3 years as director of graduate studies, I twice had letters from nearby small schools (one public, one private) in these circumstances and about this time of year, asking if I knew of an ABD or recent PhD who would be suitable for a one-year appointment filling in for whoever had just died, and mentioning the courses that person had taught. The one who I recommended to the private school became the successful inside candidate for the job when the search was done. The public decided to search in a slightly different combination of fields, I think; at any rate, our former student did not become TT faculty there.

This.

They might not want someone who can teach exactly what he taught. And, if that is the case, you will come across as very callous if you offer (even if you are not really callous).

[what_else_can_i_do]

In business, no one would think twice about asking about such an opening.

I worked in a number of business settings, and can honestly say that all of the people I worked with would have thought twice about asking.

And my father worked as a leader of a multimillion dollar corporation, there it would have been viewed as showing that you are 100% business.

[madhatter]

In business,On a Klingon ship, no one would think twice about asking about such an opening. Qa'pla!

Fixed that for you.

[ahsonek]

Don't forget to ask what will happen to his library. And his widow is single! There are no end of opportunities for you here.

You marry the widow and get the books and job as well.....

[tinyzombie]

This is not like going to a landlord and asking for an apartment.

They will do a search, and you will come across looking bad if you do anything before hand.

Or they will cut the line.

I agree.  Just wanted to hear the thoughts.  While academia may function as a family, at the same time it functions as a business.  This unusual melding of the emotion and the emotionless sometimes creates scenarios that are not consistent from one place to another.  In business, no one would think twice about asking about such an opening.  IN a family setting, no one in their right mind would ask the widow out on a date (to reference larryc).  However, this is neither a family nor business, or it is both.  Hence why I asked about appropriateness.  Thank you for a strait answer, the mockery of others is unwarranted.  In fact, its just plain immature.

Straits of Gibraltar?

Lighten up, OP. So you got some advice you didn't want to hear. It's likely that if you get all snippy, people here will stop wanting to help you.