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The Campus Interview and Beyond
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Job Search
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By chawne
from the will prove theorems for food department
Posted Sat Jan 17, 2004 at 04:22:30 PM PDT
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[editor's note, by dkung] We ran this story two years ago, but it's that time of the year again ...
Here's what to expect to happen on a
campus interview, what one should do during the interview and how to
negotiate a deal once the offer is on the table.
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MAA-YMN Panel Discussion "Closing the Deal: The campus interview and beyond"
The MAA-YMN Panel Discussion "Closing the Deal: The campus interview and
beyond" was a success at the AMS-MAA Joint Meetings in San Diego (Jan
2002). The session was organized by Chawne Kimber (Lafayette College)
and Dave Kung (St. Mary's College of Maryland) and the panelists were
Carl Cowen (Purdue), Gwen Fisher (CalPoly-San Luis Obispo), Thomas Pfaff
(Ithaca College) and Carol Wood (Wesleyan University (CT)). They are well
informed, experienced professionals who gave open and direct information.
The discussion touched on the subjects of what to expect to happen on a
campus interview, what one should do during the interview and how to
negotiate a deal once the offer is on the table. The following is a
summary of the information contained in the panelists' 10-minute
presentations as well as the questions and discussion generated by the
75 audience members.
The Campus Interview
All campus interviews will involve presenting a talk, interviewing with
the chair, meeting other faculty, taking a tour of the department and/or
campus and having a meal with a group of faculty members. Some campus
visits also include: an interview with the Dean/Provost/President, a
meeting with members of other departments, a conversation with students
or a party. Request an itinerary when you get the invitation to visit so
that you'll know what to expect and so that you can request particular
meetings that may not be a part of their standard campus visit. It is
okay to ask how you are expected to dress, as some casual events may be
scheduled during the visit.
The Talk, in particular
Keep in mind that the talk is the most important part of the campus
interview. Before you visit ask questions about their expectations and
consider the advice below. For instance,
1. Do they want a research presentation, math club talk or sample class?
For research talks find out if they want to know the particulars of your
results or a broad overview of your field. In either case, be sure to
point out which theorems are your own when you mention them.
2. Who will be in the audience? If you are to present a sample class,
ask about the background of the students who will be in the audience.
Like: "Have they had a course in abstract algebra?" or "Which calculus
text do you use?" Don't pitch too high or too low--there is a delicate
balance here. Practice your presentation for professors or friends and
ask them to assess the level of your presentation. Then adjust
accordingly. Be clear and avoid using jargon that only an expert would
understand.
3. How much time is allowed for the presentation? Don't go overtime!
Also make sure to use at least 90% of the time for you, allowing a few
minutes for questions and comments from the audience at the end.
Before the Visit
In addition to getting additional information about the presentation you
are to give, there are some things you should ask about or research on
your own and clarify.
1. In general it's best not to call the school in mid-February for
information about your status. Applicants tend to have to wait while
the interviewers are busy behind the scenes. The exception: do call if
you get offers or interviews at other schools and you still want to
explore the possibility of interviewing there.
2. Find out about the college: number of students, kinds of math courses
offered, etc. At liberal arts colleges it is common to ask the candidate
what courses he/she would like to teach to make sure that you'll fit in
with the mission of the department. Take a look at the online course
catalogs to determine this ahead of time.
3. Who will be your host? Are you to stay in a hotel or in the home of
a current faculty member? Who will be fetching you from the airport?
4. Who is the administrator you will meet? What is the
Dean/Provost/President like? What is his/her field? Does he/she have
any pet projects or particularly strong leanings you should be aware of?
5. Come up with a list of questions that you'll ask the interviewers
during the campus visit. One that comes to mind is: "If you could change
one thing about the institution what would it be?" It's good to ask some
questions of more than one person during the campus interview, as there
may be ambiguity in the particular policy at the school. This is a good
way to find that out. Here's a checklist of things you might want to
find out about.
a. What are the current/normal expectations for tenure (type and/or
number of publications, grants, course development, service on committees,
etc)?
b. What is the history of people getting tenure in the department? Is
the rate of denials high?
c. What are the benefits offered, like health care and retirement?
d. What would be your role in the undergraduate or graduate programs
in the department?
e. Are there sabbatical/leave opportunities?
f. What is the quality of library resources? Is there a budget for
buying books in your field?
g. What is the teaching load and number of preparations, possibility
of teaching summer courses, class size, calculus text used and classes
you'll likely teach and the prerequisites for those?
h. How is your teaching evaluated for tenure review? Are student
evaluations the only instrument or are peer reviews considered?
i. How many and what kinds of colloquia/seminars are presented?
j. Is faculty mentoring offered?
k. How are computing services handled? Will they provide you with a
computer? Do students have computer access?
l. At religious schools: How does the church affiliation affect the
way the college operates? That is, how close are their ties?
Will you be expected to conform?
m. How well do people in the department get along? Are there factions?
n. What is the interview timetable? When can you expect to hear from
them again?
During the Campus Interview
In short: Be yourself. Show interest in the school/job. Ask questions.
Caveat: "The interview begins when you get off the plane and ends when
you get on the plane to leave." Even conversations that seem informal
provide the search committee with information about you. Despite your
nervousness and eagerness to please, try to be yourself. Yes, the campus
visit is an opportunity for the institution to get to know you. Likewise,
you should be "trying on the job" to see if the college and the department
are a good match for you. To abuse a quotation: find out not only what
the college can do for you, but also what you can do for the college.
Taking notes throughout the visit is important. Write down the names of
the people you meet; you can also take down some of the questions listed
above in a notebook and keep track of the various responses. Record your
gut reactions to events and people during the visit so that you'll have
these to read later.
Illegal questions: If you are asked illegal questions, ones that refer to
your politics, religion, marital status, ethnicity, sexual orientation,
etc., you should answer the reasonable ones candidly. Otherwise, deflect
them with a question of your own, such as: "Wouldn't you think me
unprofessional if I answered that?" or "I prefer to keep my personal and
professional lives separate, don't you?"
Two-body problem: Mention your partner later rather than sooner, but let
them know in time to try to help you out. Of course for you this may mean
discussing the issue at the campus visit, while others may wait until they
have the offer to bring it up. In any event, accept any interview at a
place where there's potential for things to work out and don't pass up
opportunities to explore your options.
After the Campus Interview
Write short thank you notes to your host and the chair.
Again, don't call to ask for information about your status, but be fair
to the schools by keeping departments updated if you have a preferred
offer in-hand. A few months after the process ends, it is okay to call
to ask for feedback on an interview. You can learn a great deal from
your mistakes.
Once You Have an Offer
You can start to think about negotiating the deal. You should first
educate yourself about salary trends. At the AMS Math salaries website you can read about average faculty
salaries in math departments; at the Chronicle Stats site you'll find
average salaries listed by school. Compare salaries at your rank
(probably assistant professor) and your type of institution
(research versus liberal arts school). Simultaneously, compare
costs of living using an online salary calculator.
There are other items that can be negotiated into the contract.
Consider some of the following, choosing those things that are important
to you. Keep in mind that you'll probably have to leverage. The chair
is on your side during the negotiation process (the Dean/Provost is
usually the one who holds the purse strings), so work with him/her.
1. Use the salary data you gather to get a fair salary. Keep in mind
that a $1000-$2000 difference piles up over the years with raises.
2. Find out how much support for travel is provided. If it's not
enough, ask for more. For instance, Project NExT requires attendance
at three conferences in the first year. Make sure you can cover those
if you wish to participate.
3. Will a computer be provided or are you to get it yourself?
4. Ask for a start-up budget. If you need to buy your own computer,
laser printer or books, this is where you can cover them. Ask for what
you need.
5. Can you get a course-release for the first year(s)?
6. If you are also offered a postdoc at another institution, you can
ask for your first semester or year(s) on leave.
7. Is there money for the summer before your job begins? How about a
pre-tenure sabbatical leave after your third year?
8. Compare health care coverage, co-pays, etc.
9. Compare retirement benefits.
10. Will they provide tuition reimbursement for courses for you or your
family?
11. Are there fitness center and/or parking fees?
12. Get them to cover your moving expenses, including possibly a trip
back to search for housing.
All of the preceding is ADVICE, rather than written rules. The job
search process sometimes works in mysterious ways and so there are no
guarantees. But, take this information for what it's worth. Good luck.
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