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See Talk:Modern British 2011 for interview statistics.

New Page for 2012 Jobs: Modern British 2012


Stats[]

Search committee members: 1
PhD: 3
ABD:
ABD and will defend this year: 5
Post Doc: 2
First time on market: 3
Three or more years on market: 2
Unemployed, looking for job: 1
Have short-term gig, looking for TT: 4
Have TT position, looking for new one: 3
Tenured but hankering after greener pastures: 1
Lurker: 1
Wanting to get the heck out of this podunk college town to go to another podunk college town, because why the heck did I work so hard for 8 years only to be jobless: 1
Planning a symbolic diploma-burning ritual: 1

Primary area of research:

Fiction: 8
Drama:1
Poetry:
Other:
Modernism: 8
pre-1945: 6
post-1945: 2

Modern and Contemporary British Jobs 2011[]

Adrian College (MI)[]

The Department of English at Adrian College invites applications for an Assistant Professor, tenure-track position in British literature, to begin August 2011. Literature Ph.D. in hand required. We are seeking a candidate with expertise in British Literature from the late-seventeenth century to the present. Additional responsibilities will include a 200-level British Masterpieces class for non-majors, WAC courses, and three sections of First-Year Writing per year. Additional areas of expertise are a plus. Our department values teaching writing as a process, a student-centered approach, and experiential learning. Please visit our web site and familiarize yourself with our institution. We will begin reviewing applications immediately and continue until December 1, 2010. Submission materials should be submitted to englishsearch@adrian.edu.

LINK

Deadline: December 1

Acknowledgment received: 12/6

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

Phone/MLA interview scheduled:

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

Black Hills State University (SD)[]

Black Hills State University invites applicants for a full-time, nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor of English position in later British literature, beginning August 2011. 4/4 teaching load. Teaching includes two sections of composition per semester, second half of British literature survey course (Romantics through contemporary), and occasional seminars in the candidate's field of expertise (specialty open).

Ph.D. in English or related field required. College teaching experience required, and scholarly activity expected. Interest in teaching on-line courses a plus.

Applications must be made online at http://yourfuture.sdbor.edu. To apply complete the online application and attach a letter of application, CV, graduate transcripts, and the names and contact information for three references. Letter of reference/recommendation are not accepted. Review of applications begins January 15, 2011, and continues until the position is filled.

LINK

Deadline: Review of applications begins January 15

Acknowledgment received:

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

Phone/MLA interview scheduled:

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:


NOTES AND QUERIES:

  • Cross-posted at Romanticism, Victorian/19th 2011 & British Open 2011
  • Besides the fact that this sounds like the job from hell, what on earth does full-time, nine-month, tenure-track mean?
  • Hello. It basically means you have your summers off, to do your research or travel away from the hellish Black Hills. This kind of language is fairly standard in tenure-track job ads, not sure why it is so worthy of scorn.

Canisius College[]

LINK

Tenure-track assistant professor in British literature after 1945. Desired expertise in post-colonial literatures in English. Ph. D. required (by August 2011). Teaching will include classes in modern and contemporary British literature, world literature in area of specialization, and two courses in a first-year writing sequence. We welcome candidates with interest in our humanistic core curriculum which explores issues of diversity, ethics, global awareness, and social justice.

To assure consideration, apply before April 1, 2011 to: Mark Hodin, Chair, English Department. Applications should include: letter, CV, statement of teaching philosophy, dissertation abstract or book proposal, a sample of critical writing, a copy of graduate transcripts, and 3 letters of recommendation. The electronic submission of applications is strongly encouraged. PDF format is preferred. Electronic applications should be sent to hr.recruiter@canisius.edu with ENG Search in the subject line of any emails. Send applications by mail to: Mark Hodin, Chair, English Department, Canisius College, 2001 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14208. Canisius College is an independent, co-educational, medium-sized institution of higher education conducted in the Catholic and Jesuit tradition.

Deadline: April 1

Acknowledgment received: Prompt acknowledgement after submission.

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

Phone interview scheduled:

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

Carthage College (WI)[]

Faculty Appointment--18th, 19th, and 20th Century British Literature. Carthage College invites applications for a 3-year renewable contract position in British Literature from 1700 to the present at the Assistant Professor level. Teaching of British literature includes survey courses, upper-level courses in authors and periods, and special topics courses. In addition to courses taught in the Department, the successful candidate will also have the opportunity to teach innovative courses to a general audience during our January term. The successful candidate is expected to contribute to the Western Heritage program focusing on core texts. Possibility exists for a joint appointment to the College's Great Ideas Program. Representatives of the department will be interviewing candidates at the MLA Convention in January.

LINK

Deadline: For full consideration, applications should be received by December 15, 2010.

Acknowledgment received:

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

MLA interview scheduled: According to Romanticism page, Carthage College scheduled MLA interview on 12/22

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

Claremont McKenna (VAP)[]

From MLA JIL (2/18):

The Department of Literature of Claremont McKenna College seeks to fill a one-year position for a visiting assistant professor specializing in Twentieth-Century British Literature. The teaching load is five semester courses per year, three literature courses and two in freshman writing. Ph.D. should be in hand or expected by Spring 2011. Please submit electronic copies of a letter of application, curriculum vitae, dossier, evaluations, and writing sample no later than March 1 to:

https://webapps.cmc.edu/jobs/faculty/faculty_opening.php

Claremont McKenna College is a highly selective undergraduate institution ranked among the top liberal arts colleges nationally. CMC is a member of the Claremont Colleges, which also include Pomona, Scripps, Pitzer, Harvey Mudd, the Claremont Graduate University, and the Keck Graduate Institute for Applied Science. Collectively, The Claremont Colleges constitute an academic community of 6,000 students. Claremont is located 35 miles east of Los Angeles.

Deadline: March 1

Acknowledgment received:

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

Phone interview scheduled:

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

Soooo . . . who else suspects the appearance of this position might be linked to the Fordham deal below??

Any idea what dossier means?

College of the Holy Cross[]

From MLA JIL:

"The Department of English at the College of the Holy Cross invites applications for a full-time tenure-track appointment to begin in August, 2011. Candidates should be specialists in Modern British Fiction, with a secondary interest in teaching Modern Drama and Contemporary Drama. In addition to an upper-level course each term in one’s specialty, candidates will teach 2 first-year courses annually and one intermediate Readings course yearly, introducing majors to a century or period. Candidates must demonstrate commitment to, and excellence in, undergraduate teaching as well as scholarly achievement. Ph.D. required. This position carries a 3-2 teaching load with a full-salary one-semester research leave prior to tenure review and generous sabbatical and fellowship leaves for senior faculty. Please send a cover letter describing research and teaching interests, curriculum vitae, statement on teaching, transcripts, and three letters of recommendation to Patrick J. Ireland, Chair, Department of English, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA 01610 by November 15. Interviews by invitation will be conducted at MLA in Los Angeles."

Acknowledgment received: 12/3 Ack of writing sample within a couple minutes of sending it.

Request for Additional Materials: 12/3: Writing Sample Immediately (e-mail). (x4)

Rejection Letter: 12/17 (e-mail). (x2)

Phone/MLA interview scheduled: MLA 12/13 (e-mail)

Campus interview scheduled: 1/14

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

Why isn't this job posted on chronicle of higher ed or in higher ed jobs? I only found it by scanning through the college's website.

  • As noted above, this job was advertised in the MLA Job Information List. Some schools only post ads there, since it is assumed most of those on the market can get access to it. Also, it can get expensive to post ads in multiple places (the Chronicle, in particular, I understand is rather expensive to advertise with).
  • My specialty is 20th century fiction. But I have taught 4 courses on 20th centry British and American drama over past several years. Plus I've taught a lot of Shakespeare. Would this pass as secondary interest interest in teaching modern - contemporary drama?
  • Sounds plausible to me.
  • 11/22: Anyone get acknowledgment of application?
  • Nothing here.
  • 11/26: Still no word. Anybody hear anything?
  • 11/26: Nope. And I sent my materials middle of October.
  • They're there--they're responsive if you write. I didn't request specific confirmation but asked about late materials, & got an immediate e-mail response saying that they were accepting missing materials for apps parts of which were recieved by the deadline.
  • Received an e-mail from chair for writing sample (sent Urgent and requst for immediate response).
  • Just out of curiosity, how many of those receiving WS requests have a "secondary interest in teaching Modern Drama and Contemporary Drama"?
  • Yes, I promoted myself with secondary interest in teaching modern drama -- it makes no sense in this market not to cover all bases in a specialty. My feeling is that even if you do not have secondary interest in something in a job app--if you're strictly fiction or strictly poetry-- get one. Most places now want you to teach across the board. I imagine most of us specialized in 20th-cent modern British lit and did our diss on the novel, but one should be prepared to teach anything from that period.
  • I agree that we "should be prepared to teach anything from [our] period," especially at a SLAC, where everyone becomes a teaching generalist (to a degree); but there's a difference between this preparation and a (genuine) "secondary interest," no?
  • I see what you mean. Perhaps I should have been more specific. I have taught courses in specifically British drama, and have used some drama in research, etc. I suppose it would not be necessarily "genuine" to pull a secondary interest out of thin air, so to speak.
  • So someone got an MLA interview via e-mail. Is that it now? My e-mail is empty. I'm hoping invitations are going out one by one, but the WS requests seemed to go out at once.
  • Just echoing the above query: is it reasonable to assume that all of the MLA interview emails went out at the same time, and that they have concluded the process?
  • Take a look at 2011-12 Talk page for English. I started a query about this. There seems to be no fixed rule on how invites happen. Some go out at once. Some trickle out. Some happen at last minute. You can't really know how a particular SC proceeds. As I stated there, you won't know for certain about anything until you get a formal rejection . . . and even then, who knows? Two years ago I received an invitation to reapply after I was formally rejected from a school. Alas, it went nowhere. Someone I knew on an SC told me that they interviewed a bunch of people at MLA once years ago and ended up not liking any of them, and sent out a second search. I imagine these situations are rare, but they happen.
  • Oh well, this one hurt. Really hoped for it. Nothing like a couple warm, encouraging emails after the WS request, and then the two liner rejection to put me to bed early after a tough semester.
  • Did anyone who didn't get a WS request ever get an acknowledgment?
  • This one hurt me too, especially after getting a writing sample request... I immediately turned to baked goods after getting that rejection email.
  • In answer to above, I got no ack for application, but I did get a WS request. In response to right above, yes, it hurts. I don't know if any of you had the experience of receiving a couple e-mails after WS request that seemed to be really enthusiastc. It was closest I came to feeling courted. Oh well. Looking forward to the spring semester job ads!

Duke University[]

LINK

"The Duke University English Department is searching for an assistant professor (tenure track) with expertise in the contemporary British/Anglophone literatures of the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries. We particularly welcome candidates with research and teaching interests in the parallel fields of world literature, global modernism, and contemporary media and science studies."

Deadline: The deadline for applications is October 22, 2010

Acknowledgment received:

Request for Additional Materials: 11/22, via email (x3).

Rejection Letter:

Phone/MLA interview scheduled: 12/9 MLA (x3)

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

  • Cross-posted at Anglophone 2011
  • 11/22: c'mon Duke! We're dying to know! But we guess you've got an awful lot of applications...

Flagler College (FL)[]

From MLA JIL (11/19):

The Department of English at Flagler College invites applications for a full-time position at the rank of assistant professor to begin August 2011 with a specialization in modern British Literature and a secondary interest in Post-Colonial Literature. The teaching load is four classes per semester divided between general education courses and upper-level major courses. Other responsibilities include committee service and student advising.

Requirements include a completed Ph.D. or a documented completion date for ABDs, a demonstrated commitment to undergraduate teaching, and evidence of scholarly production with the promise of continued professional development. Salary and benefits are commensurate with experience. Minority candidates are encouraged to apply. Flagler is a private independent college with an enrollment of approximately 2,500 students. The College is located in historic St. Augustine, FL, 35 miles south of Jacksonville and 55 miles north of Daytona Beach.

Applicants should send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, brief statement of teaching philosophy, unofficial transcripts, and three letters of recommendation with contact information to Dr. Alan Woolfolk, Dean of Academic Affairs, Flagler College, 74 King Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084. Application review will begin on December 8. Initial interviews will be conducted at the 2011 MLA Conference in Los Angeles.

Deadline: Dec. 8

Acknowledgment received: 12/13 x2 (mail)

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter: 3/22

Phone/MLA interview scheduled: 12/24 (phone) X2

  • Any news post-MLA?
  • My non news is that I had an MLA interview and have heard absolutely nothing since. I'm assuming a rejection, but it's weird there's no info on here either. It's like it never happened.

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted: yes, per rejection letter 3/22

NOTES AND QUERIES:

12/21: Has anyone heard anything? I'm asking b/c Flagler also posted a job in African-American, and people posted interviews there a few days ago.

A: (12/22) Nope, haven't heard a thing. Maybe they're doing one position at a time?

Fordham University[]

LINK

Twentieth Century British and Irish Literature, Fordham University: Tenure-track assistant professor, Ph.D. in hand by August 2011. The successful candidate will be prepared to teach graduate and undergraduate courses in modernism as well as courses within Fordham's core curriculum. A strong secondary field is welcome, especially in modern drama and film. Please send an application letter, curriculum vitae, and a 20-page writing sample electronically to 20thcsearch@fordham.edu . Applications received by November 5 will receive full consideration; review of application ends on November 12.

Deadline: Nov. 5-12

Acknowledgment received: 10/22; 11/2 via email: phone interviews later in month. 11/9 via email.

Request for Additional Materials: dossier request via email 11/16 (x3)

Rejection Letter: via mail 2/19 x2

Phone/MLA interview scheduled:

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

  • Cross-posted at Irish 2011
  • Called department to ask who to address cover letter (I hate not having a name), and exec. administrator said address it to "Hiring Committee for Twentieth Century British Position." Oh well.
  • Just heard that the under-advertisement of this job (no ade ad, for ex), plus the fact that they're not interviewing at MLA probably indicates they're not doing a real search, since they most likely already have someone in mind. Is this wrong? Anyone know anything?
  • And how did you hear this? Mere spec or actual info?
  • I have not heard anything about this, and chair of my department knows a couple people in English there very well and she has said nothing to me about it -- and she would have told me. BUT, if it's true, that would really suck. Looking at the faculty list there, it would seem that they are under-staffed in 20th century Brit -- it looks like the two people they have who are in that area run Fordham's writing center at Lincoln center. And I echo the previous comment -- where was this heard? Was it from an insider, or is it just speculation based on no MLA interview and the fact that (which I find odd) it wasn't posted in JIL?
  • I've heard some insider speculation (ie, someone who knows the dept. well but doesn't know much about this particular search) that the stealth post may be more budget-related than inside candidate-related--trying to get a hire in before the new fiscal year, etc. But that's just an informed guess. Given their advertised timeline, though, I suppose we'll learn soon enough whether people are getting phone interviews.
  • Aw, are they done requesting materials? I'll be so sad if they are.
  • Where do you get that they're done requesting materials? The next step according to my e-mail ack and talking with exec administrator at department on the phone is that they will be setting up phone interviews with people either this week or next week. And I hate phone interviews, but, oh well. I assume if you get a phone interview and they like what they hear, they will then request more materials.
  • Is it safe to assume that if I did not receive a dossier request by email on 11/16, it's over?
  • That's what I was wondering, though I sent the dossier to them already (I only saw the ad on the wiki, and so wasn't sure whether or the dossier was supposed to be included in the app). And it's true, the next step in the process, according to the app, is the phone interview (to be scheduled this week sometime?) Nothing seems quite over or on at this point today. I wouldn't give up yet, compadre.
  • I have. So far any activity from F has happened on a Tuesday. I think they've made their longlist and sent out a first round of requests for more. Maybe next tuesday they'll schedule interviews for later next week.
  • Wait, so there's one dossier request last Tues, and that means they're done with requests? Sure, not everyone's on the wiki, but between the under-advertising, the parenthetical (s) and the one registered dossier request, things are looking a little sparse here. Sparser than normal, I'd say.
  • Yes, am I missing something about the significance of Tues.? Do we know they're acting only on Tues. based on one request that happened to fall on that day? Call me confused.
  • If all of you are feeling like me, you're reading into every little thing at this point of the pre-MLA jobs. I received my e-mail ack a couple hours after I e-submitted my application - - which happened to be on a Tuesday. At least they're acknowledging the applications. I applied to some places last year that never sent as much as a fart my way. So maybe Fordham will end up doing us a favor at least by letting us know up-front where we stand.
  • No idea what's going on with dossier requests, but I got an application ack. on a Thursday, the morning after I sent it. All we've got here is a fraction of the info, so I would caution against reading too much into anything. I suspect we're all jumpy because it's the first one with any action, but it's still early days in the grand scheme of the season.
  • I also received a dossier request a few days ago (I just updated).
  • I did not get one -- and no request from the other places that have been sending out requests to other applicants. It's late Friday on week before Thanksgiving, and I'm having that same sick and sinking feeling I had last year when nothing panned out. And I can't imagine what more I can do to be marketable -- I've got more teaching experience to last anyone a lifetime, four MAJOR journal publications, several awards, one as best teacher at my university, conferences. Sorry to moan -- I'm just hating the career I love .
  • There's good reason, in addition to the listing bashfulness, to worry about an inside search here. Take a close look at the acknowledgements of the new edition of S. Beach's letters and you'll see what I mean. Those LAX - JFK flights are expensive! Silly thing is, there's no reason, ever, for an NYC job to go spousal. Rustic jobs yes, jobs in the Bronx no. But at least, now, you'll know what happened if it pans out that way.
  • So Adrienne wants to get Sylvia by her side...Nice research, and thanks for the datum. Is this something you came upon in the stacks, careful researcher and worthy job contender, or is it something that's just kind of known 'round the Bronx and environs?
  • Love it. Exactly what this wiki is for, other than complaining. Thanks for the sleuthing, Beach Comber.
  • I too was very impressed by this detective work. I wonder if it's true. If so, I guess at least there will be a great job opening up in California next year!
  • A quick google shows said spouse specializes in British/Irish modernism and drama. Enough said.
  • Well, I find myself wanting to say that there ISN'T enough said about this. If it is a spousal hire, this is NUTS, if not against MLA rules. Spousal hires happen, and this can be a very good thing. But they are not supposed to happen through stealth sham searches. They are not supposed to waste hundreds of candidates' time and energy. Not advertising adequately, not going to the MLA to interview people, not bringing the parenthetical esses to campus, if it's because Shakespeare and Co want to hire Sylvia back (from the dead, to save the store from that raving loony poseur who now owns it, but I digress) are all so NOT ENOUGH that they could get into a LOT of trouble for what they're NOT doing ENOUGH of. I think if Sylvia's hired, and what we think is going on really is going on, then all this might just be enough for the MLA to start paying attention to this kind of search. Just sayin.
  • Another interesting aspect: Fordham English DID advertise its three other searches this year on the Job Information List. Just not this one. Huh.
  • So wait, is that it? They've been called out on a spousal hire and there's been no movement on interviews since? I half expected someone in the know to say something like: "no no, anxious job seekers, this is a real search. See, we're actually doing interviews like we said we would. Don't believe all this hearsay." But the thing just keeps getting stranger. All of the above accusations are made, and none of the promised interviews (phone) have since appeared as scheduled on the wiki. This strange silence/stasis only lends credibility to anxious wiki-ite concerns about this search. Say it isn't so. Does anyone know anything new?
  • The word among tenured faculty at my institution is that this is a spousal hire and it's a lock. Even if they do interviews, it's just to fulfill legal requirements, because the spouse is definitely getting this position.
  • Seems pretty f*ed up that fulfilling legal requirements means running a bullshit search. So to avoid looking like they're making an old-boy-network kind of hire, why not just invite hundreds of people to get excited about possibilities, spend time and money on applications. All for a lie. Frankly, I prefer the spousal hires that involve closed-door negotiations that don't involve me and my colleagues. Shame on Fordham.
  • And let's join the proud Fordham English department in sending our warmest wishes to the editor of the Letters of Sylvia Beach and her husband (who is, in a fun twist for job applicants, Director of Placement and Grad Professional Development). It's really too bad her current institution wasn't given a heads up that they could have started their search for a replacement this year.
  • I could ask my contact what she knows about all this, although it sounds like it is a sham post and a done deal. (Also the person I know has pretty strong connections and would not look kindly upon what Fordham did, although I do not really know if there is anything that can be done except to be really angry at Fordham) It really is a drag. My intuition should have kicked in when i called the exec asst and she was really both nonchalant about the posting and almost pretty clueless. For one thing, she could not think of who I was supposed to address my app (reasonable question when there is no name in the posting), and came up with a few different variants of what to address my letter to on the spot.
  • There were many warning signs here, but telling you to address an application to "Dear Committee" isn't one of them. Many departments prefer not to disclose the names of the committee members until the interview stage because they don't want to be flooded by inquiries from potential applications.
  • For anyone still keeping score, Fordham did interviews and then invited 1 person for a campus visit. Guess who.
  • Oh, not the assistant professor from Claremont McKenna whose partner is the graduate placement director at Fordham English! Why can't Fordham just quietly do an "opportunity hire" and leave the rest of us alone? RRRRRR I'm all for making couples happy, but this kind of bullshit search really is infuriating.
  • They could have stated in the ad that there's an internal candidate consideration, or something like that. I'm sure it wouldn't change the effort any of us put into writing cover letter and putting together dossier and all that, but at least we'd have a heads up, know where we stand and all that. I suppose all that we can do is get pissed and write anonymous and glaring things about Fordham's job search suckiness. Guess I can stop fantasizing about buying a metro-north rail pass!
  • EOE card arrives, 12/11. Erm... nevermind, no comment.
  • 12/11: I got one too. They are most certainly automatically generated.
  • 12/13 EOE letter also.
  • It's reassuring to know they're following up on the fairness and non-discriminatory nature of this search. I await mine with something akin to excitement.
  • This was my thought exactly.
  • hee hee. Are we asked to respond? Oh, the boxes to check!
  • I'm sending my EOE card directly to the department chair with a note expressing my disappointment with the lack of equal opportunity.
  • I already did it. And so should we all. Absurd.
  • I love the Beach Comber take on this search! But, if it is true, don't start your California Dreamin' just yet. I taught in that department for a while and believe me, it is an evil place. The college is even worse! By contrast the Fordham department has some wonderful people who are also great scholars. And I'll take the Bronx over the Inland Empire any day!
  • Well, a lot of us were thrilled at (what seemed like) an opportunity to take the Bronx over just about anywhere, especially the Inland Empire. I'm sure that Sylvia is quite happy to leaving her evil California department and going to greener pastures-- or sandier beaches. The thing is, this sham-up of a search remains one of the more frustrating things about this entire market year, and the whole department has been embarrassed by it. Especially now that pretty much everyone in the field knows the deal. Word of mouth is one thing, but do departments and SC's really think that they can pull off this kind of secret spousal hire in the days of the blog and the wiki without the hundreds of irked applicants and their colleagues hearing about it?
  • So, does anyone want to volunteer what they wrote on their EOE card to Fordham? I'm going to inscribe something on it today and send it to dept chair.
  • The chair is in on the spousal hire, so that doesn't seem like a particularly effective place to send it.
  • Of course, but that doesn't mean it's not worth reminding the chair of the absurdity of sending an EOE card out to applicants (adding insult to injury in a windswept market like this???!!!) when the search had nothing whatever to do with EO from the outset. Maybe chair's hands were tied, maybe there's no hire of opportunity allowed at Fordham, and so they just HAD to take this sleazy route in order to keep la Nouvelle Adrienne happy and in the Bronx. But I am sure even the chair can appreciate an applicant's sense of amazement at the chutzpah of the EOE card. I say send it. Chutzpah for chutzpah.
  • You need to send complaints to Human Resources. They "oversee" the search. The Chair is the culprit.
  • Just got a rejection letter in the mail. After so long without having any word on the position, it just made me laugh. They did not waste time in conducting any interviews but they do take time to write a rejection letter. The letter is sweet, kind of apologetic I would even say, and it explains in detail the merits the chosen candidate has.
  • Quelle surprise! Claremont McKenna has just posted an ad for a visitor in 20th-century British lit! How coincidental that they would have such an opening...
  • I got my rejection letter today as well. It struck me as rather defensive. I've never read or heard of a rejection letter explaining why the committee made the choice it did.
  • I had the same sense as the PP when I received an explanation of their choice based on the new hire's strong record of prior and upcoming publications.
  • ditto on what the last two said. why would they defend their choice in the form rejection letter? obviously they know they've been a little naughty. btw, the letter spelled my last name incorrectly, in the address and the salutation. it's a common name.
  • As someone with a book and a second well under way, many articles, and extensive teaching experience in the field--who did not get an interview, I found the rejection letter nauseating.
  • Yes, blech. One more reason I wish they'd just kept their little "search" to themselves and not pubicly enticed the rest of us qualified candidates in a dire job market to dream about what we have long known was its deceptively foregone conclusion.

Dear Professor Fernald,

I received your letter dated February 14th announcing your search committee's selection of an outstanding candidate for the 20th century British and Irish Literature position at Fordham University. Congratulations. It must be wonderful to acquire a candidate "who," as you apparently feel it necessary to point out, "has a book and a second well underway, multiple articles, and teaching experience in the field[s] listed in the ad." We should all aspire to such accomplishments.

However, as is well known, the candidate you selected was a spousal hire, and the search itself was a little bit of a sham. While I believe that spousal hires are necessary for faculty retention, and while I do not begrudge the existence of spousal hires, clearly there is something wrong with Fordham's hiring procedures if they do not make provision to consider a spousal candidate without the necessity, and in this case, the embarrassment, of running an open search.

More importantly, however, I am deeply offended by the wording of your rejection letter, which appears to want to make a case that the candidate you did hire was head and shoulders above the competition. Even if this were the case, there is no need to insist on the accomplishments of your hire in a rejection letter. It smacks of disavowal, and exposes by overcompensation the fact that your job posting was never open in the first place. First you humiliate hundreds of hopeful candidates by running a fake search (which may, I admit, have been necessary under the regulations of your university). But then you mortify those rejected candidates with a laundry list of your chosen one's qualifications. You should be ashamed. In a case where priority was given to a spousal hire, to write a form letter that tries to argue that that candidate was, in fact, better than everyone else, is at once mean, absurd, stupid, and scandalous.

I have never in my life received a rejection letter like this, and I have received many. Usually they say that I am not selected even though my qualifications are excellent. Those letters hurt my feelings. This letter, which essentially says "we found someone more qualified than you," offends my pride and moreover offends against the ideal of a meritocratic workplace, not to mention the ideal of common decency.

Sincerely, XXXXXXXXX.

hear hear, xxxxxxx.

Georgia SW State University[]

From MLA JIL (12/17):

Assistant Professor of English--Generalist [14204]

This is a tenure-track position to begin August 2011, in our Department of English and Modern Languages, a division of the College of Arts and Sciences. Position requires a person with a broad base of training in literature and writing; preference will be given to candidates with expertise in 20c British Literature, Renaissance literature. Duties will include a 4/4 teaching load of primarily introductory and upper division composition/literature courses. PhD required at time of appointment. The successful candidate will demonstrate an appreciation of the department's undergraduate teaching mission and a commitment to service and scholarship. Apply online https://gsw.peopleadmin.com

Acknowledgment received: from HR via email (1/14)

NOTES AND QUERIES:

Grant MacEwan University (Alberta, Canada)[]

Link

Subfield/description: "The Department of English at Grant MacEwan University invites applicants for a continuing position in drama. Applicants must have a specialization in the scholarly study and textual analysis of British or American drama, excluding Shakespeare and the Renaissance. Preference will be given to specializations in twentieth century British or American drama."

Deadline: December 1, 2010

Acknowledgment received:

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

Phone/MLA interview scheduled:

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

Hillsdale College (MI) - 2 positions[]

From MLA JIL (10/13):

Hillsdale College, an independent, four-year institution with a traditional liberal arts mission, seeks applications for two entry-level tenure-track positions beginning August 2011. Responsibilities include teaching three courses per semester as follows: a. two courses in a “Freshmen Rhetoric and the Great Books” sequence; b. a survey course in English or American literature or an upper-level course in English or American literature. Generalists in British and American literature are encouraged to apply; preference will be given to those prepared to teach Restoration to Romantic literature (1660-1830), Victorian to Modern British literature (1830 to the present), or Colonial and Federalist American literature (1607-1820). Other desirable attributes include a solid blend of teaching, research, and service preparation, and a strong commitment to a traditional liberal arts mission. Send a letter of application that presents (a) evidence of strong undergraduate teaching skills (b) a discussion of the philosophy behind such teaching and (c) a detailed response to the College’s Mission Statement (http://www.hillsdale.edu/about/history/mission.asp ) that includes a discussion of the candidate’s ability to teach in the light of its commitments. The application must also include a curriculum vitae, three up-to-date letters of recommendation, transcripts, and a self-addressed, stamped postcard for acknowledgment of the completed application. All materials must be received by December 1, 2010. Interviews will be conducted at the Los Angeles MLA Convention January 6-9, 2011. Send materials to Dr. Michael M. Jordan, Chair, Department of English, Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MI 49242. (517) 437-7341.

Acknowledgment received: 12/13

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter: 12/31

Phone/MLA interview scheduled:

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

Cross-Posted at Generalist 2011, Romanticism, Victorian/19th 2011, Early American 2011 & Restoration/18th-Century 2011

Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU)[]

LINK

"faculty member with specialization in World or Multicultural Literature, 20th and 21st century British literature, and/or postcolonial literature."

Deadline: ? (posted on HigherEdJobs.com on 9/11/10)

Acknowledgment received:

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

Phone/MLA interview scheduled:

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

  • "Founded in 1920, Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) is an evangelical Christian comprehensive university of The Wesleyan Church. . . is recognized as a certified “Best Christian Workplace”."


James Madison University (VA)[]

LINK

"Assistant Professor of English in contemporary (post-1945) British literature. Tenure-track position, to begin Fall 2011. We welcome candidates with broad knowledge of post-national British literature who are interested in teaching courses in fiction, poetry, drama, or film."

Deadline: 11-05-2010

Acknowledgment received:

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:2/23

Phone/MLA interview scheduled:11/18 x3

Campus interview scheduled:1/13

Offer made: and accepted, per the rejection letter above. Had to email after a month to get any news. 2/23

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES: Will someone please explain what "post-national British literature" is? --We're all post-national now.

--*right?* No idea what post-national means... but saw another listing that requested post-1968, which seemed even more arbitrary/weird.

Kent State University at Tuscarawas (OH)[]

LINK

"a tenure-track position to teach introductory writing courses and upper-level writing and literature courses . . . Ph.D. in English by the appointment date. Preferred concentrations include 20th/21st Century American and/or British Literature or criticism. Experience in technical or business and professional writing is highly desirable."

Deadline: No deadline stated (posted on HigherEdJobs on 9/15/10)

Acknowledgment received:

Request for additional materials:

Rejection (no interview):

MLA or phone interview scheduled: A friend has a telephone interview next week. (posted 12/7)

Rejection (after MLA or phone interview):

Campus interview scheduled:

Rejection (after campus interview):

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES:

Loyola University New Orleans[]

From MLA JIl (11/05):

Tenure-track Assistant Professor in digital humanities with a secondary emphasis in 20th century and 21st century British literature or post-colonial literature. First-year courses, advising, and departmental service also required. PhD required. Send application by December 3, 2010, to Dr. Katherine H. Adams, Chair; Department of English, Box 50; Loyola University New Orleans; New Orleans, LA 70118. Applications must include resume and three confidential letters of recommendation. Loyola University New Orleans is an equal opportunity employer.

Deadline: December 3, 2010

Acknowledgment received:

Request for additional materials:

Rejection (no interview): 12/18 (post) x2

MLA or phone interview scheduled: MLA 12/14

Rejection (after MLA or phone interview):

Campus interview scheduled:

Rejection (after campus interview):

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES:

Cross-posted at Drama, Speech, Film & New Media 2011

"PhD required" for the position or in order to apply?

Midwestern SU (TX)[]

From MLA JIL (12/23)

English: Tenure track position, fall 2011, Associate Professor specializing in contemporary literature. The position carries a 4/4 teaching load that includes undergraduate and graduate courses in the area of specialization, survey courses, and freshman composition. The position also includes advising and serving on appropriate committees. Required: Ph.D., demonstrated excellence in teaching, and on-going research in the area of specialization. Send letter of application, graduate transcripts, C.V., and contact information for three references to Pam Marshall, Department of English, MSU, 3410 Taft Blvd., Wichita Falls, TX 76308-2099, or submit materials electronically to pam.marshall@mwsu.edu.

Deadline: Review of applications will begin February 1, 2011, and will continue until the position is filled.

NOTES AND QUERIES:

  • Cross-posted at 20-21 c. American 2011
  • From 20-21 c. American page: "Position Cancelled: According to the committee chair this position was just cancelled due to state budget cuts. Official notification should follow shortly. (email response to query 4/19)"

Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)[]

The Division of English at NTU seeks to fill a tenure-track position in 20th-century poetry (British, American, and/or world). Rank is contingent on the successful candidate's experience and qualifications. The Division of English at NTU is an established academic department in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. The teaching load is appropriate to that of a research university (2/2). NTU is a rapidly growing university that is committed to a comprehensive educational experience in a multicultural environment. It offers highly competitive annual salaries and strong support for faculty research and publication. Candidates for Associate or Full Professor will be expected to have a significant record of publication. To apply, please email a cover letter, CV, evidence of teaching effectiveness, writing sample, and names only of three referees to h-deng@ntu.edu.sg. Applications may also be sent by traditional mail or airmail to: The Search Committee c/o Head, Division of English (A/P Neil Murphy), Nanyang Technological University, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, 14 Nanyang Drive (#03-78), Singapore 637332.

LINK

Deadline: Review of applications begins March 1 and will continue until the position is filled.

Acknowledgment received:

Request for additional materials:

Rejection (no interview):

Phone interview scheduled:

Rejection (after phone interview):

Campus interview scheduled:

Rejection (after campus interview):

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES: Cross-posted at 20-21 c. American 2011

Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)[]

The Division of English at NTU seeks to fill a tenure-track position in Contemporary Women's Writing. Area of specialization is open, but interest in Southeast Asian women's writing will be advantageous. The Division of English at NTU is an established academic department in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. The teaching load is appropriate to that of a research university (2/2). NTU is a rapidly growing university that is committed to a comprehensive educational experience in a multicultural environment. It offers highly competitive annual salaries and strong support for faculty research and publication. Candidates for Associate or Full Professor will be expected to have a significant record of publication. To apply, please email a cover letter, CV, evidence of teaching effectiveness, writing sample, and names only of three referees to h-deng@ntu.edu.sg. Applications may also be sent by traditional mail or airmail to: The Search Committee c/o Head, Division of English (A/P Neil Murphy), Nanyang Technological University, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, 14 Nanyang Drive (#03-78), Singapore 637332.

LINK

Deadline: Review of applications begins March 1 and will continue until the position is filled.

Acknowledgment received:

Request for additional materials:

Rejection (no interview):

Phone interview scheduled:

Rejection (after phone interview):

Campus interview scheduled:

Rejection (after campus interview):

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES: Cross-posted at 20-21 c. American 2011 and Queer/Women's /Gender Studies 2011

North Central College (IL)[]

"North Central College invites applications for a tenure-track position in English with expertise in 20th-century literature, British or Anglophone, to begin Fall, 2011. A Ph.D. must be in hand by September 1, 2011. The successful candidate will have a strong commitment to excellence in teaching in a liberal arts setting and to scholarly activity. The position includes teaching literature and composition courses and offers opportunities to participate in North Central's interdisciplinary programs. Appointment at the rank of assistant professor is anticipated, but higher rank may be considered for suitably qualified candidates."

LINK

Deadline: Review of applications will begin November 26, 2010, and continue until the position is filled

Acknowledgment received:

Request for Additional Materials: Received email request for letters and writing sample (12/2) x3

Rejection Letter: 2/18

MLA interview scheduled: From Anglophone 2011: "12/14 MLA"

Campus interview scheduled: Scheduled 1/13

Offer made:

Offer accepted: (posted 2/18) [I got a rejection email today stating that they had "successfully completed our search"] x2

NOTES AND QUERIES:

  • Cross-posted at Anglophone 2011
  • Anyone heard anything on this one post-MLA?

North Georgia College & State University[]

Assistant Professor of Modern and Contemporary British Literature with a secondary expertise in Post Colonial and/or Ethnic Studies (viz. Indian, Middle Eastern, Global literatures). This is a tenure-track position in the English Department. The anticipated start date is August 2011.

Job Duties: Teaching responsibilities include, but are not limited to teaching survey courses in British literature, World literature and upper-level courses in areas of specialization. Everyone in the English department is also expected to teach freshman composition each semester. Other responsibilities include teaching 12 hours per semester; engaging in departmental, community and university service; research and planning. Qualifications: Ph.D. in hand by August 2011. Application Procedure: Please visit the NGCSU Job Site at http://apache.northgeorgia.edu/adminsrv/hr/Jobs.htm and complete an application. Along with the application, please upload and submit a letter of application; curriculum vitae; and a list of references that includes contact information.

LINK

Deadline: Open Until Filled (posted 10/27/10)

Acknowledgment received:

Request for additional materials:

Rejection (no interview):

MLA or phone interview scheduled: phone 1/18

Rejection (after MLA or phone interview):

Campus interview scheduled:

Rejection (after campus interview):

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES:

--Has anyone heard anything about this position?

They scheduled a phone interview with me on 1/18 for 1/25.

Northwestern University[]

From MLA JIL: ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN 20TH AND 21ST CENTURY TRANSNATIONAL LITERATURE AND CULTURE

"The English Department seeks outstanding junior candidates for a tenure–track position in transnational, comparative ethnic, and cross-cultural approaches to 20th and 21st century literature and culture. We welcome applicants with expertise in any genre or critical methodology and are particularly interested in scholars who work with non-U.S. texts and traditions. The ability to teach post-war British literature is a plus, although not required."

Deadline: November 8

Acknowledgment received: November 3 by e-mail; 11/11 by email

Request for additional materials:

Rejection (no interview): Very gracious letter of rejection received (via email) 12/15 (x3)

Really quite happy that they sent word now rather than waiting until Spring to send out a rejection post card.

MLA or phone interview scheduled: According to Anglophone page: "MLA by phone Dec. 13"

Rejection (after MLA or phone interview): 12/15 by email

Campus interview scheduled:

Rejection (after campus interview):

Offer made: from Anglophone page: "3/5/2011 (x2)"

Offer accepted:

NOTES:

Norwich University[]

"The School of Humanities invites applications for a tenure-track English faculty position to begin fall 2011. This position will teach courses in freshman composition, world literature surveys, and English program electives. Documented expertise in British literature since 1945 with secondary interests in film and/or pop culture is welcomed."

LINK

Deadline: Applications must be received no later than 8 November 2010.

Acknowledgment received:

Request for Additional Materials: email 11/19 (2)

Rejection Letter:

Phone/MLA interview scheduled: email 12/2

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

-"Please note that regular faculty are required to wear a university-issued uniform during business hours in keeping with the traditions of the Corps of Cadets."???? I wish this was included in the original job listing.

--re: uniforms--wtf! Also, I think you had to be an American citizen or permanent resident to apply for this one. This is somehow related to the uniform requirement, in my mind :P

  • This is common at military institutes. I have a friend who gets saluted by students and has to wear a military-ranked uniform when she teaches.


Oberlin College (VAP) - Contemporary[]

From MLA JIL (12/23) Oberlin College seeks a full-time non-continuing Assistant Professor in Contemporary Literature for 2011-12. Ph.D. in hand or expected by Fall 2011. To be assured of consideration, a letter of application, a curriculum vitae, graduate academic transcripts, and at least three recent letters of reference* should be sent to: William Patrick Day, Chair, Department of English, Oberlin College, 10 N. Professor Street, Oberlin, OH 44074 by February 15, 2011. Salary will depend on qualifications and experience. *By providing these letters, you agree that we may contact your references. See Jobs at Oberlin: http://new.oberlin.edu [R]


Deadline: Feb 15

Acknowledgment received:

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

Phone interview scheduled:

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

Cross-posted at 20-21 c. American 2011

Oberlin College (VAP) - Modern (focus on Novel)[]

From MLA JIL (12/23) Oberlin College seeks a full-time non-continuing Assistant Professor of Modern Literature, with focus on the novel; interest in poetry desirable. Ph.D. in hand or expected by Fall 2011. To be assured consideration, a letter of application, a curriculum vitae, graduate academic transcripts, and at least three recent letters of reference* should be sent to: William Patrick Day, Chair, Department of English, Oberlin College, 10 N. Professor Street, Oberlin, OH 44074 by February 15, 2011. Salary will depend on qualifications and experience. *By providing these letters, you agree that we may contact your references. See Jobs at Oberlin: http://new.oberlin.edu

Deadline: Feb 15

Acknowledgment received: 3/22

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

Phone interview scheduled:

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

Cross-posted at 20-21 c. American 2011

I assume that the position has been filled. Anyone hear anything?

It's been filled--I just got a rejection email stating as much (5/17)

Oglethorpe University[]

Assistant Professor of English and American literature [13903]
"Assistant professor, tenure-track position beginning fall, 2011. Ph.D. in modern and contemporary literature with emphasis on prose fiction, and secondary fields in 19th Century, post-colonial literature and/or film. 3/3 teaching load. All English faculty teach 1/3 of load in an interdisciplinary first-year core course in the humanities, and serve on faculty committees." englishsearch@oglethorpe.edu

Deadline: December 7, 2010.

Acknowledgment received: 12/7 (e-mail)

Request for additional materials: 12/13 (e-mail) (x3) 12/23 (x2)

Rejection (no interview):

MLA or phone interview scheduled: Phone interview scheduled 12/16 (e-mail)

Rejection (after MLA or phone interview):

Campus interview scheduled:

Rejection (after campus interview):

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES:

Cross-posted at 20-21 c. American 2011

--I was asked for a writing sample on 12/14, submitted on 12/15 and haven't heard anything. I wonder if I am out of the running. I see several people on the 20-21 c. American 2011 site also have interviews scheduled. (x2)

--I wonder how many people got called on the 16th. Wiki posting should be mandatory! ;)

--Hi, has anyone from the 12/23 additional materials request group heard anything?

--Haven't heard anything after the 12/23 request, unfortunately.

Oklahoma State University[]

LINK

"Tenure-track position in English, specializing in Literature Post 1900 with emphasis in poetry and poetics. 3-2 teaching load beginning August 2011."

Deadline: To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by November 3, 2010.

Acknowledgment received:

Request for additional materials:

Rejection (no interview):

MLA or phone interview scheduled: From 20-21 c. American page: "Phone interview scheduled on 11/10 for 11/19 (x3)"; "Skype interview (2nd round, with different people) requested 11/30"

Rejection (after MLA or phone interview):

Campus interview scheduled:

Rejection (after campus interview):

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES:

About those scheduled interviews. I guess they didn't want Brits--and this is one of the ones I hadn't completely lost hope on. Le sigh.

--hey yeah... since when does "English Literature Post 1900" mean American? Guess I'm out of luck too. And this was the *only* job that *asked* for poetry and wasn't for MFAs. Le sigh x2. On the plus side, would I really have liked OK? now I'll never know.

  • You misread the job ad. They want someone in English (the field, note the comma) who studies post-1900 lit. ;-)

Cross-posted at 20-21 c. American 2011 & Generalist 2011

Oregon State University (Literature, Science and Technology)[]

Link to University Job Site (posting #0006235)

Assistant Professor in Literature, Science, and Technology

From MLA JIL:

A full-time (1.0 FTE), nine-month, tenure-track, assistant professor position in Literature, Science, and Technology beginning in Fall, 2011. Ph.D. required at time of appointment. Significant teaching experience and demonstrated scholarly innovation, commitment, and publication strongly preferred. A typical teaching load would be five courses (2-2-1 or similar three-term arrangement) and might include Science Writing, Historical Textualities of Science, Science and Travel, Language and Environmental Science, etc., with emphasis on 18th-21st century Anglo-American and interdisciplinary perspectives.

Deadline: 11-12-2010

Acknowledgment received:

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

MLA interview scheduled:

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:


NOTES AND QUERIES:

Oxford University, New College (UK)[]

From MLA JIL:

New College and the Faculty of English Language and Literature propose to appoint a Tutorial Fellow and CUF Lecturer in Modern English Literature (1832-present), with a research interest 1900-present. This full-time post is available from 1 October 2011 (or as soon as possible thereafter). The main duties of the post will be to deliver tutorial teaching at undergraduate level for the College (8 hours per week in term); to deliver 16 lectures or classes per year for the Faculty’s undergraduate and Masters courses, to supervise graduate students, to engage in research and to contribute to the examining and admissions processes as necessary. The successful candidate will hold a doctorate in English literature, and will have a strong record of research at an international level, or the potential to develop one. The ability to deliver effective tutorial and class teaching to high-achieving undergraduates is essential. The duties and skills required are described in more detail in the further particulars, which also contain details on how to apply. These are available from our website at http://www.new.ox.ac.uk or from the Deputy Academic Administrator, New College, Holywell St, Oxford OX1 3BN (email: rowenna.james@new.ox.ac.uk, tel: 01865 279596).

Deadline: The closing date for applications is Monday 8th November 2010.

Acknowledgment received:

Request for additional materials:

Rejection (no interview): 12/3, postmarked 11/29. Nicest rejection letter I've read: straight to the point, but also nicely colloquial rather than overly formal or maudlin.

MLA or phone interview scheduled:

Rejection (after MLA or phone interview):

Campus interview scheduled:

Rejection (after campus interview):

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES:

The Further Particulars did say that long-shortlisted candidates would be asked to send in writing samples by 7 December, so they've certainly made their preliminary decisions by now, but I've yet to receive their reportedly kind and balanced rejection letter. Anyone else waiting to hear from New College? (x2, but I presume the letter just hasn't arrived yet. Lectureships at Oxford are not usually entry-level posts, so I was being optimistic in applying).

Right now the British system is so overloaded with strong candidates that you practically have to have a book contract just to get near the long list.

Unlike the uncrowded American system which abounds in jobs for which a book contract isn't at all necessary.

Providence College[]

LINK

"The Department of English at Providence College invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor specializing in drama, with expertise in modern and contemporary. Ability to teach drama in periods from the Restoration to the present preferred."

Deadline: November 1, 2010

Acknowledgment received: Email 11/19

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

Phone/MLA interview scheduled: 12/14

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

Cross-posted at Drama, Speech, Film & New Media 2011 & 20-21 c. American 2011

Skidmore College (VAP)[]

Ad in Chronicle (12/17)

The Department of English at Skidmore College invites applications for a one-year sabbatical replacement, to be appointed as Visiting Assistant Professor, and to begin September 2011. Research and teaching experience required in 20th-century poetry. Experience teaching expository writing is also required. Additional expertise in Critical Theory is desirable. The teaching load is 3/3, which includes one themed expository-writing course each semester.

Doctorate required at time of employment. We encourage applications from historically under-represented groups as well as individuals who have experience teaching diverse student populations; women and minority candidates are encouraged to apply. Review of applications begins immediately. All applications will be acknowledged; phone interviews are likely in January, though interviews at the MLA convention are a possibility.

To learn more about and apply for this position, please visit Skidmore's website at: http://jobs.skidmore.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=52674

Acknowledgment received:

Request for additional materials:

Rejection (no interview):

MLA or phone interview scheduled:

Rejection (after MLA or phone interview):

Campus interview scheduled:

Rejection (after campus interview):

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

Notes:

Cross-posted at 20-21 c. American 2011

Spring Hill[]

From MLA JIL

"Spring Hill College invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor in Twentieth Century Drama. PhD required. Standard 4/4 teaching load includes composition, introductory literature, genre courses, and upper level courses for the major. Founded in 1830, Spring Hill College is a private, Jesuit, liberal arts institution of 1,300 students. Applicants should send a cover letter, CV, unofficial transcripts, statement of teaching philosophy, and three letters of recommendation to Dr. Michael Kaffer, Search Committee Chair, Department of English, Spring Hill College, 4000 Dauphin Street, Mobile, AL 36608. Must be received by November 15 for full consideration."

Acknowledgment received:

Request for additional materials:

Rejection (no interview):

MLA or phone interview scheduled:

Rejection (after MLA or phone interview):

Campus interview scheduled:

Rejection (after campus interview):

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

Notes:

Stony Brook University (NY)[]

LINK

Assistant Professor: "Required Qualifications: Ph.D. in or at hand by September 1, 2011. Specialization in post-1945 British or Global Anglophone literature. Preferred Qualifications: Additional expertise in minority British literature, or post-colonial theory, or literatures of the African Diaspora."

Deadline: Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Acknowledgment received: From Anglophone 2011: "My acknowledgement email said that the search has been cancelled due to budget cuts."

Tennessee Tech University[]

LINK

"Full-time, academic (nine month) tenure-track appointment, beginning August 1, 2011.

QUALIFICATIONS: Earned PhD in English by the time of appointment from an accredited institution with dissertation or other significant research in any one of the following areas (listed in alphabetical order): Contemporary Literature in English, Ethnic American Literature, Milton or other Early Modern Literature, or Postcolonial Literature. College-level teaching experience required. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: The successful candidate will be a generalist who will teach general education courses in composition and/or literature, as well as upper-division and graduate courses in literature. Teaching load is 4/4. "

Deadline: Jan. 13

Acknowledgment received:

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

Phone interview scheduled:

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

Cross-posted at Renaissance 2011

Also posted at Other Ethnic American 2011, 20-21 c. American 2011& Generalist 2011

Tufts University[]

"Tenure-track opening for assistant professor of twentieth-century British Literature. . . Candidates should have expertise in British literature since 1900. . . Desirable secondary fields include transnational and transatlantic modernisms, cosmopolitan studies, and twentieth-century British drama."

LINK

Deadline: November 1, 2010

Acknowledgment received: 10/26 (snail-mail), 10/27 (snail-mail), 10/29 (snail-mail), 11/13 Postcard (X2). 12/4 (postcard); 12/9 x1 (email)

Request for Additional Materials: writing sample request (email) 11/16 (x6), 11/18 (x2), 11/23 (x2), 12/1

Rejection Letter:

Phone/MLA interview scheduled: MLA interview scheduled (phone), 12/13 (e-mail) 12/14

Campus interview scheduled: 1/25

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

10/2: Any idea what dossier means in this case: "Please send your letter of application, CV, and dossier including three letters of recommendation"? Only letters? I really wish they would stop using this word.

10/4: I agree. Not sure what dossier means in that case. A dossier at my Univ got PhD means a folder of letters of rec. But i assume for other schools it could mean teaching evaluations, writing samples, etc.

10/4: Maybe it would be a good idea to ask the search chair for clarification? I believe it is acceptable to ask that kind of question.

11/18: Any sense of whether they sent out all of their writing sample requests on 11/16? Could there be more to come?

11/18: That was just the question I was going to ask. Are they done with WS requests?

11/18: If so, that's tough shakes for me. Oh well--that would be one down, five to go.

11/19: I just received word that a 30 page article of mine was accepted for publicaiton in a major peer-reviewed journal, and they want to get it into the volume coming out next month! (That would bring me up to 4 major pubs, and I have to make a mad dash to look over the galleys they sent me) How should I inform Tufts, or any other place, about his news? They don't have an e-mail address attached to the application, and I don't want to mail an ammended cv for fear that too much time would pass and I'd miss the cut we're all fearing we're missing, so to speak. I'm not sure what the protocol is here.

11/19: 1) Have you been asked for a writing sample? If so, is this the sample that you sent? If it is, send a brief e-mail update to the chair of the search committee (Lee Edelman), whose e-mail will be readily available through the department website, informing him that it has been accepted and where it has been accepted. If this was not your writing sample, update your cv to include the relevant publication details, then send it attached to a brief e-mail explaining that you are submitting a revised cv as you have just had an article accepted. Keep in mind that brevity will be appreciated as the search committee will be tired of reading files at this point.

11/19: No. Unlike everyone else here, it looks like I have not been asked to send a writing sample. I was hoping maybe the publication would get them to consider asking for a writing sample from me, and keep me in the running, since it appears the rest of you have recieved requests. But thanks. I suppose since it looks like I did not make a cut here, I can't lose anything by sending Lee Edelman an e-mail.

11/19: I have a wild theory that they read applications alphabetically, so obviously it takes them a while to get to the bottom and decide if they want a sample. This probably makes it too late for me, but perhaps your surname begins with a W? :D

11/20: It begins with S ! ! ! (Those are obviously saracastic exclamations). Sorry. In such a lousy mood. It would have been nice to know before the Thanksgiving week that I have a shot at an interview at MLA as I sit here in my second year teaching so many adjunct classes I'm going grey--and at two institutions. I'm teaching so many classes that on T, TH, one class at one college ends at the same time as another one begins across town. (I've been breaking the speed limit a lot).

11/20: I was one of the people who posted about receiving a WS request. I received my request on 11/16 and my last name's in the middle of the alphabet. That being said, these schools are getting an INSANE number of applications. It wouldn't surprise me if they're doing two, three, or four rounds of requests. Basically, I wouldn't count yourself out.

11/21: I never even received an ack from Tufts. Should I worry that something went awry with the mail? Do I call or just sit tight?

11/12: hmmm, I'd sit tight til after Thanksgiving. I submitted mine on the deadline, and my postcard wasn't postmarked until the 12th. Took another few days to get to me. And the error might be at their end--their card that didn't get/hasn't gotten to you, not your application that didn't get to them.

11/22: I didn't want to play this game, BUT, since some got requests on 16th and some on 18th, perhaps the SC is working through applications on a Tues, Thurs schedule, and more requests will go out tomorrow. As Edgar says in King Lear: "The lowest most dejected thing of fortune / Stands still in esperance, lives not in fear." Obviously I'm bored.

11/22: If six requests are on the Wiki, I suspect they are all out. This is a crusher--I suspect everyone wants this job.

11/23 My WS request (received today by e-mail) says, "We ask that you send us your writing sample by Monday, November 29. We will begin our review of these materials on November 30 in order to decide which candidates to invite for interviews at the MLA by the end of the second week in December."

11/23 So perhaps my theory about T, TH schedule was correct. Of course that means since Thurs is holiday, today is probably it. Too bad for me.

11/23 I also got a request today asking for a sample via email by Monday.

11/24 I didn't. So good luck to you all!

11/29 Did everyone else get an acknowledgment of writing sample received? (My request was on 11/16 for a 11/23 deadline.) No additional info in the e-mail.

11/29 No, I did not get an acknowledgement of WS received. I've never heard of such a thing.

11/29 Yeah, I got that too, even though I emailed mine 11/17. "We had received your writing sample by Nov 23..." Maybe only belatedly they decided to confirm the writing sample, which is nice I guess. (x2)

12/9: Was quite surprised to see acknowledgment of my application today! I sent nearly four weeks ago at least. I'm thinking they've selected their interviewees and for some odd reason they aren't just moving straight to rejections, but are taking the odd step of sending these extremely belated acknowledgments. Anyone else hear today? This also confirms the Tue/Thur hypothesis.

- whoever figured out the Tues/Thurs thing...you're smart! I don't stand a chance against you! ;-) I tease. I'm not sure what to make of the late acknowledgments...maybe they were "just not that into" the first batch of writing samples they got? Maybe they just sent them out as they worked through the stack? I'm trying not to obsess over what I can't control (serenity prayer and whatnot), but this job looks so dreamy that it's difficult! At least we'll hear soon; good luck, everyone!

--12/10: that was me. Not smart enough for a WS request at Tufts, though. I've sat on some admissions committees, and we worked a M, W schedule, sending out letters the afternoon of each of those days. Unless they decide suddenly at the last minute to ask me for one, Tufts is out for me. Does look like a dreamy job -- I happen to know the faculty is a pretty nice, close knit group. So good luck to you all -- at least I've had a couple WS requests at other places, and now it's the waiting game for MLA interview --I'm trying not to check my e-mail every five minutes. Chinese water torture.

Oh, as we all know, it's not an issue of "smart enough," but rather one of fitting the bill /what they're looking for. You can be more than smart enough and not what a SC is looking for at the same time. Some of the smartest people I know didn't get WS requests from Tufts. These things are often completely mysterious.

Thanks -- it's hard to remember the reality of the search in your second year out.

12/14: Does anyone think they could still be placing the calls for MLA interviews? I see someone received one yesterday... It would be really helpful to know whether I might still be in contention here.

12/14: I'd find it hard to believe that only one person out of the ten on the wiki who got WS requests is being interviewed; so, I'd give it 24 hours. But maybe that's just wishful thinking.

12/14: I got one this morning, by e-mail, so, yes, maybe there's still hope!

12/14: Sigh. This one hurts a little. Looks like a terrific job -- kudos and best wishes to the interviewees!

Tulane University (VAP)[]

MLA JIL 4/8/11:

The Department of English at Tulane University seeks a visiting assistant professor in Modern British literature for academic year 2011-2012. This one-year, non-tenure track position has a three-three courseload with the option to repeat at least one course during the year. Candidates must have a Ph.D. in hand. Salary: $40,000 plus benefits.

Please submit a letter of application, a CV, three letters of reference, and a writing sample (around 25 pages) to engpos3@tulane.edu by April 20, 2011. Submissions should be addressed to Molly Anne Rothenberg, Chair, Department of English. Please put your last name and the letters VAP in the subject line. Applications will only be accepted and acknowledged electronically and should be sent as either Word or pdf files. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled.

Acknowledgment received:

Request for additional materials:

Rejection (no interview):

Phone interview scheduled:

Rejection (after phone interview):

Campus interview scheduled:

Rejection (after campus interview):

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES:

Universite de Montreal[]

LINK

The Department of English Studies invites applications for a full-time tenure-track position as Assistant Professor of Modern British Literature with a specialization in poetry. Starting date: from June 1, 2011. For information about the search, including a detailed description of the position and application deadlines, interested parties should consult the Department of English Studies Web site at: http://www.etang.umontreal.ca/

Deadline: November 15

Acknowledgment received:

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

Phone/MLA interview scheduled:

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted: Yes.

NOTES AND QUERIES:

Any sense whether it's appropriate to write a cover letter in English for this job? Or should it be in French. Or, rather, would it be better in French than in English, or in English than in French?

An English job letter is just fine.

A bit confused -- the website links to a pdf that lists an April 2010 application deadline. Is this the "search information" advertised?

12/15 (or 15/12) anyone heard a peep?

12/20 - No peeps.

01/03 - Anyone heard any word at all about this?

01/03- Crickets. (x2)

1/06 Would someone, anyone, who has any information about the status of this search please, please post that info here? It would be great to know what's going on (since something surely must be going on) and nobody wants to call the dept to find out that way... Thanks much.

1/17 They've selected four people for campus visits, so it's all over here. Nothing to see. Move along.

2/13- Weird how the Canadian schools don't seem to do preliminary interviews, but just jump straight to selecting finalists. Or did they have some sort of stealth phone interviews that we just didn't hear about?

They did MLA interviews before they selected their finalists.

University of Alabama[]

Tenure track Assistant Professor in Modern Drama (20th Century)

LINK

Deadline: 10/29/10

Acknowledgment received:

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

MLA interview scheduled: 12/8 (according to 20-21 c. American 2011) (x2)

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

UCLA[]

From MLA JIL:

"The Department of English at UCLA invites applications for the position of advance assistant/beginning associate professor in literature of Great Britain/Ireland since 1900. Candidates should demonstrate engagement with the changing dynamics of the field which is now characterized by interdisciplinary approaches and new configurations of interests, including (though not limited to) feminist/gender studies, visual and media studies, literature and science, poetics, narrative theory, and other innovative frameworks. Candidates should submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, 20-page writing sample, and dossier including three (3) letters of recommendation to: Ali Behdad, Chair, UCLA Department of English, 149 Humanities Bldg., Los Angeles, CA 90095-1530. Application dossiers are due by November 15, 2010; interviews will be held at the MLA Convention in Los Angeles in January."

Acknowledgment received: 10/27, 11/16 (e-mail), 11/18 (email)

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

MLA interview scheduled: 12/16 MLA (phone call)

Campus interview scheduled: 1/21

Offer made:

  • heard through grapevine, an offer was made and declined. Not clear if second offer is forthcoming?

Offer accepted: 2nd offer accepted

NOTES AND QUERIES:

  • Cross-posted at Irish 2011
  • Are people reading "advance[d] assistant" as meaning someone already in a t/t job?
  • Yes, that would seem to be a logical reading of the ad language, esp. since the other option is "beginning associate" which means someone with tenure already. I'm sure many less advanced people will apply anyway though . . .
  • Generally, "advanced assistant" means someone who could come in on an accelerated tenure clock, e.g., go up in three years rather than the normal six. This means that they probably want someone with at least 3-5 articles and, ideally, a book in press (at least this has been my experience). It's UCLA, so they're going to be looking for a sure-thing future superstar.

University of Findlay (OH)[]

Full time tenure-track faculty position in English to begin in August 2011 in the College of Liberal Arts. Candidates will be expected to teach courses in contemporary literature (British or American) as well as first-year composition, and have the ability to cover post-colonial literature and related courses.

LINK

Deadline: Review of applications will begin December 15, 2010, and continue until the position is filled.

Acknowledgment received: 12/6 (email x 2)

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

Phone interview scheduled: from 20-21 c. American page: "MLA or Phone interview (your choice) scheduled: 12/16 (x1)"

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

Cross-posted at 20-21 c. American 2011 & Generalist 2011

I interviewed with them at MLA and they are scheduling full search committee phone interviews between Jan 17-28 and then scheduling campus visits.

--Can you clarify your statement? So they interviewed at MLA, but are doing more phone interviews?

--- Yeah, and, OP, why did you have to go all the way to LA when you're currently posting from Findlay, OH? and seem to have listed yourself as a SC member on this board, though not on the AmLit Board, where you also posted similar comments about meeting with, or interviewing with, "these people"? The wiki keeps track, and if you don't create an account, posts your IP address instead, in case you don't know. Can kind of make you look dumb. I mean lots of people make themselves look dumb on here, but few of them by unveiled deception. Unless of course you really are a resident of Findlay, OH, who traveled to Los Angeles, CA, to have an interview with the University of Findlay, OH, and found them young, dynamic and flush with traveling money (see AmLit board yous all), while also serving on a search commitee of some other university within commuting distance of Findlay, OH, never having met these Findlay, OH, people before. Geez. Also, how come phone interviews have been scheduled after the MLA? Does that make any sense to you, having "interviewed with them at the MLA"? Seriously? Good luck everyone.

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign[]

LINK (HigherEdJobs); Link to UIUC HR posting

"The Department of English at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign is searching for a full-time, tenure-track appointment at the assistant professor level or tenured appointment at associate level in British and/or anglophone modern and contemporary literature."

Deadline: 11/08/2010

Acknowledgment received: 9/21

Request for Additional Materials: dossier and writing sample 11/22 (x5), 12/1 (x2)

Rejection Letter: by e-mail 12/2 (x9)

Phone/MLA interview scheduled:12/17 (phone call) MLA

Campus interview scheduled: 1/21

Offer made:

Offer accepted: heard through the grapevine, offer was accepted.

NOTES AND QUERIES:

  • Cross-posted at Anglophone 2011
  • Is anyone else in the position of not having gotten a request for more materials but also not having gotten a rejection e-mail today? (I'm sure mine will come 1st-thing tomorrow a.m. for the jinxing pathetically hopeful thought this question betrays.)
  • Misunderstood earlier. They might not be done with ws requests. They just made another one yesterday. THere's hope.
  • Thanks for being an enabler. (;
  • 12/9 So, just to check one more time: has everyone who did not get a request for more materials received a rejection e-mail by now? Anyone else still in limbo? I'm checking the online application page, and it sure looks like I submitted my stuff. But I emailed someone in the dept. to confirm receipt and have gotten nothing back.
  • 12/9 I'm in the same position--no WS request, no rejection. Search committees so many different things, it could mean anything. But I think it's probably not a matter of their not getting the applications. I'm guessing maybe they're holding onto a pool of candidates below their top choices.


University of Nebraska, Omaha[]

From MLA JIL

Visiting Assistant Professor of Post-Romantic British Literature [14915] The Department of English at the University of Nebraska at Omaha invites applications for a one-year Visiting Assistant Professor position in nineteenth- and/or twentieth-century British literature, beginning August 2011. Ph.D. or ABD required in post-Romantic British literature. Teaching load is 4/4 with participation in the daily business of the department expected. Candidates should demonstrate excellence in teaching and an active research agenda. The salary is $42,000 plus benefits.

Cover letter and vita must be submitted online: www.unomaha.edu (click on “Employment” and then “Current Job Openings – Apply”). Three letters of reference, available evidence of teaching effectiveness, and a writing sample should be sent to Robert Darcy, Chair, Department of English, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68182-0175. Review of applications will begin on June 3, 2011, and will continue until the position is filled.

Acknowledgment received:

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

Phone interview scheduled:

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

Cross-posted at Romanticism, Victorian/19th 2011

University of Oregon[]

The Department of English at the University of Oregon invites advanced scholars of Modernism to apply for the Robert D. and Eve E. Horn Endowed Chair in English. We are seeking candidates of any rank with an outstanding record of research and college-level teaching to join a diverse and active department with strengths in traditional British, American, and Anglophone literary studies, as well as in environmental literary studies, queer and gender studies, folklore, and film and emerging media. We are especially interested in scholars whose research and teaching will contribute to the department’s strong commitment to the study of questions of race, ethnicity, nationhood, empire, gender, and sexuality. Minimum Requirements: Ph.D. in English or related field in hand by time of appointment and college level teaching experience. . . . Interviews will not be conducted at the MLA convention; finalists will be invited to the University of Oregon campus in Eugene.

LINK

Deadline: Review of materials will begin on November 15, 2010 and will continue until the position is filled.

Acknowledgment received:

Request for Additional Materials:

- they asked my references for letters in December

Rejection Letter:

- Received via postal mail in late January

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted: yes - they hired a specialist in American modernism from Britain.

NOTES AND QUERIES:

Would a recent PhD be considered for this job, considering that it's an "endowed chair"? It says an "advanced scholar" but the minimum requirement is only a PhD.

Same question, but it can't hurt to apply and then you'll find out I guess.

I read this again and I think there may be an oversight, "an advanced scholar" would not be compatible with someone who is ABD. I don't think they'd really consider someone ABD.

This search is looking for someone in the Associate or Full rank.

Thanks so much for this info. Could you tell us how you know, and what led them to let go of the idea of looking at more junior candidates?

My source is confidential but the ad says "advanced scholars" and it's an endowed chair. They want a track record of scholarly accomplishment. Though it does also say "any rank" so the ad is confusing.

University of Oxford, St John's College (UK)[]

From MLA JIL:

University Lectureship (CUF) in English (1900-present day) [13881]

St John’s College invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for an Official Fellowship and Tutorship in English with effect from 1st October 2011 or as soon as possible thereafter. The Fellowship will be held in association with a Titular CUF Lecturership in English, to be held in the Faculty of English Language & Literature.
Applications are invited from candidates with research interests in literature in English from 1900 to the present day, and proven teaching competence (or the potential for such competence) in literature in English from the middle of the eighteenth century forward.
The person elected will provide tutorial teaching to undergraduates for up to eight hours each week during full term, and participate in the organisation of teaching in English in the College. He or she will share pastoral duties and participate in the undergraduate admissions process. The appointee will in addition be expected, under the direction of the Faculty of English Language & Literature, to give not fewer than sixteen lectures or classes in each academic year; to share in University examining as reasonably required; to make an appropriate contribution to the supervision and teaching of graduate students; to undertake a reasonable share of faculty administrative duties and to engage in advanced study or research.
The stipend will be on a scale of £42,563 ‑ £57,201 per annum. Additional allowances are available. Further particulars, including information about how to apply, may be obtained from the Academic Administrator, St John’s College, Oxford, OX1 3JD. (email: college.office@sjc.ox.ac.uk), or they may be viewed on the College’s web site: http://www.sjc.ox.ac.uk.


Deadline: Receipt of materials by November 30, 2010.

Acknowledgment received: email (11/29); 12/1

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

Cross-posted: Anglophone 2011

University of South Dakota[]

From MLA JIL:

The University of South Dakota invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of English with specialization in British literature since 1945. Expertise in literatures in English from Commonwealth nations is desirable. Excellence in teaching is expected, both in the classroom and in mentoring students outside the classroom. An ongoing research agenda is assumed. Housed in the College of Arts and Sciences, USD’s English Department offers BA/BS, MA, and PhD degrees. USD is the state’s flagship liberal arts university. Teaching experience and a PhD in English (or equivalent) are required; publications and presentations are desirable. Anticipated date of appointment is August 22, 2011. Salary is commensurate with rank. To apply, send CV, application letter, graduate transcript, and at least three letters of reference to Emily Haddad, Chair, English Department, The University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069-2390. Materials may also be submitted via https://yourfuture.sdbor.edu.

Deadline: Screening begins November 5, 2010 and continues until a suitable candidate is hired.

Acknowledgment received: 11/10 via email

Request for additional materials:

Rejection (no interview):

MLA or phone interview scheduled: phone interview scheduled (11/24)x4

Rejection (after MLA or phone interview):

Campus interview scheduled:12/17

  • 2/18: know someone who was just asked for an on-campus interview, without having done an initial phone interview. Not sure what the deal is - maybe the first round of candidates didn't work out?

Rejection (after campus interview):

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES:

-For those of you who have phone interviews, how did they go? Are they as uncomfortable as they seem? How did/do you deal with the lack of body language?

Are you asking whether phone interviews are uncomfortable in general, or about the interview with USD specifically? I do think there is probably something inherently awkward in a phone interview situation... What was your experience like?

-No interview for me, just curious to know how the phone interview goes...never had one before.

University of South Florida St Petersburg[]

6/21/11 Chronicle

University of South Florida St Petersburg Visiting Assistant Professor of 20th Century British Literature (#4597)


Required Qualifications: Earned Doctoral degree, from an accredited institution, in English or related discipline by date of employment, August 7, 2011. Demonstrated record of achievement in teaching, academic research, and service. Must meet university criteria for appointment to the rank of Assistant Professor.

Preferred Qualifications: Earned a Ph.D. in English or related discipline by date of employment, with a specialization in 20th century British Literature; record of active research/scholarship; relevant college/university teaching experience. Prefer contemporary literature, critical theory, postcolonial/commonwealth literature, or interdisciplinary research and teaching interests.

Salary: $40,000.

Position is open until filled.

To apply, visit: http://employment.usf.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=55997. For additional information about the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, please visit our website at http://stpete.usf.edu/.

Acknowledgment received:

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

Skype interview scheduled:

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:


University of Texas at Austin[]

From MLA JIL (11/05):

The English Department at the University of Texas at Austin invites applications for a tenure-track, beginning Assistant Professor in transatlantic modernist or contemporary Anglophone literature; candidates with a specialty in African literature are particularly encouraged to apply. Applicants should have PhD in English or related field by August 2011, documented evidence of teaching excellence, and a clearly defined research agenda. The selected candidate will be expected to teach at all levels of our curriculum, to direct dissertations, MA reports, and honors theses, publish actively, and offer service to the English Department. Applicants should submit a single .pdf containing a cover letter, CV, 1-2 page abstract of dissertation, and writing sample (25-30 pages) to amgolden@mail.utexas.edu. Three letters of recommendation should be sent via a service such as Interfolio, or from the letter writers as .pdfs to the same address.

See also: Ad in Chronicle.

Deadline: Priority will be given to applications submitted by November 22, 2010, but the search will continue until the position is filled.

Acknowledgment received:

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

Skype interview scheduled: From Anglophone 2011: "12/17 (by email, for skype interview)"

Campus interview scheduled: 12/27

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:

Cross-posted at Anglophone 2011

Does anyone know more about what they're looking for? To me, transatlantic modernist doesn't really go with African lit, unless, of course, they are looking for a Black Atlantic person (but then it wouldn't make sense to call it transatlantic modernist). Any insights?

I agree with you. My expertise is transatlantic and transnational modernisms but just because they added the African literature part I decided not to apply. My experience is that everytime they mention some specialty in African literature, even just as a secondary interest, they are actually looking for an expert in that area.

What else would "candidates with a specialty in African literature are particularly encouraged to apply" imply, but that they are looking for an Africanist? And how are African lit. and transatlantic modernism mutually exclusive? Pretty straight forward if you are an Africanist.

No one said that transatlantic modernism and African lit studies were mutually exclusive, just that the job ad sounded exclusive of transatlantic modernism scholars who are not African lit specialists. That sounded pretty straightforward too.

oh, wait, sorry: It looks like earlier posters did assume transatlantic modernism and African literature had nothing to do with each other (DOH!). Which only shows that those transatlantic modernists above need to pay a little more attention to the links between 20th c African film and lit and its relationship to modernist traditions up north (as well as the rest of the global south).

First of all, I don't like that condescending tone; it is evident everyone in this site has the intellectual skills at least to be qualified to look for a job in academe, therefore, let us not underestimate other colleagues, please. I understand what some posters were trying to say earlier. It seems to me some universities could be more direct in their descriptions of the position, something like "We need an expert in modernist African studies" would certainly be more direct than adding the African expertise in a second clause after the main description. Nobody is denying any links between modernist literature and African studies; but if they really look for an Africanist, why not say so from the first sentence?

You're right; sorry for the snark.

A professor in my department was saying that the vague language has to do with avoiding discrimination claims. That is, you could be sued for hiring someone who doesn't actually have the qualifications as they are established in the job description. So, the problem with saying "we need an expert in modernist African studies" is that then they cannot hire someone without that speciality. The department must have coverage needs in transatlantic modernism and African lit. Someone with both would be great for them, but the wording they're using allows them to make a hire that covers only one of the areas--transatlantic--in case those twofers are not strong enough. Better to get some coverage from a strong candidate with only transatlantic than to let the search fail. But I'll bet they find someone strong in both areas.

yeah, that sounds right. It's also possible that they've got a person in mind who does all those things. But it does sound like they've got a particular ideal (the mod/anglophone africanist), but are also willing to keep their options open.

University of Tulsa[]

From MLA JIL (Feb 11):

The University of Tulsa seeks a tenure-track entry-level or advanced Assistant Professor of English, commencing August 2011, with research interests in digital humanities and 20th /21st-century literature and culture. Tulsa is a home to the Modernist Journals Project, an important digital humanities initiative. The McFarlin Library’s Special Collections have significant 20th-century archival holdings. We see English as a broad field with fluid boundaries, encompassing interests in film, creative writing, art, media studies, history of the book, women’s and gender studies, periodical studies and other interdisciplinary areas. Teaching will include departmental courses and graduate seminars, participation in a humanities-based general curriculum and honors program, and service on dissertation committees. Send letter of application, vita, and dossier to Professor Lars Engle, Chair, Faculty of English, The University of Tulsa, 800 S. Tucker Dr., Tulsa, OK 74104-3189. Digital applications will be accepted and can be emailed to: dig-hum-search@utulsa.edu. Review of applications will begin 25 February 2011 and continue until the position is filled. The University of Tulsa is an EEO/AA employer.

Acknowledgment received:

Request for Additional Materials:

Rejection Letter:

Phone interview scheduled:

Campus interview scheduled:

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES AND QUERIES:


Cross-posted at 20-21 c. American 2011 & Drama, Speech, Film & New Media 2011

Valdosta State University (GA)[]

From MLA JIL:

Valdosta State University seeks an Assistant Professor of English with a specialization in contemporary/post-1968 British literature for a full-time, ten-month, tenure track faculty position. In addition to teaching courses in specialty, teaching responsibilities include freshman composition, sophomore world literature surveys, British literature surveys, and possibly other interdisciplinary courses. A background in postcolonial literature and theory is also desirable. Teaching experience in these courses is helpful, but not required. Departmental duties include committee work, advising, and research leading to publication. Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. Possible MLA interviews. Applicants must have a PhD in Rhetoric and Composition in hand by appointment date August 1, 2011. Send letter of interest, signed faculty application form accessed at http://www.valdosta.edu/academic/documents/Faculty_App2010.pdf , curriculum vitae, and complete dossier, including all university transcripts and three letters of reference to Dr. Mark Smith, Head, Department of English, VSU, Valdosta, GA 31698-0025.

Deadline: Review of applications begins November 8, 2010, and remains open until position is filled.

Acknowledgment received: 11/11 by email (x2)

Request for additional materials:

Rejection (no interview):

MLA or phone interview scheduled: 12-13 (phone)

Rejection (after MLA or phone interview):

Campus interview scheduled:

Rejection (after campus interview):

Offer made:

Offer accepted:

NOTES:

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