Job Market Oddities
I have had some recent experiences on the job market that I think bear telling because they demonstrate that even good people make mistakes, and that even those who are conscientious can end up handling hiring situations poorly.
Story number one (I'll use fake names, but real schools) involves my employment at Cardinal Stritch University here in Milwaukee. I began teaching there as an adjunct in January of 2006. By January of 2007, I was on my third class there, all MA readings courses, and my reviews were great. My chair, George Owens (made up name) began to talk to me about my long-term prospects, and hinted that there might be something more than adjuncting for me at Stritch in the future. George was very clear that he wasn't promising anything, but he told me that I'd be a good fit because of my work in the Grad program, and my demonstrated concern for students coupled with my insistence on high standards.
After this discussion, the department then decided to make a proposal to add a full-time line. George broadly hinted that I was a good candidate for the position, and that he'd love to have me on. He did say, however, that the final decision would rest with Fr. Giovanni (fake name) since he was still the department chair until the end of the year. While I was teaching (until March 10), each week I'd get an update on the progress of this application, or a request for an updated vita, or a random question about my teaching experience--the sort of thing that lets one believe that someone is interested. Now, at no time was I ever promised anything at all, and for my part, I pretended that none of this was happening. I'd have been happy to continue as an adjunct, or even as a half-time person.
Around the beginning of April, the emails from George stopped. I tried a putting out a few feelers--emails about teaching reviews, book orders, and the like, hoping to get some kind of update about the progress of the department's proposal for the full time position. The silence I got in response was deafening. I decided that the position hadn't come through, which was no loss to me, since it didn't exist.
What happened next was the shocking part. I wrote George on a Tuesday, and heard back from him on a Wednesday. He said that the proposal had been approved, and that the department was looking over a variety of resumes that they had on file to fill it. The tone was clipped and bureaucratic; George was normally chatty and informal; this email read like a form letter. Clearly, I hadn't gotten the job. George said that a decision would be forthcoming over the next couple of weeks, as soon as the process was completed.
Also that day, I got an email from a friend of mine. He said he had some things he wanted to talk to me about, and asked if we could have dinner some time. I said sure. I had recommended this fellow, let's call him Charles, to teach one of the MA classes at Stritch, and I figured that he'd heard about the position somehow and wanted to ask if it was ok with me if he applied. It wasn't until Saturday, three days later, that we met. It was at that point that he told me that Stritch had offered him the job, and he'd accepted it--the week before. I was happy for him of course, but also blindsided.
Given the timeline that Charles established, he had been offered the job on the 18th, and accepted it on the 19th. I had written George on the 24th, and he had written back on the 25th, talking about an ongoing process, etc. So, on the 25th, George was telling me about a process (and notifying me that the position even existed) that had concluded at least two weeks prior, and pretending that a decision had not been made.
It was pretty clear what had happened. George wanted me to be hired, but when the department's proposal was approved, the department was required to demonstrate its worth, so they said they'd add someone with non-western experience, which my friend Charles had. All's fair; a department can hire whomever it wants. But what really chapped my hide is that George never told me that the position had been approved, never asked for a full application, and never gave me a chance to show my non-western chops (as it happens, I've taught more non-western courses than Charles!). Then, to top it off, George had lied to my electronic face about the progress of the "search process," instead stalling me with prolix about an ongoing “process.”
Late the following week, I received a lengthy rejection letter--about a position for which I had never even applied! This letter was from the Department Chair, Fr. Giovanni. At great length, the letter justified the department's decision to hire someone else. It didn't bother me that someone else had been hired; I have certain strengths and weaknesses, and clearly, other candidates are as qualified as I. What bothered me was that I had not been dealt with in good faith. George had courted me early, and then stopped talking to me altogether, probably when the new/specific demands of the position were made clear.
What made the whole thing so upsetting was the George and I had more than one conversation specifically about departments who string people along and are dishonest with their part-time employees. George told me that something similar had happened to him some years ago, and he was determined never to do that to someone else. But despite George's efforts, something similar HAD happened.
I'll probably never know exactly what happened, but in almost all ways, I am glad it did happen. The job as approved was a one-year, 4-4 load (6 new preps for Charles, who got the job), and a full search to follow next year. The way that Cardinal Stritch handled itself during this "search" process made it clear to me that I don't want to make my academic home there, because they didn't take this seriously. The job was not posted or advertised. Candidates were not even made aware of the fact that they were candidates; no cover letters or teaching effectiveness evidence was solicited. While I believe that my friend Charles is a great teacher who deserves the job, I don't think that Cardinal Stritch has any way of knowing that.
The same day I found out about all of this, I got an offer to teach some classes at Marquette University as a replacement for another adjunct. While the pay isn't as good and there are no benefits, the part-time schedule I've built for myself teaching 5 classes at 4 schools promises to be far more compelling than the job at Stritch, and it allows me to teach two courses that are specifically in my areas of interest. I don't believe that anyone at Stritch intended to deal with me poorly, but the result was no different than if they had deliberately set out to manipulate me. I have a feeling that it is situations like this that give rise to so many of the horror stories that you hear from disgruntled academics, but the reality here is that the cover-up was worse than the crime (which wasn't a crime at all). In any case, I'm happier with how things worked out.
Story number one (I'll use fake names, but real schools) involves my employment at Cardinal Stritch University here in Milwaukee. I began teaching there as an adjunct in January of 2006. By January of 2007, I was on my third class there, all MA readings courses, and my reviews were great. My chair, George Owens (made up name) began to talk to me about my long-term prospects, and hinted that there might be something more than adjuncting for me at Stritch in the future. George was very clear that he wasn't promising anything, but he told me that I'd be a good fit because of my work in the Grad program, and my demonstrated concern for students coupled with my insistence on high standards.
After this discussion, the department then decided to make a proposal to add a full-time line. George broadly hinted that I was a good candidate for the position, and that he'd love to have me on. He did say, however, that the final decision would rest with Fr. Giovanni (fake name) since he was still the department chair until the end of the year. While I was teaching (until March 10), each week I'd get an update on the progress of this application, or a request for an updated vita, or a random question about my teaching experience--the sort of thing that lets one believe that someone is interested. Now, at no time was I ever promised anything at all, and for my part, I pretended that none of this was happening. I'd have been happy to continue as an adjunct, or even as a half-time person.
Around the beginning of April, the emails from George stopped. I tried a putting out a few feelers--emails about teaching reviews, book orders, and the like, hoping to get some kind of update about the progress of the department's proposal for the full time position. The silence I got in response was deafening. I decided that the position hadn't come through, which was no loss to me, since it didn't exist.
What happened next was the shocking part. I wrote George on a Tuesday, and heard back from him on a Wednesday. He said that the proposal had been approved, and that the department was looking over a variety of resumes that they had on file to fill it. The tone was clipped and bureaucratic; George was normally chatty and informal; this email read like a form letter. Clearly, I hadn't gotten the job. George said that a decision would be forthcoming over the next couple of weeks, as soon as the process was completed.
Also that day, I got an email from a friend of mine. He said he had some things he wanted to talk to me about, and asked if we could have dinner some time. I said sure. I had recommended this fellow, let's call him Charles, to teach one of the MA classes at Stritch, and I figured that he'd heard about the position somehow and wanted to ask if it was ok with me if he applied. It wasn't until Saturday, three days later, that we met. It was at that point that he told me that Stritch had offered him the job, and he'd accepted it--the week before. I was happy for him of course, but also blindsided.
Given the timeline that Charles established, he had been offered the job on the 18th, and accepted it on the 19th. I had written George on the 24th, and he had written back on the 25th, talking about an ongoing process, etc. So, on the 25th, George was telling me about a process (and notifying me that the position even existed) that had concluded at least two weeks prior, and pretending that a decision had not been made.
It was pretty clear what had happened. George wanted me to be hired, but when the department's proposal was approved, the department was required to demonstrate its worth, so they said they'd add someone with non-western experience, which my friend Charles had. All's fair; a department can hire whomever it wants. But what really chapped my hide is that George never told me that the position had been approved, never asked for a full application, and never gave me a chance to show my non-western chops (as it happens, I've taught more non-western courses than Charles!). Then, to top it off, George had lied to my electronic face about the progress of the "search process," instead stalling me with prolix about an ongoing “process.”
Late the following week, I received a lengthy rejection letter--about a position for which I had never even applied! This letter was from the Department Chair, Fr. Giovanni. At great length, the letter justified the department's decision to hire someone else. It didn't bother me that someone else had been hired; I have certain strengths and weaknesses, and clearly, other candidates are as qualified as I. What bothered me was that I had not been dealt with in good faith. George had courted me early, and then stopped talking to me altogether, probably when the new/specific demands of the position were made clear.
What made the whole thing so upsetting was the George and I had more than one conversation specifically about departments who string people along and are dishonest with their part-time employees. George told me that something similar had happened to him some years ago, and he was determined never to do that to someone else. But despite George's efforts, something similar HAD happened.
I'll probably never know exactly what happened, but in almost all ways, I am glad it did happen. The job as approved was a one-year, 4-4 load (6 new preps for Charles, who got the job), and a full search to follow next year. The way that Cardinal Stritch handled itself during this "search" process made it clear to me that I don't want to make my academic home there, because they didn't take this seriously. The job was not posted or advertised. Candidates were not even made aware of the fact that they were candidates; no cover letters or teaching effectiveness evidence was solicited. While I believe that my friend Charles is a great teacher who deserves the job, I don't think that Cardinal Stritch has any way of knowing that.
The same day I found out about all of this, I got an offer to teach some classes at Marquette University as a replacement for another adjunct. While the pay isn't as good and there are no benefits, the part-time schedule I've built for myself teaching 5 classes at 4 schools promises to be far more compelling than the job at Stritch, and it allows me to teach two courses that are specifically in my areas of interest. I don't believe that anyone at Stritch intended to deal with me poorly, but the result was no different than if they had deliberately set out to manipulate me. I have a feeling that it is situations like this that give rise to so many of the horror stories that you hear from disgruntled academics, but the reality here is that the cover-up was worse than the crime (which wasn't a crime at all). In any case, I'm happier with how things worked out.
Labels: academic class system, cardinal stritch university, higher education, hiring process, injustices, job market, professional development
posted by Publius at
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
2 Comments:
Hideous! And yet, by all accounts, typical.
Still, you have a much better attitude than I do: 5 classes at four schools would make me crazy. I went to get a Ph.D. precisely to stop doing that sort of thing. So far, though, it hasn't helped. Good luck!
By
Mike O'Connor, at 5/24/2007 2:22 PM
Very typical indeed. Unfortunately, this kind of thing does happen frequently, and I had a similar experience once. Too many institutions don't sufficiently think through their hiring practices. Good luck with your job search in the future.
By
Mike N., at 5/26/2007 1:12 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home