Rhodes College - Assistant Professor

[joby]

RHODES COLLEGE, Department of Anthropology and Sociology invites applications for a three-year position in Sociology at the level of Assistant Professor beginning in August 2012. We are seeking a broadly trained sociologist with teaching and research interests that include contemporary social movements, new media, or gender and sexuality. Additional desirable teaching specialties include, but are not limited to, sociology of religion, deviance, and education. The successful candidate will teach 6 courses per academic year, including 3 sections of Introductory Sociology and 3 courses in the candidate’s areas of specialization. We encourage applications from individuals whose interests go beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries, in particular from candidates who can contribute to one or more of the interdisciplinary programs of the college. Information on these programs can be found at rhodes.edu/academics/ug_majors.asp. Enthusiasm for teaching, the ability to teach well at the undergraduate level, and evidence of scholarly potential will be important criteria for selection. Preference will be given to candidates with Ph.D. in hand by August 2012, but advanced A.B.D. candidates will be considered.

Founded in 1848, Rhodes College is a highly selective, private, residential, undergraduate college, located in Memphis, Tennessee. We aspire to graduate students with a lifelong passion for learning, a compassion for others, and the ability to translate academic study and personal concern into effective leadership and action in their communities and the world. We encourage applications from candidates interested in helping us achieve this vision.

Rhodes College values an inclusive and welcoming environment. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workforce.

Memphis has a metropolitan population of over one million and is the nation’s 19th largest metropolitan area. The city provides multiple opportunities for research and for cultural and recreational activities.

Please apply online at jobs.rhodes.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/Welcome_css.jsp. Submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, teaching statement, evidence of teaching excellence, a research statement, a writing sample and three letters of recommendation. For additional information, contact Dr. Thomas G. McGowan, Chair, Sociology Search Committee [e-mail]. Review of completed applications will begin February 20, 2012 and continue until the position is filled.

[newbie]

This is my first year on the market and I was wondering, is it a little different to have a 3 year posting? It seems that most of the VAP are one year. Three years seems a long time to commit to a job with no permanence. Or am I misunderstanding the ad?

[joby]

My impression was that this is a tenure-track position. All TT positions technically have a 3-year term; then your contract is renewed at the 3rd year review for another 3 years; then you come up for tenure.

[ohh]

It might be TT, but there are other reasons to have non-permanent 3 year positions.

[visiting]

This appears to be a visiting position. I checked out the other faculty ads on the Rhodes website and all of the pre-holiday ads say "tenure track" and do not use the 3-year terminology, and another recent posting for a psychology position uses similar language to this ad about 3 years.

Swarthmore also has an ad out for a 3-year VAP. While there are sometimes temporary reasons to create a multiyear temporary position, it is becoming more and more common to see them in place of creating a more costly TT line. For example, Grinnell uses a constant rotation of 2-year VAPs.

[VAP]

Multi-year VAPs are also common at the SLAC where I work. It is hard in smaller towns to get adjuncts, and it is hard with budget offices to get TT lines. The multi-year VAPs solve both problems for a compromise price.

[another]

You might also see multi-year VAPs when a tenured faculty member takes a fixed-term administrative position, such as a deanship, when there's an expectation that s/he will return to the department once the appointment is over. I'm not saying that's the case here, but I've seen it elsewhere.

A department might also be able to foresee three consecutive sabbatical leaves on the horizon, and plan ahead accordingly. It helps them to avoid a bunch of repetitive searches.

Don't assume, btw, that VAP positions result from a department's (or even a college's) desire to acquire cheap labor by avoiding a TT line. I work at a university that has both VAPs and part-time adjuncts, and the differences in salary, benefits and status between the two levels are quite staggering. I offer kudos to any institution that goes the VAP route rather than loading up on adjuncts.

[systemic]

Jan 18, 2012 21:58:16 GMT -5 @another said:

Don't assume, btw, that VAP positions result from a department's (or even a college's) desire to acquire cheap labor by avoiding a TT line. I work at a university that has both VAPs and part-time adjuncts, and the differences in salary, benefits and status between the two levels are quite staggering. I offer kudos to any institution that goes the VAP route rather than loading up on adjuncts.

Yes, VAP treatment > adjunct treatment, but that doesn't negate the first point. The higher education system is shifting teaching loads to adjuncts and VAPs, who are in abundance due to the oversaturated market. There are many downsides to being a VAP rather than getting on the TT and the reality is that VAP positions are often discussed in part as cost-saving measures, substantially cheaper than a TT person who has been around for awhile getting salary raises.

[unclekarl]

While Rhodes is not quite Swathmore, its a fairly highly ranked SLAC. As such, a 3 yr. VAP could be a great stepping-stone to a permanent TT position. While 3 courses a semester is a lot, they will have smaller classes and a more selective student body. While not a top choice for many, its probably a good place to weather the current market.