U of Alabama Birmingham 3 TT jobs medical

[2013]

The Department of Sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (http://www.uab.edu/sociology/) invites applicants for three tenure earning, full-time, open rank professor positions to begin in August 2013. Teaching and research should fit with the Departments emphasis on medical sociology. One particular teaching need is sociological theory, both classical and contemporary. Candidates with research interests in one or more of the following areas will also receive priority: genetics, health disparities or social determinants of health, race, nutrition, global health, health policy, health technology, and health care organizations. The candidate must hold a Ph.D. in Sociology at the time of appointment and have a record that demonstrates a strong independent research agenda. Candidates considered at the Associate level or above should show a history of success in obtaining external funding. UAB is a Carnegie designated RU/VH: Research University institution with a population of approximately 17,500 undergraduate and graduate students. The Department has research links to faculty in UABs Medical School, which is ranked in the top 25 in the U.S. and to several clinical programs and the many medical research centers on campus. The Department offers Bachelors degrees in Sociology and Social Psychology, the MA in Sociology, and the Ph.D. in Medical Sociology. Metropolitan Birmingham is home to over 1 million people and is at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, with plentiful cultural and recreational opportunities.

To apply, please send the following items: letter of interest, CV, evidence of teaching ability, sample publications, and three references (contact names, numbers and email addresses) to the following address, Department of Sociology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-1260. Review of applications will continue until positions are filled.

UAB IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/Affirmative Action Employer committed to fostering a diverse, equitable and family-friendly environment in which all faculty and staff can excel and achieve work/life balance irrespective of ethnicity, gender, faith, gender identity and expression as well as sexual orientation. UAB also encourages applications from individuals with disabilities and veterans. A pre-employment background investigation is performed on candidates selected for employment.

[Annie Insight]

Hi folks-I feel like I saw this search being done last year?

Did they not hire?

Or, are these totally new lines?

[reply]

they hired 3 this year. these are additional positions.

[Annie Insight]

Thanks.

[whoa]

Are they seriously expanding the dept or are some people leaving?

[prezshap]

I believe the job that was last year was in criminal justice and criminology. At UAB the criminal justice/criminology department is separate from Sociology

[prezshap]

I was wrong I checked again and 3 positions in the sociology department was posted as well as one in the criminology department

[last year]

Top Candidates need not apply:

Warning: Last year there were a number of "unfortunate" occurrences during the UAB search. It was communicated to me, very clearly, that ANY interests outside of medical sociology were considered problematic. That is, a strong research record in a related area was actually a net loss, and that a much weaker research record was preferred, as long as you came from a "strong" (code for top 20 program) and ONLY did medical sociology. Also, it was explained to me that a top program included only a PhD department, and not a postdoctoral fellowship. Given all this, I wonder about this department, and the types of decisions they are making there.

[anon]

while some of your points are probably valid, the overall tone of your post seems a bit harsh and could be construed as bitter (as in you, the "top candidate" did not get an offer). i haven't really seen another comment like this in the new positions of interest forum. i'm planning on applying, and was just wondering the motivation for your "warning."

[Helloitsamedsocdept]

Well considering every single member of the department is a medical sociologist/epidemiologist/population health person it's pretty clear the department has a very specific vision of itself. It is really a med soc department. There is nothing wrong with them wanting to be what they want to be.

"last year" sounds uber bitter. Just because they have a specific focus doesn't mean "top candidates need not apply". They have made some good hires recently.

Having said that, there is no way on this Earth I would move to Alabama.

[Last Year]

It is a little more than being bitter. Some applications were suppressed, not allowed for full consideration by the committee (which is I think borderline illegal). There once were very careful "open search" rules, because of the amount of nepotism in the academy. There is a famous book about this history in The Academic Labor Market or Job Market...Anyway, I think with the economic crisis and academics being so prestige oriented, a bit of sleaze has reemerged in this process. It is very funny, however, how any criticism of the process is viewed as subjective bitterness. As if it is outragous that those in power abuse their power--say it ain't so. If you forgot this lesson, I wonder about your "sociological imagination."

But most sociologists come from privilege anyway, so it is no surprise that when power dynamics are local, the yuppie larva instincts kick in and we start defending the powers that be. Just another symptom of White Collar insecurity, but I am no psychoanalyst. Don't bite the hand that feeds, or the jr. yuppies will never fly away to bitch about inequality to newly hatched yuppy larva in their little classrooms. Bitch about inequality and poverty and sip a Grande Latte, you gotta wonder how some of us sleep.

I also had a strange interaction at the ASA meeting with the UAB people, but hey maybe it was just all isolated to my experiences. I will say that I did nothing to deserve being treated like I was in the interview.

[My experince]

I talked with them at the Asa es about a lecturer position because it sounded more like me than the tt jobs. They said I was definitely tt material but the dean would never allow a tt line to be a non medical soc position. I believe their phd actually says medical soc and they have a history of sending people into awesome non-academic jobs at the CDC and NIH... So no their positions are not "open" UAB is known as a medical powerhouse and so they have a narrow focus. Finally, I thought the faculty seemed quite congenial. Hope that is useful to someone.

[whentoapply]

According to the job ad, "Review of applications will continue until positions are filled."

Usually the earliest deadline is mid-August, so I'm thinking I'll apply then, but I'm worried about missing the boat.

Any thoughts?

[Wave]

Apply as soon as you are confident that your materials best represent your qualifications and fit for the job. All else equal, getting your application in earlier is better, and the committee will have more time to read and consider your packet.

[insight]

I would really be cautious about this place. One sure sign of a department in crisis is its ability to retain jr. faculty. Where are the assistant professors at UAB? They are all gone. Also, I have heard a lot of the top graduate students have gone. This along with other "rumours" leads me to believe this place is dysfunctional.