Experiences with VAP before finishing?

[ok]

I have heard of people getting and taking VAPs while in the final write-up stages of the dissertation.

Is this a good thing to do, or does it slow one down too much?

[industrial revolution]

Typically you can't be appointed as a VAP unless you have a Ph.D. So, you'd be appointed as a Visiting Lecturer. Salary is worse, whether taking a VL or Assistant Professor without Ph.D.

[smashthestate]

My school has a big teaching load and I have seen three visiting and assistant profs fail to finish their diss in three years. Anotehr two finished their diss in less than 2 years. Both of the faculty that finished were really hard workers.

[Itcanbedone]

I was a full time VAP while writing my diss.

It probably slowed me down a little, but I filed in the fall following the end of that year, while in a postdoc.

[runner]

all depends on your teaching load, right? if you're doing a 3-3 of new preps or more, then it seems unrealistic to get a whole lot of writing done. lower load than that, probably possible. but the worst case scenario is spending a year or two on a VAP and still not having a dissertation at the end - it's a stop-gap on your salary for the interim, but you'll be much worse off on the market the next time.

[VAP hires]

Just noticed that on the "Name Names Here" thread that 2 VAPs were hired at their institutions. So, you can finish and there are cases it can land you the TT job.

[maybe]

Feb 1, 2012 13:10:03 GMT -5 @VAP hires said:

Just noticed that on the "Name Names Here" thread that 2 VAPs were hired at their institutions. So, you can finish and there are cases it can land you the TT job.

Just because they're VAPs doesn't mean they weren't finished when they were first appointed as a VAP. I've seen a number of people take VAP spots late in the hiring season, finish/defend at the end of the academic year, and start the VAP position with degree in hand.

[Guestie]

Well, like most things in life, I don't think there is one answer. Anecdotally, it depends on things like:

1. Your ability to be a rational actor. Will you let teaching take over your life in order to do a "good job?" Or will you do just enough to get by, to make sure you focus on your own work? Alot of folks *believe* they can be a rational actor, but when push comes to shove, they can't do it. And they let teaching suck all their time and energy.

2. Do you have *easily* marketable skills (like quant skills) that would pay more without requiring you to work endless hours on teaching and grading?

3. Are you getting skills at the VAP that might make you more marketable? Like teaching? Collaborations? Or building Regional networks because you know your job search will be geographically bounded? Or are you just doing it for a paycheck? If its just for a paycheck...its probably not the best idea.

I don't think there is anything necessarily wrong with VAP's....but I don't think most folks choose it for the right reasons. And then get disappointed in the end. They hope it might turn into a job (sometimes it does...but not usually. And especially not at competitive places who are looking for the "newest, hot" candidates). Or they think it makes their CV "look" better than doing something else. Well. We all know how well academia rewards teaching experience. Even at a SLAC having taught one or two classes counts as experience...you don't get extra points for having spent two years as a VAP.

So, as to whether its "worth it or not," its an individual decision...but it needs to be made with one's eyes wide open.

[I VAPed Before Finishing]

N of 1 here,

Just thought I would share my experience as I VAPed before I finished.


1. I left the grind and drama of my grad department and still got to keep my job as a TA for online courses. So two paychecks instead of one.
2. I connected with new faculty who were interested in my research and encouraged me to forge new projects with them.
3. Through these connections, I showed interest in and landed an additional position as a research associate in the university. So two paychecks and a research budget.
4. Being trusted as "more than a grad research assistant" I forged interdisciplinary relationships in the institute and have been trusted to head a large (3 million) grant proposal.
5. I honed my teaching skills and have racked up very good to great evals.
6. Having a foot out the door of the grad department signaled that I was ready to go and my diss adviser locked on that it was time to get the dissertation finished. A tough summer of revisions, and the defense at the end.
7. I've had the opportunity to impress the faculty and make the case for an entire year as to why they should be interested in keeping me on for a tenure track position. Although this could (and does) backfire, I think I've done well in avoiding it.

I am sure that not all experiences turn out this way. It would be good to hear the opposite. But I think I made a choice, with risks, and then tried to minimize those risks and maximize the potential for rewards of that choice.