Job talks at LACs and for teaching-oriented jobs

[job talks]

I've heard that at LACs and for teaching-oriented positions, rather than give a research talk, you're asked to teach sometimes. What do people know about this? I'm working on my job talk right now, but wondering what I might have to do differently if interview at one of these places.

[drbearjew]

They may ask you to teach one of the courses they are looking to fill, or perhaps a large intro course where you would talk about something related to a substantive interest of yours. They will give you a heads up, however, on what they would like to see you lecture on. If you were asked to give a lecture on SI to an intro course, then you would have that lecture prepped.

[job talks]

So, the job talk could still be appropriate, it just might have to modified for the audience. Is that right?

[prolly]

Yeah, similar talk, but I'd play up your interest in involving undergrads (or masters students, if they offer it) in your research, and/or linking your research interests to your teaching.

[netizen]

Is it always just a teaching demo, or might they ask for a teaching demo plus research talk?

[depends]

They may ask for a research talk. If they are a 4/4 load, then it'll likely just be for show. If they are 3/3, they might want to become a SLAC...

[inmyexperience]

Some ask for teaching only. When teaching classes - it varies - some will give you a topic to cover while others will leave the topic open to you. Some ask for teaching and research presentations. The biggest difference with this research presentation is your audience is more diverse. If a school only has 3 soc faculty, then they open it up to a larger faculty audience... this means that you have to be able to present your research to an audience that doesn't necessarily have a soc background.

[netizen]

Thanks! It sounds like SLACs are likely to ask for a research talk + teaching demo. How about universities that are teaching oriented? Do they tend to ask for both? For the universities with bigger lecture classes, will they want a teaching demo that's appropriate for a large class?

[job talks]

Any tips on teaching lectures? Just pick one that I like a lot and has gone well? If they assign you a topic, how much time do they give you to prepare? How much guidance?

[advancedassistant]

For my job talk at my current position at a teaching-intensive public, I was asked both to teach an intro soc class (on a topic predetermined by the hiring committee--not in my subdisciplinary area) and to give a research talk that offered a broad overview of my dissertation for a generalist audience. I had about 72 hours from the time I was invited to campus until my first talk (gave them both on the same day)... but I don't think that's usual.

[NewProf]

I was asked to teach a class and give a job talk. The class was not full-length--just 20-25 minutes out of someone else's class, and the topic wasn't what the class usually covered. The students were great and it went well. For the job talk, they told me to target it toward professionals not in my specialization. There were students there too, but I was told they were not my target audience. The school where I work now considers itself a "research college," which I think is common now among the more selective LACs.

[job talks]

newprof --

Did they let you choose your own lecture topic for the class? Or did they assign you a topic?

I'd definitely feel comfortable presenting my job talk to a general audience. It's some of my diss research, and it's very interdisciplinary in nature.

[SLACer]

I got a job at a SLAC in '10, and interviewed exclusively at teaching intensive schools.

The biggest mistake you can make is think that you can give your job talk to undergraduates and that a)they will understand it and b)the committee will appreciate you talking over their (the students') heads. Surely you are teaching SOC 111 at your grad institution? Take a lecture from that course and perfect it, make it awesome, show a video clip, make a joke, be comfortable in front of the classroom. The committee doesn't care (at this stage) how great of a scholar you are; that is not what will get you tenure or make you successful at their school. That's not why they brought you to campus. They brought you to campus because they think you are will fit with their culture, which is a culture of teaching udnergraduates. It is a totally different world than your R1 environment. They want to see that you are a good teacher. So show them.

A few other tips:

1) Define terms. Even those that you think are very basic. Assume that the classroom is full of freshmen who have never had a sociology course. For example, if you talk about race and crime in your lecture, and you mention "disenfranchisement" be sure to define what that means.

2) Smile. Make eye contact. Walk around. Be comfortable. SLACs pride themselves on close interaction between students and faculty.

3) Ask questions. And then wait for the answers.

4) Slow down. No really. Talk slower.

[job talks]

SLACer -- Again, thank you for your advice. It's helpful. The more I read what you have to say, the more I think I'd interview well at a LAC. I had a great interview with one at ASA, but there are just so few openings, and I'm afraid I don't know how best to market myself to them in my cover letters. Like I said, I come from a big, top-20 department and I have several pubs.

Also, I'd rather be at a SLAC then at a big, regional, primarily undergrad university where I have a big teaching load. It seems like it would be a big difference.

[SLACer]

Again, they likely don't care about your "several pubs." They care about your teaching abilities. How relatable are you? Will you be a good colleague? Are you someone they want to have around for the next 20 years? Do you have interesting ideas/skills that are valuable to the college as a whole? Are you experienced with team taught/interdisciplinary work?

Those things matter more. Way more. Because if you get a job at a SLAC, you will go up for tenure with those "several pubs" and not much else. And you will get tenure, if you are a good teacher.