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Post by job talks on Sept 27, 2011 9:32:16 GMT -5
SLACer -- Any advice on cover letters? Phone interviews and campus interviews? I mean, in terms of saying the right things so they know how serious I am about teaching. I've had it drilled in to my head since day 1 in my grad program that I need strong research credentials and pubs and that teaching is just a bonus.
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Post by SLACer on Sept 27, 2011 9:40:35 GMT -5
Talk about how you incorporate your research into your teaching. Not just how it may inform your teaching (which it should) but how you cultivate undergraduate participation in research. Most SLACs won't have graduate students, so you will be working with undergraduates who may or may not know the first thing about doing research. Can you teach undergrad methods? Can you incorporate your research agenda into your classes, or get grants to fund UG RAs on your projects? I was (kind of) a special case in that my research focuses on UG student organizations, so I was able to spin that into being familiar with UG life and what they are about. This was a conscious decision I made at the beginning of my grad career. You might not be able to do that at this point, but think of ways that your research makes you a better teacher. Depending on how long you have left in your grad program, sign up for any campus-wide teaching initiatives or trainings. Ramp up your teaching load as a TA (if possible). Teach an upper division course or two. Get an award. Also, depending on the SLAC, if you have any experience whatsoever teaching online you can sell that. Many S(mall)LACs are just now beginning to attack online learning. If you can sell yourself as an expert on that, it will pay off. Now, I must go. On a 4/4, y'know.
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yep
Junior Member
Posts: 64
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Post by yep on Sept 27, 2011 13:32:31 GMT -5
As someone who did research as an undergrad, let me just chime in and say how awesome those projects can be for your students. If you're a teaching and research person, put some time into thinking about what things your undergrads can do for research, how much you can afford if you get to use work study funds, who will train them, how you will get them excited about projects, and so forth. Remember that RA work is good job training for them, and helps out with resume items. Sure, some tasks and student might be time intensive to train or manage, but I bet you can still get some really motivated kids to help move your research forward.
Also, a quick search should bring up some sources of funding for UG research, that you could talk about in your letter or research statement.
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Post by job talks on Sept 27, 2011 13:36:48 GMT -5
Also, a quick search should bring up some sources of funding for UG research, that you could talk about in your letter or research statement. Do you mean a quick search at that institution, or just generally?
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yep
Junior Member
Posts: 64
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Post by yep on Sept 27, 2011 14:41:09 GMT -5
Generally, although maybe also at the institution if you've chose to spend energy on that packet. Others might chime in here...
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Post by TOU on Sept 27, 2011 18:44:02 GMT -5
I'm at a teaching-oriented university (bigger than most SLAC's, but no graduate programs), and I'd like to add to the conversation:
Here the folks who seem to have the most respect/prestige among colleagues are the ones who foster a culture of research among undergraduate sociology majors. This can be done in several couple ways:
1) Hire an undergraduate as a research assistant for your own work. This may be funded by a grant, or it may be unpaid work (but something they can put in a grad school application or on a resume). It doesn't mean they're a coauthor on the project (though they could be), but gives them valuable experience.
2) Encourage students to submit papers to undergraduate paper competitions (there are many of them).
3) Encourage students to submit course papers for conferences or for publication. Even if a student has a paper under review when they're searching for jobs or applying to graduate programs, it's a big advantage.
4) Serve as a mentor/adviser for Honors Theses.
At my institution, talking about a desire to do these sorts of things (along with things like service learning) would strengthen anyone's shot at getting the job.
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