U.S. History, 2010-2011

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When Adding Positions, Format Names of Universities/Colleges With "Heading 3"

Visitors to This Page:

 * 100


 * What's your status?
 * ABD: 31
 * VAP: 17
 * Postdoc: 16
 * TT but on the market: 18
 * Employed but reading out of curiosity: 18
 * Seach committee member: 3
 * Unemployed PhD: 5
 * Adjuncting PhD: 15
 * Lecturer: 4
 * Employed (non-academic) PhD and adjuncting: 3

Specialization breakdown:
 * 17th-18th Century: 12
 * 19th Century: 27
 * 20th Century: 57 (shoot me now, especially if you're ABD)
 * African American History: 3

Historian - U.S. House of Representatives

 * "The Historian provides historical research for House Members, and oversees the creation of presentations and publications by the office. The Historian supervises and oversees all responses to historical inquiries from the news media, oral history interviews, the Office’s interactive public website and other outreach activities touching Members, the public, students, teachers, and scholars. The Historian leads a staff of more than a dozen professionals including individuals holding M.A. and Ph.D. degrees."
 * Requires Ph.D. and five years experience.
 * Application due August 16, 2010.
 * I believe the previous Historian died suddenly of a heart attack. I've seen some of the Assistant Historians for the House and Senate make presentations at conferences, seems like interesting work.
 * If Bob Remini is dead, it's news to me.
 * Looks as though Dr. Remini, the House Historian, retired at the end of August. Richard A. Baker, Senate Historian, retired in 2009. (9/16)
 * This position has been awarded to Matthew Wasniewski (Maryland PhD). Congratulations. http://hnn.us/roundup/entries/132746.html . (10/21)

Oakland Museum of California

 * "Currently seeking a highly qualified individual to serve as an Associate Curator of History. The incumbent performs various professional curatorial activities involving the research and development of collections, exhibits, publications, programs and other museum projects; on-going docent training, response to public queries, and donor cultivation."
 * For full details and how to apply, please visit http://museumca.org/employment-opportunities.


 * The Oakland Museum of California recently underwent a $62 million renovation.
 * Application sent (x2)
 * Is anyone else planning on sending in an application for this position? Yes (x1).
 * Has anyone heard anything yet? (9-21)
 * Nothing yet. (9-22)
 * Although only three people on this wiki have admitted to applying for the job, I imagine it's a highly desired position with quite a few applications. No reason to think it won't take a couple of weeks to sort through everything.
 * Agreed. It'll be especially interesting since this post didn't seem to have an exact due date and my gut tells me they are unlikely to do AHA interviews. Since it is on an entirely different track - I have no idea when interviews will be conducted. (9-23)
 * Received email that application has been received. (9-30) I did not hear anything today. (9-30)
 * Since I've still yet to hear back, I'll assume I'm out of the running for this post. Good luck to the other candidates. (10-6)
 * I don't think you're out of contention. They are taking their sweet time with this. I got that inital email that they had received my application and that's it. Because this isn't an academic posting, they are not on any fixed timetable. They can take as long as they want. I have a feeling they received a ton of applicants and are still sifting through. Anyone who has ever set foot in a museum may have applied for this job. (10-8)
 * Agreed. It took them nearly two weeks past the due date simply to generate an automatic response. Don't be surprised if they're not the most organized folks in the world -- esp. if they have a pile of applications -- and didn't manage to imput all of the applicants into thte database. Doesn't mean much. (10-8)
 * Maybe they'll let us know before the new year? It really sucks to be at the whim of the economy. (10-14)
 * This job is still posted on their website and I haven't heard anything. Anyone else? (11-12)


 * Nope. Two things kinda worry me: The job listing used to have a due date, now it's "open until filled," which I don't remember from before and suggests that they didn't like anybody from their first batch of applicants. Which sucks if true (but please correct me if I'm wrong). Also, the museum is linked to the City. I wonder if politics is slowing down the process -- woeful city budget and important mayoral election. (11-12)

U.S. Army (Oral History Program)

 * In this position you will serve as a historian responsible for coordinating the U.S. Army oral history program, conducting the Center of Military History's End-of-Tour interview program, and preparing historical studies for the Headquarters, Department of the Army. You will prepare for and conduct oral history interviews with key Army personnel, both military and civilian, and other individuals identified for reasons of historical significance. You will respond to verbal and written inquiries from Army, Defense Department, and other federal government officials and members of the media and public. And you will plan, research and write special historical studies on issues of contemporary interest to the Army leadership.


 * OPEN PERIOD: Thursday, October 07, 2010 to Thursday, October 14, 2010
 * Did anyone else apply for this position? (10-14)
 * crickets . . . crickets* (10-19)

U.S. Department of State

 * Historians from the U.S. Department of State will be available to discuss careers in the Office of the Historian at the annual meeting of the American Historical Association in Boston, MA, January 6-9, 2011. The Office of the Historian, located in Washington, D.C., employs more than three dozen professionally-trained historians, most of whom hold Ph.D.s in the history of U.S. foreign relations or historical area studies.
 * We anticipate hiring several new full-time historians beginning early in 2011. We will have a table at the AHA Job Center, where we will hold informational interviews on the work of our office and the life of a federal government historian. If interested, please send a copy of your c.v. and a covering letter describing your interests and qualifications to Margaret Morrissey at morrisseymc2@state.gov to set up an appointment. Time permitting, we will also schedule appointments with interested parties who drop off copies of their c.v.s at the AHA Job Center.

American University

 * Tenure-track assistant professor in public history (geographical specialization/time period not listed, so I posted it here).
 * "The successful candidate should be able to teach graduate courses in public history, oversee internships, and develop new courses in one or more of the following areas: new media, community-based history, or cultural heritage/sites of conscience."
 * Applications due October 1, 2010.
 * They are looking for someone who can do 19th century, but they'll also consider a good 20th century person if he or she complements the work that Kathy Franz is doing.
 * They are especially interested in someone who can do digital media.
 * Advanced assistant highly desirable.
 * Any word on this job (six weeks later)?
 * If I am remembering correctly, the acknowledgement email says they will contact people for AHA interviews by 12/20. So I don't expect to hear anything for a good while (if at all, of course).

Angelo State University

 * Assistant Professor of History, tenure-track, 19th and 20th century United States military and diplomatic history, subfields may include, but are not limited to, American Civil War, global strategy,guerilla warefare, and non-U.S. military or diplomatic history.
 * Deadline: October 15, 2010
 * phone interview (11/3)

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

 * United States History. Instructor/Assistant Professor (AA# 42-0-93). Full-time, temporary fall 2011 only. Minimum requirement MA in history; ABD or Ph.D. in history preferred. The successful candidate is expected to teach lower level survey courses in U.S. History. Teaching experience at college/university level preferred. Demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations is preferred.
 * Finalists for the position must communicate well and successfully complete a phone interview and/or teaching demonstration judged by the department faculty. The majority of regular, full-time department faculty must make a recommendation for hiring. The University encourages applications from historically under-represented individuals, women, veterans, and persons with disabilities and is an AA/EEO employer.
 * Prior to a final offer of employment the selected candidate will be required to submit to a background check including, but not limited to, employment verification, educational and other credential verification and criminal background check. Completing this search is contingent upon available funding.
 * For an application to be considered, a letter of application, a separate statement of teaching philosophy, curriculum vitae, a copy of graduate transcripts, and three letters of recommendation must be postmarked by 18 February 2011. If ANY of these materials, including a letter of recommendation, is postmarked after this date, the application will not be considered.
 * Submit materials to Dr. L. M. Stallbaumer, Chair, Sabbatical Search Committee, Department of History, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, 400 East Second Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815.

Bradley University

 * tenure-track assistant professor in U.S. History
 * Preference will be given to candidates with publications, research, and/or teaching experience in the history of race and ethnicity in the United States.
 * Review of applications will begin November 15, 2010 and continue until the position is filled. We will interview candidates January 6-9, 2011 at the American Historical Association Annual Meeting.

Dartmouth College

 * African-American history, open rank. The department "seeks a historian of the African diaspora in North America, prior to emancipation. The successful applicant will be expected to teach introductory as well as more specialized undergraduate courses in African-American and American history."
 * Deadline: November 1, 2010.
 * Everyone I've known there has been desperate to get out within a year or two. Location apparently sucks. They lost both of their African American historians in the last few years.
 * Hmmm...I've been to Dartmouth several times and Hanover is a beautiful town. It's in rural New Hampshire, which is difficult for someone who thrives in an urban environment, but it's a great community for those who can imagine life outside of a city. Plus, I wonder how many professors are really "desperate to get out" of a tenure-track gig at an Ivy League school!
 * maybe they've been hiring the wrong people, but of the six people i know who left Dartmouth in the last few years, 2 went to schools in Long Island, 1 to Boston, 1 to Manhattan, 1 to Chicago, and 1 to Eugene, OR. they liked the school, but couldn't stand the location. on the other hand, there are some folks in the history department who have been there a long time and must like it there a lot, so hopefully the department will hire someone who actually wants to be there as opposed to the hot young scholar who will pick up and leave at the first opportunity.
 * Interesting. This looks like one of the top jobs out there in US History. Perhaps the "standards" for tenure are very high and people leave... Hard to tell.
 * I've heard that the location is really a problem for some faculty, especially faculty of color. Plus, the department is rumored to be difficult. Celia Naylor went to Barnard. Craig Wilder went to MIT. I don't think tenure was a real issue.
 * Received acknowledgement (10/27) x2 11/8)

Drake University (IA)

 * tenure-track Assistant Professorship in U.S. environmental history, law, and policy, starting August 2011. A Ph.D. in History is required.


 * We seek an excellent teacher and active scholar to fill a joint appointment and contribute courses to the History Department, as well as Drake's interdisciplinary Program in Law, Politics, and Society. Scholars working through issues raised by gender theory, urban history, and public health are especially encouraged to apply. Ability to teach Midwest regional history is a plus.


 * 3/3 load in an undergraduate curriculum, including required core courses in Law, Politics, and Society.


 * Deadline: November 1
 * Posting does not ask for a cover letter. I don't know if I have ever seen this before. Is this an oversight? Will including one (even a short one) detract from an application?
 * Where did you get the idea that an ability to teach regional Midwest history is a plus? I don't see that in the job description.
 * Where are getting the job description from?
 * Midwest history is listed on Drake's website as well as on the posting on higered.com. Anyone notice that they currently have a V.A.P. on staff with every one of these qualifications? Sounds like they are just posting the position because they are required to do so, and this probably also explains the cover letter issue as well.
 * Or it was just an oversight. I don't see any reason to get overly paranoid about the VAP (unless someone truly has more specific inside info here, i.e. something more than the dept. website). But if you want to let it psych you out of applying, go ahead.
 * I have a very good source that tells me that this is an inside hire. You should be very cautious about accepting an interview or on-campus with them, unless you want the practice. And no, I'm not going to elaborate.

Fairfield University

 * Fairfield University seeks a scholar of U.S. women's history, specializing in the 18th or 19th century, at the assistant professor level.
 * The successful candidate must develop a survey course on colonial America, as well as teach the core-curriculum introductory survey "Europe and the World in Transition, 1500-present." Other duties include working with the Women's Studies Program and possibly other area-studies programs such as Black Studies, depending on training. The successful candidate will also act as liaison with the Graduate Program in Education serving students preparing to teach at the secondary level.
 * Review of applications will begin on November 1, and will continue until position is filled. We will interview at AHA in January 2011, and deadline for interview at that conference is November 15.

Franklin College

 * Tenure track position in US History with a specialism in either women's history or African-American history
 * "Cross-cultural and cross-national diversity issues and a commitment to view United States history in a global context are required" plus experience teaching in Liberal Arts College setting
 * deadline: 7 Jan. 2011

Georgia Southern University

 * Tenure-track position of Assistant Professor of African American History.
 * Deadline: October 8, 2010.
 * I have yet to receive confirmation of receipt of application. Most positions in GA are pending final budget approval. I wonder if this one has been canceled.
 * Request for phone interview next week (11/2) (x3)

Georgetown University

 * tenure-track assistant professorship in African-American history since Emancipation.
 * Our interests include scholars who specialize in the history of African-American women, African-American social and political history, and/or African-American Studies. We are also looking for historians with interdisciplinary perspectives and who are interested in developing relationships with cultural institutions in the Washington, DC area. The person appointed to this position will also be affiliated with and teach in the African-American Studies Program.
 * Review of applications will begin November 15, 2010 and continue until the position is filled.

Harvard Business School

 * Tenure-track position in the in the Business, Government, and the International Economy (BGIE) unit with experience in "history of public policy, economic history, political history, international history, legal history, or environmental history."
 * "Candidates with background in economics and/or public policy are especially encouraged to apply....Successful candidates will, at the outset, teach a required first-year MBA course on the economic, political, and social environment of global business."
 * Applications due November 22, 2010.

Indiana University East

 * Assistant Professor: "tenure-track position to teach courses, including online courses, in U.S. history, including survey courses, U.S. history to 1865, and specialty courses, in addition to courses in historical writing, theory and methods; ability to teach world history survey courses a plus."
 * "experience developing and teaching online courses (or a strong desire to learn) strongly preferred."
 * Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled
 * The on-line note is a red flag for this job. Unless you like that. I would check on their financial condition.
 * It seems to be increasingly common (at least in this year's postings) for branch campuses of public universities (like this school) to state a desire for candidates who have experience with (or willingness to try) online teaching. Apparently it's not just for for-profit schools, anymore . ..
 * I do not think this is common. I have rarely seen this at branch campuses. At the moment, it seems, branch campuses are aligning their curriculum with the "flagship."
 * The U-Illinois branch campus ad also asks for online interest/experience. This is common in schools that offer degree completion programs for adults as well as at branch campuses where many students work FT.
 * Richmond is a difficult location. Earlham College is there, but otherwise this is an isolated place. Also note that History is only a minor at this campus. Only two tenured faculty members plus a few adjuncts.

===Kennesaw State University===
 * The University seeks an individual trained in southern history who is prepared to teach Georgia history courses. Familiarity with Georgia archival resources and/or a competency in women’s history would be welcomed
 * To ensure consideration, applications must be received by November 15, 2010.

King's College

 * Tenure-track assistant professor who will teach one-semester surveys on American history within the Core curriculum and on American history for the history department. No research or teaching interests other than American history specified. 8/28
 * Deadline November 22, 2010

Lenoir-Rhyne University

 * Tenure-track appointment in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in U.S. History, at the Assistant Professor rank, beginning August 2011. Candidates must hold doctorate by time of appointment. General fields of expertise in United States History are open; secondary expertise in African, African-American, and/or Caribbean History desired.
 * The search committee will begin reviewing applications December 17, 21010. Preliminary interviews will be conducted at the Annual Meeting of the American Historical Association in Boston, 6-9 January, 2011. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled.
 * To complete the online application, candidates are directed to: http://hr.lr.edu/employment/faculty

Missouri State University

 * A tenure-track position at the Assistant, Associate or Full Professor level in African American History. Period and research area are open. PhD in hand by the beginning of August 2011. Ability to enhance the African American Studies Program is preferred.
 * Screening of applicants will begin on September 27, 2010 and will continue until the position is filled.
 * Received letter acknowleding receipt of application (9/30).
 * Received letter confirming receipt of application in late September.
 * I wonder if they've already contacted candidates on their short list. The letter said they planned to do on-campus interviews in December.

National University

 * full-time appointment in U.S. History at our Academic Headquarters in La Jolla, California. Rank dependent on experience.
 * Review of applications began July 15, 2010
 * Having taught at a similar institution, I say with all seriousness: you may want to pass on this one (8/12)
 * to the poster above, can you expand on that comment? (8/24)
 * VERY limited resources; everything is about how much money you are bringing in; constant harassment about student enrollment numbers; felt like I was truly working for a corporation; was not a pleasasnt experience; so much happier that I'm not working for them anymore. I guess the bottom line is this: if you went into academia to be a bona fide professor, teaching at places like National will really diminish that experience. You'll feel like an employee at some glorified company that calls itself a university. I never felt like a real professor (8/30)
 * Received an email requesting a phone interview. But the above exchange leaves me quite a bit less excited than I might be. (9/13)
 * Phone interviews will be completed today. They're hoping for someone who can start in Jan (!) (9/30)
 * Apparently they will invite candidates to their La Jolla campus for further interviews at the end of October. (9/30)
 * The Chronicle of Higher Education ranks them among the “Best Colleges to Work For.” Opinions?? (10/27)

New York University

 * Tenure-track assistant professor in Asian American or Asian diaspora studies
 * Applications due November 15, 2010

Niagara University

 * Assistant Professor, African-American History/Africana Studies
 * Teaching load is three courses per semester, including offerings in African-American history and Africana Studies, as well as General Education courses (e.g. HIS 199, U.S. surveys).
 * Application deadline: December 1, 2010
 * Email acknowledging application. Review begins Dec 1; will interview at AHA; will contact interviewees in mid-December. (10/27)

Northwest Missouri State University

 * Assistant Professor (tenure-track): "To teach core courses in American History, including a general education course and upper-division and graduate courses in American social history and modern America."
 * Expertise in public history and museum studies or experience in secondary education desired. Upper-division course load may include United States since WWII, American women, American religious history, and public history.
 * Deadline: December 1, 2010
 * received email confirmation that materials were received (10/8)

Oxford University
(And if we're playing 'I'm an anonymous person but please respect my authority and believe my claims about my experience'...I've also been involved in job searches, except my experience is with Oxbridge Professorships, so actually of relevance, and I have never seen an application from a *student* - i.e. non-completed PhD - for such a position. It is not normal practice here, whatever is common in Illinois).
 * Rhodes Professorship of American History. Open to scholars of any period of the history of the United States and its antecedents. Its holder is the senior member of a group of five American historians in the Oxford Centre for Research in US History, housed in and supported by the Rothermere American Institute.
 * Deadline October 4, 2010
 * Is anyone applying for this job??
 * Seems like it would be beyond our reach, no?
 * What or who do you mean by our reach? Americans? Individuals outside the US, in addition to historians at various stages in their careers, look at this wiki. I don't know what you mean.
 * not the OP, but...this is a UK professorship, not a US professorship; that means it's two promotions above a fully tenured appointment (lecturer is tenured, then senior lecturer, then - rarely! - professor). It's probably one of the most prestigious (or at least coveted) positions in American history in the whole country. Therefore it's an *extremely* senior hire, and I would sincerely doubt that anyone genuinely a contender for this position would need this wiki to learn about it, or track when interviews are being held.
 * With this sort of position, they have 2-3 candidates already in mind, and their top choice was probably identified before the ad was even written. Basically, John Thompson is retired and they need a new senior person in his place. [John Thompson retired the better part of 5 years ago after teaching at Cambridge for 40 years. It's to replace Richard Carwardine. Prior to Carwardine the chair was held by Daniel Howe if that gives you an idea of the calibre they're looking for.]
 * I thought they were looking for someone ABD for this.
 * Based on what exactly? Wishful thinking? (9/20)
 * I just have a good feeling about it. I think when they see my file, they'll know I'm the person for the job. (Actually, I was kidding with this comment, but I suppose there's no place for humor in the dead serious world of the wiki).
 * I'm sorry, I can just imagine some poor ABD sitting at the other end of a computer screen saying, "But why wouldn't they want to hire ME?!?"
 * To be fair to the ABD person above and with all due respect to the much needed humor, could they have been looking at this job? https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=41196
 * You should apply for all jobs for which you qualify. Getting a job is the only reason to apply for a job, of course, but there are additional benefits even if you don't get the job. Influential people in your field become acquainted with your name and work. They follow your career as you start to publish, perhaps win awards, etc. They might invite you to participate in a conference or join a workshop. So, apply.
 * Uh, I think advising an ABD to apply so that their name is 'known' is cruel, given that their name will be 'known' (if their CV even makes it past the administrator, which it probably won't) for not having a fricking clue about this position and/or having a massively inflated sense of their abilities!
 * I agree that it's probably a good idea to apply for all jobs for which you qualify. There are lots of reasons to do so. With that said, the job here--Rhodes Professorship--is not for someone who is ABD. S/he wouldn't qualify nor would an assistant professor.
 * There's nothing "cruel" about it. Applying for jobs at big name universities is one way to draw attention to your work. Everyone knows the score, and those profs at Oxford are advising their students to apply for everything as well. You have nothing to lose but your stamps. You may not get that job at Oxford, Harvard, or wherever, but prominent people in your field will now be aware of your name and that you are working on an important topic in your field (and, by the way, "administrators" don't nix files. The secretaries set up the files and the search committees paw through them. Each member of the committee has his or her favorites and they debate the merits and come to some sort of agreement).
 * As the commenter above has pointed out, AGAIN, a UK professorships is a senior hire. An ABD applying to this is doing nothing for themselves except making it obvious that they're a. too ill-informed to know what a UK Professorship is and/or b. obnoxiously pushy. If you want to get 'known' go to a conference, don't waste people's time sending them applications which they won't read once they've glanced at your CV! It's not going to impress anyone. I can absolutely confirm that 'profs' at Oxford are NOT advising their yet-to-finish Phd students to apply - that would be ludicrous!
 * Well, I've served on 8 search committees at an elite research university over the course of 17 years and I can tell you for a fact that people at all levels apply for all levels of jobs (senior people also apply for assistant professorships). When an ABD applies for a senior position, you don't think they're "pushy." You know they are doing everything they can to get a job. If the search is in your own field (and most committee members have something to do with the search field), you take note of the person if you think they have potential. True, you might not take the time to read their writing sample (at least in its entirety), but you will read their letter and CV and, if your curiosity is piqued, their recommendations. You might even thumb through the writing sample. One advantage of serving on a search committee (because it is a very heavy service obligation) is that you get to know who's doing what in your field. But, hey, if you don't like this advice, don't follow it.
 * Kind of sad that we're all so desperate that an obvious joke (not made by me) spun out of control like this, but on the other hand, it did lead to some interesting advice.
 * Yeah, the advice is "the UK job market is not identical to the US one, and if you follow instructions given by people who've no idea how it works on the other side of the Atlantic, you'll look like a tit!" :D
 * Having served on a CHAIR SEARCH COMMITTEE in which three ABD's sent in application materials, I personally can attest that it looks foolish for both the applicants and their advisors. How can an ABD claim to be able to lead a department with several well-published full and associate professors and not expect to be seen as anything but foolish, pushy, and utterly obnoxious? I'm not in the UK, but I would heed the sage words of the previous poster.
 * I think I've misinterpreted the purpose of this web site. I'm really sorry if I've insulted anybody or given advice that others think is unwarranted. I just thought I was being helpful but I guess I was not. I'm really sorry. I'll save my advice for those who ask for it. Goodbye.
 * aww now c'mon. your advice as well as anybody else is worthy, at least on the wiki. I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but every year there's oodles of nitwits that come off insulting someone or another. Take last year, for example, as applicants wound themselves up joking over E. Foner's "upcoming" manuscript on gender and "douche-baggery." In short, walk softly and carry a big stick while commenting on this site.
 * It is the rare and truly nasty jerk who sees a young person applying for a senior job and sneers that they are being "foolish, pushy, and utterly obnoxious." Most search committee members understand why a young person would apply for everything. They have watched their own students struggle in a very difficult job market for many years. For decades the rule of thumb has been to apply for every job in your field. Don't buy into the nonsense that the people on the other side are a bunch of supercilious toffs mocking unemployed people for daring to apply for their sacred faculty positions.
 * "For decades..." maybe in the US. But it is not appropriate for a UK job. Applying ABD for a Professorship will make you look ignorant.
 * Any updates on this? Did they hire someone yet?
 * Interviews have been set up and may have already taken place.

Quinnipiac University

 * Tenure-track position in public history beginning fall 2011. Primary area of specialization is open, but we strongly prefer those with a secondary interest in some aspect of colonial North American history, although any chronological period before 1900 would be considered. Candidates with a major field in colonial history who have a strong familiarity with museums or archives would also be considered.
 * To receive full consideration, applications must be complete by December 10, 2010, but applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Rhode Island College

 * Assistant Professor of History at Rhode Island College, full-time, tenure track position, Fall 2011. Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in the area of Public History with a strong secondary field in twentieth century United States social and political history.
 * Application deadline is January 21, 2011.
 * For full job description and application procedures, see our web site: https://employment.ric.edu/.

Rutgers University.

 * U.S. Women’s and Gender History, rank and field open, for a position to begin in July 2011.
 * Application (online) due Nov. 1, 2010.
 * Received email confirming that my application was received (09/29/10)
 * Does anyone know if they mean a 3-5 page statement of teaching and research accomplishments in addition to a cover letter or instead of? Thanks!

SUNY College at Old Westbury

 * Tenure-track position in U.S. Immigration History at the rank of Assistant Professor, effective Fall 2011. Principal responsibilities include teaching immigration history since the Civil War, as well as other U.S. History and American Studies courses.
 * The successful candidate must have a Ph.D. in American History or American Studies in the field of immigration, ethnic studies and/or transnationalism. Candidates specializing in Latin American and/or Caribbean immigration, culture and communities are particularly encouraged to apply.
 * Review of applications will begin on December 20, 2010 and continue until the position is filled. We will be interviewing at the Boston AHA meetings.

Texas A&M University

 * One or two tenure-track assistant professorships to begin in September 2011 in the history of the United States in the nineteenth century and/or the history of the United States in the twentieth century. All fields of specialization are welcome for both positions... "We especially encourage candidates whose work crosses geographical, racial, ethnic, gender, and/or cultural borders and who present their research in a broad comparative framework."
 * Deadline: November 8, 2010.
 * Received letter of acknowledgement and voluntary race/gender sheet to fill-out (10/13) x2 (10/26) Snail mail and email EEO forms and ack. file is complete, search committee meets in early November (10/29)

Texas State University San Marcos

 * Tenure-track assistant or associate professorship in the history of War and Society since 1750. Posted 9/24: https://h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=41290.
 * Received email confirmation application was received (10/7)

Texas Tech University

 * Tenure-track assistant professorship in pre-1900 U.S. Women’s History, to begin in August, 2011. We encourage applications from candidates in all areas of specialization in women’s history, including African American, Latina, and Native American Studies.
 * Deadline: November 30, 2010

Towson University

 * Assistant Professor, African American History All fields EXCEPT post 1945.
 * Electronic applications only. Send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, three letters of recommendation, course syllabi, official graduate school transcripts, and a writing sample (article or dissertation chapter) to histsearchafam@towson.edu by October 11, 2010.
 * This is probably the replacement for Omar Ali who left for NC (Greensboro).
 * Recieved phone call today (10/22). Phone interview scheduled for the following week. (x2)
 * Seems like they're moving fast. Is there an inside candidate here--their current VAP in AA History?
 * There was a comment that was erased.... I think they reviewed applications as they received them via email. I'd like to know more about their timeline, though. At this rate campus interviews might be in early December.

University of Alaska, Fairbanks

 * Assistant professor of United States history (tenure-track)
 * Preference will be given to those with expertise in Environmental or Women's History, and the ability to teach a Modern World survey.

University of California-Berkeley

 * Tenure-track assistant professor in U.S. History. "Scholars in the fields of women, gender, and sexuality and/or the history of slavery are especially encouraged to apply."
 * Applications due October 1, 2010.
 * Any inside info on whether a history of slavery specialty will be considered without a women/gender/sexuality specialty? The job description makes it seem like they really want both, but that "and/or" bit muddles things a bit.
 * It sounds like they are not exactly sure which field they want, I think the slavery specialty is in addition to the rest and not instead of the other areas but this could also be a way to hedge one's bets.
 * Well ok - two things: the first is that Berkeley hasn't had anyone doing women, gender, and sexuality primarily for a number of years now. The second is that they are probably trying to replace Jennifer Spear, who left a few years ago - she did slavery with an emphasis on gender and sexuality issues.
 * Not promising that they use the grammatically redundant "and/or" when "or" means the same thing.
 * Not really. They obviously want someone in the history of slavery who works on gender and sexuality. But they need specialists in both fields, so they are advertising in both fields, hoping they'll get someone with both specializations but, at the very least, they'll get a specialist in one of the fields. This is very common in departments that need to fill 2 slots but are only given 1 slot by the Dean. It's always best to have at least 2 very strong specializations when you are on the market because you'll appeal to multiple constituencies in a department. Examples: urban history AND gender history; labor history AND African American history; military history AND cultural history, etc.
 * They are filling two positions, actually.
 * According to the link above, the position is listed as a single hire. If they were looking to fill two positions, they would post two notices, I should think.
 * I just want to clarify as someone with a reasonably connected grapevine, I have heard that the SC will be considering making two hires out of the applicant pool. (8/30)
 * on "reasonably connected grapevine" unless you know this directly from the department or sc, doesn't mean much.
 * Isn't that the point of this entire wiki? To share rumor and gossip with eager young applicants who don't stand a chance at a position like this? (8/31)
 * There are two separate job posts: one for women, gender, or slavery at assistant level AND the other for european history for assistant or associate level.
 * Ok, kiddos. I'm going to try this one more time. The rumor is that Berkeley will try to hire TWO US historians from the applicant pool brought together for this job ad. It has nothing to do with the European history search, as mentioned above. (9/3)
 * I buy that.
 * I received some confirmation that Berkeley will attempt to hire two historians from this search. It depends on the funding and how much they like the applicant pool. (9/16)
 * I'm at Berkeley and my informal understanding is that they want someone who does women/gender/sexuality but were worried they might not fill the position, so they added the slavery thing as well, because that's also something they've needed since Leon Litwack retired. I doubt they are seriously thinking about hiring people outside of those two specialties, despite the open-ended nature of the ad. I haven't heard anything about the possibility of them making two hires, but it seems plausible enough (9/17). Scratch that last bit: they're indeed hoping to make two hires (9/23).


 * What's this?! A rumor on the wiki turned out to be TRUE?! It is almost hard to believe. (9/24)
 * CALLED IT FIRST, Y'ALL.
 * So, at the end of my assigned url for letters of reference is the number 423. I'm not overly computer savvy, but do you think this means mine is the 423rd application they've received? Good luck, y'all.
 * To you as well. My url for letters of reference also ended in 423. I do not think it's an indication of where you are in the queue. (Though I don't doubt it's a crowded field!)
 * email ack receipt of application & affirmative action questionnaire (10/12)(x4)
 * over 300 applications according to a member of the SC. (10/19)
 * Oh goodness! (10/19)
 * Sure, but I'd imagine even the Merced job below will get close to that number.

University of California Irvine

 * Assistant professor whose research focuses on the history of slavery in the Americas. The successful candidate for this position will complement existing strengths in the department and may offer broad and specialized courses in the history of slavery, comparative slavery and freedom, transatlantic connections, and/or the African diaspora.
 * Applications should be submitted on-line at http://recruit.ap.uci.edu by November 15, 2010.

University of California Merced

 * Tenure Track Faculty, Assistant Professor. US History with an emphasis on comparative race and ethnicity and a research focus on Chicano/a and/or Latino/a topics.
 * Deadline: 11/15/10

University of California, San Diego

 * Assistant Professor, African-American History; "Preference will be given to scholars at the Assistant Professor level but excellent candidates at other levels will also be seriously considered. Chronological period and specialization are open. We welcome applications that fall under the broad conceptual rubric of the African Diaspora, as well as those with a particular focus on North America."
 * Review of applicants will begin November 1 and will continue until position is filled.
 * Does anyone know if this search is to replace Daniel Widener?
 * My understanding from contacts in the department is that this is a re-opened search from a couple of years ago that was delayed due to the overall UC budget issues. I don't think it is to replace Widener.
 * Widener is still at UCSD. In fact, I heard from a reliable source that he's on the search committee. This is indeed a repeat of the cancelled search from a couple of years ago.
 * Daniel Widener is on the search committee. This was the position once held by Stephanie Smallwood. The committee is open to all fields from what I was told.

University of Hawai‘i - West O‘ahu

 * tenure-track assistant or associate professor in U.S. history. Position also entails teaching courses in world civilizations, and "an interest, and ability to teach a secondary field in Hawai‘i or Pacific history."
 * review of applications begins after October 1
 * Any news on this?

University of Houston

 * Tenure-track assistant professor of Latino/a History with expertise in transnational issues
 * Application due Dec. 1, 2010

University of Illinois Springfield

 * Tenure-track assistant professor specializing in U.S. Women’s History and Nineteenth Century American History.
 * Additional specialization in an area of American History such as economic, legal, or environmental history will be especially welcomed. The successful candidate will teach three courses each term.
 * Review of applications will begin January 25 2011, and will continue until position is filled. (Note: this date is specificed in the Chronicle ad.)

University of Kentucky

 * Assistant or Associate Professor, History of the South, Colonial to 1877
 * Open research fields
 * Deadline: October 15, 2010

University of Northumbria (UK)

 * Lecturer/Senior Lecturer (tenured position) in 'American History, pre-1945)
 * It is likely that the search committee want this position to start in the academic year 2010-11
 * "You will be an early career or established research active academic with a relevant PhD and/or equivalent postgraduate or professional qualification/experience"
 * Deadline: 19 August 2010
 * Selection date: 19 October 2010

University of Rhode Island

 * Deadline: November 1. Apply at https://jobs.uri.edu
 * Details from HR posting: "Teach the first half of the U.S. survey, an introductory course in environmental history, an upper level history course on the Civil War, and other courses in the area of specialization."
 * anyone have more info on this? seems like an odd assortment!
 * I knew I should have written my diss. on the environmental history of the Civil War.
 * Done and done: "The forests around Richmond were a little worse for wear. Geese all over were frightened by the sound of cannons."
 * Sometimes, the ground was mighty muddy. Other times? Real dry.
 * Zing! (x2)
 * Think of all those poor crows flying over the Shenandoah Valley!!!
 * My work examines the sharp spike in the buzzard population of the Upper South 1861-1866. Think I have a shot?
 * No, because your work overlaps with what I tell everyone I'm working on and I out rank you. I plan to tell the inside never before told story of the buzzard population using the sources you culled. I own the topic.
 * Operative word there is: plan.
 * Wow - There are a lot of enviro-haters out there!
 * Received request for additional material (11/4) x2

University of South Carolina, Beaufort

 * Tenure-track assistant professor in US history
 * Specialization should include Southeast, especially South Carolina and Georgia low country

University of Southern Indiana

 * Nine-month, tenure-track position in American history and as director of the university's Center for Communal Studies beginning August 2011. The Center promotes the study of historic and contemporary communal groups, intentional communities and utopias, and encourages and facilitates meeting, classes, scholarships, publications, networking and public interest in communal groups past and present, here and abroad. The successful candidate will have a PhD in History or a closely related field by start date. Teaching experience and an active scholarly agenda are required.


 * Although the specialization is open, nineteenth-century and/or communal studies expertise is highly desirable. Possible subfields include American religious history or reform movements. The successful candidate will teach introductory surveys and advanced courses in specialization. Normal teaching load is 12 hours per semester, but administrative release time for direction the center is possible.


 * Please apply by January 3, 2011. No electronic applications accepted.

University of Texas at Dallas

 * Tenure-track Assistant Professor of American History, specializing in nineteenth or twentieth-century Women’s and/or Gender History.
 * Application review will begin November 15, 2010, and will continue until the position is filled.

University of Texas at Tyler

 * Two assistant professor appointments beginning August 2011, one in U.S. History and one in World History. Ph.D. required at time of appointment.


 * The successful candidate for the first position will be qualified to teach courses in nineteenth-century U. S. History. Area of specialization is open, excluding gender, race, borderlands, and Native American history. The appointee will have responsibility for American military, political, and diplomatic history and both freshman U.S. surveys. The appointee will also teach Texas history and serve as departmental liaison to the local historical community.
 * email ack of materials (11/2)


 * The successful candidate for the second position will be qualified to teach courses in some area of World History (Latin America, East Asia, South Asia, Middle East, or Africa/Caribbean/Atlantic World). The appointee will have responsibility for courses in the World History field of specialty as well as both U.S. freshman surveys.


 * Open Until Filled; also posted at World/Global History 2010-11
 * Avoid this program (they just lost their status as a department because of the inept leadership of their most recent [now relieved after only one year] department chair). Rumors have spread around Texas regarding this program as radioactive. Within one year (see above for reason), half of the faculty left. That place is a career killer!!!

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

 * Tenure-track assistant professor in U.S. Environmental History. "The successful candidate will teach a 4-4 load comprised of two or three preps consisting of a combination of U.S. History survey sections, a global/comparative environmental history course, and one upper level U.S. environmental history."
 * Applications due November 29, 2010.
 * FWIW: I interviewed on-campus for a position there recently, but didn't get it. It seems like a great department. The faculty were really nice and very productive for a 4/4 teaching gig. UW system treats their faculty well (including sabbaticals). If you can stand being in Podunk, WI and like to teach, this should be a pretty good gig.

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

 * Tenure-track Assistant Professor to teach introductory and upper-level courses in the History of American Race/Ethnic Relations with a preference for African American and/or Latino History. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to the general education course in 20th century world history. Research and teaching fields should complement existing faculty expertise and may include Public History and 19th Century US History.


 * Deadline: 12/03/2010
 * Received email confirming receipt of materials (11/12)

Virginia Tech

 * Tenure-track assistant professor in Public History / Digital Humanities
 * Review of applications begins November 1, 2010

Wayne State University
history of metropolitan Detroit."
 * Tenure-track assistant professor in 19th and 20th century U.S. urban history
 * Application deadline not specified on H-net; looks like November 15, 2010
 * "The department expects the successful candidate to have or to develop a research focus on the
 * Does anyone know what the teaching load is for this position?
 * I talked to the chair of the search, he indicated that there would be significant support for research. I assume/hope it's 2/2. Seems a bit disorganized. The ad did not specify what to submit, then got different info on what was required from different sources. I hope this does not indicate that this is a precarious position.

West Virginia State

 * full-time, tenure track, assistant professor beginning January 15, 2011.
 * Applicants must possess a terminal degree in history and must have a strong background in United States history, as well as a general knowledge of Western Civilization. Research and teaching experience in public history, local and regional history would also be helpful.
 * Applications due October 15, 2010. Review of apps begins October 15, but they won't consider any postmarked later than September 30.
 * Any news on this?
 * I haven't even gotten the AA card yet.
 * Still nothing. Anyone?

William Jewell College

 * Tenure-track assistant or associate professor in U.S. History. "Primary field in United States history, colonial or 19th century preferred, secondary field(s) in Latin America, East Asia, and/or Sub-Saharan Africa highly desirable."
 * Applications due October 1, 2010.
 * Skype interview requested (10/22)X2

California State University-Northridge

 * Tenure-track assistant professor in the "history of the United States, Colonial to 1824, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic desirable." Also looking for "ability to teach courses covering the broader Atlantic world."
 * Applications due November 15, 2010 but will be accepted until the position is filled.

California State Polytechnic University in Pomona

 * Assistant professor in Antebellum United States history, with preference for cultural or diplomatic history.


 * Submit completed application package by December 15, 2010.

Colby College

 * Assistant professor in Colonial and Early American History (pre-1600 to 1820), ability to teach the American Revolution or Native American history a plus.
 * Applications due November 15, 2010.
 * I see that Colby is once again searching for an early Americanist--something like the sixth time in as many years, at least. What's the deal there? Can they just not keep anybody, is the department tough to work with, is the salary too low, or what?
 * This position was advertised last year but changed to a VAP, no?
 * Yes, but now it's tenure-track. I just wonder why they can't seem to keep anybody in that particular position. Have they just had bad luck hiring folks who leave later for their own reasons? I'm interested, but want to know the lay of the land.
 * Last year's wiki suggests the department cancelled the search after the committee was too divided to settle on one candidate - does anyone know if this is department doublespeak or not?
 * Colby's last Early Americanist left for McGill about 2 years ago; last year's committee brought candidates to campus but no offer was extended. Unlcear if committee was divided, candidates were underwhelming, or a strange combination.

College of Wooster

 * Early America/United States History Before 1877.
 * The successful candidate will be expected to teach the U.S. history survey and upper-level courses in his/her area of specialization, including a course or courses that could be cross-listed in the College’s program in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies.
 * Applications received by November 15, 2010 will receive full consideration.
 * This college has a good reputation in Ohio and it is a good job. Location is not great but certainly worth applying.
 * "Location is not great" is in the eye of the beholder, the campus is beautiful, in a town with a rich intellecttual tradition, a short driving distance from several major metropolitan areas (Cleveland and Columbus). New York City it isn't, but it has manifest charms for those willing to "be where they are."
 * Rec'd nice ack letter (11/02).

Columbus State University

 * Tenure track position in United States History with expertise in the Revolutionary Era or the Early National period. Preference will be given candidates with expertise in Native American or Gender History.
 * For fullest consideration send letter of application, C.V., three letters of recommendation, transcripts, teaching evaluations, and other supporting documentation by January 7, 2011 to Alice Pate, Chair, Department of History and Geography, Columbus State University, 4225 University Avenue, Columbus, GA 31907.

East Tennesee State University

 * Tenure-track assistant professor in Early American History (to 1815)
 * Application Due: 12/31/2010
 * Don't expect a fair wage here. For the past three years they have advertised a postdoc at 24K.

Fort Hays State University

 * Assistant Professor, tenure-track, to teach Public History, Colonial and Revolutionary America, Early National Period, and both U.S. history survey courses.
 * Review of applications will begin on January 10, 2011 and continue until position is filled.

Georgia Gwinnett College

 * GGC invites applicants for faculty positions in Colonial America/Early Republic History starting August 1, 2011. The primary teaching responsibilities for this position include lower-division US and World history surveys, but the ability to teach an upper-division course on the history of Colonial America, as well as to develop more focused courses within the candidate's field of specialization is desired.
 * Open until filled.
 * "In accordance with Board of Regents Policy governing GGC faculty, successful applicants will be eligible to receive 5 or 3 year renewable appointments. Traditional one year appointments may also be approved."
 * I called GGC when a second ad appeared, asking for a whole range of specialties, one of which was Colonial. They are now looking for two positions, one of which starts NEXT semester (spring).

James Madison University

 * Tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin in late August 2011. . . specialization in Colonial, American Revolution, or Early Republic, and ability to teach the U.S. survey.
 * Deadline: 11/14/2010

Mary Baldwin College

 * tenure-track assistant professorship in early American history (1600-1820)
 * Secondary field in Virginia history, American religious history, American West, or Appalachian history desired.
 * Review of applications will begin November 10.
 * You might want to check into the financial condition of this institution. It was mentioned in a Chronicle column concerning institutions with some financial issues.

Marietta College (OH)

 * tenure-track, assistant professor position in the social history of colonial North America.
 * Teaching responsibilities include both halves of the US survey, and upper division courses in the candidate's areas of interest. Ability to teach courses in the area of race and/or gender is preferred.
 * Deadline: Oct. 31
 * Got e-mail acknowledging receipt of materials. (10/25)
 * Received invitation for AHA interview via email. (11/11) (x3)

NC State University

 * tenure-track Assistant Professor position in colonial and revolutionary America, beginning August 2011, contingent on funding.
 * Deadline: November 15
 * Has anyone been able to get their application portal to work? Or is it not set up to receive applications for this job yet? (10/19)
 * Does this mean that Holly Brewer is leaving NC State or are they building on existing strengths? (10/19)
 * Yes, Brewer is leaving. She got another position last year. As for how I know this, I'm at UNC-CH, and I'm part of a working group in Early American history in the RDU area (Duke, NC State, and UNC CH).
 * Any opinions on the department and university as a place to work?

Princeton University

 * Tenure-track assistant professor on the American Revolution and 18th Century North American history.
 * Applications due October 15, 2010.
 * Any movement or rumors of movement on this one yet? (11/04)
 * My advisor tells me she was asked for a letter of rec., but didn't tell me when the request came through. (11/8)

Providence College

 * Tenure-track assistant professorship in Colonial American and Atlantic World history beginning fall 2011.


 * Specialization in ethnic or immigration history, religious history, or political history desirable. Competence to teach in the Development of Western Civilization program and the American surveys is required.
 * Deadline: October 29

Quinnipiac University

 * Tenure-track position in public history beginning fall 2011. Primary area of specialization is open, but we strongly prefer those with a secondary interest in some aspect of colonial North American history, although any chronological period before 1900 would be considered. Candidates with a major field in colonial history who have a strong familiarity with museums or archives would also be considered.
 * To receive full consideration, applications must be complete by December 10, 2010, but applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Salve Regina
The committee will begin reviewing applications on November 1, 2010 and continue until the position is filled

SUNY Buffalo

 * Tenure-track assistant professorship in the history of the era of the American Revolution and/or the Early Republic.
 * Deadline: November 1
 * Received letter from SC chair that the search has been cancelled (11/8). (x3)

University of Cincinnati

 * Review of materials will begin December 1, 2010.
 * tenure-track, assistant professor position in the history of colonial British North America. Specialists in Native American history or the Atlantic World are encouraged to apply.
 * The candidate should expect to participate in teaching the United States surveys as well as undergraduate and graduate courses in his/her specialty.

University of Houston-Victoria

 * tenure-track, assistant professor of History.


 * Required qualifications: A doctoral degree in History, at least five years of experience in teaching freshman US history courses, scholarly specialty in Colonial America.


 * Preferred qualifications: Scholarly interests in Atlantic World and Native American history.


 * Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

 * tenure-track beginning assistant professor position in American history, colonial through the early national periods (1600s to 1815)
 * All subfields invited to apply; department especially welcomes applicants working in Atlantic world, borderlands, slave trade and slavery, gender and sexuality, military, legal or environmental history.
 * All materials (including letters of reference) must be submitted by the closing date of November 8, 2010.
 * Does anyone know what happened with last year's search for the same position?
 * Person who got offer went somewhere else (Claremont?)
 * Request for additional material (10/14) x2 (10/26) x3 (11/07)
 * What exactly do they mean by the vague "teaching materials?" Statement of teaching philosophy? Sample syllabi?
 * I sent a teaching philosophy and a sample syllabus
 * Phone interviews scheduled for 11/12.

University of Mary Washington

 * Visiting Assistant Professor position in US history to 1750, with a specialization in race relations.
 * Applications accepted until January 14, 2011.

University of Missouri-Kansas City

 * tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the history of Colonial America/Early Republic, beginning August 2011.
 * Research and teaching interests are open, but could address trans-Atlantic connections, childhood, ethnicity, gender, labor, Native Americans, or political and legal history.
 * Applications will only be accepted online. To apply, please go to: http://www.umkc.edu/jobs. The position number is 36967.
 * Deadline: December 1st
 * Anyone else have trouble with the electronic application? I emailed the SC and things were straightened out, but if you have questions, let him know.

University of Southern California

 * Assistant Professor, early modern North America and/or the Atlantic World: "a scholar of the history and culture of early modern North America and/or the Atlantic World whose teaching and research interests fall primarily in the period from the sixteenth century through the eighteenth century."
 * We welcome applications from candidates with expertise on any region or culture of North America and/or the Atlantic World, including scholars of the Anglo-American colonies, indigenous peoples, New France, northern New Spain, and the Caribbean.
 * Applications including a c.v. and three letters of recommendation must be sent by November 10, 2010, to [mailto:earlymodern@college.usc.edu earlymodern@college.usc.edu].
 * E-mail confirmation that they received materials (11/1) x2 (11/10)

Utah State

 * tenure-track, assistant professorship in Colonial and Revolutionary America (to 1800)
 * Review of applications begins 18 October 2010 and continues until position is filled.

Yale University

 * Tenure-track assistant professor in Early American History.
 * Deadline September 1, 2010
 * My understanding is that they searched for a senior hire last year, but that search failed. So this REALLY is a search for an assistant level hire. Albeit, a really good one.
 * Got letter saying my materials were received.
 * Have not received letter yet. Should I be worried? How many have received a letter? (9/16)
 * I just received ethnicity/race survey, but nothing else. (9/16)
 * Sent materials via e: & snail mail ("deadline September 1" wasn't clear to me -- materials in hand, or merely postmarked?) and received confirmation the same way just after Labor Day. The paper letter also included the AfAc card to return anonymously. (9/16)
 * Received request for additional material (10/7) (x2)
 * Invited for a campus visit (10/29)
 * Three on-campus talks advertised. William Pettigrew, Lecturer American History, University of Kent; November 29, Alejandra Dubcovsky, PhD Candidate in History, University of California, Berkeley; Strother Roberts, PhD Candidate in History, Northwestern University. So if you haven't heard...not looking promising. Best of luck to all three.(11/12)
 * Wow. Great candidates here! It looks like Pettigrew has a major advantage having a book under contract. But maybe the committee wants a young upstart.

19th Century
Man-o-man. Could 19th century be any worse?

Yup, half of these could be cancelled. Are we missing anything here? hnet, aha, chron of higher education? is this it?

Don't forget to check the "Multiple/Open" section at the top of this page; many of these either specify a 19th c. speciality, or are at least open as to time period.

It was just as bad, or even worse, last year.... But getting better of late?

Yes I'd say that, with the recent job postings, it's getting better, but still tight. (9/28)

Boston College

 * Tenure-track, open rank position in 19th Century U.S. History. "Scholars with specializations in political, socio-economic and cultural history are encouraged to apply; and nominations are also encouraged."
 * Review of applications begins October 1st, 2010.
 * I have a feeling there may be an inside candidate here. Can anyone closer to the situation comment?
 * There is no point in applying for this position. Christian Samito is getting the job. I can’t see anyone beating him.


 * Were I the inside candidate, I'd sure appreciate people putting the competition off!
 * Christian Samito earned his PhD from Boston College--would this not exclude him as a candidate for a tenure-track position???
 * No, it doesn't exclude him for the position. I'm starting to think that he is the inside candidate. His book was just published. But, in that case, why is the job ad so open?
 * There is every point in applying for this position--it is an excellent position at a very good institution in a strong department. Worrying about a potential internal candidate is really a waste of time. The job ad is open and at all ranks. This is telling.
 * Samito rocks. His publications are better than most tenured professors. I would give him tenure immidiately.
 * Maybe he does, but that means very little. Tenure immediately? Wow, he must be stellar. People should still apply.
 * I would ABSOLUTELY still apply. BC takes their searches really seriously, and I am certain that all candidates would be fully evaluated.
 * psyched out?
 * Word on the "street" is that this is a replacement for David Quigley, going into BC admin, and that the candidate of choice will focus on Civil War and Recon. Also, it's likely they will want an established historian.
 * I heard the same thing: They are definitely looking for a senior hire.
 * Received email confirmation of application and diversity forms (10/4)
 * BC already has finalists for this. I've heard that one has interviewed already.

Colorado State University-Pueblo

 * Assistant Professor of History - Nineteenth Century America (tenure-track)
 * The occupant of this position will teach history classes covering nineteenth-century America, especially the American Civil War. Other possible but not required subfields the department would like the candidate to teach are women's history, Native American history, African American history and historiography. Knowledge and or experience teaching historiography and/or the history of a continent besides North America will be especially welcome.
 * Applicant materials received by December 1, 2010 are ensured full consideration; position is open until filled.
 * Recd snail mail mail letter of ack (11/3)

East Tennessee State University

 * tenure-track assistant professor in Nineteenth Century Appalachian History.
 * Desirable sub-fields would include public history, environmental history, or other specialties that complement Department offerings. The standard teaching load is 3/3.
 * Application Due: 12/31/2010
 * Don't expect a fair wage here. For the last three years they have advertised a postdoc at 24K.

Georgia College and State University

 * Assistant Professor: "historian in the field of Civil War and Reconstruction history."
 * Special consideration will be given to those candidates who can teach upper-level courses in one or more of the following areas: women’s history, slavery, the African diaspora and Atlantic World, and nineteenth-century American South.
 * Review of applications will begin November 15, 2010 and continue until the position is filled.

New York University

 * Tenure-track, assistant professor in 19th century U.S. history, including transnational approaches. "The department especially encourages applications from candidates working on slavery, legal history, political economy, or gender."
 * Deadline for applications (online) is November 15, 2010.

Old Dominion University

 * Tenure-track, assistant professor in modern American History (late 19th-early 20th century).


 * "Specialty open, but preference for a transnational perspective, including the history of immigration, the environment, or economic interactions."


 * Review of applications begins October 15, 2010.
 * Phone interview 11/5/2010

Saint Louis University (MO)

 * Assistant Professor: "full time tenure-track position in United States history in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. The department is open to all subfields but encourages applications in gender, immigration, and religion."
 * Review of applications will begin November 15 and will continue until the position is filled.

Salisbury University

 * This one was cancelled last year due to budget issues. Looks like a really nice area to live and work.
 * Assistant Professor of History, 19th and early 20th Century America, Cultural/Intellectual.
 * Applications received by November 15, 2010 will be given first consideration.
 * It is a very isolated part of Maryland but unique too.
 * Unique as in has more chickens than people...

University of Chicago

 * Tenure-track Assistant Professor in the field of nineteenth century US history.
 * "The area of specialization is open, although the Department encourages candidates to apply who are working on culture, the visual arts, law, economics or governance."
 * Deadline is January 7, but review begins on November 1, and "early application is strongly recommended."
 * Whose job is this??
 * Inside word is that this is a replacement for either Neil Harris or Bill Novak depending on strength of pool.

University of Massachusetts Boston

 * tenure-track assistant professor in 19th Century American history (1850-1900) who can teach upper level and graduate courses in Civil War and Reconstruction.
 * Research and additional teaching interests may include but are not limited to, borderlands/transnational connections, new South, public history and historical memory (to mesh with our Public History graduate program), environment, and underrepresented peoples/communities. The Department especially encourages candidates whose work crosses racial, ethnic, gender, and/or cultural borders, and who will seek external funding for research.
 * Priority will be given to applications received by Dec. 15, 2010.

University of Mississippi

 * tenure-track assistant professor with a specialization in the history of the United States during the Civil War Era.
 * The teaching load will be two courses per semester.
 * Responsibilities will include teaching undergraduate and graduate courses and helping to further the program of the department’s Center for Civil War Research (http://www.civilwarcenter.olemiss.edu).
 * Open until filled; applications completed by November 5, 2010 are guaranteed full consideration.
 * Received pleasant ack. email (11/10) X2 (11/12)

University of Oklahoma - The Institute for the American Constitutional Heritage in the Department of Classics and Letters

 * Assistant or Associate Professor. "The applicant should have a speciality in American intellectual history, political culture, or political theory of the 19th or early 20th century with consequences for our understanding of American constitutionalism."
 * Deadline: November 1, 2010.

West Virginia University

 * Associate or Full Professor in American Civil War Studies.
 * Deadline: Oct. 15, 2011.

Bowling Green State University

 * Two tenure track assistant professor positions in 20th century US history: (1) African American and (2) Diplomatic/Military


 * Diplomatic History: diplomacy, international relations, conflict resolution, and US military campaigns of the 20th century. Expertise in the history of US involvement in the Middle East or Southeast Asia is highly desirable.


 * African American History: expertise in policy history and women's history highly desirable


 * Applications due November 30, 2010
 * You might want to check the status of their Ph.D. Program. I have heard it might be terminated. Lots of retirements by the looks of it.
 * I think these two hirings are a sign they are attempting to salvage the PhD program.I hope so...
 * They still have a Ph.D. but only just and funding is being cut in Ohio.

California Polytechnic State, San Luis Obispo, CA

 * Tenure track assistant professor in 20th-century history. "Specialization in political, U.S. and the world, or public history. Ability to teach both halves of the U.S. survey desired."
 * Review of applications begins November 15, 2010
 * Any idea if they're going to attempt to fill more than one line? These are pretty disparate specialties. (9/27)
 * I heard from an SC member that they will try to do phone interviews rather than AHA interviews. Perhaps that means they will be working on an accelerated schedule.
 * Maybe, but not necessarily. I know they used this method in the past -- in more flush economic times, even. Perhaps they're reading the "Dear SC" page and not wasting our (or their) precious time and money with an expensive trip to Boston in the middle of winter.
 * Just curious, how many here have applied for this job? (x8)
 * Am I missing something? I couldn't find this advertized on H-net jobs, the AHA, or the Chronicle of Higer Education. Where else should I be looking? Help!
 * Just go straight to the Cal Poly HR website.

Colby College (VAP/Faculty Fellow)

 * One-year replacement position in Modern (Twentieth-Century) U.S. History. "The successful candidate would be expected to teach four courses, including a survey of U. S. history since 1865, one course in African American history, and two courses in twentieth-century U.S. history."
 * Applications due December 1, 2010.
 * Am I alone in being upset that Colby can't make this job T-T? It is listed as a 3-year renewable contract. Perhaps they have good reasons to casualize this position, but the ad rubs me the wrong way.
 * Colby has not posted a TT job in the past three searches. It is always a renewable contract. Annoying. I wish someone could get the inside scoop.
 * I have a friend who is in a TT position in a different department at Colby. Per this person's report, there are upwards of 20 temporary positions each year across campus, as they have a policy of providing a temporary replacement for every faculty member who goes on sabbatical.
 * I believe Colby ran a successful search for Asian history 2 years ago. Last year's Early Am search was TT; it failed and is now back as a TT search. This search seems like a straight leave replacement, with full pay and let's persume health insuarnce. It's a much better alternative than hiring an adjunct to fill in for a year. (10/19).
 * This is definitely a sabbatical replacement -- I was told so by the dept. (10/23)
 * What's the department like these days? There was rejoicing in the 1990s when Leonard joined the faculty among alums who lived through the "dark ages" there.
 * Also, sorry to have to ask, but who is it replacing? And do graduate students and recent Ph.D. actually call departments? I think I was advised a few years ago now when I finished not to call anyone. But to simply apply and wait. (At that time, I also used to hope).
 * One wonders why they are going through all of the trouble of a national search for a one-year sabbatical replacement.
 * This is the college policy for sabbatical replacements, across all departments.

Cornell University

 * Tenure-track assistant professor in 20th Century U.S. History focusing on political, economic, or constitutional/legal history.
 * Applications accepted between September 1 and October 8, 2010.
 * Is this basically for someone slipping into Polenberg's position as he winds down? (Looks like he's teaching a course per year.)
 * yes. he is on phased retirement.
 * Thanks for the word.
 * A/A link received via regular mail. Chair's letter states "we will be in contact with you in due course." (9/17)(x1)
 * Received request from chair for additional materials (9/17) (x1)
 * Quick q for the above poster -- did you mean 10/17?
 * The search is moving quickly. They hope to have interviews and make an offer before the AHA.
 * Does that mean all or most of the materials requests are already out as of 10/20? They sure are moving fast but that seems to be in keeping with past Cornell History Dept. Searches. (10/20)
 * I appreciate the swiftness here, even if I don't make the final cut. I'm assuming that the materials req'd were the same across the board: pubs, syllabi, course evals. (10/21)
 * Anyone have a sense of how many people they asked for additional materials? Or how many people are customary to ask for additional materials at this stage (eg. 50 or 5)?
 * I'd guess somewhere in between -- maybe 20-25-ish, depending on the pool.
 * Got my req. for extra stuff not long after I submitted in mid-Sept., so they clearly were evaluating on a rolling basis.
 * Has anyone received a materials requests who applied later in the 9/1--10/8 window? (10/25)]
 * yes. (x2)
 * Received request from chair for additional materials (10/15)
 * Anyone else want to guess about the timing for the phone interview stage? If they keep moving at this pace, I wonder if they might make contact with people late in the week of Nov. 1. (Total speculation on my part.)
 * I don't think they do phone interviews. The next stage would be campus visits.
 * They're still moving fast, interviewing 5 people between mid-November and early December, hoping to issue offers soon after. They want to hire 2 people from this search. Interview scheduled. (10/30)
 * That was a fun daydream, while it lasted. Best of luck to everyone moving forward in the process.

Cornell University (ILR)

 * Tenure-track Assistant Professor position in 19th or 20th Century US History in the Department of Labor Relations, Law, and History, within the ILR School. "We are interested in social, political, or policy historians whose scholarship engages questions of work, inequality, the economy, or political culture. We are particularly interested in scholars whose work places the U. S. in an interdisciplinary, comparative, and/or transnational perspective."
 * Applications due October 1, 2010.
 * Anyone know the details on the ILR School?
 * It is the College of Industrial & Labor Relations. Several US historians have appointments in it. This is a part of the State Univ of NY, founded after WWII to train leaders of the labor movement. Now it is a small, general undergraduate social science college, primarity for residents of NY state. Many of the students treat it as a pre-law curriculum. It is the smallest undergraduate college at Cornell.
 * Received acknowledgement and request for ethnographic details 9/20
 * Ethnographic details? Like how you would work as a participant observer? Their most prominent labor historians are Nick Salvatore and Jefferson Cowie. So I wonder whether this position complements or replaces them.
 * It is a replacement for Clete Daniel, who died suddenly last spring.
 * Oh, that's sad. He was apparently a great teacher. Now I feel bad for being a smartass.
 * The H-net ad made it seem like one could apply online (link: "apply here") -- but it just gives a snail mail address. Guess I'll be printing and putting something in the mail, or are people emailing stuff to Salvatore? Or is there a web form I'm missing?
 * I applied for the other job at Cornell (not ILR) and had the same question. I just snail mailed and it was ok.
 * Mailed application via Interfolio 9/23; received email confirmation and request to complete affirmative action form around 1 week later.
 * Received req for more material (10/25) Email said that more than 180 people had applied. (x2)
 * Received rejection letter in the mail (11/4); letter said 189 applications were received.

Fontbonne University (MO)

 * Full-time instructor or assistant professor position in history to begin in fall semester 2011. Tenure track possible pending approval by the Board of Trustees and available funding. The successful candidate should be a dedicated teacher who can teach a variety of courses in history, with a specialization in modern U.S. history. Prefer a Ph. D. degree in history but will consider an M.A. in history depending on academic qualifications and teaching experience.


 * Review of applications will begin January, 2011, and continue until the position is filled.

Georgia Gwinnett College

 * GGC invites applicants for faculty positions in the history of the 20th Century United States starting August 1, 2011. The primary teaching responsibilities for this position include lower-division US and World history surveys, but the ability to teach an upper-division course on the history of the United States since 1945, as well as to develop more focused courses within the candidate's field of specialization is desired.
 * Open Until Filled
 * "In accordance with Board of Regents Policy governing GGC faculty, successful applicants will be eligible to receive 5 or 3 year renewable appointments. Traditional one year appointments may also be approved."

Gustavus Adolphus College

 * Tenure-track assistant professor in 20th Century U.S. History.


 * "We seek candidates [...] in one of the following areas: U.S. in a global context, the environment, and/or popular culture. The successful candidate should have an interest in developing and implementing curricula that address multicultural issues."


 * Application due November 5, 2010.
 * Rec'd email confirmation that application was received. (10/25) confirmation email (11/2)
 * Funny, I have received diddly-squat and sent my materials around two 1/2 months ago (11/3) (x3)
 * Just curious, how many here have applied for this job? (x6)
 * Do you ask because you're expecting lots of applicants? The description is more narrowly defined than a lot of 20th century positions.
 * I'm not sure exactly why I'm asking. But yes, I guess am curious how many applications a small liberal arts college in a rural area will receive.

Fitchburg State University

 * Full-time tenure-track assistant professor beginning September 1, 2011. The successful candidate will be able to teach United States History 1877-present, introductory courses in American Studies, and upper-level electives in the candidate's field.
 * Please visit our online job site at http://jobs.fitchburgstate.edu for a detailed job description and to apply. Review begins immediately and remains open until filled. (Posted at H-Net on 10/15).
 * Job description says four courses per semester. Ouch.
 * Anyone know how many students per class on average? And if one is expected to teach 4/4 and publish like one is teaching 2/2 or 3/3?

Morgan State University

 * Tenure-track assistant or associate professor in 20th century African American history with sub-specialties in gender/women's studies and diasporic studies
 * Application due Dec. 1, 2010

Moravian College

 * post-1877 American historian
 * Deadline: November 10, 2010

Northwestern University

 * Open rank. "Senior candidates should demonstrate distinction and national reputations in their fields; junior candidates should demonstrate high promise of excellence in scholarship and teaching."
 * October 1, 2010.
 * Several years ago Northwestern ran a search for two 20th c. U.S. historians, one junior and one senior, at least one of which had to be U.S. in the World. Now they're running this open-rank search for a 20th c. U.S. person and another search for a junior U.S. in International History person. Is this the same search revived several years later? I don't know what happened to the earlier search.
 * Yeah, I recall the same search. This one seems open to all fields rather than just "U.S. in/and the world" or whatever it was. The "open rank" part of this might scare me off, though. If they are going to be bombarded with app's from full professors, it might not be worth the effort.
 * They hired Michael Allen for the 20th-c position. They continue to search for a US international historian. This search is to replace Nancy MacLean.
 * A look at their web site shows that they have four lecturers (almost all with PhDs from very good schools) who all teach some aspect of 20th century U.S. Does anyone know if they are all inside candidates or if Northwestern makes a practice of not hiring lecturers onto the tenure-track?
 * They are not inside candidates.
 * Lecturing is very much a double-edged sword in these cases. Sometimes it can serve as a trial run for a TT position -- you'll get on the radar screen of faculty, and they'll decide that you're ready for a permanent gig. But I've seen it work out differently as well -- faculty will think you're old hat, and that someone shiny and new from a different place is somehow better simply because s/he isn't so familiar.
 * Received e-mail confirmation that my application was received. (9/16)
 * Have those who applied since 9/16 received confirmation of receipt? I emailed my materials on 9/22 but no word yet. Thanks. (Received email ack 10/8.) (x2)
 * I applied 9/22 via email and have not received confirmation either. I'm hoping they're just swamped. (x2)
 * I got an "Equal Opportunity Employment Self-Identification" email on 10/4 (x1, but arrived 10/11; I am one of the 9/22 applicants mentioned above)
 * What is an Equal Opportunity Employment Self-Id? Should one fill it out if one receives it? Would someone please answer my question.
 * The federal government requires schools to collect data on race, gender, ethnicity, veterans status, etc. I believe in most cases its voluntary, and is definitely not connected to your application, but I'd imagine it's still wise to fill it out.
 * For the record, the search committee will never know whether or not you filled out the form.
 * Thank you for the answers. Sorry for the delayed response. If one receives the self-id form, does that mean one has made some sort of cut?
 * No, everyone gets one of those forms.
 * Agreed. Everyone gets one of those forms. When I was first on the market a few years ago, one of the readers on my diss told me that some departments only acknowledge applications that they are interested in pursuing in some fashion, however. So, they send letters of acknowledgement and EOE Self-id forms to the short list. Then, after they complete their process and someone is hired they just send out scores of rejection letters. That's why you might receive a rejection letter in April, May or June after having not received any acknowledgement letter or EOE form. Receiving an acknowledgement letter and EOE form could then be a good sign. But then again who knows. The whole thing is so opaque to me. On good days, I just work (and sometimes dare to hope), but mostly I no longer try to figure any of this out. I hope the above post helps someone, nonetheless.
 * Seems like this search has probably moved forward already with some more senior people than are on this wiki. Anyone have a sense of where the search is at this stage? (11/7)
 * Bringing in senior candidates for job talks. Suspect that this was always a senior-level search and that the dean insisted it be open rank...a real waste of a lot of people's time and effort, but there you go. (11/11)
 * I just got an email ack this morning. (11/11)

Notre Dame

 * Tenure-track assistant professor in 20th Century Cultural and/or Social History
 * Applications due October 1, 2010.
 * Received acknowledgment (09/24/10) (x3).
 * Received acknowledgement with AA form (9/30 postmark)(x1)
 * Informed via email that I did not make the "long short list" (11/1) (2)
 * Informed via rejection email of "the vibrancy of the market" and commenced banging my head against the slim partition separating my work space from that of the other adjuncts with whom I share an office (11/1)(x2)
 * Got same rejection email as the posters on the above 2 bullet points (11/1) - hey, at least they're letting us know now and not making us wait aimlessly... (x4) got mine this morning (11/2) (x2)
 * Any one have information about the TT AP in International Development (with appointment in discipline)?
 * I got a letter from the Search Chair asking for my book manuscript or dissertation on 10/30.(x2)
 * Are there still a lot of people out there who haven't heard anything either way? (11/4)

Old Dominion University

 * Tenure-track, assistant professor in modern American History (late 19th-early 20th century).


 * "Specialty open, but preference for a transnational perspective, including the history of immigration, the environment, or economic interactions."


 * Review of applications begins October 15, 2010.
 * request for phone interview
 * Anyone else heard anything on this, one way or another?

Queens University of Charlotte (NC)

 * Tenure-track Assistant Professor of History beginning fall of 2011 to teach courses in 20th century United States history. The area of expertise is open; however, applicants with a secondary field in Asian, African, or Middle Eastern history are preferred.

Rider University

 * Assistant Professor, 20th Century U.S. History, "who focuses on women's history/gender history, immigration history and/or ethnic studies".
 * Application (online) due November 1, 2010.
 * Received Rejection Letter (11/1).
 * Application materials submitted 10/31; rejection received 11/1. Inside candidate? That is uncannily fast; did they actually read the applications? (x2)
 * I also received a rejection e-mail a day after submitting, from Human Resources not the department. What's going on there?
 * Speculation, but: with the volume of applications I know some recent searches have used a simple rule to narrow down the candidate pool - e.g. only applicants from schools x, y or z, only applicants with PhD in hand, only applicants with a book published, only ABDs, even make it to the consideration pile. It doesn't mean there's necessarily an inside candidate.
 * There is no way they read through one hundred plus applications within 24 hours of the due date (general email received at 1am - essentially the same day the apps were due). And this was a fairly specific job ad so you'd think that taking more than one day to at least glance at each candidate's cover letter or CV would be worthwhile for them. If on'y to pretend they "carefully considered" each applicant. (X2 - I also agree with the "speculation" above but if all those possibilities are plausible then the rejection is especially lame. Don't lie, people. Especially in a buyer's market. You don't need to. When Rider U in NJ - Rider? - can be that selective and that thoughtlessly and inconsiderately dismissive (an auto reply? how lame can you get?) you know there are just too many of us out there. Damn.)
 * I have more peer-reviewed articles that half of their associate professors and got a big ol' rejection just like everyone else. This whole process is like a really bad session of speed dating and I'm left saying, "But he doesn't even know me. How can he not like me?" (Same here....apparently a few peer-reviewed articles and a concentration in two of their three fields (immigraiton, ethnicity, but not gender) doesn't warrant a second look.)
 * Also rejected summarily; received my email early on 11/2 (note: submitted application several weeks ago, but I'm still guessing they never even glanced at it.)
 * just received email that the earlier email was a system-generated error. whew! 11/2 (x1 - they noted they will now be reviewing applications and will be in contact if they are interested)
 * That's a relief but that still seems very weird...
 * Or someone realized how bad it looked to end the search immediately after the closing date, even though the first email was correct (sorry, I am grumpy today).
 * So in the end we have to wait for the mid-April form letter? I'd almost rather be rejected this way!
 * Nobody is going to "take back" hundreds o'rejections just to "look better." My bet is that the mistake was legit and a result of a computer error.
 * OK now I just received three emails in a row from HR with the exact same rejection message as the first one. Another error? (11/3) (x8)
 * These guys need new computer programs. Is it real or a fake rejection?
 * I got another one today too. What's up? (11/3)
 * Did anyone get their rejection emails all at exactly 5:01pm (CST)? - Yep.
 * Yes, me, too. Oddly, it has made me relax about this process a bit. I've now "practiced" getting rejected four times! FWIW, I think all of them are system-generated errors.
 * Yes, it is hard to take it personally when the whole process is so clearly impersonal to Rider (whether it is a computer glitch or a pr job). Will we get three "take back" emails?
 * I sent an email to the chair of the department, but haven't heard anything back...
 * Chair apologized profusely and said that no decisions have been made yet, and that we should all be receiving an actual letter with a timeline soon.
 * Did anyone else NOT get rejection emails? I am almost afraid my application is incomplete or something. I did get the apology emails. (11/4)

Rochester Institute of Technology

 * Tenure-track, assistant professor in 20th century US History, with a preferred focus in post-1945, public, or science/medicine/technology.
 * Application due November 15, 2010

Saint Louis University (MO)

 * Assistant Professor: "full time tenure-track position in United States history in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. The department is open to all subfields but encourages applications in gender, immigration, and religion."
 * Review of applications will begin November 15 and will continue until the position is filled.

St. Bonaventure University

 * Tenure track Assistant Professor specializing in modern (post 1900) United States history. We seek a specialist in the history of immigration and/or ethnicity. Candidates who can teach World War II and/or Vietnam are also encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will teach 4 courses per semester.
 * Candidates applying before December 8 will receive priority.

Texas Christian University

 * Assistant or Associate Professr in 20th Century U.S. history with a research specialty in Urban history, African American history, or Mexican American history.
 * Application due November 25, 2010.
 * This institution has lots of money for research and a very good reputation in Texas. Also, a good location, TX wise.

University of Alaska Anchorage

 * a tenure track appointment in Twentieth Century U.S. History to begin in August 2011
 * Expertise in post-1945 history especially desirable. Fields of specialization are open, but the department is interested in candidates with areas in environment, immigration, Civil Rights, or U.S. in Global Context.
 * Position will be open until filled. (Posted at H-Net on 10/6)
 * Does anyone know what the teaching load is here?
 * If we can't answer it, anyone willing to call, find out, and then post the teaching load here?
 * Will they interview at the AHA in Boston?
 * They don't mention the AHA in their ad, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they won't be interviewing there. However, they ask for so many materials with the application that I could see them wittling it down and going straight to on campus, which would be a good way to see who could handle a day of interviews and a job talk with four hours of daylight.
 * I don't know anything about their department, but they could also perhaps conduct Skype interviews. (Skype-ing worked for me a couple of times when the distance thing was too much).

University of Connecticut

 * Tenure-track assistant professorship in post-1945 United States history. "Preferred Qualifications: research specialization in law and society or political history, with interests in political economy, globalization, or human rights"
 * Application due: October 29, 2010.
 * Any speculation or inside info on this one? (I am trying to parse out the importance of the tail end -- "political economy, globalization, or human rights.")
 * I'm not sure there's any inside info to be had. In recent years the department and university have really pushed the globalization and human rights angle at all levels and in all fields (from an endowed chair to a 100-level survey course on human rights). It looks like they want someone who can contribute to that.
 * The ad says to send a research paper or published article. Would there be any harm in sending a chapter of my diss instead?
 * I think you should do what the ad says. Or contact the department.
 * Does anyone know the number of people who applied for this position? (x1)

University of New Hampshire

 * Tenure Track Assistant Professor of History, U.S. since 1930 (all specliazations)
 * Deadline: November 1, 2010
 * Note: I cannot find an H-Net or AHA posting for this job, though I contacted Ellen Fitzpatrick, the chair of the search, and she assures me it is still open (10/4)
 * Send letter of application, CV, and 3 letters of reference to Professor Ellen Fitzpatrick, Chair of the Search Committee, Department of History, Horton Social Science Center, University of New Hampshire, 20 Academic Way, Durham, NH 03824-3586
 * This was posted to the AHA on 8/20.
 * Huh - that's what I thought, but I couldn't find it by searching through their jobs... (and no one put it up here...)
 * Posted on H-Net today (10/5).
 * When you talked to Professor Ellen Fitzpatrick did she offer you any additional information at all?
 * No, just that the search was very much still active.
 * Are they thinking of hiring one of the two lecturers they hired this year? Any chance, however remote, that they would consider hiring or even interviewing one of their own?
 * I don't know about the culture at UNH, but being a lecturer can be a double-edged sword (see the note re: Northwestern, above).
 * Does anyone know if this position is to replace Harvard Sitkoff?
 * Received an acknowledgment letter; they will contact selected candidates "as early in December as possible" for AHA interviews. x2 (10/26)
 * Last week, I saw a few lines here that are now missing -- or perhaps deleted by mistake -- including that since the crash in 2007 and 2008 some departments are more willing to hire some of their own as well as a few other comments.
 * The following comments appear to have been deleted on 10/15. . . not sure how illuminating they really are, or why they were taken down, but am returning them here for the record (10/19):
 * Since the crash in 2007 and 2008, some have suggested that departments are more willing and have hired their own.
 * The dept has a reputation as "small and incestuous," based on my adviser's assessment of their past practices, though more among the early americanists, and spousal hires.
 * Yes, your advisor is probably right that the dept still has that reputation unfortunately, but perhaps more at a nearby Ivy than nationally.
 * Who cares if the early americanists took care of each other when they needed jobs, bread on their tables and roofs over their heads. Men do that. Women worry about perception.
 * Ouch. Some people do that. Some people worry about perception. Some people do both. Is the old boy network still alive and well in our profession? Probably. Are any historians part of the new girl network that sprung up in businesses across the U.S. in the 1980s, 1990s, and into the 21st century when more and more women who had worked and overcome obstacles decided if they didn't help other women get jobs to put food on their tables and roofs over their heads then no one would? In addition, I doubt UNH will hire one of their own. I do think they should interview a few of their own for perception purposes at the very least. They could spin that in their favor. We train our historians well. They are market ready. See. I don't know if anyone of the SC has heard of courtesy interviews -- a common practice in business to give in-house people practice interviewing -- or if they would be willing to carve out time for this. I love being surprised and proven wrong, however. Perhaps UNH will hire one of its own. Good luck to anyone applying. This would be a very good gig to get.
 * Also, thank you to the person who reposted the missing part mentioned above.
 * I would not bet on UNH hiring one of their own.
 * Apply anyway. I like the ouch comment. Hope you are surprised. Good luck.
 * I like the ouch comment, too. Go for it! Apply and stay strong. You'd be surprised who is rooting for you.
 * Thank you.
 * Does anyone know the number of people who applied for this position?
 * To the person above who called EF any chance you can find out a ballpark number of applicants for this position?
 * Just received the best and brightest acknowledgement of my application letter ever. It clearly and succinctly outlined what to expect for a timeline for this search, including as noted above that they will contact selected candidates "as early in December as possible" for AHA interviews, as well as what to expect after the AHA.
 * Wasn't that letter nice? So refreshing!

University of Tampa

 * Tenure-track assistant professor in US History since 1877
 * Desirable fields: US South, Florida and the Caribbean, labor, immigration, environment, or sexuality.
 * Application due: November 15, 2010
 * Very involved and tedious online application process. Glad to know they care where I went to high school... (x3!!)

University of Toledo

 * Tenure-track assistant professor in U.S. Social and Cultural History, post 1920 preferred. Preference for speciality in labor and urban history.
 * Position begins January 2011.
 * Applications due August 15, 2010.
 * Any word on this one yet? Is there an inside candidate?
 * Got letter saying that materials had been received back in August - nothing else since then.
 * Phone interview scheduled for Oct. 1
 * Any updates on this?
 * rejection letter received today (10/15)
 * Any new on who they hired?
 * Their inside candidate
 * Who was that?

Wellesley College

 * Full-time, tenure-track assistant professorship in twentieth-century U.S. history, research specialization is open.
 * Applications due October 15, 2010.
 * Does anyone know if this job is real/what's up with the dept? They've been running a search for a 19th centuryist since I've been on the market (5 years now) and cancel it after oncampus every year; I'm wondering if the 20th-cen job is going to be subject to the same endless circle.
 * If it makes you feel any better, last year's 19th-century search most definitely resulted in a hire.
 * Does anyone know if they would like separate statements of teaching philosophy and research interests, or if these should be included in the cover letter?
 * Not sure either, but I'm going to put it in the cover letter (i.e. the "detailed" part) 9/14
 * It seems like they have hired several people over the past several years. Lots of younger faculty.
 * This is an excellent position and is highly desirable.
 * Only 2 out of 16 professors in its history department received their PhDs from public universities in the U.S..
 * And so?
 * WC values pedigree, according to a full prof in the English dept, as well as linear careers. Her background: Ivy undergrad, Ivy grad, TT WC, tenure WC. If you doubt this, conduct a random sampling of the College's dept websites. If your background does not match the above mentioned model, you should seriously consider not applying. For the 19thc. search conducted over a few years, the dept did not have the decency to send rejection letters to scores of applicants. They were saving time and money. You might want to do the same by not applying if your pedigree isn't up to their so-called standards. Expect to see a young, newly minted Ivy educated Ph.D. in the 20thc. position in the fall.
 * The person they just hired for the 19th C job got their Ph.D. from a public university. So it's certainly not impossible to get a job there without the above pedigree.
 * Zing!
 * Maybe I'm confused, but why would I decline to apply to a school like Wellesley just because I don't have an Ivy pedigree. Applications are (relatively) free, so what's the risk? That they say no?
 * Why is it that academics, which studies show are predominantly liberal, are so obsessed with pedigree, hierarchy, elitism, and ageism? The notion of having a "linear" career path is also a pretty privileged position.
 * "Private" does not equal "elite." One of those "private" universities has a #28 NRC ranking; another has a #23 ranking. If they were totally hoity toity they would stick with the Ivies and/or the NRC top twenty. But they have not. Apply for everything, and good luck to you.
 * Agreed. And stop whinging about "inside candidates" while yer at it. Git 'er done! (x4)
 * Maybe now is the time for WC's history department to hire an older, state educated, non-linear historian of the 20thc.
 * That would be me! So from your keyboard to . ..
 * That would be I, too. What does so from your keyboard to ..... mean?


 * Isn't there a big circular file for applications from folks in their forties and over?
 * Another ouch on this wiki to which I am forced to respond. The good thing about studying and then teaching twentieth century history as an older, middle-aged graduate student then adjunct is that I bought and read many of the primary sources in the 1970s and 1980s that younger folks are now just "discovering." So, instead of thinking of me as a relic maybe I'll be seen as a living, walking museum. Plus, when I went to college decades ago writing was still taught.
 * Me here. Good thing the Wiki is semi-anonymous. From keyboard to [deity of your choice].
 * Still don't get it, but thank you for trying to explain it. And why do you say semi-anonymous?
 * A: I'll repeat the answer given above under Drake: if you have not created a user name and are not logged in, then anyone can see your IP address in the "History," which could give clues to who/where you are. I would recommend creating a User Name if you care about guarding your identity.
 * Thank you. I read the answer above and wrote there: What kinds of clues to who and where are in one's IP address? And what if one posts from the library or the college cafe? Doesn't the library's and cafe's IP show up then?
 * In addition, the IP address for coffee shops rotates within that shop periodically. Sometimes I see a handful of other academics who are also in our profession and we are all using the same IP address for the cafe's router. We go there because none of us can afford to heat our houses in the winter, but we can still manage to buy a cup of coffee. Sometimes I work in dark, dingy dives during the day, however, escaping not only from heating bills I can't afford to pay, but also from other cold academics, and reducing my chances of sharing an IP address with someone I barely know.
 * "From your lips to God's ears" in an expression more or less meaning "If you say it out loud, maybe God will hear it and will become true."
 * Thank you. I appreciate being told the reference. And they tell me about a pie up in the sky...
 * Old, young, female, male. I have it from the horse's mouth there were more than 450 applications for this job. Perhaps because it was an open call for 20th century? Lots of ABDs trying to take a swing? Those are remarkable numbers.
 * Zing! (x3)
 * Are there really over 450 folks qualified for this job? How does the SC plan to sort through the apps? Any ideas on how many will be asked for more materials? Any thoughts on how many will make a short list?
 * It depends on what you mean by qualified. Do most meet the bare minimum qualifications, probably. The SC could narrow the list down quite quickly by saying something like, "We will only look at candidates from top programs, who have spent at least 2 years teaching, with a book contract in hand." You can speculate on what they will prioritize, or let the chips fall where they may and work on strengthening your own CV.
 * Sorry for my delayed thanks to your post. I was off strengthening my CV. I really do appreciate your answer. I now understand better how departments might deal with hundreds of applications.
 * 450? That seems a little hyperbolic, maybe?
 * The actual number was 473.
 * Buyer's market.


 * Ouch! Good job. Great location. They must have a lot of apps from advanced assistants/early associates looking to move out Dodge, 4/4 loads, or both. There is no way to speculate on hiring prioroties. My university (small liberal arts) has interviewed advanced assistants with books on the way for TT jobs. Each time they hired an ABD or very recent PhD. The power of being perceived as "fresh" and/or better able to adapt to the dept. shouldn't be underestimated. Also, junior faculty don't necessarily want to hire an advanced candidate, who, qualifying for early tenure, will likely be on their own tenure committes. On the other hand, some faculty members prefer advanced candidates because said candidate can take on more committe work, thus becoming department workhorses (granted more likely at larger state schools). All this is to say, we're all viable candidates until we, along with 471 others, have rejection letters in hand.
 * So, someone in the department will send out 472 rejection letters for this search? That's a lot of WC stationery.
 * At $50,000/year in tuition and fees I'm sure they can swing it.
 * Stationery? More and more of my rejections have been coming as email form letters, if I am lucky enough to get them. Perhaps WC is a bit classier than the rest, though.
 * So, unlike some of the 19th c. folks mentioned above who apparently did not receive rejection letters, applicants for this search should, especially since the search is now electronic perhaps.
 * Also, does the SC really narrow down the list by certain criteria? Or, is it more likely that applicants make the short list based on advisors' calls to the SC?
 * I am impressed by and jealous of anyone who has an advisor placing calls this early in the search. Culling a list of interviewees is all about applied criteria: prior teaching, ABD or PhD, degree-granting institution, quality of letters, and, more often than not, fills a teaching need in the dept.
 * What teaching need do you think WC is trying to fill with this search?

California State University-Fullerton

 * "The History Department at California State University, Fullerton invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor of the history of the U.S. and the World, any time period. In addition to teaching courses in the history of the U.S. in a transnational world as well as the history of U.S. foreign relations, the successful candidate will be able to teach the world history survey courses and U.S. survey courses, advanced undergraduate courses in the area of specialization, and courses in historical writing, theory, and methods. The successful candidate will be competent in a language appropriate to the research specialization."
 * Application due November 8, 2010
 * Anyone able to discern what the teaching load is for this position? A: I believe the usual for a Cal State school is something like 3 or 4 courses per quarter/semester.
 * Why did all the conversation that occurred on this job search - i.e., the adjunct who wrote in to talk about working conditions at Fullerton - get deleted from this post? I can't help but wonder who is censoring information like this when this is supposed to be a place to dialogue about the good, the bad and the ugly. I remember the chair wrote in at one point to dispute what the adjunct had said, but where did all of this information go? Did the chair of the program at Fullerton delete this posting? Just curious (10-5).
 * A: Part of it was moved to the Discussion page.
 * Where can I find this discussion? I am unfamiliar with how to access it.
 * A: there is a link to it at the very top of this page. Or just click here: Talk:U.S. History, 2010-2011
 * Received emailed A/A form today (10/21)
 * I have a couple of questions for any participating faculty members: 1) given the state of California's economy is the position in jeopardy of being cancelled? 2) what is the starting pay? Housing costs in So Cal are very high. Can one expect to purchase a house on CSU salary? 3) what is the teaching load and what is the research funding and leave policies? Thanks!
 * Received snail mail ack. letter today (10/26)
 * Just to be clear, many critical comments made by adjunct about Fullerton have been deleted from this page, and the posters IP address have been blocked. There is full blown McCarthyism going on here. Someone is really aggressively trying to shut up the grievances of the adjunct faculty.
 * Has Wikia no sense of decency, at long last? Seriously, no one's life or career is in jeopardy here. Wake me up when they extend interview invitations.
 * McCarthyism - that sounds a little bit paranoid, especially given all the griping and complaining that is pervasive on this post and the talk page. There are limits to how you can talk about people, of course, and if you want to rant without restraint, start a blog. Besides, what's with this constant adjunct business?
 * To the earlier question about the position: None of the faculty can give definitive answers to any of those questions, but the department chair (whaddad@fullerton.edu) can speak to all those points. I can, however, tell you that none of our searches in the recent years got cancelled after we identified a candidate and that no tenure track position was lost. The temporary furlough is over and none of us have heard of talk of another. California's higher education was one of the few winners in this year's budget, with an actual increase. Personally, I feel that the California Faculty Association has also defended us fiercely. Travel and research funds vary, but the publication record of my colleagues is evidence to the fact that we get a lot of good work done. As for leaves, I got a two year postdoc after two years on the job, and the department and college arranged it so that I could take those two years off without change in pay. Yes, teaching loads are higher, but there are ways to make that manageable. But again, check details with the chair.Vjanssen 01:25, November 13, 2010 (UTC)

Colgate University

 * Tenure-track assistant professor position in Peace and Conflict studies.
 * The Program is particularly interested in candidates whose scholarship focuses on the structural dynamics of trans-national or trans-regional conflicts, and who engage sophisticated methodological and theoretical approaches in their study. Empirical grounding in a particular conflict history, region, transnational, or transglobal system or process is highly desirable
 * Applications due October 25, 2010

Embry-Riddle University

 * Tenure-track assistant professor in US foreign relations
 * Applications due November 15, 2010

Louisiana Tech

 * Tenure-track position for FALL 2010 " to teach survey courses in world and United States history, and advanced and graduate courses in U.S. diplomatic history, modern western European history, and other area(s) of specialization as determined by qualifications."


 * "Secondary area(s) must be compatible with needs of department."


 * Applications being considered immediately.
 * One should note this position was listed as "US history, post 1815"
 * 7/26: Received notice that the search has been canceled for budgetary reasons. Possiblity of reopening for 2011.

Northwestern University

 * Assistant professorin the field of the United States in International History.
 * Candidates should expect to offer a teaching sequence in U.S. foreign relations, broadly conceived, as well as more specialized courses.
 * Application due November 1, 2010.
 * FWIW a few years ago one of the top profs here was on an AHA panel on job searching and said that anyone whose recs did not bear the current year's date was immediately dismissed from consideration. Since my &^(% advisor can't be bothered to update my recs, and I'd spent a load of time on applying to a job there, it ticked me off, but now it might be useful to somebody!
 * I agree with the above. I know that several search committees only count current letters (the calendar year), so out of date letters are not useful at all.
 * It is very sad to hear these stories of utter professional negligence on the part of academics - I am on the employed side of the fence, just tenured and assigned to an administrative post in my department and the more I learn about the malfeasance, laziness, and outright acts of career sabotage inflicted on grad students seeking jobs the more depressed I become...
 * Glad to see someone on "that" side of fence (for once) actually writes from the cuff. Thank you. But...you may want to take note that it's not only "grad students" seeking jobs...(9/5)
 * Point taken re: not only "grad students" seeking, but I assumed that someone relying so heavily on her/his advisor could not be all that far removed from that status...
 * Several years ago Northwestern ran a search for two 20th c. U.S. historians, one junior and one senior, at least one of which had to be U.S. in the World. Now they're running this search for a junior U.S. in International History person and an open-rank search for a 20th c. U.S. person. Is this the same search revived several years later? I don't know what happened to the earlier search.
 * They hired Michael Allen for the 20th-c position. They are continuing their search to replace Mark Bradley. The new 20th-c search is to replace Nancy MacLean.
 * Did Nancy MacLean retire?
 * She moved to Duke for personal reasons.
 * Any idea when this search is going to move forward? I understand that they do not interview at the AHA, so the next step should be materials requests. Have they made any yet? (11/7)

Purdue University

 * Tenure-track assistant professor in 20th-century US foreign relations, diplomacy, or US in the World


 * Deadline: November 15, 2010/
 * Does anyone know what "evidence of scholarly and teaching effectiveness" means? I assume teaching effectiveness means reviews or evaluations, but what is scholarly effectiveness? Isn't that on your CV? Please advise.
 * Basically what this means is that the school wants to see that they are hiring a competent researcher and teacher. Have you published? Presented at conferences? Do you have a book contract? Achievement in these areas demonstrates scholarly effectiveness. Teaching evaluations, sample syllabi, and so forth can demonstrate teaching effectiveness.
 * Purdue's history department traditonally hires aggressive, research-oriented, faculty. Check out the profiles of the current assistant and recent associate professors. Do you match their achievements? If you haven't published in decent journals or in edited books from respected presses, you are probably out of luck. Book contracts or at least a press willing to acknowledge they are considering your manuscript will probably be the coin of the realm in today's market. 2/2 teaching load....

Rutgers University, Camden

 * Tenure-track assistant professor in History: US Global, America in the Wider World, 1860-1960
 * Looking for a scholar whose research and teaching locates US institutions and actions within larger, transnational dynamics from the mid-19th through the mid-20th centuries. Areas of interest: comparative emancipations; domestic sources of imperial power; origins and development of globalism and neocolonialism; immigration, migration, and urbanization.
 * 2-2 teaching load
 * Applications due December 15, 2010
 * Any idea if this is replacing someone? The areas of interest sound a lot like Lorrin Thomas's... (10/2)

Syracuse University

 * Tenure-track assistant professorship in the history of the U.S. in the world, American international relations, or U.S. diplomacy.
 * Deadline (online): October 15, 2010.
 * Did someone retire? Seems like a few positions at Syracuse over the past few years?
 * Yep, they're filling retirements. This position once belonged to William Stinchcombe.
 * Request for more materials. (11/4) (x4)

University of Nevada, Reno

 * Assistant Professor, History, United States in the World, 20th Century. We seek a scholar who specializes in the cultural history of the United States and its interactions with other parts of the world. The successful candidate should be prepared to participate in the university's Core Humanities program as well as teaching more specialized courses, including an upper-division course in the United States, 1877-1945, and graduate seminars.
 * First interviews will be conducted at the upcoming annual meeting of the AHA in January.
 * Deadline: 11/08/2010
 * Isn't Thomas Smith, the Vap at Reno, a more a perfect fit for this position?(10/1)
 * So...is he the "inside candidate"? (10/5)
 * No offense, but people need to stop fretting about "inside candidates" on this or any other posting!!! Git 'er done!!!
 * I have no idea if he's the "inside" anything. However, if you look at his credentials and what the department wants for this position, hence, "an Atlantic or Pacific transnational approach in American history" it seems to me he's got an "inside" shot, no?
 * It's not outside the realm of possibility, but don't let it get inside your head. There's no downside to applying.
 * True.(10/11)
 * Yes, the fact that there's a visiting person who might fit the job description simply tells you that the dept has a need for those classes. Many VAPs (at least in my dept) have very little oppty to meet and mingle with TT and tenured faculty. They teach more courses and aren't obligated, and therefore don't, come to meetings. Nor do they do committee work, which, granted tedious, is one of the few ways junior faculty interact with senior faculty. There's no inside advantage to being a VAP. Don't let it freak you out. There are much better things to worry about on this market.
 * I find this varies from place to place, according to departmental "culture." Generally the more prestigious the school and the more emphasis on research, VAP will not help or may even hinder. In less prestigious schools, especially non-flagship branches of state universities where teaching ability counts for more, being a "known quantity" can definitely help. Actually I've noticed like tend to hire like in terms of pedigree. If there are numerous people on the faculty who are from Yale or UCLA, they are more likely to hire people trained there. Same if it's people trained at Big Ten schools.

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

 * tenure track assistant professorship, who will also be designated the Richard M. Krasno Fellow in the Curriculum in Peace, War, and Defense
 * Competitive candidates must have promising records of research in modern U.S. foreign relations, foreign policy, or international relations. Applicants should have a strong interest in global and/or international history. Expertise in one or more regions or countries outside the U.S. desirable.
 * Consideration of applications will begin on October 15, and the search will remain open until the position is filled.
 * Received email confirming the receipt of my application (09/29/10).
 * Just saw this position posted on 10/26 on the Chronicle for Higher Ed with due date of 12/1.
 * The 10/26 Chronicle ad is different. Original was for a TT assistant professorhip in the history dept; hire is also designated as Krasno fellow in the PWAD Curriculum. New ad is for Krasno Distinguished Professorship, PWAD Curric, with hire having a home dept in either history, poli sci, soc, or pub policy. It's possible they've tanked the history dept assistant prof search for this new position or this search is separate. Link below:
 * Krasno Distinguished Professorship, UNC 10/26
 * Received request for further materials 11/12

University of Texas at Austin

 * Tenure-track postion in global policy studies at the the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law. "Disciplinary affiliation is open to candidates from any appropriate discipline, including but not limited to: law, economics, history, political science, sociology, geography, and public policy."
 * Applications due December 1, 2010.
 * Can someone explain "global policy studies"? I asked a UT prof, and he had no idea...
 * Has anyone heard anything? Any idea about the timetable? Are they evaluating on a rolling basis or do we have to wait until after Dec. 1 for the SC to begin reading materials? Some of us are already hearing back from other searches and want to know if there's any chance in this one.

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

 * Tenure-track assistant professor in US and the World.
 * The candidate will be expected to develop an introductory course on the U.S. and the world, and teach related upper-level courses in History and interdisciplinary courses pertaining to democracy and justice
 * Preferred: Candidates prepared to teach a course on Asia, Africa, the Middle East and/or Latin America.
 * Applications due November 1, 2010
 * Not my area, but I feel like I've seen this one for the last couple of years.
 * It is very similar to last year's call. The department has made some recent hires, but none were in this area
 * Received email acknowledging the receipt of my application (09/30/10).

Discussion
For those who have been on the market previously, would you be willing to compare the number of jobs to years past? (8/26)

It's early to tell, but things feel quite slow and weak this year, as they have for the last 2 or 3 years.

I study the nineteenth century and this year is much worse, in my opinion (9/17)

I study 20th c. I would argue that the market is far better than it was at this point the past two years. It is only late August--we haven't yet entered the high-volume season for postings (September/October). (8/30)


 * Agreed, I think the 20th century numbers are up

Thanks to the above posters. Based on last year's wiki, and the information provided by my department, it is easy to put together a fairly detailed timeline for the job market - but these timelines usually list "July-October" as when most jobs are posted. I was curious if there was going to be a bit more of a wave in the coming weeks. (8/29)

I seriously doubt there will be a wave soon, though there will probably be more ads than last year. Having said that, it is vital that the searches are not cancelled. Last year lots of searches were cancelled mid-year. I wonder how many of those cancelled searches from last year will be running this year (as a repeat). A wave seems unlikely. The high season is soon to be here so I hope it is coming. (8/29)

A question about how to find out a search committee chair: all the cover letter advice I've read so far suggest that it is best to address cover letter to a sc chair (I'm new to the job market this year). And all the advice article indicate that If job posts do not have the names of the chair, we can call and ask for the name. Based on what I read, it seems a reasonable request. But when I asked a * university for the sc chair name, they said they don't advertise the names as if that violates some kind of privacy issues. What's you opinion? Do you always address your cover letters to specific people? Does it matter? Any advice on writing a cover letter from those who were successful at landing jobs? Wondering if any of you would weigh in on something I heard from a colleague. Is it true that if you have not been asked to apply for a job then your chances are next to none?
 * You may already know, but if not, the Chronicle displayed a plethora of jobs yesterday (8/31)
 * Why did H-Net mess with the format of their Jobs Page in the middle of a job hunt? It's annoying! (9/1)
 * The new format is terrible! The old format was so much better. I mean, really, who could look at that and think it was an improvement? (9/1)
 * Agreed. It's useless.
 * I like the new display much better. I don't have to scroll through lots of different fields, seeing many duplicate listings, when I do a search. Much easier to view now. (9/2)
 * Nope - the new format sucks! (9/2)
 * If the job ad lists a contact name, use that. If not, just say "To Whom It May Concern." I can't imagine anyone discounting your application because it is not addressed to a chairperson who is not listed in the ad.
 * I've seem people use "To Whom It May Concern" -- I've also seen "Dear Sir or Madam." Personally, I choose to resolve this problem by omitting the salutation altogether when a name was not given in the ad and instead using a header that incorporates the name of the position. Thus "Letter of Application for Assistant Professorship in [insert area here]." For what it's worth, I got dossier requests/interviews/offers resulting from job letters addressed this way. Essentially the person above is right: there are several reasonable solutions to the issue, and what matters more is the content of the letter, rather than the way it is addressed.
 * I say "Dear Search Committee." Honestly though, unless you're addressing people by their first name only, people do not care about this stuff.
 * I usually put, "To the Members of the Search Committee." (x2)

Alright savvy job market veterans. We're nearing mid-September and job postings appear to have slowed down since Labor Day. Any thoughts on the state of the market this year, as compared to last season?
 * I am on the search committee for one of the jobs posted above and I beg you not to believe your colleague. How do you expect us to find the best candidates if you do not apply. Apply to anything that is even close to your field as far as I am concerned. Ignore rumors about inside candidates, what type of historian they are looking for, or anything else for that matter. If you look back at past wikis you will find those rumors are almost always false. (9/13)
 * That is absolutely not true. In my experience, schools very rarely ask specific people to apply. Those that do are generally the top schools and are looking for someone with tenure or at least an advanced assistant. I can only think of two people that I know (nationwide) who were asked to apply somewhere. (9/8)
 * Agreed, not true. Might be an older notion of the "good ole boy" network. I've had friends invited to apply for positions who were then turned down. Imagine if you're on a search committee and have someone in mind, but then get 100 outstanding applications. You could easily be convinced that a better candidate is in your stack of applications. I would pay more attention to the language of the job ad. If you study gender and sexuality and the job ad is looking for someone who does immigration history - then you might not want to waste your time. (9/8)
 * Not true! Nobody asked me to apply for the job I currently hold. One of my colleagues has been asked to apply for three jobs and didn't get any offers. One of the common reasons for inviting candidates to apply is if the search committee wants to make sure they have a strong pool. Sometimes a department has to demonstrate they have a good pool of applicants before the dean will let them go ahead with campus visits.

To Hell with online application forms that demand every excrutiating detail of your last ten years' employment. That is all. (x2- I can't imagine anyone outside of HR is reading that and it is such a pain in the ass. Isn't that what CVs are for?)
 * About as clear as whether the Democrats will gain a greater footfold in Congress after mid-term elections. Your guess is as good as mine.(9/10)
 * Well, I am not an African-american, or Islamic, or women's historian, which is all that departments seem to be interested in hiring this year. So, it is bad.
 * Rough count: of the 55 jobs advertised, 45 do not fall under the rubrics you describe.
 * Looks like a tough year for 19th century and a slightly better year for 20th century. US and the World or US/International or US Foreign Policy (whatever) continues to grow.
 * It is most definitely not a good year for 20th century (except perhaps relative to other centuries/sub-field specialties), or any US field by and large. Take a look at the 2008 archived wiki page to see a year, at the time considered "bad" but still with quite a few more positions across the board. 2010-11 is a very bad year on the market. Period. Let's hope for few to no search cancellations, at least.
 * It is WAY too early to compare this year's market to the market for an entire year (2008 or otherwise). We are still three months out from the AHA--many administrators are just now establishing budgets, and many departments have just held their first faculty meetings and only now have a firm sense of funding/need. We are really only one month into the pre-AHA market, with three months remaining. Then we have a secondary market. Things could go in MANY directions. [and . . . did you hear . . . the recession ended over a year ago! . . . surely everybody will now be dying to employ us!] (9/22)
 * It looks like another good year for early Americanists. Why are more graduate students not writing focusing on earlier time periods? Based on the job market over the last four or five years there are normally twice the number of early jobs than 19th century jobs. It is also a far better funded field (postdocs, fellowships, grants, etc.) per capita.
 * I was on that job market in 2008! Sure, it looks like a lot of jobs... but 80% of the ones I applied for had been cancelled/suspended by January. You'd have to look at how many went through... my impression is this is sure not at pre-crash levels, but it's still a lot better than last year (esp. for early 20th-century folks-- there was 1 job last year, this year around 5?) I was told that since Uni's investment portfolio are on a three-year turnaround in most cases, universities will be feeling the effects of 2008 well into next year before we see a sign that funding is up and coming. (Heard this from a dean at Duke.)
 * "Good year for early Americanists?" "Good" is a relative term - it is certainly a better year than for twentieth-century Americanists, but there are still more people than positions. I am in my fouth year.

FWIW, I melted down a couple years ago over one of those & talked to the head of the Search Committee at that school-- it's b/c the electronic app is used for ALL applicants, including janitorial, drivers etc. She told me that if you're attaching a CV they really don't expect tenure-track applicants to fill out all that employment stuff & other things that look really irrelevant... now I just put "see attached CV" and I'm still getting interviews.

I wish I had read that before I just wasted half an hour. (I did suspect it was because non-academic staff applied through the same site, but I still feared they would insist on a fully filled-out form.)

Prospective faculty aren't always exempted from these common applications, though. A while back, I applied for a position and after my AHA interview, they handed me a paper application from the university asking for my entire employment history and asked me to mail it to them. I totally forgot to fill it out (probably because it was both odd and a hassle), so after a week or two I got a nasty e-mail from the SC chair saying, "Even if you're no longer interested in the position, please fill out the application and mail it back." I definitely wasn't interested in the job after that e-mail. By the way, that department is one of the schools listed above.

Yeah, I'm going to keep filling them out to be on the safe side. And kudos to those departments - such as SUNY-Buffalo, which I just finished filling out - that have online forms but do NOT require all that.

Q: Anyone have advice on what search committees are looking for when asking for a statement of research interests?

A: A statement of research interests should include a synopsis of your dissertation/book's topic (what question are you addressing?), methodology (how are you addressing it?), sources (what are you using to address it?), and historiography (who else has addressed it and how are you different than them?) You should also situate the dissertation in a broader context of your research interests. What _kind_ of historian are you? Finally, a line or two on ideas for future projects (and how they fit into your overall research arc) makes sense. You want to portray yourself as an innovative, hard-working scholar full of bright ideas that they would LOVE to have in their department.