Talk:Medieval 2011

FORMATTING:

To keep this page consistent and easy to read, please adhere to the following guidelines:
 * 1) Please update your own statistics, following the format posted
 * 2) Please do not update the Current Standing of Schools section. If you have an update about the school, post the information on the main page under the school's name. I (medievalist, a moderator of this wiki) will then update the Current Standing of Schools section. (The reason for this is because, in my past experience, not sticking to one format/policy for this update means that people update the brief list and don't provide any details so that the information starts to get lost or confusing.) Help keep this wiki neat, easy to read, and informative.

Statistics
Please add your information (and update it) about how you're doing on this year's job search. Information included is ABD/PhD/Current position type (Area): # of applications | # of requests for more materials | # of rejections | # of initial interviews (MLA or phone; you can specify which type if you'd like) | # of campus visits | # of offers | last updated date


 * PhD TT (Old English/Middle English): 11 applications | 2 requests for more materials | 1 rejection | 3 MLA/phone interviews | 0 campus visits | 0 offers | last updated December 13
 * PhD non-TT (Middle English): 30 applications | 0 requests for more materials | 4 rejections | 1 MLA/phone interviews | 0 campus visits | 0 offers | last updated December 13
 * PhD in hand (Middle English): 18 applications | 3 requests for more materials | 3 rejections | 2 MLA/phone interviews | 0 campus visits | 0 offers | last updated December 13
 * PhD non-TT (Comparative): 28 applications | 3 requests for more materials | 2 rejections | 0 MLA/phone interviews | 0 campus visits | 0 offers | last updated November 29
 * ABD (Old English/Middle English): 19 applications | 1 requests for more materials | 2 rejections | 0 MLA/phone interviews | 0 campus visits | 0 offers | last updated December 6
 * PhD non-TT (Middle English): 15 applications | 4 requests for more materials | 0 rejections | 6 MLA/phone interview | 1 campus visit | 0 offers | last updated December 14
 * PhD non-TT (Old and Middle English): 20 applications | 0 requests for more materials | 2 rejections | 1 phone interview; 1 MLA interview | 1 campus visit | 0 offers | last updated December 13


 * To the PhD non-TT who has 6 MLA/phone interviews and a campus visit already. What's your secret?? Definitely feeling jealous!

Current Standing of Schools (updated December 14)
'''Please update the front page and then I'll be responsible for updating this section. It's important the the details on the main page be kept up to date. Don't add any information here that you haven't added to the main page. Please. ''' Medievalist 11:34, December 14, 2010 (UTC)

Silent

 * Bowdoin College
 * Hebrew University of Jerusalem
 * Houston Baptist University
 * Kenyon College
 * University of California, Berkeley
 * University of Fribourg, Switzerland
 * University of New Hampshire
 * University of Zürich

Acknowledgments Received

 * Boston College
 * Ohio Wesleyan University
 * Providence College
 * Rutgers U (New Brunswick campus)
 * Texas Woman's University (waiting to hear about budget cuts)
 * University of Maine
 * University of Nebraska at Kearney

Rejections Received

 * Cornell

Requests for More Materials

 * Brown University
 * Furman University
 * Hood College
 * New York University
 * University of Nebraska, Lincoln
 * University of Nottingham

MLA/Phone/Videoconference Interviews Scheduled

 * Bard College
 * Fairleigh Dickinson University
 * Fitchburg State University
 * Florida International University
 * Fordham University
 * Gordon College
 * Mesa State College
 * McDaniel College
 * Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
 * Rutgers (Camden Campus)
 * University of Colorado at Boulder
 * University of Oregon
 * University of Washington
 * University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
 * Wayne State University
 * Wellesley College

Campus Visits Scheduled

 * Central Michigan University
 * Connecticut College
 * Tufts University

Canceled

 * Oklahoma City University
 * University of North Carolina, Greensboro

Format

 * I've never had this problem before, but every time I edit the page or add a new entry it ends up looking horrid. I'm copying/pasting the template but I must be doing something wrong...does anyone have any ideas as to why my posts look like this?
 * It looks like there's some pre-existing formatting that's involved, perhaps when you cut and paste the title or description from the original posting? If you just highlight what you've added and then go up to the menu under Text appearance. Find the dropdown box on the left and select Normal. I did that and got rid of the wonky formatting that you had in the entry.
 * Huh, that must be what it is. I just copied/pasted the template, so it might be a problem we'll see in the future once more jobs are posted.
 * A couple of notes on formatting conventions for this wiki.  Medievalist 19:43, December 7, 2010 (UTC)
 * If there is no (x#) beside a date, that means that only one person received the request/rejection on that date
 * Please spell out months (no abbreviations) and place the date after the month
 * Make sure to indicate the source of the information (email, snail mail, phone) and the type of interview (MLA, phone, videoconference)
 * If in doubt about formatting, check other entries for examples

Ivy vs. Non-Ivy Candidates

 * HOW LIKELY WILL NON-IVY LEAGUE CANDIDATES BE TO GET A JOB AS A MEDIEVALIST THIS YEAR? I am told by my faculty that as I am not from an ivy league school I am extremely unlikely to get a job this year - I have just one publication (co-publication) and lots of teaching experience. Any suggestions?
 * Non-Ivy candidates get jobs. Publications are important. Teaching is important at most schools. I'd say just put together the best app you can and don't let worries about not being Ivy stress you. Ivy vs. non-Ivy is not something you can control. Focus on that you can control - your job materials. I'm just praying this year is better than last year and that there are more jobs (and at a greater variety of types of schools).
 * Judging by the postings so far, last year was tighter than this year. Two of the "best" later medieval jobs last year (U.S. R1 and Canada R!) went to people from outside the Ivies (both large, well-regarded state R1s). I was one of them, first year on the market, ABD, fifth year of study, no publications in my field. But my work fit the job description. Everything you hear about "fit" is absolutely true. If your project and you yourself fit with the department's vision for the position, it doesn't matter if you're not from an Ivy, or a top-ten program. Of course it will never hurt to have publications in major journals. I did have something in the pipeline with a major journal (my writing sample) and it was accepted during the final decision process. There is every reason to be hopeful and positive about this year's market: some really great jobs and relatively a lot of them. Best wishes to all the candidates.

Schools with Religious Affilations

 * PROVIDENCE COLLEGE: Does anyone know how the school's Catholic affiliation affects this job? I can't tell from the school's mission statement whether non-Catholic faculty would be welcome/encouraged to apply.
 * A: I believe Providence is one of the more conservative schools, but that said, it is rare for Catholic schools to expect one to sign off on "faith statements" or that kind of thing (as Protestant evangelical colleges often do). I would go ahead and apply for the job even if you aren't Catholic.
 * Providence is not like Bob Jones or Westmont!
 * And Westmont is no Bob Jones!
 * In reply to the post on Westmont: I think it is just as conservative as Wheaton and Bob Jones.
 * People from the world of Christian colleges do not think of Wheaton/Westmont as having much in common with Bob Jones. There's a vast difference in academic seriousness.
 * However, places like Westmont still practice "faith discrimination." Westmont will put you through a very strenuous vetting process concerning your interpretation of scripture and  current hot button issues, such as your personal stance on homosexuality.  And--there is a difference between a Christian liberal arts college (Wheaton, Westmont, and Gordon, for instance), and a Bible college (Biola or Bob Jones).
 * Personally, as a non-Christian, I have no problem applying to a school such as Providence. In my experience, in general, Catholic universities are a lot more open that some other religious colleges. Unless a school requires a statement of faith, I don't think that it would be unwelcoming to faculty of other religious affiliations.
 * They do require an essay on "how you see yourself fitting into a Catholic college" or some such euphemism. I suspect that this is a signal to agnostics/atheists like myself that we need not bother. It does seem to leave room for people of other faiths, unlike some of the evangelical colleges (as above poster notes). My sense is if you are devout, go for it. But I don't know this college's rep. Perhaps someone more informed can enlighten us?
 * Providence college and any other college that is religious is founded on the rock of faith and one has to have some kind of implicit faith in the mission statement of the college in order to be given a decent chance. Search committees can tell if you are faking your faith in the divine. I think the best you can do if you are not religious is embrace the religion of the college you are applying and then go from there. Even if you don't get the job, you will at least repent and earn some remissions from the penances that you will anyway have to suffer in purgatory.
 * You can embrace a "mission" of "social justice" without being Catholic or even Christian, and that is likely what would be sought in such an essay. That is a significantly different thing from what an evangelical school might expect (some, I have heard, will expect you to agree to precise Scriptural calculations of when the earth was created, for example). I think showing respect for a larger tradition is desired, but specific belief is not necessarily expected (as opposed to what the poster immediately above is implying, I think?). I am speaking from some experience at Catholic colleges (although not specifically Providence).
 * I agree with the above but in times of crisis such as these search committees tend not to take chances and lean towards candidates of their kind: if a practicising Catholic and a non-Catholic were shortlisted as finalists for the same post in a Catholic college, then the chances of the Catholic getting it are certainly higher; likewise if the search committee were to choose between an Ivy Leage finalist and a non-Ivy League finalist (assuming both are academically sound and socially affable), then the chances of an Ivy league candidate getting the job are higher. Alas, we are atavistic when times are tough!
 * With all due respect to the speculation above, I doubt the previous poster has actually served on a hiring committee at a Catholic university. Because of the usual hiring practices that serveral posters have already noted, it can be the case that many, if not a majority, of the faculty are actually not Catholic or not practicing Catholics. In that situation, believe it or not, being a practicing Catholic can actually be somewhat of a liability for a candidate. It is, in any event, not necessarily the distinct advantage the poster above suggests. To the larger question, I don't know the exact situation at Providence, but as suggested above, there are acceptable ways for non-Catholics/non-Christians to answer the "catholic university" question, and I think it would be ill-advised for anyone to psych themselves out of applying on the basis of religion alone in this kind of tight job market.
 * I interviewed with them a few years back. They had no problem with a non-Catholic or even non-religious person applying or working there. In fact, the committee was more concerned that their Catholic heritage (including the relic in the chapel) would not be of concern to the potential candidate than anything.
 * I wrote a "being a Catholic" statement a few years back following a MLA interview, and never heard more. I will not that this school and this position has a very high turnover rate. This is my 6 (?) year watching th market, and they've had a medieval search at least 3 of the years.
 * Speaking of which, is anyone else still awaiting acknowledgement two weeks after deadline?
 * I received an acknowledgment 5 days after submitting my application (both application and acknowledgement came before the deadline).

Publications

 * HOW MANY PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES DO WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE WELL THIS YEAR? ??? I ASK BECAUSE LAST YEAR, THREE PEOPLE WHO GOT MEDIEVALIST JOBS - ALL FROM IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS - HAD ABOUT 4 PUBLICATIONS EACH.
 * As a member of a search committee, I can say emphatically: it's not about the number of publications, it's about the quality. It's about the quality of the journals. One article in a top ranked journal is better than four in bottom tier journals or chapters in books from mediocre presses. Book contracts are completely unnecessary and often hurt.
 * I had a book of four chapters out and hence got a job!
 * Well, finally, I got a job at a R1 university last year and had 6 campus visits and 2 job-offers at R1 and highly research-oriented colleges: the thing that stood out on my application was not just the number of publications but, as every search committee pointed out, the VENUES in which they were published and the RANGE of themes on which I published and my ABD status when I had them published: I had 7 PUBLICATIONS in rank 1 peer-reviewed journals in all ( 2 in my field (Anglo-Saxon), 1 on Chaucer, 1 on Lydgate, 1 on Gower, 1 on mysticism and 1 on Shakespeare). Range, Ranke, and ABD status helped me and one of the 18 jobs I had applied for! I had just one year of teaching experience but when push comes to shove no search committee care beyond knowing that you have been in a class-room and can teach. I am from a non-IVY college but a R1 university with major letters...Hope this answers the question!
 * Some of us in an ivy-league univ. are considering getting book-contracts before we get to the job-market.
 * Yeah, I think the 'publish or perish' syndrome hits ABDs as well - at my university (Invy-league), we are being trained to have at least 3 peer-reviewed articles. I have ony 2 so far and am the odd person on the market...
 * Does "Invy" mean "Ivy envy"?
 * I am not at an Ivy, but at a public R1. We strongly urge our graduate students to have at least one, and preferably two, well placed peer reviewed publications before going on the market. And when we run searches for assistant professor positions, we rarely give serious consideration to a candidate who does not have at least one publication, and if there is only one, it better be a REALLY good one, in a very strong journal. Two is definitely the norm for candidates who will make our MLA interview list. Three would certainly be impressive, but we do not really expect that. I should also add that we are not currently running any searches this year (my state has no money at the moment!), so don't get all panicky thinking I'm a search committee member lurking here.
 * I agree with the above: not the number but the quality of the journal matters! As a member of a former search committee in a small liberalarts college, I as well as the other members looked for REALLY WELL-PLACED publications - venues like Speculum, Exemplaria, Medieval Studies, Viator, JEGP, MP, Traditio, SAC, YLS, not anthologies and lesser known "easier to get it" journals
 * All very interesting. One of the candidates who landed an R1 medievalist job last year from my degree-conferring institution (non-Ivy, big state school) had NO publications. Sadly, there isn't a magic formula.
 * Yes, sure (to last response) but as another candidate I know got a job at an R1 institute was ABD and 2 extermely well-placed publications but NO teaching experience in medieval studies at all. She had 3 campus visits and two offers and told me that all the search committees admitted that they singled her out in the first round because of her two publications....
 * Not sure but I know that too many publications can hurt in a small liberal arts context: a friend was told by the serach committee that their college didn't care much for research and preferred the "teaching types" as they did not ask too many hard questions. I think teaching counts more in the second-rate liberal arts colleges even though they now have pretensions to research.
 * I don't agree: all is based on Fortuna: nothing mattters except luck! I know a young person who got an Ivy job several decades ago with ZERO publications and Zero teaching experience...
 * I have to agree with the above poster. There is no magic formula. Sure, well-placed articles will only help your application, but let's get real, folks.


 * As a person from an R1 state school had some success last year on the market, I can say this: whatever you've got, flaunt it. If it's articles, flaunt it. If it's teaching, flaunt it. If it's both, thank your lucky stars that you're so versatile and marketable, and flaunt it! But it is generally true (in my experience) that the R1s like to see some articles, the more well-placed the better, and the teaching schools like to see depth and variety of teaching experience. It's best not to put the eggs in one basket, because, let's face it, no one is so lucky as to be choosy anymore about what kind of school you would like to be at. Flaunt it everywhere you can!
 * Flaunt it but not too much. I know that a number of candidate are claiming that they have articles accepted when they are only under review (and will likely be rejected)
 * I am on a search committee this year, and let me say that publications count a very great deal, as does WHERE you are publishing. One article in a top flight journal (exemplaria, sac, etc.) is enough. Two better. Multiple articles in obscure collections is not a good thing. And book contracts already are almost always a BAD thing, unless you are an advanced assistant professor. Book contracts for graduate students tend not to be at presses that will impress people. Better to have one good article at a top rate journal.

This Year's Offerings Compared to Last Year's

 * I have a question about demographics and the jobs, is the situation looking better this year or worse than the situation same time last year? It seems like more schools already, but somehow less choices?
 * It appears to me to be a better year--more attractive schools and somehow fewer applicants (if we are to judge by the wiki numbers). On the other hand, there are more Ph.D.s on the market and fewer ABDs. This could make for a very competitive situation for those of us who are already have our degrees, and possibly a worse one for those who don't.

Comments About Individual Schools

 * In an effort to streamline the main page, I am moving comments about individual schools (the parts in the notes section) over to this page. Medievalist 22:59, October 26, 2010 (UTC)

Bard College

 * Some of you may remember this position was also offered last year, but after inviting candidates to campus for callbacks, they didn't offer the job! (I heard that from good sources -- I wasn't one of the candidates.) Anyway, there were also some complaints on here about the unprofessional way the search was handled. Bard's a good school, so I hope things go better this time around.
 * See discussion of last year's search on Medieval 2010; also for some of the peculiarities about Bard see Talk:Universities to fear
 * There are some schools that regularly search for more positions than they expect to hire in (figuring that they'll make offers to the best candidates of the whole batch). Bard seems to have had a lot of searches that don't lead to offers or hires, so this may be the case here.

Ohio Wesleyan University

 * So, can I ask: are any people who wrote disserations largely on medieval English literature, and have their PhDs from English Departments going to take a crack at this one?
 * Why not?
 * just thought based on the ad's language they might be looking for somebody with a degree from a non-English department
 * It sounds like something more than just strictly British medieval lit, but it's still literature, so English degrees should be fine. Why not apply anyway and let the school decide whether or not you are qualified?
 * Good advice. Thanks.
 * This position was last advertised four years ago (with identical ad). At that time, it was defined as everything BUT British medieval lit, because the English department does have a medievalist. --- Look at the courses currently offered by the department: this is what the new hire would be expected to teach.
 * Ad wasn't identical four years ago.
 * I'm wondering if the search committee is not finding enough applicants who fit the job description. It looks like the job has been reposted on the Chronicle of Higher Education (December 6) with an emphasis that it should be continental (non-English) literature.

University of Colorado at Boulder

 * Folks might want to be aware that even though the job advertisement (and the university's website) makes it seem as if letters of reference will be requested later, in fact they are wanted immediately along with the letter and cv, whether sent separately or through Interfolio.
 * As a follow-up to this, I wanted to clarify that it's not the person who is applying that sends the letters. Part of the application process asks you to list the email addresses for three people who will send recommendations (or to list the email address of a dossier service) and the university will send the email(s) to the dossier service or the individuals writing letters to send the letters.
 * Follow up question to this: Those of you using interfolio, did you paste in the unique email address that interfolio gives for each particular letter?
 * Yes. And it worked - Boulder requested them, which prompted Interfolio to ask me to pay, after which Boulder got sent the letters.
 * For those still in the running, congrats. I'm curious if you might let us know: OE or ME, and how many pubs? I have 2 good pubs and do OE, and they weren't interested. A little knowledge never hurt anyone's future chances. Thanks.
 * I'm in the same boat and I work on late-medieval literature.
 * I got into their short list and have 4 good pubs and work on late-medieval Literature

University of Oregon

 * This seems to be a repeat of a search last year. See Medieval 2010.
 * Yes, it is. The search failed last year after both offers were turned down due to inability to accommodate spousal hires.
 * The Oregon Old English job says to have PhD in hand by the start date, but nowhere do they seem to list a start date. Is it August? September?
 * According to their website, Fall 2010 classes start on September 27, so I would assume the Fall 2011 would be around that same time. I would also assume there would be some orientation at least the week before, but since that first day of classes is well into September, it's more likely the start date is September rather than August.
 * A weathered American academic told me, though, that July 1st is the usual start date for an academic position in the US, nevermind the start date of the term. The Boulder job says August 1st. So based on that information I'd expect it to be sooner rather than later. Does anyone remember the start date on last year's posting?
 * Oregon is on the 10-week (trimester?) system and Colorado is on the semester system (I believe), so a somewhat later start date for Oregon would make sense. My guess is that Oregon means degree in hand by September.
 * This position seems to be asking for quite specific interests. Of the few Anglo-Saxonists out there, how many honestly have published in these areas? I can't imagine there will be a lot of candidates who will "fit," unless these requested interests are only in the ad and not in the job, if you get my meaning.

Wisconsin-Parkside

 * Just posted the Wisconsin-Parkside job. It calls for 15th C. literature and Early Drama, so I thought it should be cross-posted?
 * Although it does say 15th C, under requirements, it says, "PhD in English with a dissertation in Renaissance Literature and/or Shakespeare" so I'm not sure if they'd want a medievalist. But it doesn't hurt to leave it and to try it out. I'll just add the above to the notes section so people are aware of it.
 * I saw that as well and I definitely think it's good to add that info. to the notes field and leave it up on the Med. page.
 * Based on comments on the listing (which I'm pasting below), it sounds like this really should just be on the Renaissance page, so I've deleted it. If you want to find it, the details are still there - just go to the Ren page instead of here.
 * Q: With a Ren diss required, is this a medieval job that belongs on this list?
 * A: I don't think it really does belong on this list--UW-Parkside already has a medievalist, and they have no early modernist. There are in the neighborhood of 10 full-time faculty, I think, and it seems HIGHLY unlikely that they would hire another medievalist when they have no specialist to teach Shakespeare. :) Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Fordham University

 * Those who have been asked for additional materials, what are your specialties? I am an Anglo-Saxonist. Late-medieval (x4). Comparative (x3).
 * Relatedly, those who have been asked for additional materials, what's your current status? (ABD, VAP, Asst, etc.).
 * Assistant Professor
 * Recent PhD (x4)
 * Non-TT lecturer (x1)
 * PhD in hand (x2)
 * VAP (x1)

Connecticut College

 * I'm worried about how to pay for the video-conference interview! My school naturally requires the intra-institutional tech costs be paid for by someone, and the estimated cost is as high as $240! Not sure what to do.
 * Q.: Why can't you use Skype? Or suggest it?
 * Thanks for the suggestion!
 * Their system doesn't support Skype. Looked into it. And you have to have a land-line and go through this elaborate process if you want to try to use your own webcam instead of your institution's resources.
 * I find their demand for video conference interviews rather than traditional MLA interview unreasonable. Imagine if this is the trend, and grad students who have to pay for their own vidconferences must incur the cost of multiple such conferences PLUS MLA attendance (since surely not every single school will make the switch).

Wayne State University

 * I'm feeling a little sick to my stomach. I just got a rejection from Wayne State U (I did not receive a request for more materials). I have PhD in hand, currently have a non-TT job, have two publications (one in a top journal) and one book review, have a ton of teaching experience (and not just composition), specialize in 14th & 15th C with Chaucer, and clearly can also teach/research in Old English (these last two items are listed in the ad as desirable). If I can't even make the first cut at a small school like this, what hope do I have this year? */pity party*
 * I'm sorry about the bad news. I really hope you have better luck eleswhere this year. For what its worth, I don't think of Wayne State as a small school: it's a pretty serious Research 1 institution, so it's possible they expect even more on the publication front already. But who knows; you just can never tell why you make the cut or not at any individual school (often it can by for quite idiosyncratic reasons). Again, I wish you the best fortune with the other jobs; it sounds like you will be a good fit somewhere!
 * Ah, maybe that was my mistake. I didn't do enough research on the school. I'm not at all familiar with Michigan and have never heard of Wayne State. It was one of the schools that I did not really research much before submitting my application materials. I made the assumption that it was a small school since I was unfamiliar with it. Lesson learned. Research the school before applying! Thanks for the commiseration.
 * I suspect that there are many of us rejected with such haste

Florida International University

 * Does anyone know what the teaching load is for this job? I sent an email last week to the contact in the job listing and I haven't yet heard back, but I was hoping someone else had had better luck.
 * The list of documents requested in the job ad (letter, CV, letters of reference, teaching evals, writing sample) does not match the list of documents candidates are supposed to upload on the job website (letter, CV, list of references, statements of research interests, statement of teaching interests). Anyone have a sense of how applicants are supposed to proceed?
 * I uploaded the writing sample as the "Statement of Research Interests" and the teaching evals as "Statement of Teaching Interests"--having made the executive decision that the ad was more likely to reflect what they want than an HR automated application program. This way, they have what they asked for no matter what the HR category headings were. Now, the letters of recommendation proved trickier. If you are using Interfolio, Interfolio can't (as far as I could tell) upload unless there are spaces to list the email addresses of referees. I ended up having to have mine emailed to a person in HR who uploaded them for me. I don't know how you would handle this with a paper dossier service or with referees sending letters, since YOU have to upload them, which would violate confidentiality rules! I would say to call HR at 305/348-2874. I found them very helpful. Actually, in the same call, you could ask about the ad/website labelling mismatch.

University of New Hampshire

 * (from British Open page): "I currently work as a lecturer here although not in this field. The teaching load is largely composition classes, and not literature despite what the ad portrays (2 comp: 1 lit). The composition classes are highly demanding: with mandatory conferences with students and bi-weekly mandatory staff meetings. The department is nice, but not very social. Rent is expensive in the area (for the pay). Lecturers are on yearly, renewable contracts... although we have been told nothing about that process."
 * (from British Open page 12/14): "I work here too. There is an error in the ad--PhD in hand by Sept. 1 2011--not 2010, so if you're in your last year in a PhD program do apply. Also, the department is committed to seeing that literature lecturers teach mostly literature--with the faculty and chair in agreement (2 Lit, 1 Comp). This year was an anomaly in that due to an unexpected increase in another field, composition courses were left understaffed. Another search is underway to solve this problem for next year. Perhaps the person above is reluctant, but our chair is very approachable and would welcome a chat about the renewal process, and I'm quite friendly!"

Dress and the MLA Interview
Now that I have one interview at a reasonably good college, I am toying with the idea of dress: So my question is:how does one dress for an MLA interview - would it be fine to go fashionably dressed? I plan on wearing a green vestment and bearing a helmet as my dissertation is on Gawain and the Green Knight. Last year on a campus visit the search committee was impressed that I took my work so seriously to live it in my clothing. Any suggestions?


 * I am very much hoping you're kidding about SGGK and your planned outfit -- yes? As someone who has both been on the market and on search committees, I'd advise "professional meets your personality," as in: don't wear anything you're too uncomfortable in but look spiffy nonetheless (suit or suit-looking outfit, but not so much that it makes it look like you're trying to work on Wall Street and nowhere else). Women should feel free to wear pants/pant-suits; men should wear either a suit or a jacket/button down shirt/slacks, perhaps with a tie and perhaps not, depending on the outfit. Color is allowed (I say this in part because MLA is always such a sea of black and gray that I think you become more memorable to a committee if there's something colorful, outfit-wise, about you). So if you must, you could wear a green scarf (or tie) and imagine that's your SGGK girdle....though I'm not sure I'd mention it to the search committee....Also: try to avoid the high-school backpack look; invest in a cheap (or not cheap) briefcase of some kind. The word here is professional; fashionable is fine, just not crazy.
 * I <3 you, OP. Please come find me at the bar, I'll be the one waving the girdle.
 * I was dressed very much like Criseyde - in black with a medieval design and a veil - a professor of the Donaldsonian school peered hard and said "Who gaf me to drink?" and gasped. I managted to keep my estaat and won his approval and not wonderously, got the job. Dress in a mildly medieval fashion and you get the job!
 * I just read this posting out loud to my significant other (non-academic) while I laughed hysterically . . . he doesn't seem to get what is so funny. Thanks, folks, for the end-of-the-semester uplift!  It beats grading more freshmen comp papers!