Talk:Medieval 2009

wiki-count
Is a wiki count the number of people visiting the wiki?Sobersnail 17:22, 13 November 2008 (UTC)sobersnail
 * Yes, it gives us an idea of how many people are updating the page.
 * (can there really be only seven of us? maybe this will be a good year after all :))
 * (by my count, based on the U of Pittsburgh listing, there are at least 13 of us)
 * For my part (not the original writer of this bit, just making a note), I'm the [overseas applicant] under both the Yale and Sweet Briar posts. So you may need to condense that from 13 down to 12...
 * This count (now at 13) is actually updated by each person (so if you haven't added yourself yet, please add +1 to the count). The conversation (7 vs. 13) was based solely on the Pittsburg listing, which doesn't have an overseas applicant listing. And I also now see that the count there should be 14. So it looks like not everyone is doing their part to individually update the count up here at the top. Perhaps it wasn't clear that you should be adding yourself?
 * No, it wasn't - sorry about that! I was under the impression you were counting responses and such in the entries below.

Yale
So I am guessing that everybody applied for the job at Yale. Has anyone heard a single peep out of them other than that little EOE card? They are really taking their own sweet time, but I suppose it's because so many people applied! Or maybe it's a skull and bones thing. Anyone heard anything?
 * I've not heard a thing. But I don't think I would want to take this job anyway under the "new tenure-track appointments system."
 * Yes, I applied, but have not heard anything as of December 8. I would assume that you are correct and that it is a hotly sought-after job.  But then again some may have thought they had no chance and not applied.  I admit that I laughed at the futility of mailing out my own application, but just had to give it a try anyway.
 * I did NOT apply. Good luck to the rest of you!
 * I know that in the recent past they have contacted people for MLA interviews as last as Dec 21; and they send rejections via postcard
 * I did not apply. Yale is not going to interview anyone without a Ph.D. from another Ivy or a top-rank R1 university, much less hire them.  In truth what they will see as their "viable" applicant pool will likely be quite small.
 * Hope springs eternal! I'd rather apply and be rejected than not apply and wonder.  I was/am a good fit, whether they see it or not.  I felt it best to give them the chance to see my materials.  Anyway.  I'm NOT counting on an interview from them!

Penn State York
The Penn State York job posting reads "Finalists will be asked to provide a list of references." Did anyone receive such a request?
 * I have not heard thing one, and folks have been good about posting what they hear. I saw on another list (post-colonial?) that Penn State (not York campus) had canceled/suspended a search, so who knows what's up with this one.  To my reckoning, there are 9 schools still interview-silent, though the requests for materials do show signs of life!
 * I heard nothing from them and received no request for additional materials of any sort. I assumed that meant that they were not interested in pursuing my application any further.

Statistics
Could people who are getting interviews let others know the following information: number of applications sent, number of interviews, campus visits, offers? It would also be great to know if you are ABD or Ph.D. and what medieval field you are in. Thanks!
 * ABD (Middle English): 37 applications (not all specifically medieval) | 4 searches canceled | 2 rejections | 1 request for more materials (but looks like I'm not getting an interview there) | 2 phone interviews | 2 MLA interviews
 * ABD (Middle English): 15 applications (including 3 generalist positions)| 2 searches cancelled | 2 rejections | 2 requests for more materials (also have heard nothing more since then) | 1 phone interview | 2 MLA interviews
 * PhD 2007 (Middle English): 23 apps | 2 requests for more materials | 3 MLA interviews, 2 based on original materials
 * ABD (Comparative Medieval): 15 apps | 2 cancellations | 8 requests for more materials | 1 non-MLA interview | 4 MLA interviews Question: Was your dissertation mainly Middle English?  Are these positions for which you have interviews Middle English?    My diss is about alliterative metrics, and the jobs showing interest are the ones that are more lang-ling.  In other words, I'm hearing from the best matches, which is consistent with what I've been seeing people report here.  Have your requests come from the best matches? : Thanks for the clarification.  I'm Comp Lit (more Medieval Latin and Old French, although I do parts of the Middle English canon).  I'm trying  to  see how to position myself.  No requests yet...but then I only sent out 6 apps. :: The metrist again, yes, I'd say you'd be good for culture and language, and could do Continental stuff that I can't sell as well.  I'm definitely doing better with schools that explicitly wanted someone with a solid claim to lang-ling. ::: Another comparativist here. I've gotten good responses from English Dept's but only places whose curricula emphasize European lit along with English lit.  That said, my writing sample was on a Middle English text, and I made sure a couple CV entries mentioned Chaucer and other canonical types.  I think we comparativists have a good shot at some places if we can convince people that, yes, we can teach Chaucer, &c, even if the 14th c. is not our primary specialty. -- Oh, and I applied widely.  In my experience schools will advertise for one thing and then hire something rather different.

Interview Barter
Here is something to hopefully give us a chuckle in this time of stress. Wouldn't it be great if we could trade interviews? You know, an "I'll trade you a Cal State for a Rollins College" sort of thing. It is funny sometimes, this job search process. This is my second go at it and both years have been full of eye-brow raising decisions. I have gotten 2 interviews at places that I thought I was only a decent fit, and not heard a peep from places I thought were tailor-made for my qualifiations. And then of course, there are those jobs for which you would give your left arm... maybe we could offer 2-for-1 trades in those cases. Now, back to grading papers, chewing on pencils, drinking heavily and waiting. Drinking coffee, of course.