French and Francophone Studies 2011-2012

Position
Currently in TT job: 4

PhD in hand, currently in non-TT job: 12

PhD in hand, currently unemployed: 7

VAP: 6

Adjunct: 3

Other:

ABD, but looking to defend this year: 27

ABD in non-TT job:3

Field
Francophone: 14

Medieval: 5

Renaissance: 4

17th: 3

18th: 6

19th: 13

20th/21st: 15

22nd:

SLA/Pedagogy (language and culture): 1

Linguistics and sociolinguistics: 3

Other? Define

Language Background
Native speaker:13

Non-native speaker: 30

Heritage speaker: 2

Offers Extended/Accepted: (please list the school in alphabetical order -- and please do not post school names until an offer is made!).
- MIT (letter)

Saint Michael's (2/2): offer extended and accepted (rejection email)

==Campus interviews scheduled: (please list the school in alphabetical order and, if possible, when you were contacted, not when you have your interview - due to a little misunderstanding, some schools may have been added that have no confirmed campus visits - see discussion below. Such schools' names are italicized until someone confirms that they have indeed scheduled visits, no date needed, just a confirmation.).== '''Q: Would anyone be willing to add their scheduled campus visits (if any) next to the ones that say "confirmed?" I would imagine that, if one were confirmed, then others would be as well. I know that not everyone posts on here, so it may be that the others are not visiting the site. However, if they are, I would greatly appreciate it. Also, just a quick thanks to everyone who posts information on here, from the start of the interviews all the way to the campus visits. It's always a great help, not just for information, but also for peace of mind knowing that candidates are not afraid of sharing information. '''

'''Q: Anyone heard anything from Dartmouth? Kenyon? Austin C? UMaineFarmington? /A: For UMaineFarmington: I had an interview too and haven't heard from them (but I think they said they'd notify candidates this week (week of Jan. 18) regarding campus visits... So this may be a bad sign for us./For Sarah Lawrence: A friend of mine has a campus visit, it was scheduled about a week ago I think. A: UMaine Farmington and Fordham are in the process of inviting candidates for campus interviews. '''

Discussion taken from "Austin College": When were you notified? (Thanks!). Sorry, no notification received; I just added a few university names, so that people can post next to them when they are notified... - it makes this space quite confusing; do you remember which names you added, and if you do, can you either remove them from this list, or add: "any news?" next to the name, so that people don't think interviews have been scheduled when they've not been? Thanks. That's the only one I've posted that does not have a date next to it, by now. -- I'm sorry, but to the poster who lists schools in this section w/o having any news: this is rather thoughtless behaviour that can have devestating effects on stressed out candidates waiting for information. The trace of this conversation MUST be left visible here.

Q: I am confused. Which of the schools below without dates are places where interviews have actually been scheduled and which are entries that were arbitrarily added to the list? I seem to remember several of them appearing at the same time as Austin - all without dates. A: I'm confused too, and you are quite mistaken about Austin. I posted it only after many other school names had been added without dates. I thought that people added them just so that we can post dates next to them when we hear about campus visits.

Wow, it seems like the wiki is completely messed up now. The subject heading was clearly "campus interviews scheduled", therefore, it's incomprehensible to me why someone would just randomly add (some?) school names. Not everyone puts a date - it's not mandatory and sometimes people will post when they know for certain that a friend has a visit (or even grad students at a school with a job opening might post). PLEASE follow the instructions from here on out. Thank you.

A: I am not totally sure either, and yes the people who randomly posted names did mess things up. Poster above says that amongst the schools s/he added, only Austin college now doesn't have campus visit dates scheduled, which would mean that other schools with no dates were not posted by her/him. I'm adding info about Hopkins below, if people who have info about schools with no dates could just post "confirmed" next to the schools' names, that'd be great :)

And I'm italicizing schools that need confirmation.

American 1/14

Augustana College 1/13

Austin College (campus interview confirmed). Q: Would you mind saying when they contacted you? The Wiki was a little confusing re Austin College since it was up without confirmation for a really long time.

G: phone call received mid-January to confirm campus interview. (I wasn't the one who put the name first so someone else must also have a campus interview with them). Let me know if you are still confused.

Bowling Green (confirmed)

Boston University 1/18, 1/19 was this in a phone call or email message?phone call; email message

Brown University 1/11

Carnegie Mellon (confirmed)

The Citadel (confirmed)

Colby College (confirmed)

College of Wooster 1/13

Denison 01/15

Fordham (campus visit scheduled)

George Washington University (confirmed)

Grinnell (confirmed)

Hendrix College (confirmed)

Hobart and William Smith Colleges: Campus interview scheduled by e-mail on 1/20

Illinois State University (mid-December)

Indiana University: Campus interview scheduled by email (1/9)

Johns Hopkins (Campus visit scheduled; I know someone who has a visit)

Louisiana State 1/09

Michigan State (campus visit scheduled; a friend has a visit there)

Mills College 1/09

MIT (Lecturer) (confirmed: letter received, position filled))

Ohio State: (From Film Studies Wiki ) "Campus interviews are currently underway with at least three candidates."

Rutgers-Camden (confirmed)

San Francisco State University 1/13

Saint Michael's College 1/14

Salisbury University 1/19

Sarah Lawrence (confirmed)

Smith College 1/10

Tulane (confirmed)

University of California, Davis

University of Cincinnati, 12/13

University of Illinois-Chicago (confirmed). When were you contacted? How many campus interviews have been scheduled? (Friend was contacted a week after phone interviews were conducted. No info on # of finalists. It's usually 3-4, no?

University of Maine, Farmington (week of 1/18)

University of Nebraska (1/20)

University of Pittsburgh, 12/15

Univ. of San Diego 1/10

Univ. of South Carolina 1/12

Univ of Texas at Austin (confirmed)

Univ of Waterloo (1/26)

University of Wisconsin - Madison, 02/03 -- Q: Which position at UofWisc-Madison is that for? Film or 20-21st century? Was it by email? <-- For Film and via email.

Wesleyan University 12/19

Willamette University 01/17 I am somewhat surprised to hear that there is a campus visit for that position: at the MLA, they told me it would be through Skype. Oh well... A: You are right, it is a follow-up interview via Skype (just as you were told). Since it is a one year position, I doubt they'll fly anyone to Salem.

Williams College 01/16 Q: Is this for the pre-19th century or pedagogy position? A: I'm not the original poster, but I know that visits have been scheduled at least for the pre-19th century position. Thanks!

Vassar - Deitalicizing; I can confirm.

Yale (Director of Language Program) A campus visit occurred on 11/18

Yale (TT, open focus), some visits have already taken place

American University (DC) (TT, 20th and 21st century literature, cultural studies, or francophone studies)
MLA interview scheduled by email 11/23

Email confirming receipt of application 10/4, 10/20, 10/21, 10/28, 11/09

No interview but no rejection either! (12/11) +1

Schools usually schedule all interviews at the same time. If American did indeed start scheduling on November 23, you probably won't be contacted for an MLA interview (neither will I, alas). Rejections often come several months later, so it is not unusual to not have an interview and not have received an official rejection. Sometimes search committees postpone sending rejections just in case their first search falls apart. Sorry, I don't mean to be a downer, but I'm hoping this info might be helpful.

Austin College (TX) (TT, open)
 MLA Interview scheduled by phone (12/10), (12/12) by email (12/12) 

Email confirming receipt of application 10/21,10/25 (X2), 11/15

Augustana College
letter confirming receipt of application 12/08 {C {C Has anyone heard anything from these folks yet? Are they doing MLA interviews? (12/27)
 * MLA interview scheduled by phone 12/27 (x3)

Binghamton University (VAP possible conversion to TT)(deadline 1/20/2012)
Specialization in teaching French language courses (grammar, phonetics, stylistics); preparation in modern centuries of French literature (and culture) and/or Francophone literatures and cultures an asset, as well as demonstrated excellence in teaching. This is a renewable one year appointment, with possibility of renewal as tenure-track. (From higheredjobs.com)

Boston University (TT; Late French Renaissance/Baroque/Neo-Classical)
 MLA Interview scheduled by email 12/16 (x3) 

Email confirming receipt of application and request to complete EEOC form 11/23

I thought my interview went really well! What about everyone else?

Bowling Green State University (TT, Francophone )
Skype interview scheduled by telephone (11/22)

Did anyone with a Skype interview hear about campus visits?

email confirming receipt of application 11/02, letter confirming receipt of application 11/02

Brigham Young University
Has anybody heard anything about that position? The announcement has no info about how to apply but I went through the BYU jobs site and found the announcement.

Brown University (TT, Francophone)
MLA Interview Scheduled by Phone 12/20 (x2)

Carnegie Mellon (TT, French and Francophone studies)
MLA interview scheduled by email 12/13 and 12/14

Did anyone receiving an MLA interview invitation also do an earlier Skype interview, by chance? Thanks.

A: Nope, no Skype interview for me.

Email acknowledgment of receipt of application 10/28 (x3)

Rejection letter (mail) 12/16 (x7)

Anyone else get nothing at all from them (no acknowledgment, no interview, no rejection)? Not that anything can be done about it now if they didn't get my application. A: I got nothing and am not surprised (3rd year on the market). This is unfortunately nothing out of the ordinary for this field. You may hear nothing until you get a rejection letter late in spring, or maybe not even then. Common courtesy, unfortunately, is not something we as a profession are good at. Let's change this if we ever get jobs!

http://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2012/01/23/essay-foreign-language-competency-new-phds-languages#.Tx1MHuqsj_M.twitter - WOW. Just wow.

- And, with that, a cold wind swept across the job market.

-Absolutely appalling. I'm so sorry for those who interviewed, most especially those who received a campus interview and have such people to look forward to for future colleagues! p.s. Just because someone is a native speaker DOESN'T mean that he/she is a good teacher!

-Or that s/he can think, write, publish, inspire, be a good colleague. The problem with French as a discipline in the US is that the uniquely French language anxiety (with which every person reading this is intimately familiar) reduces every other skill that a candidate might bring to the table to crumbs.

-it's also unfortunate that native speakers of French are not exclusively evaluated for the quality of their English especially when many schools ask you to teach classes in English as well even if you are in a Modern Lang Dept. --> Precisely. One of the jobs for which I interviewed would include 2/5 annual classes in English. I remember taking a math class in undergrad from a non-native speaker and despite being trilingual (this person spoke a language I did not know), I understood very little. Students complain to no end about such situations.

- As one of the people who interviewed for this position, reading this article yesterday was definitely a low point (especially considering the fact that they haven't even sent rejections yet). I just wanted to say how grateful I am for the community that this Wiki provides. It is a taste of humanity in a system that often feels downright inhumane. Best of luck, everyone!

-I was also interviewed by Carnegie Mellon. By far the worst committee that I've interviewed with. The chair was absent (not announced), the questions were very rigid and formal, atmosphere was terrible. I thought it was just me until I talked to two other people who were interviewed.

Citadel (TT, Middle Ages, 16th, 17th or 19th)
MLA Interview scheduled by phone 12/8 (x3)

MLA interview scheduled by phone 12/15

Colby College (TT, expertise in linguistics and pedagogy)
MLA interview scheduled (*2).

Any news about this position?

Campus visit scheduled (1-12)

Anyone interviewed at the MLA and got a negative email (no campus visit)? Do they inform you if you did not get a second (campus visit) interview?

College of Wooster (TT, pre-20th century)
Invitation via email for campus visit 1/13

Email scheduling MLA interview 11/28 (x9)

Email request for HR data 12/8/11 Anyone else receive this request but no request for interview? Yes.(X5)

Rejection notice by email 12/09 (and kudos to Wooster for its tone and content). (x5)

Email confirming receipt of application 11/11 (x9), 11/15

I have to wonder what's up with this. With 7 interviews (and I'm not one of them, helas!), I would imagine that they would not go much further beyond 7 interviews.

Q: I'm just curious... Why do you think they would not go much further beyond 7 interviews? Do you have inside information?

Dartmouth (TT, Francophone)
 Email request for an interview at the MLA 12/02 (x2) / MLA interview scheduled (x2) 

Email acknowledgement of receipt of application 10/21

Denison University (TT, Caribbean)
MLA Interview scheduled by email (11/28) (x2)

Eckerd College (TT, Generalist)
MLA interview scheduled by phone (12/13) x5

email request for letters of recommendation (11/10) (x5)... Was there some sort of cut involved or did they invite everyone who applied to submit letters?

- How can we know? A: If someone submitted an application but didn't receive a request for letters.

What is the last year story? Is it that bad?

http://academicjobs.wikia.com/wiki/French_2010-2011#Eckerd_College_.28TT.29 (kind of cryptic; people who applied there last year will tell you more I'm sure. Good luck!)


 * --> This story was really strange because supposedly someone was offered a job back in December (scroll down on that above link to the next mention of Eckerd) which was then rescinded, but then Eckerd went ahead and did the entire MLA/on-campus thing in the Spring semester, so I'm not sure what really went down.

A friend of mine and I both applied and we both received request for letters - I think they invited everyone who applied to submit letters.

Indeed, I think this is true. I have received a request for letters as well.

I actually called them because I thought I had given them the email request information so that Interfolio could send them the recs (was worried the Interfolio system wasn't working). The woman in HR said they send that email to all candidates requesting rec letters as a reminder...

Anyone heard anything about a campus visit from these folks? I was wondering the same thing. I have not heard anything yet either.

I was told that I would hear about the campus interview before the end of January, but it's February 5th and I still haven't heard anything.

Fordham University (TT, Theater)
MLA interview scheduled by phone 11/17 (x6).

11/17: phone call about scheduling MLA interview in future, asked if I had questions followed by 11/20 phone call from Chair to actually schedule MLA interview (x3)

George Washington University (TT, Francophone)
 Interview scheduled (12/9 )

Did anyone receive an acknowledgment? No.

Nice rejection email (11/21)

Q: Has anyone else received a rejection email (or any sign of life)? A: yes, rejection email :-(

No interview but no rejection either! (x7) (12/11)

Georgia State (TT; Francophone)
Skype interview request via email 01/10/12

Anyone, anything?--- email confirming reception of application

No news here; does anyone know if they are going to MLA? --> I'm not sure and I thought about emailing them, but there's no contact person listed on the ADFL job list ad...

Rejection letter 1/21. (x2)

Georgia State University (Lecturer, 1 yr)
email confirming application 12/2

Anyone heard anything? (today is Jan 4).

Grinnell College (TT; Contemporary France)
Received phone call re: scheduling MLA interview (which will happen later by email) 12/14 (x2)

Have either one of you received said email? yes

Has anyone heard anything about this job (interview or rejection)? No. I share your concern (x2).

There's still time, I wouldn't start worrying until next week

Any news re TT search? (2/4) Any connection between TT and 1-yr replacement?

Hendrix College (TT; Generalist)
 MLA Interview scheduled by email, 12/7 (x2) 

Hobart and Smith Colleges (TT; Nineteenth-century, Medieval/Renaissance)
''' MLA interview scheduled by email 12/15 (x3). '''

Email acknowledgment of receipt of application 11/2 (x4), 11/8 (x7)

Illinois State University
Letter confirming receipt of application

 Videoconference interviews scheduled for 12/02 and 12/09 by phone on 11/23 

Q: Anyone else have an interview? A: no. (x3)

FYI: It looks like there's an inside candidate...Visiting Asst. Prof. who received his PhD in spring 2011 in Francophone studies and is currently teaching the courses listed in the job ad. :-(

Not so fast--yes, he is there, but they are running a complete search and giving all candidates full consideration. There is no reason to believe he has an advantage over anyone else.

Indiana University (16th-18th century French theater)
Campus interview scheduled by email (1/9)

MLA interview request by email (12/9) (x6)

Appointment for full-time tenure-track position beginning Fall 2012. Seeking a specialist in French theater from the 16th to the 18th century. Dedication to both undergraduate and graduate teaching as well as to research and publication in the field is essential. Applicants must have native or near-native fluency in French and must have PhD in hand by June 2012. Preliminary interviews will be conducted at the MLA convention.

Deadline: November 11, 2011

FYI VAP is married to 19th C'ist

{C

Indiana University: Visiting Lecturer of French (ABD)
One-year Visiting Lecturer position, renewable for one year, beginning August 2012. To assist in coordination of basic language courses and the supervision of graduate teaching assistants; to teach elementary and intermediate French courses. ABD, excellence in teaching, strong background and research interests in FL methodology/applied linguistics essential, as is native/near-native French. We are particularly interested in candidates with experience and strong interest in developing and using technology for language teaching. This position is viewed as an apprenticeship for tenure-track jobs in major language programs. Send complete dossier including letter of application, CV, and three letters of support to Chair, French Visiting Lecturer Search Committee, Dept. of French & Italian, Indiana University, Ballantine Hall 642, 1020 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN 47405-7103. Deadline: February 20, 2012. Indiana University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women and minority candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Johns Hopkins University (open rank, 20th & 21st century)
Campus interviews scheduled

No interview but no rejection either!

How many years are they going to do this search!?!

Kenyon College (TT, Francophone)
MLA interview scheduled by phone (12/20)

Lewis and Clark College (TT; Contemporary France)
heard from someone who had a campus visit scheduled mid-Jan Any word post-MLA? Still nothing? Anyone?

No news post-MLA (2/1)

Email to set up MLA interview (12/7)

Email acknowledgment of receipt of application (10/20)

Linfield College (TT, Francophone African Studies)
MLA Interviews have taken place  (a friend had an interview) 

Inside candidate? There is a VAP with the exact qualifications mentioned in the job description.

I was thinking the same thing!!

//FYI--The person who's still listed on the Linfield site was a top candidate on the market last year and took a job elsewhere--Linfield is now looking for someone with similar qualifications.

Confirm! -- Does this mean that you are confirming or that you want someone to confirm? You can Google her and you will see that she has taken a job elsewhere.// "Her"? It was about a "him". / A: the person in question, still listed on Linfield College website, is female, and as of Fall 2011, has a job elsewhere. / I suppose there is a chance that she might reapply, now that the position has become tenure track, who knows?

I think the person we are talking about (the possible inside candidate) is a male. I don't see any female VAP on their site with these qualifications.

I'm getting confused. I don't want to invade anyone's privacy, but there is clearly a female francophiste listed on Linfield's website and her area of expertise does match the job description. She is not designated as a VAP, but rather as a junior faculty member, and does indeed appear as a faculty member at another institution as of Fall 2011.

I think the confusion stems from the fact that while some of us are referring to the French faculty listing (female junior faculty), others are referring to the French faculty listed amongst the Modern Languages faculty (male VAP).

Probably not my place, but in general potential job applicants spend way too much time worrying about inside candidates. Do they happen? Sure. But it also makes sense that a school would genuinely be looking for someone who looks a lot like their VAP, as VAPs are often hired in spots where approval for TT faculty is not given. Do VAPs have a better than average chance at getting the job? Yes, they unquestionably do, but not so much as you might think. Maybe their chances double from 5 to 10% but this is certainly not a good reason for you not to apply for that job. The field of candidates is stronger for TT jobs than VAPs (although sadly this is becoming less true) and universities generally require a full search to be done. And remember, sometimes familarity with a candidate can make them less appealing, too.

Not to mention the fact that a VAP may want to move on to greener pastures

NEWS??

12/29 I was wondering the same thing. Anybody heard from the committee?

Louisiana State University (Assistant Professor of Late 18th to early 19th century French)
Email requesting interview at MLA (12/16)

Letter acknowledging receipt of application (12/12)

Luther College (Assistant Professor of French)
Nice, short rejection e-mail received 12/16 (x5). FYI, the email states that they have concluded their search. //I think the term "nice" is an over-statement. The email is short and courteous. Nothing special about it.

Concluded their search? Wow...pretty speedy since they just conducted phone interviews not quite two weeks ago. Did they even do on campus visits?

Any news from the SC since phone interviews? {C {C contacted via email for a phone interview.

Email acknowledgement of receipt of application 10/28 11/04 11/14 11/21 (x3)

Marlboro College (Assistant Prof, TT)
I had a phone interview on 2nd week of January.

'''Email requesting phone interview 12/14, 12/15. '''

Detailed email on expectation and salary and phone interview scheduled - 12/14, 12/17

'''Anyone else get something? --'''does getting a sense of hopelessness count as "something"?

No sign of life from these good folks. Anyone got a receipt of some of any kind? / Nope./Rien du tout.

I received an e-mail confirmation soon after submitting my online application (x3).

I have reason to believe that they are just now starting to look at apps - 11/21.

Let's hope you are right -- but then why the early deadline?

Actually what is the purpose of your comment? People are free to make any speculations they want. No need for arrogance. // I agree. Isn't studying French supposed to teach us civility? --> Oh yes. It's hard to compete with the French in terms of civility.

Michigan State University - TT Assistant, 17th-18th-century French lit - Dec. 12

 * The letter should include possible availability for interview at the MLA. Review of applications will begin December 12, 2011 and will continue until the position is filled. Applications must be submitted electronically at the Michigan State Human Resources web site http://www.jobs.msu.edu

 MLA interview scheduled by phone 12/13 (x2) 

Question to those contacted: did you submit your application a long time ago? It just seems really fast for a search committee to decide on its interviewees after one day of reading through a few dozen hefty applications... (Not that I question the veracity of your update - far from it!)

===Mills College (TT or tenured; pre-nineteenth-century literature focusing on a theoretical engagement with non-European cultures, particularly the Arab/Islamic world)===

Email request to schedule MLA interview 11/29 (x2)

Email request for writing sample and letters of recommendation 11/2 (x2)

Email stating that will not a candidate for MLA interview. 11/29

Mississippi State U
12/17: received an email that they will not be going to MLA. Instead, they will conduct phone interviews at the end of January. Applicants who make that cut will be notified a week or two prior.


 * Does anyone know if they have scheduled or conducted phone interviews? (as of Jan 24). I haven't heard anything (2/1).

MIT (Lecturer; 3yr. contract, renewable)
Some campus interviews have taken place.

Northwestern University ( continuing lecturer)
Skype interview 12/14, 12/15.

Any news about this one?

Nope, I am waiting too (01/07).

Oberlin College (VAP; Medieval or Early Modern)
Letter acknowledging receipt of application and request to complete Affirmative Action survey. 1/20 (x2)

Ohio State University (Assistant Professor in French Film Studies)
MLA interview scheduled (12/9)  [according to Film Studies]

Also posted at Film Studies 2011-2012

Penn State (Visiting Lecturer in French Studies)
Any news? Nada

Nothing here either.

No news is good news :-)

It's Jan 4 today: has anyone heard anything? Are they doing MLA interviews? --> No, they are not doing MLA interviews.

Jan 17: still no news.

So is this job closed? Has someone been hired? <--- No. Still open.

Rutgers U Camden (TT; Francophone Studies or 18th/19th Centuries; media and the arts; hybrid identities; the history of colonization)
MLA interview scheduled (12/02) (x2)

Email confirming receipt of application (10/28)

Did everyone get a confirmation email? I sent my application through email and never got a confirmation... (X4) +1 / Many schools send "batches" of acknowledgments (I got the email from U of the Pacific one month after sending the app); don't worry, it will come in due time. Good luck!

On-campus interview scheduled (1/7)

Saint John Fisher College
MLA interview scheduled by phone 12/14

Has anyone scheduled an on-campus interview?

Saint Michael's College, VT
Campus Visits scheduled (01/14) {C MLA Interview scheduled by email (12/16) (x6)

Has anyone been told where the St. Michael's C. interviews are taking place? (12/29) <-They will be in the Job Information Center (the ballroom). - Thanks!

Email confirmation of receipt of application 10/24

Salisbury University (TT; Generalist)
Email confirming receipt of application 10/24, 11/8
 * See Also: Chronicle Ad

''' Requests for MLA interviews have started.  12/2.'''

'''Telephone call on 12/3 to set up MLA interview. Yes, by phone'''

'''Received email requesting MLA interview. 12/10 (x2)'''

Any news?

Telephone call on 1/19 to set up campus interview.

Thank you!

San Francisco State University (TT, Assistant Professor, 19th and 20th century French Lit and Culture)
MLA interview scheduled by email 12/14 (x3)

Their site mentions that they have already hired somebody with these qualifications (10 Nov 2011).

--> do you have a link to this? http://www.sfsu.edu/~french/?q=node/52 / A: she could be a Spring 12 visiting, though.

They are welcoming her in the Spring. And what's more interesting, her profile matches exactly the job description. Inside candidate?

Sarah Lawrence College (TT; 19th/20th Lit and/or Francophone)
MLA Interview scheduled by e-mail 12/8

Q: how many interviews scheduled so far (12/14)?

Anyone else get nothing at all? x14 - online apps = silence

Smith College (TT; contemporary)
Campus visit scheduled 1/10

 Email to schedule MLA interview 12/8 

Email confirming receipt of application 10/23

Southern Connecticut State University (Asst, French Lit. Generalist) - Jan. 17
Email regarding receipt of application

Interviews scheduled 1/27 and 1/30

Tulane University (TT; 16/17, 20/21 French or Francophone studies)
Email confirming receipt of application 11/1, 11/10 (x3) 11/21 (x5)

Looks like several inside candidates here.

MLA interviews scheduled by phone (12/20)

UC Davis (TT; 19th c. Lit OR colonial AND/OR postcolonial)
12/8/2011 MLA interview scheduled by e-mail.

11/30/2011 Request for writing sample (x8)

Letters of recommendation requested directly from references on 10/21. /Q: Were they not automatically requested once the application was submitted? A: I am hesitant about the automatic issue. I submitted my application online on September 26 and immediately got an email from the secretary conforming receipt. On Oct 21, my three references (not me) were contacted by the same person requesting that they fill up a customized reference form. / A: Thank you for the explanation. Different poster: my references were contacted a week after I submitted my application (I'd put the interfolio unique addresses - and these were prompted and I had to confirm a pending delivery). I, too, thought the delay was perhaps a good sign since most of the online apps immediately request your references once you push submit. But no need to read into it too much... ;)

My references were also contacted -- now let's see how many get around to actually sending their letters... --> I promise that I'm in no way affiliated with Interfolio, but this is my 3rd year on the job market and my first time using it (previously used my university's dossier service). The "unique" email address for each recommendation that you can put into the online applications is a lifesaver for this worry!

University of Cincinnati (TT; Contemporary French/Francophone Studies)
Skype interview conducted (someone I know, I applied and heard nothing)

University of Illinois at Chicago (TT; 18th Century)
Skype interview scheduled by email (12/08)

Email confirming receipt and saying that references were contacted./ External references asked to write a letter -- did this happen to anyone else?
 * Yes, I believe that is how the application process was supposed to happen

University of Maine at Farmington (TT; generalist)
Skype interviews scheduled by phone 12/2, 12/13

Email confirming receipt of application 10/20 (x3), 10/28, 11/16

Email stating that telephone interviews will take place in Dec. 11/9; 11/16, 11/14

Email requesting more information 11/18 (x3) Q: Were interviews scheduled with these / after these requests? A: No, not so far. (x2)

Rejection letter received by mail. 12/12 (x5 saying that they've received 200-plus applications.)

Q: Are there really over 200 French/Francophone Lit ABD's and PhD's looking for jobs right now?!?!

University of Mount Union
email: receipt of application, 10/21, 11/15, 11/21

Any update on this school?

Phone interview (1/11) (X2)

U of Nebraska, Lincoln (TT; French Cultural Studies)
 email to schedule a MLA interview (12/02) (x3)

University of the Pacific (TT; generalist)
post-MLA interview scheduled (12/19) (x3)

email confirming receipt of application 10/19, 11/18 (x3)

University of Pittsburgh (TT; French/Francophone Studies)
Skype interview held 12/12

Letter confirming receipt of application and stating that Skype interviews will take place in Dec. 11/2, 11/7, 11/18

Great. I got nothing. Anyone else?

Just got a letter stating that selected candidates will be interviewed via skype -- seems like they have not decided who those were yet.

Job interviews will also be conducted by phones at the same dates.

Rejection letter. 12/5 (X8)

No rejection, no interview either 12/15.

University of Puget Sound (VAP of French)
12/20 MLA interview scheduled via phone.

12/27 MLA interview scheduled via email.

Nobody else?

Has anybody heard anything? (12/18) Seems kind of short notice if they are going to schedule MLA interviews.
 * A lot of universities haven't scheduled the MLA interviews yet.

University of San Diego (TT; French and Francophone)
MLA interview scheduled  (Would the person who wrote this tell us when it was scheduled? Thanks!) (Email received on 12/11), via phone on 12/13

Email confirming receipt of application 11/1 (x2), 11/7

Rejection email (12/22) (x3); wait for it...wait for it: rejection email (12/27) (12/28 x 4)

No interview, no rejection email (12/23) I'm right there with you. I must be a spare tire.

University of South Carolina (TT; pre-19th French and Comp Lit)
Email confirming receipt of application and request to complete EEOC form 11/9, 11/22 (x3)

 MLA Interview Scheduled by E-Mail (12/13) (x4)

University of Southern Indiana
 Phone interview scheduled (on Nov 10) 

Anybody else got an interview?

I, too, would love to know something more about this. I know my application is there, but that's all I got.

University of Texas, Austin (TT; 20th/21st century)
Received email to schedule MLA interview (12/09) (×3)

Email confirming receipt of application 10/17, 28/10, 11/22

Email indicates they will inform us of MLA interviews by 12/09

Anyone hear about this today? (12/09)

University of Texas, Brownsville (Lecturer)
MLA interview scheduled (x1)

University of Wisconsin, Madison (TT, Francophone film)
MLA Interview Scheduled by E-Mail (12/16) (x2)

University of Wisconsin-Madison (TT, 20th- 21st-century French prose/theatre, SLA, and/or contemporary culture - Dec. 7)
MLA Interview scheduled by email (12/16) (x3)

12/9/11 : Letter confirming receipt of application and request to complete AA/EEO form. Status update expected after initial screening of applications, which they estimate will be Jan 27, 2012.

They were going to let us know around Jan 27 and it looks like somebody already has an intw lined up???

Right, the "initial screening" is the MLA interviews. Come Jan 27, they will probably be sending rejection letters...unless, of course, they don't find what they are looking for at MLA.

Any news about finalists yet?

Nothing here. They told me at MLA that it very well might not be until early February...

Nothing here either. They told me it would be before the end of January, but it's February 5th and still no word.

Vassar College (TT; Medieval, Renaissance, 17th or 18th centuries)
Email asking for writing sample and sample prospective syllabi 11/16 (x7)

MLA interview request by email 12.15 (x6)

Out of curiosity, when and how were the finalists contacted for their campus visits?

Webster University (Robert Endowed Professor (open rank))
 MLA interview taking place (someone I know, an Assistant Prof) 

Wesleyan University (TT, Post 1840 Literature and/or Culture)
Skype interviews scheduled by phone 12/2, 12/9

On Campus Visit Scheduled 12/19

Rejection (by email) 1/6 (x3) - it's nice that they did send a rejection email, but the timing (middle of the mla) is rather poor. (x3)

Asking references for letters. I suppose that's a good sign... / Q: did you not include reco letters in the initial package? There were required.

'''For those who have an interview, did you get any info about the process/timeline? '''

I don't understand what it means that, ostensibly, only one person got a skype interview. Do you think it means that other interviewees are not on the wiki or not reporting? Or is it something else? Because why would a school schedule one interview so far ahead of the others? A: I've been wondering the same thing!

-- One possible answer: not everyone who applied posts here! --> I believe that it absolutely means this. Look at some of the other jobs where people have posted interviews. Often there are just a couple of people who have added that they have an interview beyond the first poster. Some people don't know about the wiki and others who do prefer just to read. The wiki isn't gospel, but usually if someone posts that they received an interview (or a writing sample request), this is true. Sometimes, they might space out requests, but not too often. The 14 "no"s (add me as 15) mean nothing since they likely got over 100 applications! Good luck for your other applications!

Willamette University (VAP, Contemporary Lit, theory and cultural studies)
''' MLA Interview scheduled by phone (12/14) (X2) and email. MLA interview scheduled by email too (12/14) '''

Email: receipt of application 10/28

Williams College (TT; pre-19th)
MLA Interview scheduled by phone 12/14 (x3)

Email confirming receipt of application and request to complete EEOC form 11/16 (x7)

===Williams College (Visiting Position in Language and Pedagogy; 3 years, non renewable) ===

Yale University (TT; open w/ focus on uncovered field such as 19th/20th poetry)
 MLA interviews scheduled 12/05 (x2) 

Nice rejection email 12/12 (x7)

The deadline just passed. They are reviewing all the applications.

Plenty of places don't send acknowledgments. Maybe you're right and they do have someone in mind; maybe they don't. (still, I'm now trying to find out what 26 can mean...). Good luck to all!

I'm sorry that you did not receive confirmation that they received your application. Perhaps you could contact them if you are concerned that it did not arrive. As the above poster mentioned, many schools don't send acknowledgments. I can assure you that the faculty do not have a particular candidate in mind. There are a few fields in which they are particularly interested because they are not currently covered. Beyond that, we've all seen how hard it is for faculty at any institution to agree on a candidate after the interviews and visits. What are the chances that they all know and agree on someone before the search even begins?! I think we should try to limit the speculations and rumors posted on the wiki. They just create more anxiety in an already stressful situation.

Yale University (Senior Lector-Director of Language Program; 3-5 year contract, renewable)
Received notification that my application would not be continuing to the interview process (11/1)

A candidate has been scheduled to visit campus on 11/18.

Word on the Street
Any statistics on the # of people who found a job in the previous years?

A: specifically in French? If what you're looking for is just "how many found a job", you can look at the wikis from previous years and see roughly how many jobs were offered (most positions probably got filled). If you're looking for statistics on how many people with PhDs in French applied vs. how many got a job (any kind of job, VAP, lecturer, TT), the wiki is less useful because many people don't fill out their status. However, we know about positions that had over 200 applicants. Talking to people around me, most last year either didn't get a job at all (but were lucky to get an extra year of funding from their PhD institution), or got a one-year VAP. Looking at the placement page of PhD granting institutions is also enlightening.

A: The MLA keeps records of the number of people who receive their PhD and who are hired in various fields in a given year. Many years are available on the website, but you might have to search around a bit. I perused the statistics a few years ago. It was informative, but rather depressing.

Stephen Brockmann, a member of the committee at Carnegie Mellon, has produced a take down of the pool in French this year, at least those that his department interviewed. As someone who did interview for this position, I can say that the French portion was incredibly awkward and is completely misrepresented in this article. Four out of five committee members did not speak French; they asked at most two questions, one of which was a yes or no question. I'm amazed that Brockmann, who admits that he does not speak French very well, is so confident in identifying minor mistakes, etc. He seems like a very "confident" person, assuming that the members of committees that interviewed him at the MLA did not know German because the interviews were almost all English... as was the Carnegie Mellon interview.

I guess publishing articles with this sort of info doesn't breech confidentiality, but I guess the next time that I interview I should be aware that a very biased account of my MLA experience could end up on the internet, courtesy of the search committee.
 * Don't forget, we have Universities to fear here on the wiki ...

While obsessing about how many days it might take for some institutions to finish contacting all of the candidates on their MLA lists, I am reminded of an old commercial : Q."How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootise Pop?" A."The world may never know."

^^Awesome! :)

I just want to thank you all for adding a little drama and flair to this year's wiki, which was, let's admit it, getting a bit boring last year. It helps distract one from the unbearable stress of the market.

I would like to add a thumb's up facebook-style "LIKE" to the above comment :-)

Can the person (IP address: 24.38.203.188, apparently logging in from Bridgeport, CT) who deleted some valuable info (16:16, December 8, 2011) stop? The edit cannot be undone because of conflicting edits, and info about MLA interviews has been deleted. This info could be manually re-entered, but it is time-consuming. STOP VANDALIZING. This is a shared space...


 * Thanks for identifying this IP address; it has been temporarily blocked from editing for removing content from pages. Will try to replace some deleted info. Una74 17:44, December 8, 2011 (UTC)
 * so, I'm friends with the person who got kicked off, and everybody, you can sleep a bit easier tonight, knowing that this person was not part of a Big Conspiracy to Vandalize this Wiki. Just an honest mistake, confusing options about saving changes or deleting them or something. They tried to contact the administrator but even that didn't work because the IP was blocked. Could you please restore access? We all know the job search process is stressful but no use in getting paranoid.
 * The IP has been unblocked. Please let your friend know to be more careful when working with the page. Yes, everyone is stressed at this time -- so it's not surprising for people to freak out when interview requests disappear from the page. It also creates a big hassle for users and administrators. So please, be considerate and careful. If this type of deleting shows up again (inadvertent or otherwise), users may be blocked, again. That said, best of luck to all with their searches. Una74 03:36, December 9, 2011 (UTC)

I was frustrated to see that things had been deleted, since it's an already stressful process. Luckily, I checked the page this morning on my iPad and haven't refreshed it since. So, I thought I would provide the numbers that are listed under status that have now been skewed in case the administrator wants to restore them (or just an FYI for those of us checking the page regularly). These would have been the numbers as of 9:00 CST on Dec 8.

Position, Currently in TT job: 6, PhD in hand, currently in non-TT job: 11, PhD in hand, currently unemployed: 6, VAP: 6, Adjunct: 2, Other:__, ABD, but looking to defend this year: 25, ABD in non-TT job:2

Field, Francophone: 14, Medieval: 5, Renaissance: 4, 17th: 3, 18th: 5, 19th: 11, 20th/21st: 11, SLA/Pedagogy (language and culture): 1, Linguistics and sociolinguistics: 1, Other? Define

Language Background, Native speaker:10, Non-native speaker: 28, Heritage speaker: 1

For those of you who applied to Eckerd, you may want to refer to last year's wiki page. It sounds like some undesirable business went on and you may want to be aware of this if you are not already.

You should actually bring it up in the interview when it's your time to ask questions. Let's face it--no one wants to walk into that job anyway, so if everyone used the interview as a throwaway and asked the committee about last year's shenanigans, that would be GREAT!

Does anyone know why Saint Mike's (in Vermont) is doing another search?

A: My understanding is that they are either building or losing someone to retirement. They knew as soon as last year that they wanted to hire more folks, but i suppose they can only get one line at time.

Can folks who keep deleting info (Eckerd, Wesleyan) stop? This is a wiki, even if some info seems irrelevant to you, it is relevant and helpful to other people.

does anyone know if there is a section for Postdocs in French? (and francophone -- whatever that is supposed to mean....)

A: They are listed on the Humanities and Social Science Postdocs wiki page.

(From UC-Davis section: No infomercials for Interfolio, please. The $300 + I have had to spend on Interfolio is a source of financial concern. The fact that they bill us $6 to send an e-mail or to send a letter via regular mail is a source of outrage. I'd rather contact my references than give more money to the scam artists at Interfolio.


 * I completely understand what you're saying - the whole dossier service thing stinks. My university's dossier service is much more expensive than Interfolio ($8 for an email, $10 for a letter and a $60 annual fee, and they will only email rec letters and transcripts! so I had to pay for postage for the rest of the app), so Interfolio is actually a good deal for me.)
 * Well, Interfolio is a for-profit company and they offer a decent service that you can choose to use or not use. If any financial outrage is to be expressed, it should be directed at the MLA which routinely charges people not just for membershig AND access to the job list, but for access to the convention center ($145, unless you are unemployed) which is sadly where many schools choose to conduct their interviews. You have no choice about that. I think I have easily syphoned around $2000 into the MLA!
 * IS REGISTERING ACTUALLY NECESSARY? I'd really like to know, because I may or may not have interviews at the MLA this year, but I wasn't planning on actually registering if I attended. I went to MLA when it was in SF, and had no problem walking around, going to panels, checking out the publishers tables, and so forth without registering. Do you think it would be a problem to go to my interview without registering for the conference? A: on the MLA website, it says you have to register for the convention to go to interviews, but I don't know what would happen if you didn't. A2: Last year, in order to enter the ballroom, where most interviews took place, you needed to show your badge. However, if you have an interview in a hotel suite, you don't need to show your badge. A3: you can wait until you know where your interviews are, and register only if you need to access the job center. Some interviews indeed take place in hotel suites, in which case there's no need to register (except in the event you'd like to attend some talks; there are people checking registration badges, and they won't let you in if you don't have your tag). Good luck to all!
 * I could not agree more! Coming from the East Coast last year I spent over $1,000 for airfare, hotel, registratrion fees for the convention, membership fees just for one 30-minute interview. Obviously, this is my choice, but the problem is that the ADFL very strongly encourages universities to go through the MLA Convention for interviews, to the point of disparaging universities who do not follow this format. Given the current market (and the economic state of things), it's become unfeasible for grad students/adjuncts to dish out so much money for one or two interviews. Back in the day when 5-6 interviews were common, this made more sense. Also, having the convention two years in a row on the west coast really stinks for those of us on the east coast - the majority of grad students.
 * I never heard that the majority of grad students was coming from the East Coast, and if I recall correctly, the MLA has been hold several times on the East Coast these past few years between Philly, and DC
 * I'm not the original poster, but the person is correct. There are more universities and colleges on the East Coast than the West Coast of the US. So this applies to people who are in one-year positions (75% of small liberal arts colleges in the US are on the East Coast).

THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH INCIVILITY AND IMMATURITY. IT SAYS AN AWFUL LOT ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, I'M AFRAID. IF THIS IS YOUR FORUM FOR BEING A SMARTASS TO EVERYONE AROUND YOU JUST BECAUSE OF YOUR ANXIETY ABOUT A JOB SEARCH, THEN PLEASE STOP POSTING TO THE SITE.

Come on, my friend! No need for big words. Unfortunately, the "future" of higher education does not depend so much upon us, the job seekers, but rather on committees and an administration that act like corporations. And let's face it, nepotism plays a great deal in a job search. Not always but quite often. Maybe the person who ventured to make speculations about the Yale job exagerated a great deal but he/she was not totally wrong either. If you check the wiki site from last year, you'll see that people speculated about such and such position. And yes, MLA/ADFL are expensive adventures for both schools and graduate students/adjuncts/ lecturers/junior faculty.

Agreed with the above poster. Also, "shouting" (i.e. using all caps) is not a sign of maturity either. I too have heard from various faculty members that the Yale job search was for basically for show and that they have someone in mind. How to prove it? Impossible I suppose, but pointing to the fact that no one at Yale is admitting to this, as proof that the process is genuine is silly. As far as the MLA convention, I think it is pretty nuts to have us all trek across the country to interview in the age of Skype. Of course if you think Seattle is far, you must not have heard about next year's locale for the MLA convention: Anchorage! ;-)

--> Before any false rumors and unneeded worries start (hmm... a sign of maturity?), next year's Convention is in Boston: http://www.mla.org/conv_papers. // I think we would all do well to try not to take all this quite so seriously. Let's face it: we are very well educated and we're not going to be homeless. We're going to get jobs of some kind, I think, even if they're not the holy grail TT specialist research jobs.

You're right, it is useful to remain positive. In light of how horrible the U.S. economy is, we're in a better position than many other people who are looking for work. Having said that, plenty of Ph.D.s in the Humanities are unemployed. Five are listed at the top of our Wiki! Forget about TT jobs (research specialist or generalist), many of us have been unable to land any form of academic employment at any level - instructorship and part-time adjunct positions included. Of course earning a Ph.D. does not entitle us to employment, but it's disappointing to accept that we may never even get a shot at the profession for which we trained for several years. That is where much of the anxiety and frustration stems from.

______________

Is there a quick way to figure out which jobs are for a lecturer with ability to teach another language besides French? (like Italian, for example)...

A: Not sure what you mean; a couple of jobs on the MLA list are for multilingual people (French & Spanish mostly, at College of Marin, Indiana Wesleyan, etc.). I guess you could cross search by checking Italian and French? Good luck.

Holiday greetings: happy holidays to everyone on the French & Francophone wiki. All the best in your job search, plan B, and everything else (some people call this everything else "life", apparently).

I would like to second the holiday wishes to everyone. This is my first year on the job market and it has proven to be such a stressful and emotionally draining period - I wish you all much luck in your searches, interviews, and your academic careers and I hope that everyone gets at least a brief respite between now and the MLA to enjoy the holidays and forget the stress of the market. Bon courage et bonnes fêtes à vous toutes et tous!

someone in Lyon doesn't like the MLA/interview tally -- it is perhaps less useful than hurtful... --> I tend to agree with this. Everyone who reads it but the one person with 11 interviews (or whatever the figure was) can feel not so good about themselves. What good does it do to know that we have less (or more) interviews than others? There's no rhyme or reason to any of this and why post something that can potentially add any more stress than we're already under?

Isn't this why we go on this wiki: to find out likely unpleasant information we have no business knowing? -- I thought so too.

The MLA convention is near; good luck to everyone who has (an) interview(s)!

What would people think about moving all non-search specific updates (speculations about inside candidates, pros and cons of Interfolio, etc) to a separate section? Perhaps we could also include a section for general questions and answers about how searches work because some of the recent posts (not receiving a rejection letter, for example) are just part of the process and don't tell us anything about how a particular search is progressing. As the MLA approaches, it would be nice to keep updates lean and mean so that people can locate pertinent info as quickly as possible.

A: Perhaps a fairly easy way to make locating info quick would just be to put most recent updates at the top of each section, right under the name of the school? Thus, at this stage, MLA or Skype interviews should be at the top, right under the name of each school, then we'd move on and put campus visits at the top, etc. Info about interfolio is already in a specific section ("Word on the Street").

To the person asking about Webster: since I could not retrieve the info I recreated the section. If you remember anything, please post.

Relevant Reading/Viewing
Job sites: The Chronicle, MLA, higheredjobs.com, insidehighered.com, HERC

Blogs: Get a Life, PhD,

Relevant to anyone in the humanities: Why Graduate Students Ignore Warnings about the Job Market ; No, You Cannot be a Professor