Spanish 2009-2010

Good luck to everybody with their search!

 * Visitor Type:


 * ABD, not defending soon: 7
 * ABD, defending within 4-6 months: 22
 * ABD, I have a set date for my defense: 2
 * ABD, no defense at my U: 5
 * Ph.D. in hand: 16
 * Visiting Professor, Lecturer: 9
 * Assistant Professor: 11
 * Postdoc: 1
 * Member of a Search Committee: 1
 * Just browsing: 3


 * Specialty:


 * Latin American: 21
 * Colonial: 2
 * Independence era: 3
 * Modern/Contemporary: 11
 * Southern Cone: 2
 * Caribbean: 2
 * Brazilian: 2


 * Peninsular: 25
 * Medieval: 3
 * Siglo de Oro/Colonial: 9
 * XVIII-XIX:
 * XIX- XX: 11
 * XX-XXI: 3
 * US Hispanic:1
 * Linguistics: 4
 * Consider yourself a Generalist: 8


 * How many applications have you sent out?


 * 1-10: 15
 * 10-20: 17
 * 21-30: 5
 * 31-40: 5
 * 41 and above: 3

MLA interviews scheduled:
[NOTE: Please add the school at the bottom of the list and put the date in parenthesis. Thanks. **The date you received the call/email, not the date of the interview!**]


 * Dominican University (11/10)
 * Washington College (in Maryland), (11/23). Q. For which position? The tenure-track or the visiting? (11/30) (TT position)
 * College of Charleston (11/24)
 * American University (11/30) Q: Which position? Q: How did they contact you, phone or email? Thanx! Emai, 11/‚
 * Monmouth College (12/1) email
 * Indiana U (not sure when--second hand)
 * Trinity U (12/1) phone
 * Bethel College (11/24) email
 * Manhattan College (11/18) email
 * Brandeis University (12/2) email -no one else has heard from Brandeis? (2x)
 * Grinnell College (12/3 x2) phone (be prepared, Grinnell asks some intense questions) (I second that: Make sure to have examples of books for all the courses they teach, that's what they asked me last year, It didn't went well for me, good luck, yeah and be prepared to have 5 seconds to recite random 50 minute class plans)
 * North Carolina, Greensboro. (Phone, 12/02)
 * U of San Diego (Phone 12/4) (2x)
 * U Penn (email, 12/4). Q: The Latin American or Peninsular position?   A: Lat Am. (2x) A: Peninsular (1) Q: When (for the peninsular position)? A: email, 12/4. Q: Anyone else?
 * University of Oregon (Phone 12/4)
 * Saint Ambrose University (email, 12/7)(x2)
 * Central Michigan University (Phone 12/7)(x2)
 * Columbia College, Chicago (Phone 12/7) Q: What position?
 * Albion College (Email, 12/7)

Phone interviews scheduled:
[NOTE: Please add the school at the bottom of the list and put the date in parenthesis. Thanks. **The date you received the call/email, not the date of the interview!**]


 * Albright College - Phone Interview (11/5), Phone Interview (11/6)
 * Susquehanna University - Phone Interview (11/7), they will do campus interviews on first week of Dec., and make an offer before the MLA, Phone Interview (11/8).
 * Hastings College - phone interview scheduled for 11/18 (11/16)
 * University of West Georgia- phone interview scheduled for 12/8 (2)  Q. When they sent the notice? by email or phone? A. Phone Q For which position? Latin American or Peninsular? Latin American A. And Peninsular   Q: When were you called to schedule foracademicjobs.wikia.com verdad, el dia exacto ne se' pero seri'a hace una semana.
 * Westminster College - phone interview scheduled for 12/4
 * Wake Forest University (11/26)
 * Berry College (12/1)
 * Albion College (12/3) (12/4)
 * University of Alabama (12/4) x2.
 * U Penn (Latin American position) 12/4 (anyone else?) No one has heard anything for the Peninsular position? // I was wondering the same thing about the Peninsular position, as I've heard nothing so far. // a phone interview? not in the MLA? // They are probably just doing some initial scouting before deciding on finalists to interview at MLA. But who knows? The position was also open to 'exceptional senior candidates,' so there could be some informal discussions going on. An email for an MLA interview was received on 12/4 (see above).
 * Auburn University (12/4)
 * Illinois State University (12/4)

Video interviews scheduled:
[NOTE: Please add the school at the bottom of the list and put the date in parenthesis. Thanks. **The date you received the call/email, not the date of the interview!**]


 * University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse (12/3) (x2) Wow! this should be interesting (techie and all!) good luck!
 * University of Missouri (12/4) (2x)

Campus Visits Scheduled:
[NOTE: Please add the school at the bottom of the list and put the date in parenthesis. Thanks. **The date you received the call/email, not the date of the interview!**]


 * University of Western Ontario (Oct- Nov '09)


 * Albright College (Nov'09)
 * Susquehanna U. - (Nov '09) (2)
 * Morningside College (Nov '09)

Offers Made:

 * Western Ontario (Nov. 25)


 * Morningside College (Nov. 25) - Accepted [CONGRATULATIONS! x4] Parabéns!

Canceled Searches

 * Highpoint U
 * Virginia Tech Q. Which position? The tenure-track or the instructor?


 * A: I believe the tenure-track search was canceled and changed to an "Instructor" position instead (ugh).


 * Illinois Wesleyan position "transformed" into a 2-year non-tenure position

Rejections:
[NOTE: Please add the school at the bottom of the list and put the date in parenthesis. Thanks.]


 * Benedictine College (e-mail, 11/3)
 * Wofford College (letter, 10/20)
 * American University (e-mail, 12/4)
 * Middle Tennessee SU (e-mail 12/4)
 * Morningside C (very polite email, 12/7)

Does anybody know about...

 * Fairfield University?
 * British Columbia (Peninsular): anyone received phone call/email to schedule interview at MLA? UBC, as most Canadian universities, don't interview people at MLA
 * Dartmouth (XIX C): anyone received phone call/email to schedule interview at MLA?
 * Dartmouth (Media)?
 * U of Michigan (Peninsular) : anyone received phone call/email to schedule interview at MLA? A: Committee is still reviewing applications. I'd wager they will start contacting people next week (Insider knowledge)
 * USC (Peninsular) : anyone received phone call/email to schedule interview at MLA?
 * Clemson U (Peninsular): anyone received phone call/email to schedule interview at MLA? Nope...
 * How about Marist College (Generalist)? Anyone have any news? I've checked their job application website and it appears that none of my letters are uploaded to the site yet. I'm wondering if they have yet to contact my references? Or have they written me off already? A: none of my letters are uploaded either so I guess they haven't asked for them yet.
 * U of South Florida? (Peninsular) As of the middle of last week, I was under the impression that they hadn't started narrowing down candidates. HR did not turn over the list of candidates until 11/30. 
 * The Medieval/Early Modern Positions (Williams, Chicago, Kentucky, Washington C., Trinity C, etc.? Thanks

A: ''I know that at Williams they received many applications this year. And that they haven't still gone over all of them. Probably next week.''

Q&A or comments:
1. Can we try keeping this alphabetical...

A. Es mas facil ubicar la informacion si esta ordenada cronologicamente, que por orden alfabetico...

A. No sé por qué sería más fácil cronológicamente...parece que lo estamos haciendo por orden alfabético.

A. Look at other disciplines in past years. The ones that do it alphabetically AND have a lot of activity, it gets to be difficult to monitor different positions. When you apply to 30/40/50 places, it's easier to keep track of MLA and campus interviews by the date they get placed here.

A. The "Submitted applications" section should definitely be kept in alphabetical order. Anything else would be best kept in chronological order.

A. I applied to 100 jobs last year, and the chronological order didn't help me.

A. 100 jobs? The help you need dependeth not on the order of the Wiki. :)

A. LOL. Just keep the alphabetical as usual. Chronological makes no sense.

A. As usual??? Makes no sense??? take a look at last year's wiki. It was chronological http://academicjobs.wikia.com/wiki/Spanish_2008-2009 as well as the year before http://academicjobs.wikia.com/wiki/SpanishPositions

A. Change can be good. Let's embrace the changes.

A. SOOOOOOO... "Submitted Application Status" in alphabetical (this category will be compressed and/or disappear anyway as more significant news starts to arise), and everything else in chronological order? That sounds good to me, even though I was initially one of the above voices of support for alphabetical order.

A. Great! Gotta love some consensus!

A. Why some people is deleting comments? Censorship here? OH, PLEASE! Lets go by the chronological order.


 * PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL AND PROFESSIONAL.*

A. 1) 100 positions? I applied to 10 last year, and still got a t-t position. This year I am part of a search committee in Spanish, and reading all materials we can easily discard those that "apply to everything" because they have no clue what this position is about; they did not spend time personalizing their dossiers because they were too busy applying to 100 positions. Get some help, as someone said. La gente a veces tiene que "apply to everything" porque tiene que comer, alimentar a sus hijos. Como se puede ser tan soberbio...y pensar que gente como tu esta en los search comittees...ahora si que veo que me equivoque de profesion...por favor, un poco de respeto con todo el mundo.

A.) According to your "logic" then you should have only applied to one! What a braggart!

A) The problem, at least for me, is that many job descriptions are really vague, and it is not really clear what do they want in concrete. Sometimes, it seems, that is because even the insitution is not really defined and are differences among people. Other it is because they are not really clear in what they want.
 * 2) Some people is talking the way our kids is learning (Bush dixit).

2. ¿Qué significa AA?

A. AA es la forma de "Affirmative Action."

A. Alternate meaning: Alcoholics Anonymous. You may need their help after a year on the job market...

A. Thanks. Yes, I recently learned about the high incidence of AA and NA in academia.....note to self....

A. Anxious Academics. I do not know if it is me or the universities are taking much more time to contact people this year. By this time last year, I had 2 interviews scheduled for the MLA.

A. Anxious Academics is right! I have 2 MLA interviews as of now, but so many schools are still completely MIA...no ackn. letters, nothing, nada. I guess next week we will all be overloaded with responses? Maybe not.

A. I agree that things seem to be going a little slower (and of course lower). Thanksgiving was late this year--that could be part of it, and also a higher number than usual had their deadlines between the 20th of November and the 1st of December.

3. What about including open positions for Spanish language/literature in European universities?

A. If you have some news on them, go ahead and put it up! There is nobody moderating this Wiki, just add it yourself.

A. Here's one: &nbsp http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AAG219/college-lecturership-in-spanish/ &nbsp; And you may be able to find more in days to come at www.jobs.ac.uk.

4. Anyone know what happened to the "MLA interviews scheduled" information from last year's Wiki? Or have some record of it? Although I remember more or less, I would be interested to know when interviews really started to come along.

A. They started appearing right after thanksgiving, if I am not mistaken... That part got deleted after a while in last year's wiki. But check the year before last (someone already posted the link above) you'll see it's after thanksgiving that things start moving quickly.

A. Yes, after thanksgiving is the usual. Dont get so anxious... yet...

5.Any advise as to possible answers for the question&gt; How would you teach X or Y course? (first timer here!)

A: If you have already an interview, and know which classes they teach usually and might want you to teach, you should prepare a short class description, with readings and some activities that may help you to give concrete examples. If you want to go further you can always prepare a full syllabus, but that may be too much. Hope it helps.

A: It is impossible to prepare possible syllabi for all courses being taught in every university you apply. But have at least 2 or 3 syllabi ready for courses you would "ideally" teach. Now, have you taught anything at all? If yes, then you're fine. Think of activities that worked really well, lesson plans that you were proud of, and modify them accordingly to the question they pose. Explain 1) methodology to prepare the class and syllabus (language/literature: what is the main drive force behind the course?) and 2) exemplify how a typical class would work with examples of things that worked in your classes. Important always: specific examples: that will keep them asking you more

6. Why am i checking this website obsessively?

A. The same reason I am, it gives you a sense of control over something you have no control over. LOL. Good luck on your job hunt! :) This must be AM.

7. nothing much on this wiki this year... besides a reduced market, maybe not enough people know about it

A. Nothing has happened yet, hence nothing on the Wiki. (11/29)

8. Someone deleted an exchange about postdoc. Please don't do that. In any case, here goes again the link http://academicjobs.wikia.com/wiki/Humanities_and_Social_Science_Postdocs_2009-2010

9. *Colleges scheduling MLA interviews by e-mail? What a lack of glamour...

A.Seems pretty reasonable to me--it's just a first round interview, not a campus visit. Search committees don't want to spend their time playing phone tag with a dozen people.

A. Lack of glamour? why? A. There's nothing glamorous about a job search process, i think.

R. Well, if you're one of the 8-10 people who made the cut (among 80, 100 candidates?) I assume you deserve a phone call. We're worth more than a few cents, I think...

A. Don't take it so personally. Think of it from an administrative standpoint: you have to schedule a day and time with all of these people...if you're lucky, maybe you get some of them on the first ring...you leave a message with the available times with the rest...then play phone tag and try to sort out their preferences one by one. Or, you just email everyone, get their preferences in writing, plug them into your document, and it's a done deal. Basically, I'd get over the idea that you "deserve" anything as a candidate in this market, or that menial administrative tasks are any indication of your "worth" as a candidate. As you'll soon be painfully aware, you're not the one calling the shots! Good luck regardless, but I'd recommend getting over the desire to be some kind of sought after gem; it's only going to make you seem like a prima donna. And BTW, 80-100 might be a low estimate; I'm aware of positions that got 250+ applications last year. May we all be thankful to get an email scheduling an interview!!!

R. I agree with you: candidates should not take the process personally. On the other hand, I don't consider myself a "sought after gem," so that's not the issue here. My point was that all candidates (not just myself) deserve at least a phone call instead of an email that says "ok, see ya in a crowded hotel, good luck, and don't get stuck in the elevator."

A: Dang! I could care less if my interview message comes via e-mail, phone, smoke signals, whatever! At this point I just want to know.

10. What is a muleteer? (see visitor type section above). Is this a Quijote reference or do you mean that you travel between various part-time teaching gigs and get paid next to nothing? (If it is a Quijote reference, then at my current job I feel as exploited as la pobre Maritornes, but this year hope to "marry up" or move up professionally-speaking and become more like the astute Dorotea!)

A. I took it as a bit of sarcasm regarding the over-the-top specificity of the "self-identification" section with regard to seemingly irrelevant factors...for example, native speaker vs. non-native speaker vs. heritage speaker. But perhaps that was just my reading. And by the way, how many of us have green eyes? Brown eyes? Blue?

A. Please also include your over-the-top specificity for your coffee at Starbucks.

11. U Penn: Did anyone else have problems with their referees not receiving the automated email requesting letters for U Penn? 3 of mine received it a week ago and uploaded their letter, but my advisor says she never got the email. And the website gives no contact info for technical help- just the provost's office. Ay ay ay.//Yes, I am having the same problem, only 2/3 of my letters are up on their internal HR site. SAME HERE... .// Me too, problems with referees not receiving automated email requesting letters. If you ask your referees to send letters directly to dept., they (clerks) do not upload letters in your file.

12. What does "2x" mean?

A. It means 'two times', but read it as 'two people' (i.e. two people agree, two people have been contacted...etc)

A: It means (at least as far as I understood it in other entries throughout the wiki) "por 2" so that 2 persons had been requested an interview, it is a way to not repeat the same.

A. It makes sense when two people have scheduled interviews, are contacted, etc., but it's not particularly helpful when used as in "I second this question" (see the "Brandeis U" entry in "MLA Interviews Scheduled" or "USC" in question #11 above). Adding "x2" to a question doesn't clarify or add urgency, but rather confuses the issue of whether this is a response or a question.

13. It is my first time on the MLA. Does anybody have recommendations? What should I take with me? Thanks!!!

A. for 1. ideas on how to answer the staple questions (course offerings, dissertation summary and new project) 2. confidence, 3. ear plugs 4. notebook, the common sense stuff. there are plenty of tips in the Chronicle of Higher Ed, which probably explains why no one has taken the trouble to respond to your query. Good luck!

A: If you have an interview, congrats for the interview!! let's start from the most simple: you should think in bringing clothes that would really take the question of dressing out of your mind, and of your interviewers. You also should think in bringing something that might help you to distract, a book that you might want to read, music, that is, something that helps relaxing you and does not add to your stress, as well as bringing your materials for the interview. Check the school, see what they might want you to teach, be prepared to give them short class descriptions of those clases, as well as your dream class. Have a nice description of how you teach a class, what is your research. Prepare a few questions for them. Check the MLA or the Chronicle, and ask your advisors for more developed advice. Finally, enjoy Philly, which is a great city. Buena Suerte!!

14. Do grad students that are only going to the MLA Convention for an interview have to pay the registration/membership (i.e. I know that the interviews in the large cattle-call room require a badge but what if you just have 1 hotel suite interview - do you think the interviewers know/care?)?

A: Congrats for the interview! After that, if you have all the information about the room hotel and that, I do not think they might care. However, that implies probably that you would not be able to use any of the information center of the convention if something happens. I would pay, just to take the doubt from my mind. That is, if you are having an interview you want to really focus on important stuff and not on an imaginary "what if" that only distracts you and put you more nervous. Also remember that you can still get another interview and if it is in the massive and hellish room you would need to have your registration for sure, so again, I would take the problem of my mind and pay. Good luck!

15. Okay, today is Monday Dec. 7.  STILL waiting for that phone to ring. Almost in panic mode/full-scale tears and depression mode. When should I give up on the phone ringing? Or, when is the latest they could call in your experience? Have already tried distracting myself with exercise, work, reading, and shopping. Please advise.

A. I think the search season is just now getting underway. My sense is that this year the calls are going to come mostly this week and next. So I think we've all really got until the 18th or so before we need to start thinking the worst. My fabulous predictions, by the way, are based on how late we're all getting acknowledgement receipts of our applications this year as opposed to years past, as well as bits and pieces I'm hearing from people on search committees. So hang in there. Don't distract yourself, though, just make sure you've got all your interview materials lined up and ready to go! Good luck!

A: I do agree with you. I have also heard from people who's been called during the MLA. It is not normally the case but it can happen... If you compare the job list with the wiki, there are plenty of institutions who haven't called yet so we have to be patient...good luck!

A. They can call you even at the 24th. So, you get the idea.


 * Note new section above: "Does anybody know about..." for asking about particular jobs/schools!

Submitted Application Status:
(this seems entirely useless to me'; maybe once MLA interviews start kicking in we can delete this??? please do not erase anything, what is useless for you is useful for others / ditto! This is not useless information for some. Please do not erase. // Q: Has anyone recieve writing sample or other documents request so far beyond Vanderbilt and Indiana U? (23/11)//  //A: Warren Wilson, Amherst have requested more materials.

Q: Is this section still helpful to most, or is it ok to start deleting it since supposedly we are now moving on to the "Interviews Scheduled" stage? I think we should just leave it since I'm sure there is somebody who might need it. Besides, it takes less than a second to scroll past.

A: How about we move it to the bottom of the page? I'm doing this now.

A: Well, at least this solution allows people for next year to check it if they want to see when things started to happend. Also, there are still people putting new stuff here since there are schools that are a bit late in the process, so moving it instead of erasing seems a good idea.

Albion College-letter with AA 09/11, 11/16, phone call scheduled to talk about the position (12/3)

Albright College - letter with AA form 10/1

Amherst College - letter requesting more materials 11/23

Angelo State University - Ackn. e-mail 9/25

Augustana College - Ackn. e-mail 10/26

Bates College - Mail ackn. with AA form, Ackn. mail 12/3

Berry College - letter with AA form 10/07

Birmingham-Southern College - Ackn. e-mail 10/5, 10/27, 11/17

Brandeis University - Ackn. e-mail 10/22; Ackn. e-mail 11/9; Ackn. e-mail 11/24 (2)

Clemson U - Ack. letter and AA form 11/16

College of Charleston - Ackn. e-mail 11/16

Colorado College - Ackn. email 9/30, 10/30 (3)

Connecticut College - Ackn. email and AA 12/7

Emory and Henry College - letter with AA form 10/14

Franklin College - letter with AA form 10/27, 10/28, letter 11/18

Georgia State University - Ackn. email 11/16

Georgia Gwinnett College Q: any news? A. This is a very weird place because they want several people for next year, some at different ranks, and they did not post any deadline. After that, they said they also wanted people for January. Plus, being a new university founded in 2005 you never know what their plan is. We will have to keep on waiting.// Thanks, is good to know this.

Grinnell- Ackn. email 11/11 (2); Ackn. e-mail; candidates who will be interviewed at MLA will be notified in early December (11/19);

Hamilton College - Ackn. email 10/23, 11/10

Harvard email 12/1

Hastings College - letter with AA form 9/28

Illinois Wesleyan University - Ackn. email and confirming that the position has been transformed into a 2-year visiting 11/3 (X2)
 * new version of job add says 1-year

Indiana University - request of writing sample 11/13, ackn. email 11/19

Jacksonville U: ??

John Carroll University: Ackn email, 12/1

Kennesaw State U - letter with AA form 10/7

King's College - Mail ackn. 11/5, letter with AA form 10/12

Lycoming College: Ackn email 12/07

Middle Tennessee SU (MTSU) - Ackn.email 10/27

Missouri Southern State University - Ackn. e-mail 10/16

Monmouth College - Ackn. e-mail 11/2  (3)

Morningside College - Ackn. e-mail 11/5

Mount Royal University (Canada) - Ackn. e-mail 11/17

MMSU - Ackn. e-mail 11/11

Northern Kentucky U - letter with AA form 10/15

Portland State University - ackn. email and AA form 11/17 (2)

Penn State at Berks - Ackn. e-mail 10/16 (2)

Rice - Ackn. e-mail 11/02 (2)

Sam Houston State University - Ackn. letter 12/2

Southern Methodist University - Ackn. e-mail 11/05

Southeast Missouri State U- letter 11/13

St. Ambrose U- email with AA 11/17

St. Bonaventure U - Ackn. e-mail 11/9

Stony Brook, SUNY: ??

SUNY New Paltz - Mail ackn. with AA form 11/5 (3)

The College of Wooster - Ackn. e-mail 11/13

The University of British Columbia - Ackn. letter 11/17

Towson University - letter with AA form 10/23

U of Alabama: Ackn letter with AA 11/18

U of British Columbia - Ackn. letter 11/23

U of Colorado Boulder - Ackn. e-mail 10/30

U of Delaware - Mail ackn. with AA form 10/29, 10/20, 10/23

U of Evansville letter 11/4

U of Kansas - Ackn. e-mail 11/2; Ackn. e-mail 10/19, Ackn. e-mail 11/10; Ack. e-mail 11/23

U of Kentucky - Ackn. e-mail 10/27

U of Massachusetts Dartmouth - Ack. e-mail with AA form (12/4 x3)

U of Michigan Ann Arbor - Ackn. e-mail 10/20 (3)

U of Missouri at Columbia - Ackn. email w.AA form (11/13)

U of Oregon - Ackn. email will AA form 11/17

U of Puget Sound, Ackn letter with AA 12/4

U of San Diego - Mail ackn. 11/5; Ackn. e-mail 11/13

U of Southern California - Ackn. email 11/10 (2)

U of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Q: any news?

Vanderbilt - email requesting more documents 11/11

Virginia Tech instructor - Ackn. e-mail 10/9

Warren Wilson College - Ackn. e-mail 11/9, AA 16/10, 10/29; email requesting more information (11/30)

Washington College - Ackn. e-mail 10/3, 10/29

Williams College - letter with AA form 10/06, letter 11/3

WPI - Ackn. e-mail 10/12, ackn. email 12/4, ackn. email 12/4 also