French and Francophone Studies 2011-2012

Position
Currently in TT job: 4

PhD in hand, currently in non-TT job: 11

PhD in hand, currently unemployed: 6

VAP: 5

Adjunct: 2

Other:

ABD, but looking to defend this year: 24

ABD in non-TT job:2

Field
Francophone: 13

Medieval: 5

Renaissance: 4

17th: 3

18th: 5

19th: 10

20th/21st: 10

SLA/Pedagogy (language and culture): 1

Linguistics and sociolinguistics: 1

Other? Define

Language Background
Native speaker:9

Non-native speaker: 27

Heritage speaker: 1

American University (DC) (TT, 20th and 21st century literature, cultural studies, or francophone studies)
Email confirming receipt of application 10/4, 10/20, 10/21, 10/28, 11/09

MLA interview scheduled by email 11/23

Has anyone else heard from AU (interview invitation or rejection)?

Austin College (TX) (TT, open)
Email confirming receipt of application 10/21,10/25 (X2), 11/15

Augustana College
Letter confirming receipt of application 12/2

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

Bowling Green State University (TT, Francophone )
email confirming receipt of application 11/02, letter confirming receipt of application 11/02

Skype interview scheduled by telephone (11/22) (x2)

Carnegie Mellon (TT, French and Francophone studies)
Email acknowledgment of receipt of application 10/28 (x3)

College of Wooster (TT, pre-20th century)
Email confirming receipt of application 11/11 (x9), 11/15

Email scheduling MLA interview 11/28 (x7)

Dartmouth (TT, Francophone)
Email acknowledgement of receipt of application 10/21

Email request for an interview at the MLA 12/02 (x2)

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

Eckerd College (TT, Generalist)
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...

Fordham University (TT, Theater)
MLA interview scheduled by phone 11/17 (x5).

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)
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 :-(

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

Hendrix College (TT; Generalist)
E-mail acknowledgement of receipt of application: 11/29

Hobart and Smith Colleges (TT; Nineteenth-century, Medieval/Renaissance)
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.

Lewis and Clark College (TT; Contemporary France)
Email acknowledgment of receipt of application (10/20)

Linfield College (TT, Francophone African Studies)
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 francophoniste 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).

I bet you're right. Thanks for clearing that up!

Thanks for clearing things up, but then now we are back to square one. Do you think this is an inside search? The male VAP featured on the Modern Language faculty profiles has ALL the features of the candidate they are looking for.

Well, so did the junior faculty from last year, so it's clearly the profile they want and need. As for the rest, being an inside candidate is not always a good thing, so I wouldn't worry too much about this for the moment.

I know for a fact that this is not an internal candidate thing. Trust me. I am a Dr.

Luther College (Assistant Professor of French)
Email acknowledgement of receipt of application 10/28 11/04 11/14 11/21 (x3)

''' contacted via email for a phone interview. '''

Q: Has anyone else scheduled an interview? A: Not me. (x2)

Marlboro College (Assistant Prof, TT)
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.

Just sharing information. No arrogance intended.

Michigan State University - TT Assistant, 17th-18th-century French lit - Dec. 12
===Mills College (TT or tenured; pre-nineteenth-century literature focusing on a theoretical engagement with non-European cultures, particularly the Arab/Islamic world)===
 * 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

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

Email stating that will not a candidate for MLA interview. (x2) 11/29

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

Rutgers U Camden (TT; Francophone Studies or 18th/19th Centuries; media and the arts; hybrid identities; the history of colonization)
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!

MLA interview scheduled (12/02)

Saint Michael's College, VT
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. Did you hear by phone or by email?

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

San Francisco State University (TT, Assistant Professor, 19th and 20th century French Lit and Culture)
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.

Sarah Lawrence College (TT; 19th/20th Lit and/or Francophone)
Anyone else get nothing at all? x13 - online apps = silence

Smith College (TT; contemporary)
Email confirming receipt of application 10/23

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

UC Davis (TT; 19th c. Lit OR colonial AND/OR postcolonial)
11/30/2011 Request for writing sample (x9)

Could we keep the  formating for interview only

Letters of recommedation 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 Illinois at Chicago (TT; 18th Century)
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)
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 (x4) Q: Were interviews scheduled with these / after these requests? A: No, not so far. (x2)

Skype interviews scheduled by phone 12/2

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

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

University of the Pacific (TT; generalist)
email confirming receipt of application 10/19, 11/18 (x2)

University of Pittsburgh (TT; French/Francophone Studies)
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 (X3)

University of San Diego (TT; French and Francophone)
Email confirming receipt of application 11/1 (x2), 11/7

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)

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

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

Vassar College (TT; Medieval, Renaissance, 17th or 18th centuries)
Email asking for writing sample and sample prospective syllabi 11/16 (x8)

Did anyone receive an email confirmation for the supplemental materials? -- No. (x3)

Wesleyan University (TT, Post 1840 Literature and/or Culture)
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.

Skype interview scheduled (11/18)  / Q: anyone else have an interview? No :-( (x16)

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)
Email: receipt of application 10/28

Williams College (TT; pre-19th)
Email confirming receipt of application and request to complete EEOC form 11/16 (x8)

===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)
Total silence. (I have heard from Faculty at my institution that they have someone in mnd...)

That is not true. 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
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.

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