Talk:Rhetoric/Composition 2012

Demographics:
ABD (early):1
 * When you add yourself to one of the categories below, don't forget to add one to the Total number at the bottom!

ABD (will finish this academic year): 12

Ph.D. in hand (one-year, VAP, Lecturer, post-doc): 3

Ph.D. in hand (unable to find academic employment at the moment):

Assistant Professor: 2

Associate Professor: 1

Full Professor:

Lurker: 1

Search committee member: 3

Total: 23

How many people will be applying for these jobs?
This looks great. 86 jobs and not even 20 people on the market...OK what do you think are actually the odds for those of us going on the market this year?Lorenzodow 15:21, September 21, 2011 (UTC)


 * These numbers aren't in any way representative, unfortunately. Most grad students I know have been warned to not visit the wiki (for fear of misinformation). And I think many who are visiting aren't coming over to the talk page. So far my take is that there are quite a few really good, research intensive jobs, but not a lot of the middle tier jobs, which worries me. I know that assistant and associate profs will be going back on the market for some of these jobs, like UIUC. Flutterby916 13:06, September 22, 2011 (UTC)


 * Yes, my post was tongue-in-cheek, but this is my first year on the market. Looks like there were over 200 jobs on last year's wiki..did those all come at once or were a lot of them outside of the JIL? Nobody warned me not visit the wiki, but maybe my department doesn't know about these dangerous waters.Lorenzodow 16:24, September 22, 2011 (UTC)


 * I think the reason to not visit the wiki is that later in the proces there may be misinformation (folks claiming a job has been filled when it hasn't or something like that). I think a lot of last year's jobs came later in the season. At this point I would speculate that we're set to have at least as good a year. Plus, if you're in rhet/comp there's not a lot to worry about. At least there are jobs. Flutterby916 00:18, September 23, 2011 (UTC)


 * This is a question that has been nagging me, as well. There should be a timestamp to note when each position was originally added to the wiki. That, or we should list positions chronologically, instead of alphabetically. Not only would it help us understand the timing of these ads, but it would also help visitors remember which ads they have already read and evaluated. (There are a couple of unsuitable job ads that I have read 5+ times because I notice they are not on my list of jobs to which I want to apply.)
 * Yes, now I notice there are 94 jobs, but it's tough to tell which ones are new. Edit: ah, I guess you just use the history feature. Now I can see which ones are new Lorenzodow 15:57, September 24, 2011 (UTC)


 * On a related note, how many R/C PhDs are awarded each year? I was looking around the net and couldn't find any recent information (i.e. newer than 2003).
 * I think that would be an known unknown. Too many candidates doing rhet comp are not getting their degrees in Rhet/Comp but in English or somethign similar (with or without an official emphasis). some will try for rhet/comp jobs based on their comp teaching, but with not as much actual comp theory background or research. correct me if I'm wrong.Lorenzodow 23:30, September 26, 2011 (UTC)


 * While that is true, I honestly don't think those of us with R/C degrees or emphases are really competing with the lit folks who happened to teach a couple of sections of FYC. Sure, they might snipe some of the really undesireable jobs, but I don't imagine Michigan Tech making an offer for Assistant Professor of Technical and Professional Communication to a Proust scholar, unless that individual is a complete and utter rock star who can also demonstrate competence in the desired field. Let's be realistic.

New media studies
I know that technical/professional communication jobs focus on an area of expertise that is not mine, an area that seems to have pretty well-defined expectations as far as experience and pedagogy goes. But my impression is that the New Media Studies or New Media composition positions are a little less well-defined. This may be because of my being an outsider. What I'm getting at is, if your research is not necesarily new media focused but your pedagogy is, does that automatically disqualify you from most of these New media studies or new media composition positions?


 * You'll be up against folks whose main area of scholarly expertise is digital media, but I don't think that disqualifies you. You may bring another area they really want and don't have. I'd also think this is a bit different at PhD granting schools and BA granting schools because PhD granting schools would want the person teaching their grad courses in digital media to have that as a scholarly area. Just a guess since this is my first time on the market. Flutterby916 14:27, September 24, 2011 (UTC)


 * ok that's what I figured. Where are those digital media folks coming from? certainly not my institution :-)
 * There are quite a few schools training folks in Digital Media--in fact, I'd say *most* of the PhD programs I'm familiar with have someone doing digital media: UIUC, Ohio State, Michigan State, Miami of Ohio, Utah, Texas, Michigan Tech. I know grad students who do digital media scholarship at Louisville, Pitt, U Iowa, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, even though I wouldn't say it's what those programs are known for. Flutterby916 22:43, September 24, 2011 (UTC)