20-21 c. American 2010

Demographics:
PAGE UPDATED: 12/13 4:16 PM EST

(Please update when you make any changes)

ABD (early):

ABD (will finish this academic year): 25

Ph.D. in hand (one-year (1), in hand &lt; 1 year (3) VAP (7), Lecturer (3) Postdoc (4)): 15

Assistant Professor: 9

Associate Professor:

Full Professor:

Lurker: 1

Total: 50


 * QUESTION: I'm trying to add a new job in here--the Manhattanville College position in American Lit.--but I'm not sure how to create a new entry (only know how to edit existing ones). Can someone help? Thanks!
 * A: Added subheading for this position below.
 * Thanks so much!

There's a new posting for a 20c position at Bard. I don't know how to add, but it's listed on the Chronicle site. A: Now posted below.

Bard College
Link to CHE ad   Link to HR job posting

Deadline: Dec. 1

Acknowledgment received: Day after applying received generic form letter acknowledgment over e-mail

Request for additional materials:

MLA interview scheduled:

Campus visit scheduled:

Offer Made:

Offer Accepted:

Notes and Questions

 * The ad specifies that we should have letters of recommendation emailed. Is this common? Do we just ask people writing us letters to email them in directly? Seems a bit weird. (11/15) A: Not too uncommon. If you're using Interfolio, it's quite easy to have it emailed; if not, and if your department's dossier service can't do it, you might be stuck asking your recommenders to email it.
 * 11/17; I sent a separate email and asked for a physical address to mail letters. The HR people replied quickly and sent me the following: Human Resources, Bard College, PO Box 5000, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504 Attention 20th Cent American Lit 09086
 * Thank you for passing this on! (X2!)
 * I have a related query: I use Interfolio, and did not receive a acknowledgment email.... I'm wondering if this is because the application did not come from me directly. Is anyone else in this boat?
 * A: I sent mine directly, so I'm not in the same boat. But the acknowledgement email does appear to be an automated response to anyone emailing to that address. So my guess is that the Interfolio service got the ack. email.
 * FYI:Universities to Fear Discussion of Bard is a wiki classic.
 * Q. Has anyone received a request for an interview?

Baylor University
Deadline:

Acknowledgment received: 10/12


 * request for more materials 11/5 (x6)

Q: snail mail, e-mail, or phone?

request for letters, transcripts and "Personal Response" sheet via email (11/16)

MLA interview scheduled: 12/4 via email (X2)

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Notes and Questions
Q: Did everyone receive an email requesting the personal response sheet and letters/ transcripts request?

Q just curious: did all applicants receive, along with the initial acknowledgement of receipt, the request for a more personal response concerning values, long term goals, church affiliation, etc.?

A. Yes, but I still haven't decided whether/how to fill it out.

A. Yes, and I put it in the trash. (x1)

can't speak to this, but several years ago had a friend whose job offer here was rescinded by the dean when he learned about some comments my friend made about Jesus and Marxis

A. Yes, and noticed that the hard copy they sent by snail mail and the soft copy they attached to the e-mail weren't identical. The e-mail copy had an additional question about courses.

C: I thought it was assumed that when one adds details, one adds a new date as well. Were all of these materials requested on 11/5, even though it took some individuals two weeks to dial it in? If so, then that's great; if not, then can we get some accurate dates here?

A: You might check the Baylor listing on the 19th C list as well--more folks have updated info. there. I received a request for personal data via snail mail on 11/13 (letter inside dated 11/4). Returned the form to them on 11/16. Have not heard anything back yet.

Case Western
Deadline: November 15

Acknowledgment received: 10/28, 11/6, 11/17 (x2)


 * request for more materials 11/19 (x5)

MLA interview scheduled: 12/09 (by email with phone call to follow) (x2)
 * Congrats to those of you who got interviews! This is a job to be coveted, especially in this market. And as a native Clevelander, I have a soft spot for the city, especially the area the campus is in. Good luck!

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Notes and Questions
They have around 450 applicants for this position. (11/13)

^ Awesome!

Given that it's open field (and almost open rank), that number even seems a bit low.

Has anyone who applied right at the deadline received a request?

Are those who received requests for more materials applying as Asst or Assoc?

Assistant (x5)

They have narrowed the field to semi-finalists and are whittling that list down for MLA interviews. (12/1)

^ Is this inside information or did you receive notification of some kind?

Coastal Carolina
Deadline: November 15

Acknowledgment received: N/A

MLA interview scheduled: N/A

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Colgate U
Deadline: November 20

Acknowledgment received: 12/7, 12/8 (EOC form in mail)

MLA interview scheduled: N/A

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Notes and Questions
Q1: Anyone know what "modern fiction" means in this posting? Are they looking for a modernist or just 20c in general?

Q2: Are they strictly looking for an Americanist?

Not-really-an-A-but-an-observation: Based on the faculty interests online, it is a slightly weird, though interesting-looking, department: lots and lots of theater folks (they seem to have an institutional connection to the theater program) but from what i can see, almost no one who specializes in fiction of any period, particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries. So I'd guess this one is a pretty open search--Brit or American, and with "modern" fairly broadly defined. That's just my guess.

Q3: Anyone not receive any word from Colgate? I haven't heard a thing. (12/11) (x3)


 * I *just* got the affirmative action survey in the mail yesterday, 12/12.


 * Because they defined the search so broadly, they are probably now overwhelmed with applications. I wouldn't worry if you haven't yet heard something.

Dickinson College
Deadline: November 6

Acknowledgment received: N/A


 * Request for more materials: 11/12 (x5)
 * I am wondering, since many of us in Anglophone and Brit Lit applied for this job too, was there any reason Dickinson didn't specify American Lit in their job description? They'd have saved hundreds of us well over a thousand cumulative hours spent reading about their school, their department, looking at their faculty profiles, their courses, their mission, then composing a custom application letter. Big congratulations to those of you interviewing. Good luck!
 * Have the interviews been schedule yet? The above congratulations confused me.

MLA interview scheduled: 12/9 (x3)

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Notes and Questions

 * I heard from an excellent source that 650+ applied. I'm prepared to deal with 4, even 500, but at that #, there seems little point in taking a rejection personally. The number was so high because the job description was so broad, but even so: 650+?
 * You have to realize a good chunk of those were in Anglophone or Modern British. No one on either of those wikis got a request for more materials. Looks like they only want Americanists and you're dealing with a more normal-sized pool in that field.
 * I don't think anyone is taking it personally. But those of us in Anglophone and British could have been spared the time and trouble if Dickinson was looking for Americanists. Being on a search committee with 650+ applications can't have been fun either.

Drew University
Deadline: November 17

Acknowledgment received: Oct 22 (email asked for letters of rec from those who applied before Oct 20); email ack. received 10/29 (this one, too, pointing out that the original ad failed to state that we need to send letters of rec.--so if you've applied but haven't sent letters, be aware that you need to do it before the deadline); same notification 11/6; (new user) received notification that they received my materials and my "file is complete." 11/3; 11/18 (sent letter right at deadline) (x3); 11/20  12/2 request for letters of rec. Rec letters were supposed to be part of the initial application... (new user, 12/2)

MLA interview scheduled: 12/12; email notification, scheduling to come (12/12)

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Notes and Questions
Q. Has anyone heard any news about the Drew U. position?

Florida Atlantic University (Assistant Professor of Science Fiction)
Deadline: November 2

Requests for more materials: 13/11 (2), 11/16 (1)
 * Have not heard anything since 11/16, but they said they would be reviewing materials after Nov 20

MLA interview scheduled: 12/4 (x3)

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Notes and Questions
Has anyone received an application acknowledgment? (11/12)

No--just the confirmation number that the online system offers. (11/13)

To those who received requests, what did they ask for? Thanks. ''A: Writing sample and 1p custom description of courses you'd teach. ''

To those who received requests, when did you submit your application? Thanks! A: Oct 26 via the electronic application & snail mail.

Rejection via email (11/24) I rescind this previous comment. The rejection was actually for a Brit / American Modernism job I applied to LAST YEAR. Sorry for any confusion. I was wondering why I didn't remember applying for this one, and simultaneously wondering why I had applied to a Sci-Fi job (something I have no expertise in)

--Same thing happened to me. WTF.

I have not received a rejection or a request for more materials. What might that mean? (11/24) --see note above.

Manhattan College
Link

Deadline: Nov. 13

Acknowledgment received: By post, 11/21; 11/23 (x2)

Request for more materials: N/A

MLA interview scheduled: 12/11 (by phone) (x4)

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Manhattanville College
Deadline: Nov. 1

Acknowledgment:  (11/11)
 * Did you receive ack. by snail mail or email?

Request for more materials: N/A

MLA Interview: Interview request (as well as letters of rec and additional materials) by email, 12/3 (x5)
 * I'm just curious. Did those of you who received interview requests--congrats!--also get an earlier confirmation of application?
 * The interview request was my first contact from them. (x2, and thanks!)

Campus Interview: N/A

Offer made:  N/A

Offer accepted:  N/A

Notes and Questions
Was this job advertised with MLA? I completely missed it. Curious to know the teaching load. [Thanks for the reply and good luck.]
 * I don't think it was advertised with MLA. I found it on HigherEdJobs. The course load isn't listed. It just says, "Teaching duties will include introductory courses in literature as well as survey and upper-level courses in modern and contemporary American and British literature; the successful candidate will also develop seminars in areas of his/her expertise and interest..."

Marquette University
Deadline:

Acknowledgment received: Acknowledgment and request for additional materials 10/26; May I ask what additional materials they asked for? Thanks! (10/27). I'm not the original poster, but they requested a writing sample of me (10/28) (x6). Writing sample requested (11/2) and (11/10).


 * Rejection via email 12/10
 * me too - and after a ws request, too! (ouch) (same here - big ouch)
 * It hurts when you've been asked for more materials and nothing comes of it. But you guys should feel really good that such a great program took an interest in you and your work. That should provide some consolation. :) [Meanwhile, I never was asked for anything and didn't even get the courtesy of a rejection!]
 * Rejection via email 12/10 (x4)
 * Rejection via email 12/11

MLA interview scheduled: 12/10 (by phone). 12/11 (by phone)

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Notes and Questions
Q: Those who got a request, when did you send your letter (looked from the listing like they were reading apps as soon as received, but the deadline hasn't passed yet...)

A. I got the request a week or so after I sent in the app. I think you are likely right that they are reading through them as the receive them.

A. I got the request about 5 days later so I agree, they seem to be screening as they come in. (x3)

Q. Have people who applied right at the deadline (11/1) received acknowledgements? Thanks!

A. I applied 10/29 and have heard nothing. (X3) Not expecting to hear anything (X2), either, as someone received a writing sample request 11/10.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Deadline: October 20th

Acknowledgment received: 10/30 Request for writing sample (x4): 11/13

MLA interview scheduled: N/A

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Comments: WTF?

WTFWTF? It was on the JIL--gone now (expired 10/30). Listing said: "Assistant Professor Contemporary Literature and Media. The Literature Faculty at MIT is seeking to hire a beginning tenure track assistant professor specializing in contemporary literature and media. Strength in film study strongly desired. The successful applicant will participate extensively in both Literature and MIT’s Comparative Media Studies Program." Dunno why it didn't show up here till now (unless it was erased...??). (10/31)

Well, jobs only appear here if people who are using the wiki choose to put them up. (It's not as though there is some outside source creating these pages--we can't expect it to be comprehensive.) So perhaps someone who applied for the job just stumbled across the wiki and decided to add this entry. (11/1)

Miami University (Ohio):
TT Asst Prof. American Modernism (1900-1950) Link

Deadline: 11/2

Acknowledgment received:

Request for dossier + writing sample 11/20 (x3)

MLA interview scheduled: N/A

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Notes and Questions
This is purely gossip; someone can delete it if it seems inappropriate: at a conference that shall not be named I overheard a faculty member from this department mentioning that they received -- I believe I heard -- 380 applicants. I hope I misheard...  Hey, I know that conference--I'm here myself. And I know which faculty member you're talking about--and I would put a lot of faith in what she says. Geez, 380 applications. I guess it could be worse.
 * That is a lot, but not too surprising. Also, keep in mind that a good chunk of those 380 will be set aside b/c the applicants don't really specialize in American Modernism. [You'd be shocked at how many candidates apply for jobs outside their field.] (11/9)

Muskingum University
Deadline: Rolling, until filled

Acknowledgment received: N/A

MLA interview scheduled: 10/15 (by email)

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Notes and Questions
This is/was a broad Am Lit search. Any news? (12/10)

Over on the Renaissance wiki, there have been some postings about this school. --Awesome, thanks! (the wiki search function leaves something to be desired)

Thanks for posting. Was this position advertised?

It's on their website: http://muskingum.edu/home/academicaffairs/FacultyOpenPositions.html. Ad says they plan to interview at MLA.

It was new to me as well, but it appears they are not accepting new apps at this point (12/11)

I had found the departmental listing, but out of curiosity, did anyone see this advertised anywhere else? I don't recall having seen it on MLA, The Chronicle, or HigherEdJobs. To the above poster, why does it appear they are not accepting new applications? Is it because they have scheduled interviews for their Shakespeare position, or just due to the late date? (12/11)

I found the posting on The Chronicle. It was early -- before the JIL came out -- and stated that Muskingum would be doing an "immediate review." I didn't see it anywhere else, to include the MLA.

Saint Louis University
LINK

Deadline: Review of applications begins 11/18; open until filled.

Acknowledgment Received: 11/4, 11/11 (x2), 11/21

Request for dossier via e-mail: 12/5. They said they hope to make their MLA decisions "soon." (x7)

MLA Interview: 12/9, scheduled by phone. (x7)

Campus Interview

Offer Made

Offer Accepted

Notes and Questions
Late Job Posting: Position authorized in late Oct.

I got a personal email confirmation from the chair of the department the evening i uploaded my app (11-11)--this seems crazy! did anyone else? I assume it was a robo-response of some kind, but i don't recall that kind of confirmation from other electronic app systems. (x3)

I'm the first poster above, and I also received a personal e-mail from the chair almost immediately. Someone's on the ball!

well over 200 applicants, I heard .....

Texas A&M
Deadline: 1 Nov

Acknowledgment received: 11/9

MLA interview scheduled: N/A

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Notes and Questions
Spoke with a faculty member about what the "English Without Borders" initiative is; essentially, at their most recent external review, the department was told by administrators to "re-brand" to emphasize some kind of specialty. Since they didn't want to claim to specialize in a period, they went for "English Without Borders" because it gave them flexibility in hiring, and because transnational studies are growing so rapidly. I get the sense that they are really looking to hire in the listed fields, and the "English Without Borders" rubric is just how they'll sell their candidates to the dean.

C: I'm not sure the above comment is useful, especially since it acknowledges that "they are really looking to hire in the listed fields"--i.e. this provides no more explanation than the original listing, which in fact listed the fields.

C: I found it very helpful. It helped me realize I didn't want to apply for the job. Those everything-under-the-sun listings can be confusing and the above post tells us that 1) you don't need to be everything, jut one of those things (but you do need to be one of those things, which I'm not, so I'm not applying) and 2) this is a department subject to university spin. Yick. Good info to have. 12/12

C: I also found it helpful. Likewise, do we need readings of one another's postings? Turn it off once in a while. [X2--pretty annoying, actually. the more info we all have the better, and the original post could really help people who get to the on-campus stage.] (12/13)

University of Chicago, 1880-1950
Deadline:

Acknowledgment received: N/A

Request for writing sample via email 11/23 (x5), 11/30 (x6), 12/1 (x2), 12/2 (x2)

MLA interview scheduled: N/A

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Notes and Questions
has anyone heard anything from UC about this search?
 * Nope. Well, I did get an email from an administrator b/c I accidentally mailed in my application instead of sending it electronically. So there is life out there... Last year they did a search, and I seem to remember that they took a long time to start contacting people. (11/19)


 * The Universities to fear page notes that this is pretty much a fake search run yearly. Doesn't hurt to apply but it doesn't sound too promising either. (11/19)
 * Does post-1950 American lit. really count as a 'pancosmic' broad search, a la the Universities to Fear post? Seems reasonably specific to me.
 * Except that it's post-1950 literature in English (American, British or Anglophone), but keep on believin'.
 * Shite. Well—a friend's on the committee, and didn't suggest any BS when I asked her about it, so... who knows.
 * Hope, then. But can anyone point to any hires from last year's seach(es) - I remember "as many as three" people to be hired in twentieth century literature, and blah blah blah.
 * Plus, they also have searches in "anglophone" 1900-50 AND in 19th c. Brit. I call fakery, friends.
 * "But why?", as the man from Kazakhstan says. Somebody with knowledge of this institution must have an explanation for this.
 * The department did in fact make a hire last year, to someone currently completing a postdoc. The other two of the anticipated three lines were cut due to budget issues. The idea of a fake search seems paranoid.
 * They've had a couple of recent departures in twentieth-century lit, so it seems reasonable that they're looking for replacement
 * For those who received requests, were they for the 1880-1950 listing, or the 1950-present listing? Thanks!
 * A: 1880-1950 job (x7)
 * Regarding the writing samples requested on 11/30, were those for the 1950-present listing?
 * A: Yes, 1950-present writing sample request (x4).

University of Chicago, 1950-present
Deadline:

Acknowledgment received: N/A

Request for writing sample via email 11/23 (x4), 11/30 (x6), 11/30 (x1)? 12/1 (x3), 12/2 (x3), 12/3

MLA interview scheduled: N/A

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Notes and Questions
[see above for discussion from before 12/3. hope splitting the 2 chicago jobs up will help prevent confusion]


 * request for materials states interview requests will be made just before MLA.

Has anyone received requests for both Chicago positions? (Yes, I rec'd separate WS requests, one for each position.)

University of Idaho
Deadline:

Acknowledgment received: 11/4 (x6)

MLA interview scheduled: 12/8 (by phone) (x3) - by email (x1)

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Notes and Questions
10/30- Received email that my cv file was corrupted and needed to be re-sent - screening has begun

11/4--nice informational e-mail about the city/school and process--decisions in early December expected

For those granted interviews, a quick question (and, of course, a congratulations!): would you consider your work and experience tangentially concerned with environmental humanities, or centrally concerned?

University of Maine, Farmington
Deadline: 11/9

Acknowledgment received: by mail 10/5 (with bonus pamphlet on crime statistics in Farmington!) (x4)

Acknowledgment received by mail: 11/19 (ditto pamphlet).

--Is it a safe place? Not sure if I'm actually going to apply for this one.

--Crazy safe! I think there was once a robbery there, several years ago. Yeah. Not much to fear in Farmington, besides snow I'd imagine.

MLA interview scheduled: N/A

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Westminster College (Missouri)
Deadline: Nov. 13

Acknowledgment received: Acknowledgment with diversity survey 11/9 (x2), 11/23, 12/11

MLA interview scheduled: N/A

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Westminster College (Utah)
Deadline: Review begins Oct. 21

Acknowledgment received: 10/7, 10/17 (x3), 11/6 (x2)

Request for additional materials (writing sample, teaching statement, recs): 11/11 (x2); 11/16 (x2)

MLA interview scheduled: 12/8 (by phone)

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Notes and Questions
Sounds like they aren't doing MLA interviews - just inviting finalists to campus.

Where did you hear this? Their ad says they are interviewing at MLA.

Acknowledgement of receipt of materials was very nice and included a timeline. It says that "[f]inalists will be invited to campus for interviews." There's no mention of MLA interviews, although I suppose that doesn't necessarily mean there won't be any. But I could see a late budget cut or some such resulting in a sudden decision to forgo MLA.

Their request for additional materials (writing sample, teaching philosophy, recs) states that they will contact applicants "in early December should we wish to request an interview at the MLA Convention in Philadelphia." (11/11)

I received a request for more material "as soon as possible." They're extremely nice, and seem like a pretty humane group of academics! --Agreed.

Q: was the request via email? (11/13) A: yes

But still...Utah. And yes, and yes, and yes...but still. Utah. My boyfriend has told me that our relationship is over if I take this job. A: LOL. Easy enough--don't take it!

Huh?

Or just dump your ignorant boyfriend. Jobs are scarce and you could do a lot worse than Salt Lake City.

Must be your 1st year on the market; there's no need for conversations like that one before an interview has been scheduled.

Unless it's part of BDSM play. If I'm not going to get hired, at least I'm going to get my frisson on, damn it!

That would have to be the least sexy play ever. [[Category: Does anyone know anything about the University of Michigan American Cultures Digital Environments Job? I've applied and gotten their EOE survey, but no word on the actual review. Has anyone heard yea or nay?]]