Medieval 2010

Medieval (Update and Demographics)

PLEASE UPDATE THE DATE/TIME WHEN YOU EDIT THE PAGE

Page last updated: Thurs., May 4, 9:15 am EST

Medievalist Wiki Count (please add yourself under the appropriate heading and also update the total)

Anglo-Saxon/Old English: 12

Middle English: 37

Anglo-Saxon/Middle English: 7

Comparative Medieval: 9

Medieval/Renaissance: 12

Lurker: 2

Total: 79

Demographics:

ABD (early): 2

ABD (will finish this academic year): 28

Ph.D. in hand (one-year, VAP, Lecturer): 25

Assistant Professor: 10

Associate Professor: 1

Full Professor: 2

Lurker: 2

Total: 68

Please visit the discussion page to provide more statistics about your job search.

Overview of Status for All Schools

I thought it might be helpful to get a quick glance at the schools' status. Please continue to update the individual section for each school with more specific details (in other words, don't just update here; make sure to update both places)

Jobs Accepted

Albion College
Alfred University
Amherst College

Bemidji State University
Kent State University - Stark Campus
Loyola College in Maryland
Marymount University
McGill University
Middle Tennessee State University
New York University: Gallatin School of Individualized Study

University of Arkansas, Little Rock (hiring freeze lifted and offer accepted 5/5)
University of Hartford
University of Pittsburgh
University of Texas, Pan American
Victoria University of Wellington
Westmont College

Jobs Offered/Acceptance Not Known

Indiana University Northwest
Reed College
Southern Connecticut State University
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Campus Interviews Scheduled/Offer Not Known
Mount St. Mary's University

Initial Interview Scheduled/Campus Interview Not Known

Fitchburg State College

Request for Additional Materials/Initial Interview Not Known

DePauw University
Miami University Hamilton

Applications Still Being Accepted or Still Under Review

Centenary College (NJ)

John Carroll University

Missouri Valley College
Washburn University

Unknown

Arizona State University (medieval rhetoric)
Binghamton University (pre-modern global trade and commerce)
University of California, Los Angeles (Mediterranean Studies)
University of Michigan (seems they hired outside of medieval studies but some confusion still remains)

Failed Search/Canceled Search

Bard College (failed)
University of Oregon (failed)

Albion College (Albion, MI)

Assistant Professor of English (Medieval literature and Early Modern Drama) link

Deadline: Nov. 5th

Acknowledgment received: Oct. 19

Request for additional materials: Oct. 19 (x2); Oct. 29; Nov. 9 (snail mail); Nov. 12 (via snail mail letter x4); Nov. 24 (email); Nov. 27 (snail mail); Nov. 30; Dec. 2 (snail mail - dated Nov. 24); Dec. 3 (snail mail - dated Nov. 24 x4)

MLA interview scheduled: Dec. 8 by email (x3)

Campus interview scheduled: Jan. 5 by email

Offer made: Feb. 2

Offer accepted: Feb. 3

Rejection letter received via snail mail (no MLA or campus interview): Mar. 1

• My letter requesting more information said that the position is for Shakespeare. Anyone else get the same note?
• I did. I made sure to include a Shakespeare syllabus.
• Received a nice email informing me that I would not be interviewed at MLA Dec. 10 (x7), Dec. 11 (x7)
• Q: Were any (or all) the people who got this email on Dec. 10 the same people who had earlier been asked for additional materials?
• A: Yes (x7). No. (x2). The dossier request came so late that I doubt they even received my materials before rejection.
• I was asked to submit a dossier and have not heard back either way yet; presumably my rejection e-mail is in the pipeline. (Dec. 10 x2)
• Rejection via email received Dec. 14.
• Congrats to the person who accepted the offer. It seemed like such a great school with such nice people.

Alfred University (NY)

Two-Year Visiting Assistant Professor of Medieval Studies (literature and history) link

Deadline: January 21, 2010 (review of applications begins)

Acknowledgment received: Feb. 1 via snail mail (x6)

Request for additional materials: N/A

Initial interview scheduled: Phone interview scheduled (by email) on Feb. 8 (x1) and Feb. 9 (x4)

Campus interview scheduled: Scheduled by phone on March 2 (x1) & March 3 (x1)

Offer made: yes, March 30

Offer accepted: yes, April 1

• did anyone else submit their applications via email (it did say you could do that, right)? If so, did you get any kind of confirmation from Alfred that they received the application?
• I wrote the above comment, and I too received an acknowledgement by mail on Feb. 1 - so they do accept applications via email.
  • I sent mine by mail but have not received an acknowledgement either.

Amherst College

Assistant Professor of English link

Deadline: Oct. 1, 2009/ Nov. 1 for full consideration

Acknowledgment received: yes, week of electronic submission; Nov. 2, Nov. 10

Request for additional materials: request for add'l writing sample Dec. 6

MLA interview scheduled: Dec 11 by email (note: they did NOT request another writing sample first) (x5)

Campus interview scheduled: Dec. 30 by phone (x4)

Offer made: the offer is not going to me, but a decision has been reached by the committee as to whom the job will be offered to (Jan. 24) (x3): I too have just received a warm rejection.

Offer accepted: YES IT HAS BEEN ACCEPTED !!!!!!: Yes, 2/11, according to members of the department.

• I must express that it was bad form for the chosen candidate not to post this him or herself, since he or she obviously was able to post above when in the campus interview stage, perhaps nervously checking the site to see how many others had visits. Ungracious then to forget to update for the sake of fellow candidates once the position has indeed been won.

• If it was accepted 2/11 (which when I'm posting this was just yesterday), perhaps this person has been so excited about getting and accepting the offer (and rightfully so!) that he/she just hasn't made it over to the wiki yet. Come on! Give someone a little time to celebrate before chastising someone less than 24 hours later. That doesn't seem fair.
• I'm so tired of seeing posts like these. Receiving a job offer and accepting or declining it are a private matter, and no one is obligated by any means to post anything about it on wikipedia! Frankly, if you didn't get the job, then it's none of your business who did and when he or she accepted it.
• Frankly, that is quite an American, meritocratic attitude (not necessarily a terrible thing). It seems to me that the wiki is based on a loose compact of collegiality and mutual agreement to inform one another. Why having gotten a job excuses someone from that commitment is beyond me. The other finalists for this position were kept in suspense for over two weeks while this candidate decided whether or not to accept the offer. The least he or she could have done was to log on and inform the others of the acceptance, before going on to celebrate, etc. etc. It is a matter of courtesy to colleagues even in an anonymous forum where none of us know one another. Are you conscientious when no one is looking? That is the issue. "None of my business," indeed.
  • I wholeheartedly agree. It's not collegial behavior, especially given that there were many pleas (not by me) on here for the acceptance to be posted so others could be saved the anxiety of the wait.
  • Wow, this exchange more than anything has convinced me to steer well clear of the wiki next time I'm on the market. This is hardly a spirit of collegiality that would encourage further participation. Would it be a courtesy to post once you've accepted a job? Sure. But an obligation? No, especially when the information reaches the wiki this rapidly by other channels (maybe the candidate logged on a few hours after accepting the offer, noticed that the news had already been posted, and didn't comment further). Informing unsuccessful candidates that a search has been concluded is the responsibility of the committee. You can't assume that the successful candidate has checked in on the wiki since being invited to campus in the first place, or even that he or she was participating on the wiki at all. There's no sworn affadavit that information about a campus visit is being provided by the candidate himself or herself. Given how fragmentary and partial -all- the information on this site is, can we give our colleagues the benefit of the doubt before excoriating them publicly? (x4)
  • I can't believe the language that is being used in the above response: "commitment," etc. No one is committed or obligated to post anything about the job search here. As another poster very appropriately points out, it is the responsibility of the search committee, not the candidate, to inform others about the status of their candidacies. Wikipedia is not a contract, nor even a "loose compact of collegiality and mutual agreement to inform one another"; it's piecemeal at best (and, come on--it's a website!), and we are simply not obliged to post job offers. I, for one, would not want my future employer to know that I had rushed to wikipedia to publicize my job offer to the whole world.
  • It is certainly a "loose compact of collegiality and mutual agreement to inform one another," for those who post to the site and use it to gain information about the status of searches. It is of course totally voluntary, anonymous, etc., and yes, "it's a website" (what else would it be? what is that supposed to assert? its frivolousness?), but if someone posts at one point, when they are simply among a group of finalists, and then, when they are the chosen finalist, they cannot have the empathy or courtesy or whatever to simply affirm that yes, they have accepted the offer, it's a little like "eat my dust." Yes, they are entitled to it, but for anyone who has been waiting anxiously, it isn't appreciated. And I certainly do not understand why you would not want your future employer to know you had "rushed" to a wiki site (not Wikipedia) to "publicize [your] job offer to the world." Is there some shame in having kept tabs on the search via such a site? I suppose I share a disbelief in some of the language that's been used here, and the attitudes it seems to represent, for quite different reasons. No, none of this matters in strict, legalistic terms. But I view the academy as more than a cutthroat, bottom-line-driven, winner-take all arena. Our deportment and our ethics and our consideration for one another are supposed to matter, even given anonymous forums. They certainly matter to me.
• As one of the finalists, I would like to warmly congratulate the winner of the job and ask the other two finalists to do the same, if they have not already done so. Let us compose whatever differences we may have and look forward to a fair competition next year - who knows we might already know each other and bump into each other in the near future and indeed have much to profit from a convivial exchange of ideas. The medieval world is a very very small one and we need to be collegial! Once again, congratulations to the finalist who accepted the offer. Congratulation (x3)

Notes: Email acknowledgment states "Our search committee should be able to review all submitted applications and report on the status of your application by early December."

• Rejection rec'd: Dec. 14 by email (x10)  180 applicants!
• Rejection received via email Dec. 15 (x3)
• Anyone else in limbo? (Neither a call nor a rejection email?) Yes. (x3) A: I was in limbo but I got an email just now (Dec. 15).  Make that two of us in limbo up until the 15th--I got the axe . . . .
• Q: How can there be 150 applicants?! Last year there were 80 for a Research One institution whose job-hiring process I am familiar with. Are there really 150 medievalists on the market? And how have we grown so exponentially in just one year?
  • At my PhD granting institution, they are searching for someone in a completely different field this year (completely different means not medieval). I talked to the department head last week and she said that they are getting applications from people who are not even remotely qualified for the position (who might very tangentially touch the subject). She said that it's probably because of the downturn in the economy and lack of jobs this year, so people are desperate and sending out applications for anything and everything possible. I don't know if that's what happened here, but it is a possibility. (x2: I was just about to tell the same story!)
  • Look at the wiki counter--67 medievalists on the market.  That's just the people who have declared.  It doesn't seem impossible that there are close to 150.  A lot of people didn't get jobs last year, and now there's a whole new batch of ABDs.
• Does anyone know if this search has been canceled? Shouldn't we have heard something by now?
  • I have heard that there is a strong internal candidate.
  • Keep the hope alive!
  • Really? I thought it's a complete coincidence that they have a VAP who specializes in medieval poetry.
  • Is it a woman who does gender studies? That would be shocking and unpredictable. 
  • Yup! Those of us who will be invited to the MLA: it's still a good interview practice!
  • Wow. I really wish I hadn't wasted my time on an application that won't even be considered.
  • Just because there is a VAP in the department does not mean that the search is a foregone conclusion. I've personally been an inside candidate and not gotten the job as well as been an outside candidate who was offered a job over a VAP already in place. Apply and take any interest seriously.
  • Let's meet back here this time next year and see who has the job. ;)
  • I'm game! Same place, same time.
  • I second the poster who says to take the process seriously.  Yes, there is an inside candidate; I've heard her husband just received tenure in another department.  Still, the ultimate decision rests with the English department, right?
  • Let me add yet another note about staying in the process.  I am the "strong internal candidate" for one of the OTHER schools listed on this wiki, yet I have taken my applying to other positions quite seriously.  I would never want to rule out the chance at another institution, and for that reason, even those who have applied at my current school should take their applications (and interviews) seriously as well. There are all sorts of reasons the inside candidate may not--in the end--be the one who gets offered--or takes--the job.
  • Of course, the above is true, and it's not a lock; BUT, again, let's meet back here next year and see if theory and practice match up.
  • I know someone on the search committee and there is no question that it is a serious search--no internal candidate has a lock on the position.
  • On December 11 I got an email asking me to call to schedule an interview at the MLA. I wonder how many they are interviewing.
  • I wonder how many INTERVIEWERS there will be on the panel? Does anyone know? And how many candidates?
  • If you have an interview, asking how many people will be on the interview committee (and even who they are) is a very valid question. You should ask. No one besides the people who have interviews really needs to know this information.
  • I just got an invitation to the MLA interview: there are FOUR distinguished people: [names removed]. How MANY are being interviewed?
  • I think 19 PEOPLE are being interviewed
  • I have just been interviewed: did badly but the interviewers were wonderful people who tried to make me comfy...I wish I had done better on the research questions. Did any feel bad about the research part of the interview? --how do you know you did badly? 
  • Does anyone remember what they were told regarding when the actual contact would be made regarding who has campus visit invitations?  I was too flustered to register anything beyond "we'll be meeting tonight."  Thanks.
  • Good question: They said they would get back as soon as possible. How did your interview go? Did they seem positive? I got a very warm and generous vibe
  • Ditto, they were absolutely great and yes, extremely positive and complimentary.
• Rejection email Jan. 24. -Somebody please do update this search when the offer has been accepted. thanks.
• My sense is that the offer as just been accepted but I would be glad to be corrected.
  • To what do you attribute this sense?
  • Well, it is the best job in the country and I cannot imagine anyone rejecting the offer.
  • Great job: absolutely. Best job in the country: erm, not sure about that.
  • I agree: what looks ideal to one candidate may not be to another, for a variety of reasons. The only thing that is certain is that it will be a courtesy much appreciated when someone can post, at their earliest convenience, as soon as there is any true news.
  • As one of the finalists who did not get the offer, I would be most grateful if the candidate who got the offer would please let us all know if s/he has accepted it or now. Then, we can begin the mourning process. I need to pour some libations like the Choēphoroi. I think, Amherst was by far among the most transparent, most gracious and most generous colleges!
  • I, too, am one of the unchosen finalists; I do not think it appropriate to ask the chosen one to indicate whether or not he or she has accepted the position. I think it appropriate to ask that if the offer is accepted, it be posted (by anyone who knows), but nothing further, since in the event that the offer were to be declined, another candidate or all three other finalists would be notified by the committee.
  • The search is still active/unresolved as of 2/5; further, all candidates will be notified once the offer has been accepted, according to the Dept. administrator. This was not clear from the rejection emails we received, but it is nice to know we'll be informed.
  • This is strange...I heard last week from a friend that the offer had been accepted. 2/6
  • If you can give any more specific information about what you heard, it would help us clarify--for instance, if the candidate has indicated that they are ready to accept but simply waiting for another search to be completed (i.e., at another school) before they give a final answer. Otherwise, no, it's just wrong and there has been no acceptance. I have it from the search committee chair that the candidate has not yet accepted the offer. Not that I am hopeful or anything. Just not yet able to feel the finality of my failure. rum ram ruf...
  • I too would appreciate it if someone made it clear whether or not the offer has been accepted so that I can accept the finality of my failure as well. Thanks in advance.
  • The offer has certainly been accepted.

Arizona State University (Tempe)

Assistant Professor in History of Rhetoric (Classical/Medieval Rhetoric) link

Deadline: Nov. 30, 2009

Acknowledgment received: Acknowledged by e-mail, early November

Request for additional materials: N/A

MLA interview scheduled: N/A

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

• Is it true that these searches at ASU have been canceled again this year?
  • Not true. I called the English office this afternoon to confirm. The searches are still on. (Jan. 5)

Bard College

Assistant Professor of English link

Deadline: Nov. 6, 2009

Acknowledgment received: Sept. 17, Sept. 22

Request for additional materials: Nov. 13 (x5); Nov. 19 via email (x3); Nov. 24 (x3)

MLA interview scheduled: Dec 7 via email (x5)

Campus interview scheduled: x1 (date?)

Offer made: Search closed with no offer made (according to a finalist who was notified by the committee last week)

Offer accepted: N/A

Rejection from HR person, after MLA interview, via email: Jan. 20 (x2)

Rejection (no MLA interview): Jan. 20 (x3)

• I received an automatic message after I applied online (x2).
• In case you haven't read it, there is a long discussion on Bard's hiring practices on the "Universities to Fear" page-- in the "Discussion" tab. I believe the stories are from a year or so ago.... but it's worth reading. I hope that whomever makes it there for a campus interview, can come back and prove otherwise. Good luck!
• what's up? has bard contacted anyone for campus visits? is the search stalled? -- ?
  • Patience, grasshopper, it's still quite within the normal time frame for setting up campus visits. Actually, it looks like a lot of schools on this list are a bit earlier than usual in setting them up. I know it's hard to wait, but there's no need to panic yet
  • Well, patience is never bad, I suppose, but in this case it appears to be misguided. I have heard that a campus visit is taking place this week. Of course, I didn't hear this from Bard.

• My rejection letter says, "We were fortunate to have received many qualified candidates in the search process and have decided to offer the position to another candidate whose credentials and qualifications best suit our current needs." Does that mean Bard's made an offer?
  • Sounds like it. I received the same letter, which was kind of strange since it came from HR, not the search committee (x3).
    • Really rude and tacky of the interview committee not to notify interviewed candidates personally.
      • Different schools have different ways of running a search. Perhaps at this school, HR is a lot more involved than at other schools. Perhaps HR requires that HR does the notifying and not the individual search committees. Since we don't know what kind of constraints the SC is under, it seems unfair to judge. (And at least people were notified. I think it's much more rude to have total silence. I'd rather hear from HR than to hear nothing from anyone.)
      • Pretty implausible that the search committee wasn't allowed to contact us. But I'm sure it wasn't intentional rudeness, just laziness or disorganization. Still not very considerate toward people who had put themselves out there for the job.
      • Is it true that an offer was made and accepted? I had heard that they in fact did not fill this position. Was that rumor unfounded?
      • Someone has now changed the offer made and accepted status from yes to search closed. I'm not sure about the source of this information as my rejection letter indicated that the position had been filled. Whoever made that change, could you let us know how you confirmed that the search closed unsuccessfully?
      • i'm not the person who changed it, but my letter indicated that too, and then i heard otherwise. my understanding is that, indeed, the search closed. but that was secondhand...

Bemidji State University (MN)

Assistant Professor of English, Medieval, Shakespeare, & 17th Century British Literature link

Deadline: Jan. 4, 2010

Acknowledgment received: N/A

Request for additional materials: N/A

Initial interview scheduled:

Campus interview scheduled: Feb. 12//May 20

Offer made: Yes

Offer accepted: Yes--11 June 2010

• Is this search still on? I haven't even received an acknowledgment of my application.
  • Just received a request for additional materials (see above), but I think that was the first acknowledgement.
  • Correcting my statement above! This was a request to replace lost materials because they had some email difficulties. If you never received an acknowledgment, you might consider contacting the department.
  • Does anyone have an update on this position? Is the search still open?

Binghamton University

Visiting Assistant Professor in Pre-Modern Global Trade and Commerce link

Deadline: March 15, 2010

Acknowledgment received: Mar. 12

Request for additional materials: N/A

Phone interview scheduled: N/A

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Centenary College

Assistant Professor of English (Medieval, Renaissance and Early Modern Literature) link

Deadline: unclear

Acknowledgment received: N/A

Request for additional materials: N/A

Initial interview scheduled: N/A

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

DePauw University

"One-year term position" in medieval or early American Lit link

[It's unclear from the ad whether this is a renewable position or not, so I reproduced their wording]

Deadline: review begins immediately

Request for additional materials: Received request for additional materials via email on 3/18 (x2), 4/8

Interview scheduled:

Fitchburg State College (MA)

Assistant Professor of English (One Year Temporary Position in Medieval Literature) [[1]]

Deadline: Open until filled

Request for additional materials: April 18 (x1)

Phone interview scheduled: April 23 (x1)

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Indiana University Northwest

Assistant Professor in History of the English Language, Professional Writing, Grammar and Usage, and Medieval (or Eighteenth Century) link

Deadline: Jan. 15, 2010 

Acknowledgment received: Jan. 16 via letter dated Jan. 13

Request for additional materials: N/A

Phone interview scheduled on Jan. 24 (x2)

Campus interview scheduled: Feb. 4

Offer made: ~March 20 (I was alternate candidate querying status on this date)

Offer accepted: N/A

John Carroll U. (OH)

Visiting Assistant Professor Medieval Literature 2010-2011

Posted on MLA JIL 5/21; Open until Filled

Acknowledgment received: N/A

Request for additional materials: N/A

Initial interview scheduled: N/A

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Kent State University, Stark Campus (OH)

Full Time Tenure Track Faculty in Medieval or Renaissance link

Deadline: until filled ("For full consideration, submit application materials by 1/15/2010.")

Acknowledgment received: N/A

Request for additional materials: N/A

Phone interview scheduled: Feb. 5 (x2)

Campus interview scheduled: telephone call Feb 16

Offer made: 3/10/2010

Offer accepted: yes

Loyola College In Maryland

Two-Year VAP  link

Deadline: Oct. 23, 2009

Acknowledgment received: Oct. 22

Request for additional materials: Oct. 22 (x12); Nov. 2 (x8)

MLA interview scheduled: Dec 15 (phone) (x6)

Campus interview scheduled: Jan. 19 (phone) (x3)

Offer made: YEs

Offer accepted: yes!

Rejection letter received (no MLA interview): Jan. 7 (x3); Jan. 8 (x3)

• Has anybody heard anything since November? The suspense is killing me.
• Does anyone know if they are going to interview at MLA?
  • Anyone brave enough to e-mail and ask?!
  • Dear Search Committee, I have a friend who was wondering....
  • Congratulations, interviewees!
• Does anyone know if an offerhas been made yet?
• They're on spring break right now. Last week they completed their final campus interview.

Marymount University (VA)

Assistant Professor    link

Deadline: Nov. 1, 2009 (review of applications begins)

Acknowledgment received: N/A

Request for additional materials: Dec. 3 via e-mail (x12)

MLA interview scheduled: Dec. 7 via phone (x3); Dec. 10 by phone (x2)

Campus interview scheduled: yes (date?)

Offer made: YES!!!

Offer accepted: Yes. 4/2/2010

Rejection Received: Jan. 14 via email (no MLA interview) (x5)

• So there was a deadline for this job listed somewhere. MLA has no deadline and the job doesn't show up on the Marymount HR website.
• I found their letter to be confusing. Do you apply online or online AND by mail?
  • I gather that you apply online with letter and cv, then send additional materials by mail if requested.
  • I also thought that you should apply online and address the cover letter to that person.
• Has anyone gotten e-mail confirmations after scheduling for the MLA? (A: yes)
• I heard a rumor that campus visits for this position have already gone out; can anyone confirm or deny this?
  • I hope not!
  • Yes, they have
  • At the MLA, this dept said that word would be going out by early February. Has anybody else received an invitation for a campus visit?
  • I had heard mid-February at the MLA, but I haven't had word since (with the exception of the person who posted above). x3
  • I am the person who posted above reporting an invitation to campus. Have since withdrawn from the search (spousal hire elsewhere, not one of the other jobs on this list). Good luck to the rest of you! I loved every interaction I had with the Marymount people.
  • I was also told that they would finish first-round interviews after the MLA. To the above poster: was your campus visit a first or second interview? Thank you very much for your time on this.
  • I'm not sure what you are asking, but I had a phone interview with them in January (long story on why I could not make the MLA--and Marymount was absolutely delightful and understanding about it) and was invited on campus after that.

McGill University (Montreal CA)

Assistant Professor of English (Late-medieval, non-Chaucerian) link

Deadline: Nov. 15, 2009

Acknowledgment received: Oct. 20; Oct. 21; Nov. 10 via email (x2); Nov. 16 via email; Nov 17 via e-mail

MLA interview scheduled: Dec. 3 via phone call (x5)

Campus interview scheduled: Jan. 6 by phone (x3)

Offer made: Yes (updated Feb. 4 [please keep the date here])

Offer accepted: Yes

• Those who have "received acknowledgment": was this a postcard you included in your application, or have you received another form of acknowledgement from the search committee?
  • Mine was in the form of an email this morning.  

Miami University Hamilton (OH)

Assistant Professor link

Deadline: Jan. 11, 2010 (screening of applications begins)

Acknowledgment received: Jan. 11, by e-mail

Request for additional materials: Jan. 29, by email (x2).

Initial interview scheduled: N/A

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Middle Tennessee State University

Assistant/Associate Professor of Early European Literature link

Deadline: Oct. 26, 2009

Acknowledgment received: Oct. 27. I never received an acknowledgment, so I called the number in the ad; they had in fact received my application but admitted that they had neglected to acknowledge it (Nov. 5).

Request for additional materials: N/A

Phone interview scheduled: N/A

Campus interview scheduled: January 10th (x1), Jan. 20 (x1) by phone

Offer made: Feb. 22

Offer accepted: yes

Rejection email received: Dec. 11 (x2); Mar. 2 (no previous interview x2); April 9 (x1)

• Q: Does anyone know if they are conducting MLA interviews? The ad doesn't mention anything about it, and from what I inferred from the department's secretary, there is still a lot of work to be done..
  • A: Per Dr. Stallings at MTSU (via e-mail), they don't interview at MLA. Q to A: Any idea of what their timeline looks like, in that case? Does this mean that they'll be doing phone interviews in January instead?
• 12/18 - Anyone heard anything more on this one? It seems a bit odd that a couple of people have received rejections and yet nobody's heard anything in terms of interviews or requests for more materials.
  • 12/19 - When I talked to the secretary on the phone, she didn't seem entirely confident that decisions would be made before Christmas.
• 12/28--They seem to be doing the rejections in waves. If this job is the same one posted on the world literature site, some people received rejection e-mails on 12/21.
  • They are also hiring for an Anglophone position - I think that might be the one listed on the world lit page.
• 1/12 - Q: Did the person who received the call for a campus visit ever interview with MTSU?
  • 1/18 - I second the last question. As someone who hasn't yet received a rejection, I'm wondering if I still have a shot at this one. Did they already conduct interviews by phone at some point?
  • 1/20-- I'm the one who posted my campus visit. There was no prior interview and I was more than a bit surprised.
    • This happens sometimes, when a school doesn't go to the MLA and is efficient about a short list.

Missouri Valley College (Marshall, MO)

Assistant* or Associate* Professor of English link

Deadline: April 2, 2010

Acknowledgement received:

Request for additional materials:

Interview Scheduled:

• these are not tenure-earning positions

Mount St. Mary's University (Emmitsburg, MD)

Assistant Professor of English link

Deadline: Oct. 23, 2009

Acknowledgment received: Sept. 24, Oct. 21, following electronic submission (x4); EOE letter/form received (via snailmail), Oct. 29

Request for additional materials: Nov. 11 via e-mail (x14)

MLA interview scheduled: Dec. 8 by phone (x5), Dec. 9 by phone

Campus interview scheduled: Jan. 5 by phone

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Rejection: rec'd by snail mail Feb. 19 (dated Feb. 5).

New York University, Gallatin School of Individualized Study

Assistant or Associate Professor, Medieval and/or Renaissance Studies link

Deadline: Dec. 1, 2009

Acknowledgment received: Nov. 3 via e-mail; Nov. 13 via email; Nov 16 via snail mail; Nov. 16 via email; Nov. 21 via snail mail; Dec. 2 via email (x3); Dec. 4 email; Dec. 9 email

Request for additional materials: N/A

Initial Campus interview scheduled: Dec. 23 (via email) Jan. 8 (via email)

Campus Visit (Job Talk scheduled):

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: yes (4/6) according to Renaissance page.

• NOTE: On the Renaissance wiki, there is a note that they are not doing interviews at MLA.
• Anyone know when they will start getting back to people?
  • Copied from the Renaissance wiki: "(12/14) Just to pass this along to anyone wondering: I emailed their HR person and asked if they planned on interviewing at the MLA...the answer is no. They're looking to do interviews in NYC in early January."
  • Called and heard that interviews will be conducted in NYC in late January; weird, will they fly people in? Only interview locals??
  • R: They are flying out about 10 people for the first round of interviews in the third week of January. These are not job talks, just round 1.
• From the Early Modern wiki: "(12/15) Inside sources tell me the applicant pool was around 200, and that they hope to find someone whose work includes a non-European focus." Considering the position was advertised as medieval, it's obvious that everyone in early modern is applying for our positions now 
  • I believe that the position was advertised as medieval AND/OR early modern, not strictly medieval. Here is the link.
  • Above is correct. It's Medieval and/or Early Modern. It's also English/Comp Lit/History/Philosophy/Religion/Etc. And Assistant/Associate.
• From the Early Modern wiki: "Gallatin scheduled interviews with roughly ten candidates back on Dec 22 and 23. They will be flying all ten back to NYU the third week of Jan."
• From the Early Modern wiki: "over 450 applicants"

Reed College

Assistant Professor of English and Humanities (Medieval and/or Early Modern) Link

Deadline: Nov. 17, 2009

Acknowledgment received: N/A

Request for additional materials: N/A

MLA interview scheduled: Dec. 11 by email (x3)

Campus interview scheduled: Jan. 7 by email (x2)

Offer made: yes-date?

Offer accepted: N/A

• Does anyone know if this search is still running?  The link above is now dead...
  • I sent a query to the email listed in the ad. Good news. The search is still on (the link was removed because the deadline has passed) and the committee is still working through the applications. (The response also said they were behind in sending out acknowledgments as well.) So although there has been silence, there is definitely still work going on behind the scenes. >Thanks!
• I am very grateful to Reed for just notifying me about scheduling for an interview at the MLA.
• Does anyone know how many they are interviewing. A: by the looks of the number of time slots they sent me, as many as 20, if they use all the slots (wow, that's a lot)
• I wonder if they've done all the notifying or if some of us should keep the hope alive.
  • Personally, I have begun the mourning process (x27). 
  • Does anyone know HOW many candidates will be interviewed?
  • If this search is like others they've done in the past, they'll be interviewing more than 12.
• Has anyone gotten any kind of rejection email or letter from them yet (I'm asking this on 12/18)?  I've given up hope but it's still a little odd.
  • Nothing yet. I keep fantasizing about a second round of interview requests, but I'm prone to delusion.
  • Reed is a fantastic place... I pray that I get an interview (today is 12/20) but I too am prone to fantasies of pedagogic aggrandizement
  • 12/23: Hope abandoned.
  • There is still hope: keep it alive.
  • Hope has been lost as I fared badly when I could have done well. How many have campus visits now?
• I have not heard from Reed but has ANY received any Campus Visits?
  • Just heard that they will schedule interviews at the end of the month. No campus interviews as yet. They are WONDERFUL people. Clarification: will they schedule visits for the end of the month or at the end of the month?
  • I have been invited (by email) for a campus visit.  They mentioned three dates at the end of Jan/early Feb, but the final dates have not been confirmed.  I think they are inviting 3 candidates.
  • I've heard that there are 4 finalists.
• Does anyone know the status of this search? At this point, part of this question is bare curiosity. But I have also yet to receive my rejection letter from Reed, so I'm feeling a little bit perplexed. Any news?

A: On the Renaissance page, it says an offer has been made (no date or indication whether it has been accepted, though).

Southern Connecticut State University 

Assistant Professor of English link

Deadline: Feb. 10, 2010

Acknowledgment received: Jan. 25 (x5); Feb. 8 (x2)

Request for additional materials: Feb. 19 (x4)

Screener interview scheduled: Mar 8 (X1)

Campus interview scheduled: March 11 (X1)

Offer made: Yes (April 6)

Offer accepted: Yes

Had phone interview this past Monday and was invited to campus for interview on Thursday.

University of Arkansas, Little Rock

Assistant Professor of English  (Early Modern/Medieval Literature) Link

Deadline: Nov. 15, 2009

Acknowledgment received: Received by e-mail, Oct. 13, Oct. 23, Nov. 4 (x2)

Request for additional materials: N/A

Phone interview scheduled: Dec. 9 via email

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: 5/5 (hiring freeze apparently lifted and offer accepted, per Renaissance 2010).

• Q:  So . . . are they only conducting interviews by phone and not going to MLA?
  • A: Yes
  • A: I think it's supposed to be two rounds of phone interviews, then campus visits for this one.

• Over on the Renaissance page, someone's indicated that they've contacted people about the second round of interviews already. Just wondering--did any medievalists make the cut?

The search is on hold due to a temporary hiring freeze (via the Renaissance page).

University of California, Los Angeles

Mellon Assistant Professor in Residence at UCLA (2 year term; Mediterranean Studies) link

Deadline: Mar. 15, 2010

Acknowledgment received: N/A

Request for additional materials: N/A

Initial interview scheduled: N/A

Campus interview scheduled: N/A

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

University of Hartford

Assistant Professor of English (broadly trained medievalist) link

Deadline: Oct. 28, 2009

Acknowledgment received: Sept. 23, Oct. 16, Oct. 30; Applicant data sheet (email), Oct. 30 (x2)

Request for additional materials: Nov. 18 via email (x4) Congrats!

MLA interview scheduled: Dec. 9 by phone (x4)

Campus interview scheduled: Jan. 11 by phone (x2) 

Offer made: 3/5 (not to me)

Offer accepted: 3/13

Rejection letter rec'd by email, Dec. 10 (x25), Jan. 12 (x2)

University of Michigan

Assistant or advanced Assistant Professor link

Deadline: Oct. 30, 2009

Acknowledgment received: email Oct. 13, Oct. 21, Nov. 2, Nov. 5 (x2)

Request for additional materials: N/A

MLA interview scheduled: Dec. 9 by phone (x2)

Campus interview scheduled: Would anybody like to volunteer when his/her visit was scheduled?

Offer made: N/A Would anybody like to relay SC's info about timelines?

Offer accepted: N/A

• I just received a very sloppy rejection email (Dec. 9) (x12).  But there it is. Yeah, me too. (Dec 9th 12pm). *sigh. *I got two: one sloppy and one correct. (x 7)
  • I haven't received either a rejection email or an interview call. Is anyone else in this position? Rejection by email (Dec. 15)(x3)
  • Yes. Same here. (x1)
• Does anyone know if they decided not to hire a medievalist (i.e., to hire someone working in a different field)?
  • I've heard that they've got just the one position on offer this year, and that it could fall to someone in any of the categories they advertised for. And I also got the sense that internal politics were making it look not so good for a medieval hire.
  • They have indeed called people back for flybacks - in Rhetoric and Composition and Digital Humanities. No medievalists.
  • There is no indication that the medieval opening is closed. Officially, there may be campus visits quite soon. (2/14)
  • There also seems to be no indication that it's still open, no?
  • That would be amazingly late: having on campus visits in late Feb/early March.

University of Oregon

Assistant Professor of Old English Literature (It's on the JIL, but the link seems to be messed up.)

Deadline: Nov. 15, 2009

Acknowledgment received: yes, electronically--last week of September, right after submitting electronic application; reply seemed automatically triggered by submitting application, but was from UO and not from Academic Jobs Online, the site they're using for the process

Request for additional materials: N/A

MLA interview scheduled: Dec. 4 via phone (x2), Dec. 4 via email (x2) --How many years you been with PhD?  Two. Five.

Campus interview scheduled: These visits have happened already.

• When? Were you one of them? Or did you hear of this from someone else?
  • Alas, not one of them. But I know they have visited because I know an emeritus faculty member who attended their talks, receptions, etc.

Offer made: Yes, week of Jan. 22nd

Offer accepted: Two offers made, both declined because the university could not provide a good spousal hire. Search declared failed. Will resume next year.

University of Pittsburgh

Assistant Professor of English link

Deadline: Nov. 1, 2009

Acknowledgment received: Oct. 1, Oct. 26, Nov. 2 by snail mail letter (x5)

Request for additional materials:  Nov. 5 by e-mail (x7)

MLA interview scheduled: Dec. 9 by e-mail (x5)

Campus interview scheduled: Jan. 6 by phone (x2)

Offer made: [why was the date "Jan. 23" deleted? was an offer not in fact made at that time?] Offer declined 2/13. Offer made to another candidate 2/13.

Offer accepted: YES

• NOTE: This link (to the Pitt website) is slightly different from their posting on the MLA list (I suspect the MLA posting is correct, since this one mentions interviewing in San Fransisco, and says one must have a Ph.D. by 2008!).  The list of secondary interests is more complete on the MLA list.
• Just got a rejection email from Pitt. (x23)
• Do these numbers mean only ten of us applied to Pitt? Or are bunch of original participants not paying attention (or not tallying)? How many applicants do you think are out there this year? I was thinking 250-300.
  • Not everyone who applies checks in (or even knows about this wiki). And not everyone updates the wiki who does check it. (and if there are 10 rejections and 3 requests for additional materials, then that would be at least 13 who applied; based on past experience, I would guess just under 100 medieval applicants on the market, but that might not be accurate for this year.) Also, I applied to Pitt, received an acknowledgment, so they got my application, but I have not received either a rejection or a request for additional materials yet. So perhaps they haven't gotten all the way through contacting people so far. (Or else I just got overlooked and need to find out what happened to my application.) UPDATE (Nov. 9): Okay, so they just hadn't emailed everyone yet. I got my rejection email today. *sigh*
• Can those who received requests for additional materials be so kind as to indicate if they are primarily early or late medieval (and/or Old or Middle English)? I'm curious what they are looking for at Pittsburgh. 
  • On that note, can I ask whether any of those who received requests are ABD, or do all of you have PhDs in hand? If you choose to answer, thank you.
    • rejected Nov. 9 (by a cordial and gentle email, thank you Pitt) - am ABD
    • also rejected Nov. 9  - ABD
    • For those that were rejected last week, how many were ABD? (x11)
    • Rejected Nov. 9 - PhD last year. (x4)
    • Rejected Nov. 9 - PhD just this summer
    • Rejected 11/06. PhD this fall. (x2)
    • Rejected 11/06.  Ph.D. last year (Ivy), currently teaching at Ivy.
    • asked for additional materials: ABD, late medieval/ Middle English (x2)
    • Additional materials: PhD this fall, Old English.
    • Rejected after request for additional materials Dec. 8 (email) (x5)
• Accepted at last!

University of Texas-Pan American

Assistant/Associate Professor of English Link

Deadline:  N/A

Acknowledgment received: N/A

Request for additional materials: E-mail request for full dossier, Nov. 9 (x2), Nov. 18, Nov. 23 (x5)

MLA interview scheduled: Dec. 11 by phone (x5)

Campus interview scheduled: Jan. 19 by phone (x1)

Offer made: March 3

Offer accepted: March 9

Rejection letter: Nov. 21 (x7); Dec. 19; Post-MLA interview rejection letter received Jan. 27

Has another finalist for this job heard anything yet? PLEASE post if you're out there! Or does anyone else know what's going on? Thanks very much.

• I was one of the finalists, but I removed myself from the search in early February. That's all I know, I'm afraid. Good luck!
• Thank you very much for the update.

Victoria University of Wellington (NZ)

Lecturer / Senior Lecturer in English link

Deadline: November 20, 2009

Acknowledgment received: Nov. 3 via e-mail; Nov. 10 by email (x2)

Request for additional materials: Dec. 7 by email (x2)

Rejection: email Dec. 9 (x3), Feb. 2 (x2)

Interview scheduled: Feb. 2 by email

Campus interview scheduled: N/A--They do not plan to invite to campus. They are simply offering the position to one of four finalists.

Offer made: week of Feb. 15

Offer accepted: Feb. 22

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Assistant or Associate Professor of Old English link

Deadline: Nov. 30, 2009

Acknowledgment received: Dec. 10 via snail mail (x7)

Request for additional materials: N/A

MLA interview scheduled: Dec. 16 by phone (x1)

Campus interview scheduled: A colleague has an on-campus in early February (Jan. 13)

Offer made: yes-date?

Offer accepted: yes, way back before May's Kalamazoo, when I spoke with Chosen Candidate (just received PhD, from Ivy)

• Has anyone heard anything about this? It's December 9th and I'm beginning to wonder if it's all said and done.
  • As their deadline wasn't until end of Nov. it could be just before MLA that anyone hears anything.
    • I don't know when they're expecting to contact people, but they're working on applications still because of the late deadline/advertisement. But they're on it.
    • to contextualize: I've received phone calls from Research I schools to set up an MLA interview on Dec. 22
    • The acknowledgment letter I just received (dated Dec. 7) says, "We have begun the initial screening of applications and expect that the screening will continue through the end of the month."
    • Ditto the above; does that mean they're not interviewing at MLA?
    • It looks to me as though they are not interviewing at MLA, since their announcement says that applications received through Dec. 29th will receive full consideration.  I guess they're banking on their R1 status. Though the other (crazier) possibility would be that (still banking on R1 status) they've set the deadline to coincide with the end of MLA, so that if they want to consider more people while at the conference they can.  "Oh hi, we're in room 243, would you like to come up for an interview?"  Has this a precedent?? A: Sadly, yes.
    • Point of confusion: the MLA/JIL ad said "must be received by NOV 29; the above link to UW says Dec. 29. The latter seems like a typo. But who can tell?
    • They are interviewing at MLA.
• Was only one wiki user chosen for an interview? That seems odd.
  • Perhaps less odd if they are primarily interviewing more senior folks: tenured Assoc. Profs and the like.
  • Nope, at least one ABD (Jan. 13) - Make that two - I was the one person who got an MLA interview above, and I am ABD. But I didn't get a campus visit, alas! Best of luck to the other person!
• Rejection letter by snail mail Jan. 16.
• offer made.

Washburn University

Assistant Professor of English link

Deadline: April 16, 2010

Acknowledgement received: April 13 (x1); April 15 (x1)

Request for additional materials: N/A

Rejection: April 27 (x1)

Interview scheduled: N/A (when this happens, please add type: phone, campus, etc.)

Offer made: N/A

Offer accepted: N/A

Westmont College

Assistant Professor of English link

Deadline: Nov. 1, 2009

Acknowledgment received: Oct. 2, Oct. 5, Nov. 3rd (via snail mail)

Request for additional materials: request via email Nov. 13 (x4), Nov. 19 (x3)

MLA interview scheduled: Dec. 4 via email (x2)

Campus interview scheduled: contacted Jan. 11

Offer made: Yes, Mar. 10

Offer accepted: Yes--March 18

Rejection email: Nov. 19

Rejection email (after submission of dossier): Dec. 4 (x2)

Rejection email (after MLA interview): Jan. 15 (x2)

• Dropped out of search: Dec. 7 (x3)
  • Q: Anyone willing to say why he/she dropped out?
  • A: Yes. Accepted early offer for position at another institution; otherwise, this would have been my first choice--it is an excellent Christian Liberal Arts school.
  • Q. Would you consider naming the institution where you accepted a position? Either way, thanks for volunteering this info.
    • That's getting a little too personal, don't you think? (And if this is the person I think it is, it was not a specifically medieval job, so it's not one of the ones on this list.)
    • A: Generalist position at an institution not advertising through MLA and not listed here on the wiki.

• Received a warm rejection from the college. Feel comforted.

• Q: It strikes me that those of us who were interested in this job might have a lot in common outside the strictly academic. Would any of you be interested in meeting up at Kalamazoo or somewhere similar (New Chaucer Society maybe) to socialize and network?

• A: Yes, to either venue. Kalamazoo might be better located for some. Where and when?

--A:I second Kalamazoo, and the where and when.

--Let's do Kzoo then. I don't have any preference about the wheres and whens. Maybe we could meet up for lunch on that Friday at 11:30 or noon, on the theory that most people will be there by then? I'm just throwing out ideas here, so if that doesn't work for your plans, feel free to propose another.

• • • I've put together an ad hoc e-mail address so that those of us interested in getting together at Congress can exchange contact information and decide upon a time and place to meet: send me an e-mail here: westmont.kzoo.gettogether@gmail.com
• Q: Does anyone know the timeline for this search? A: Campus interviews, three I believe, have been scheduled for next month. A2: The third candidate's campus visit was held March 1-2.