MUSIC THEORY/COMPOSITION JOBS 2010-11

Music Theory/Composition Community College Jobs Page
Archive of 09-10 theory/comp job wiki
Archive of 08-09 theory/comp job wikil
CMS Music Vacancy List
CHE Music Job List
Higher Ed Jobs
Music Theory Online job list
Current Musicology WIKI

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Current Wiki Time: Sat May 26 10:06:25 CEST 2012
Last Page Update: 2011-05-09 23:21:58.0

Hey, how do we start the 2011-2012 page? (and shouldn't this page have been titled 2010-2011 to begin with?) At least one job has been announced for 2011 (Eastern Illinois). Let's get that new page up and close the books on this year's terrible market!

THE JOBS

Theory Only

Schools that mailed official letter of hire
Northwestern University (received quite awhile ago)
Ohio State University (dated 02/01)
McGill University (dated 06/16)

Jobs that have been accepted
Northwestern University (Vasili Byros, PhD, YALE [2009], Indiana University Post-Doc)
Ohio State University (Anna Gawboy, PhD, YALE [2010])
University at Buffalo (Richard Plotkin, PhD, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO [2010])
University of Kansas (Alan Street)
Oklahoma Baptist University (Peter Purin, PhD, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS [expected 2010])
Full Sail University (Greg McCandless, PhD, FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY [expected 2010])
Michigan State University (Michael Callahan, PhD EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC [expected 2010])
University of Missouri-St. Louis (Zachary Cairns, PhD, EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC [2010])
Carleton University (James McGowan, PhD, EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC [2005], James Madison University)
University of New Mexico [theory](David Bashwiner, PhD UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO [year?])
University of Utah (Michael Chikinda, PhD UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO [2008], Queen's University)
Sam Houston State University (Kevin Clifton, PhD, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, Indiana State)
Rhodes College (Brad Osborn, PhD, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON [2010])
College of William and Mary [VAP](Amy Cimini, PhD, NYU, [ABD])
Williams College (Michael J. Masci, PhD, U. Penn [2008])
University of Missouri (Richard Pellegrin, PhD, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON [ABD])
McGill University (Nicole Biamonte, PhD, YALE [2000], University of Iowa)
University of Oklahoma (Steven Vande Moortele,PhD, UNIVERSITY OF LEUVEN [2006], McGill University postdoc)
Northern Arizona University [lecturer, non-TT] (Knight, PhD, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA [2008])
Western Carolina University [VAP] (Greg Robin, DMA, UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA [2009])
Gettysburg College [VAP] (Avner Dorman, DMA, JUILLIARD [???])
Ithaca College [VAP]
SUNY Potsdam
University of North Carolina, Asheville
University of Northern Colorado
Oklahoma City University
Troy University [lecturer, non-TT]
Skidmore College [2-year VAP]
Xavier University

Jobs that have made an offer
Brooklyn College
Elmhurst College (as of 6/11)
Georgia College & State U
University of Texas, Brownsville
Appalachian State University
Middle Tennessee State University (3-year VAP) Email received 7/19

Jobs that have had or are having onsite interviews

Jobs that are conducting phone interviews
LaMoyne-Owen College: Phone Interviews 7/27 (Curiously, "deadline" of 8/15 has not passed)

Jobs that have requested additional materials (see below for specifics)

Jobs that have acknowledged applications (see below for specifics)
Stephen F. Austin State University (VAP) Email received 5/2
College of Southern Nevada (e-mail, 5/5/10 "[you] met minimum qualifications")

Jobs that have been announced with no updates

TTs

Morris College

VAPs

Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music

Job Search Cancellations/Suspensions
Belmont University
Illinois Wesleyan University
University of South Carolina
Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins
Santa Fe College

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Theory/Composition

Jobs that have been accepted
North Central College (Jonathon Kirk, DM, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY [2008])
College of Charleston (Yiorgos Vassilandonakis, PhD, UC BERKELEY [2006])
New School (NY) (Chris Stover, PhD, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON [2009])
Wheaton College (Shawn Okpebholo, DMA, U of CINCINNATI COLLEGE-CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC [2007], Union University) AND (David M. Gordon, PhD, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO [2009])
Mississippi College
Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, TX
Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia): 1-year VAP (6/4 letter states offer accepted: who?)
Florida Gulf Coast University
Jacksonville State
Bowling Green State University: 1-year full-time instructor (Christopher Dietz, PhD, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN [2007])
Ohio Wesleyan (Clint Needham, DM, INDIANA [2010])
University of New Mexico (Peter Gilbert, PhD, HARVARD [2008]) AND (Karola Obermüller, PhD, HARVARD [2010])


Jobs that have made an offer


Jobs that have had or are having onsite interviews
Houghton College (TT)
Union University (VAP)

Jobs that are conducting phone interviews
University of Miami (tenure track): open until filled.


Jobs that have requested additional materials


Jobs that have acknowledged applications
University of Nevada, Reno (non-TT, lecturer) - e-mail rejection 5/12/10

Jobs that have been announced with no updates.



Jobs that have been canceled
Southern Methodist University: deadline, Dec. 28 (email received 2/9: I am writing to inform you that, at this time, no further actions are planned with respect to this search.)
New Jersey City University - Sent affirmative action survey via snail mail. [Q: When? A: Postmarked Dec. 23] (Letter of cancellation received 5/6)

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Theory/Etc . . .

Jobs that have been accepted
New York University (Anna Zayaruznaya, ABD, HARVARD)
Indiana University, South Bend (John Mayrose, PhD, DUKE, current Lawrence University post-doc)
St. Norbert College (Blake Henson, DMA, THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY [2010])
Cornell University (Roger Moseley, PhD, UC BERKELEY [2004])
Indiana University, Purdue University at Fort Wayne [Sweetwater Chair in Music Theory and Technology]
Black Hills State University [keyboard/theory]
St. Olaf College [flute and theory]


Jobs that have made an offer
The Queens' College, University of Oxford (Junior Research Fellowship in Music): April 9 http://www.queens.ox.ac.uk/vacancies/
Shepherd University (tenure track: theory, Director of Jazz Studies)


Jobs that have had or are having onsite interviews


Jobs that are conducting phone interviews
Queensborough CC: May 17


Jobs that have acknowledged applications
Western Connecticut State University (tenure track, review begins Nov. 23), "The successful candidate will teach courses in Music Theory, Sight-Singing/Ear Training and Music Industry (Music Technology/Audio Recording); coordinate audio recording within the department..."


Jobs that have been announced with no updates
Broward College (asst prof: choral/theory) deadline: Jan. 4
Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), theory/history and direct piano program: Feb. 12
Texas A&M Kingsville: Oboe or bassoon and theory (lecturer, one year)
Western Kentucky University, (tenure track), double reeds and theory
West Virginia State University (HBC): tenure track, woodwinds and theory. Deadline: Feb. 15
University of Utah, classical guitar, jazz guitar and theory: Jan. 4
Oklahoma State University, theory and saxophone. Deadline March 31



Jobs that have been canceled
Mars Hill College (North Carolina), theory and music tech

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Composition

Jobs that have been accepted
Baldwin-Wallace College (Fang Man, ABD, CORNELL)
University of Nebraska, Lincoln (digital arts and composition) (Damon Lee, Cornell U., currently at U. of Huddersfield, UK)
Trinity College Dublin, Ussher lectureship in Music (Composition) Evangelia Rigaki (Royal Holloway)

Jobs that have made an offer


Jobs that have had or are having onsite interviews
Harvard University
University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth (lecturer in Electronic Music): campus interviews 4/26-29



Jobs that are conducting phone interviews



Jobs that have requested additional materials


Jobs that have acknowledged applications
The Master's College (Santa Clarita, CA): 2/20
University of North Texas, Denton, TX (Concert music and orchestration - 1 year appt.): 6/21
7/10 - Any updates on this UNT job besides acknowledgement?


Jobs that have been announced with no updates
University of North Texas, Denton, TX (Jazz arranging and composition), tenure track, deadline Nov. 18

Jobs that have been canceled
Longy School of Music

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Who's on the Market . . .

DEMOGRAPHICS
I am a theorist / my degree is in theory: 18
I am a composer / my degree is in composition: 9
I am a composer/theorist: 4
I am a theorist/composer: 3
I am a composer/technologist: 1
I want to be a technologist: 1

CLASSIFICATION
I am ABD (finishing this year) on the market: 12
I am a new PhD in my first year on the market: 3
I am searching from a current TT position: 7
I am searching from a post-doc position: 5
I am searching from a VAP position: 6
I am searching from an adjunct position: 7
I am searching from a position of unemployment: 2
I am just following this to get ready for my own job search in a year: 1
I'm a member of a search committee: 2

ADDITIONAL INFO
The continuation of my VAP/Lecturer position is in doubt: 3
My adjunct position has been eliminated:
I am returning to the job market after a hiatus from academia:
I am currently an adjunct: 6
I am currently in a TT position: 3
I think that internal hemorrhaging is a small price to pay for the sublimity and erudition of Vogon poetry: 1

APPLICATIONS SENT
I have sent 0-2 applications this year: 2
I have sent 3-5 applications this year: 6
I have sent 6-8 applications this year: 1
I have sent 9-11 applications this year: 1
I have sent 12-14 applications this year: 2
I have sent 15+ applications this year: 4

Are the people who are "searching from a current TT position" in the Classification section the same as the ones who are "currently in a TT position" in the Additional Info section? Is there a difference? (Ditto for adjuncts)
[C] There is a difference in at least some cases. I am currently in a TT position, but am not searching for a job. Just keeping an eye on this page out of sheer, morbid curiosity.

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DISCUSSION

Community College Jobs Page

5/4: In light of the discussion going on in the job list at the top of this page, I'd vote for setting up a separate wiki page for community college jobs. How do we do it? Are there any wiki-savvy theorists out there who want to take the lead? All I know how to do is click "Edit Page" and then try to decipher the @#$%^& re-Captcha thing. Thanks!
5/8: New page available here: Community College Jobs

General

3/28: It's funny: passover suddenly takes on a whole new meaning when I compare the number of apps I've sent out to the number of bites I've had . . .
First bad news of the year: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/arts/10cuts.html?hpw
BUT, critiques of these negative NY Times articles, like this one are still relevant and important for us to keep in mind.
Things don't seem to be looking good. By this time last year jobs were starting to stack up.
There was a version of this page devoted to administrative jobs in existence once upon a time. Where did it go?
9/7: (Let's start using date stamps again.) By 9/5 last year, I recorded at least 11 job postings. This could be a very arid year. The hiring freeze that began last year might have become systemic.
9/7: Yes, I've spoken to HR people at my school - a big Research I - and they suggest that we're looking at at least 2-3 years before serious hiring starts up again. I'd suggest building up alternate parts of your resumes for the time being, and looking for non-academic work if you can get it. I'm no cynic, but we've got to be realistic about this.
9/10: Probably so. I'm not ready to say it's "back to normal," but I am encouraged to see five theory/comp tt jobs go up here this week alone!
9/13: Chronicle lists a music theory job at UI, South Bend, but the academic affairs page lists nothing. Does anybody have information about this?
9/16: No comp jobs anywhere, eh?
9/21: re: UI, South Bend, see website above under theory etc.
9/26: Still no comp jobs...
10/7: Yikes! Seems like the comp jobs are on ice this year...
10/8: Due to the financial mess, some institutions may not get approval for job searches until later in the semester. The timing when we usually see a rash of jobs (late Sept through Oct) may be pushed back one or two months.
1/14: I got a very kind rejection email from Indiana-South Bend today. They haven't concluded their search, they simply wanted to let me know that they were proceeding on to the next round without me. While I am bummed (I really liked the job description) I very much appreciate the thoughtfulness of letting me know the status of their search. Why don't more schools do this? Many schools won't send out rejections until the end of the search while some don't ever get around to it. Meanwhile I rely on rumor websites (like this one) to keep up with search committee progress. With all of the pretense and professionalism of carefully articulated cover letters and CVs on fancy paper, what has happened to common courtesy? Kuddos, IUSB, for acknowleding the time, effort and emotional investment that goes into each of these applications!
1/14: Not ever having been a member of a search committee, I'm just speculating, but my guesses are as follows. If a school sends out rejection letters, they probably typically do that after the search is completed so that, in case they have to dip back into the pool again, they haven't drained the entire pool. As for why some schools send any acknowledgment at all, and others send none whatsoever, my guess is that it has to do with the time requirements involved in sending those letters. While it's easier than ever with email, it still requires the search chair (or perhaps a department secretary) to type up the letter, and enter in everyone's email addresses. Yes, it might only be a matter of 15 minutes, but, since I don't imagine that all search chairs necessarily volunteered for the position, that may be 15 minutes that they can spend preparing for tomorrow's classes. They're all full-time teachers, after all.
1/14: This is also speculation, but from my experience I find sending out early rejections risky unless the SC is reasonably sure that it has enough qualified reserve candidates it can come back to if the next rounds of selection don't result in a hire. (Maybe that's one way of saying that I saw enough botched searches at one of my former institutions to make me wary of this practice.) However, I don't understand why some institutions can't manage to provide some minimum levels of communication, e.g. initial acknowledgments of applications and final rejection notices. These are professional courtesies that shouldn't be too difficult to figure into the process.
4/5: Obviously, it takes several years to get out of (and recover from) a recession, so, while the small number of jobs this year seems to be a bad thing, I wonder if the relatively small percentage of announced jobs which were subsequently canceled should be taken as a somewhat encouraging sign for future years? Even though there aren't a lot of new jobs out there, at least most of those that are announced are running to completion? (bear with me - I'm trying to put on an optimistic face for next year's market, since it's looking increasingly likely that I'll be searching AGAIN)
4/11: The odds are long and get worse as time passes and you're still out of work. The problem is that the market will change in ways that you can't predict. So, the very nature of our field in the post-recession will only loosely resemble what it looks like now.
4/27: Comment to 4/11 - That is indeed a depressing thought. This year it seems that the bright shiny ABDs won out. My degree is only 2 years old and I have a few solid publications. Should I start feeling like last year's cell phone?
4/29: When I entered the market some 7+ years ago, things were quite different. Many departments seemed to favor applicants with 3-5 years' experience beyond the doctorate: this was either explicitly stated in the job description, or made evident through their hiring decisions. Even as recently as 08-09 the market didn't favor ABDs, as the blog from that year shows. Things have changed markedly since then, however, and in the current economic climate, I think many departments don't want to risk tendering offers to candidates who might just be out to renegotiate a current TT contract. I can't state how important this is: there really isn't the job or salary mobility in this profession that one finds in many others, and that means going on the market is the only way for many TT faculty to get raises pre-tenure - and it's also something many do "just in case" during the pre-tenure evaluation and tenure-application years. Thus, it's not uncommon for first-choice candidates decline offers, searches to go down the tubes due to failed negotiations, candidates to withdraw at the interview stage, etc. I say this not to denigrate the doubtless high quality of many of the ABD applicants out there, but just to point out that, all other things being equal right now, they do present an economic edge that those of us with more on-the-job experience do not.
4/29: Comment - I can see the logic in terms of people already on the tenure track but what would be the advantage of an ABD with limited teaching experience and no publication record over someone from a comparable department who has been amassing teaching experience as an adjunct while continuing to be productive? It was this comment from 4/11 that concerned me: "The odds are long and get worse as time passes..." I can understand being wary of someone who has been an adjunct for 20 years who hasn't kept up professionally but there are people who have become even stronger candidates (at least it would seem) after they finished their degrees. Also, isn't there a risk that someone who hasn't had a chance to prove themselves outside of grad school will not work out? That seems to be an even more costly possibility. Admittedly, this all seems to be moot given how few jobs there where this year. From what I can tell, it seems that even the very top schools haven't been placing all their recent graduates.
4/29: [to 4/29 "Comment" above] I suspect that the advantage is that salaries are often negotiated "commensurate with experience." It's cheaper to hire someone with less experience. For those who entered the job market several years ago, it's important to remember that the financial picture of most universities has changed dramatically since then. Hasn't most of this been discussed to death in the SUNY Potsdam category below?
5/5: Having looked at the musicology wiki, it's interesting to note that, while ABDs seem to be getting the lion's share of jobs in theory/composition, this does not seem to be the case at all in musicology.
5/21: [Moved from top of page] Curiosity is getting the better of me. Who has accepted the jobs above that are not yet claimed? x2 (5/21)
5/21: Patience, grasshopper, the truth will out. If they aren't identified by the various faculties at this stage, the identities will become public record as they show up on the various departmental websites. That's how some of us used to track this stuff before the wiki came about.

PRIVACY CONCERNS

1/22/10: I am becoming very concerned about privacy due to the administrative debacles at Cornell and UMSL. This also happened to me last year. What do the senior lurkers here think about using an "anonymous" e-mail and explaining the situation (succinctly) in the cover letter. I know "016@gmail.com" might only "out" you as a Viennese trichord enthusiast but it will be harder for an outsider to discern your identity.
1/23: Regarding the UMSL and Cornell situations, I feel like there are probably privacy laws that have been broken. While I don't have any ambitions of suing a potential employer, does anyone know if the sharing of applicant contact information (intentional or otherwise) is legal?
1/23: Which laws would those be?
1/24: I guess my question should have been "ARE there laws governing this kind of thing?" With the ridiculous amount of privacy laws of various types out there, it surprises me that there's nothing dealing with sharing one's personal contact information with 100+ other people, without obtaining permission.

STATE OF THE JOB MARKET

1/10: By my count, there are now 48 jobs posted on this wiki. Some VAPs may appear in the spring but the vast majority of positions are probably now up. By comparison, I count about 100 jobs (not including canceled searches) on last year's wiki. If these numbers are are reasonably accurate, then we're witnessing a 50% drop in job postings this season. This is in line (or worse) than what I've heard is the situation in other humanities disciplines. My impression is also that we're seeing more non-TT positions, proportionally. According to an analysis of the job market in the Chronicle, it's not going to get better: http://chronicle.com/article/Dodging-the-Anvil/63274/ This is my second year on the market and I'm starting to seriously consider alternative career paths. Adjunct teaching is simply not sustainable and hoping for a TT position seems increasingly like playing the lottery. I just read an interesting and optimistic book by two Princeton PhDs who opted to work in the "post-academic" world: "So What Are You Going to Do with That?": Finding Careers Outside Academia (Basalla and Deblius, U Chicago Press 2007). Worth a read if only to realize that there's a whole other (real) world out there.
1/10: The numbers seem to be reasonably accurate, but I'm assuming you're comparing the 48 jobs as of January with the 100-ish jobs as of last August. I'm not saying it's any better or worse than last year, just that I don't think those numbers tell the whole story. But thanks for the Princeton book info. Worth a look-see!
1/10: I'm (at least marginally) pleased that there seem to be fewer canceled/suspended searches thusfar this year.
1/12: I'm also marginally pleased so far. I have applied to 30% more positions this year (compared with last year). But they are spread between three areas of expertise. For what it's worth I've been shortlisted and have done telephone interviews in all three areas.
1/13: I'll dissent here: I've watched the job market for the better part of 7 years now, and this is by far the worst year I've seen. Last year wasn't exactly a bumper year, but if memory serves me correctly there were considerably more positions advertised last year at this point than there are this year. Anecdotally, I could also say that I haven't had a single bite on any of my applications thus far, despite having a CV that both truly competitive as well as better than it has ever been, and despite having made numerous shortlists and having had a number of campus interviews over the last two years with a lesser CV. I'd bet that the few jobs that are open right now will likely move quickly to fill those positions before university administrations decide to yank the funding for those faculty lines; even after offers are tendered there's still no guarantee that these might not get rescinded. I'd further urge everyone reading this wiki to be looking for work outside academia, as it makes absolutely no sense to put all your eggs into one basket, especially in the current economic climate.
1/14: Alas, I must dissent with the dissent. I've been watching our job scene since 1994, more or less. Last year was BY FAR the worst year. Looks like things are getting a little bit better so far. Stay the course friends; follow your academic dreams. And most importnatly don't forget to pick up your degree from the Ivory League.
1/14: Since when do academics get away with making mere assertions? One's impression of the how the job market is doing is irrelevant. And whether any individual is applying to more jobs, or getting more interviews or even getting offers is besides the point. This is called self-interested argumentation. A Yale PhD who lands a job ABD might conclude the job market is fine. You'll get a different answer from Big State PhD who has failed on the fifth attempt. Can we cite more actual evidence (the first poster at least attempts to do this)? And a word of caution from Upton Sinclair: "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it."
1/14: Wait a second here, folks. This wiki is primarily for informational purposes only, and it's an informal source of information at that: posting is done on an anonymous basis, and there are no explicit controls that would ensure the accuracy of any of the information that is posted here. It's not an academic forum requiring rigorous academic precision in every entry that gets made - the various ventings and rants posted on this wiki and those of years past should make that eminently clear. If someone wants to go back and examine the data from last year, i.e. to figure out which jobs were posted and when, so as to determine whether, at any given point, there were more jobs last year than this, then by all means please do so. There's certainly no harm in that. But quibbling (and that includes this entry) about the intentions of the posters above, or to prejudge the value of the information offered to those who might read it is, in my opinion, both speculative and unproductive. While it's true that the state of the market can be empirically measured in some ways, there is also a direct and personal impact on many of the people affected by that job market, and this impact cannot be expected to be wholly rational. As participants in this informal clearing house, I think we can afford to be tolerant of the various types of information that get posted here, so long as none if it is malicious.
1/19: I agree with the 1..2..3..4..Ah: fifth comment (let's number our comments again, eh?) It's abyssmal. Far fewer jobs, plus with a resume that's better than two years ago (I didn't get a job last year) I'm still getting very few bites. Been shortlisted here and there, but nothing further. Still playing the waiting game and the flow of jobs has slowed to a trickle. Sill, I'm hopeful. That's all you have when the change (from unemployment insurance) runs out.
1/19: Well said by "Wait a second here, folks."! Your comments are insightful, accurate and clearly articulated. If I were on a search committee or otherwise had a job to offer you, it would be yours! Unfortunately, I'm searching like everyone else so all I can offer is my thanks for keeping the conversation appropriately focused.
3/14: I just took a quick look at the current musicology wiki and was shocked by the list of jobs that have been completed in comparison to our wiki site. Is it that there were far more musicology jobs, or that musicology searches have moved much quicker? Or both?
3/21: I can't answer that, but their list also includes post-docs. Also, just judging by a quick glance, it seems that a lot of the jobs are in ethnomusicology (not that that gives any explanation why more offers have been made there, just an observation)

JOB SEARCH BASICS

10/23: Any thoughts on applying for jobs for which one is partially qualified? (I'm thinking, e.g., a theory/aural person applying for the Western CT job, even though it also includes Music Industry.) Is this generally the type of situation where the SC might be flexible, and there could be possibilities of rearranging other faculty, or should we not even bother sending in material.
10/23: Despite what the job posting may say, you never know for certain what the school and/or search committee is looking for. So yes, you should apply to any job for which you are even remotely qualified.
1/18: I have talked with a number of my friends who are now on the other side of the application process (i.e. now committee members) and they of course are overwhelmed by the sheer number of apps that they get for any given job. All 3 of them said that the cover letter was the most important item of the application, for them, as it helped them eliminate anyone who didn't fit the criteria of the job search. After learning this, I simply stopped applying to positions where I didn't qualify for at least 80% of the job description. For the others that aren't an exact fit, I try to emphasize what I would make me the best choice for the position despite my deficiencies elsewhere. Of course, I don't have a job yet so maybe this isn't the best advice! All committee members do things their own way after all.
1/18: I had a similar conversation with a colleague who has been on the faculty of a R1 university for nearly 30 years; this person's pet peeve is a cover letter that is anything longer than 1 page, since it is "the least scrutinized document" in an application.
1/22: No offense, but your colleague sounds like a crank. There are many roads to Dublin, and clearly many other senior faculty disagree with him/her.
1/23: I have to agree with 1/18's colleague. I have been on (too) many search committees and I can honestly say that the cover letter is the least important component of any application (since they all say basically the same things). If there are no published or forthcoming articles (and none of this "under review" stuff) listed on your CV or reference letters from reputable scholars, composers, or performers then I don't care how good (or long) the cover letter may be.
1/23: Thank you for your insight. I understand that submitting an article to a journal is not, in itself, an accompliishment, but how would you respond to an article accepted "pending revision" or, a book under contract listed as "forthcoming publications?"
2/2: I'm a little perplexed by the above comments on cover letters, both the pro and the con. I've been on several search committees, and we've never regarded a cover letter as either the most or the least important part of an application, but something in between. Most that I've seen are more than a page long, and they assuredly do not all say the same thing. A bad cover letter can look very bad and get you eliminated quickly. A brilliant cover letter won't get you a job by itself, but it can certainly make the committee want to have a closer look at you.
2/2: To 1/23's questions: "Pipeline" material should certainly be listed on your CV. It does count for something, especially for a junior scholar. But you have to be honest. It's dishonest to say "forthcoming" if it has been submitted but not accepted, and slightly dishonest to say "accepted" if it has in fact been "accepted pending revision."
2/3: I spend an average of 8-10 hours on my cover letter, and my letter averages about 3 pages; that said, I think the cover letter IS the most important part of the application. When I started applying to jobs several years ago, I sent out roughly 40 applications and got VERY few bites. (more accurately nibbles) After about 40 straight rejections, I decided to totally revamp my cover letter. The next 5 applications I sent out, I made the short list of 4 out of 5, and I got 2 job offers. I did not do anything else professionally; I just changed my letter. After being at a TT position for several years, this year I decided to apply to a job that interested me. Again, I focused all of my energy on my cover letter and the ONE job I applied to, I made the short list. Hopefully in a couple of weeks, I will know if I got the gig. So from my experience, I believe the cover letter IS the most important part of the initial application. I hope this helps.
2/4: 8-10 hours? Really? Don't you wish you had all of that time back?
2/4: Didn't you read: "I got the gig!" 8-10 hours is a small price to pay for 2 TT job offers several years ago, possibly a third in a couple weeks and multiple appearances on short lists. Again, this is just my opinion and I very well could be totally wrong. It is just that my method has proven quite successful for me.
2/5: And congratulations on that. All I am saying is that toiling over cover letters for that long seems a bit excessive. I guess I like to think I have a life. (And, for what it's worth, I landed my first tenure track job and my current one by changing the date at the top of my letter and the name of the school to which I was applying in the body of the letter. Took about a minute. And then I did research and published.)
2/5: Noted. Like I said, it worked for me. I do agree that if you don't have to do spend lots of time on cover letters and you can still get the gig, then by all means don't waist your time.
2/6: Not to beat a dead horse, but I'll add that I too spent some time crafting individual letters while on the market. Granted, I would take a "generic" letter and just tweak it here and there to address the specific school an/or job requirements. As it turned out, however, the school where I got a bite and ultimately got a job offer received my generic letter with nothing special added.

Career choices made as a result of the State of the Job Market

5/13: Thoughts from the senior lurkers about this scenario, please: I am several years post-degree with a weak-to-modest publication record and lukewarm teaching evaluations, have been unable to attain a TT position, and have been advised to "sit on" any publication ideas that I am making ready until I arrive on the TT (which, barring a late-breaking TT position, is impossible again this year). In the eventuality of a second year of non-academic employment, should I continue to shop my manuscripts around, even though they will not count towards tenure? I am concerned about peaking too soon and/or running out of ideas. Given the economic situation, how do committees view gaps between positions?
5/13: Simply put, you can't get tenure without a TT job; so, I would do whatever I could to get the job (i.e. PUBLISH) and worry out publishing other things after you get the TT position. Good Luck.
5/18: Life's too short to mince words here. OP, the advice you were originally given is idiotic. Of course you should be submitting as many things for publication as possible. When you're at your second year of non-academic employment, it's going to be critical that potential employers see you as active in the field. I would also suggest that you go to as many conferences as possible and introduce yourself to senior faculty. Every year, there are going to be more young, newly-minted Ph.D.s for you to compete with, and the only way you're going to be able to compete against them, especially if you don't have an academic job, is if you have a publication record. On the other hand, if you're already worried about peaking too soon or running out of ideas, perhaps you should be considering another line of work.
5/18: I'd agree with the above, that advice is nonsense. A colleague of mine was in a similar situation a few years back, and kept himself in the game via publication, conference attendance, etc. (The latter helped him get a couple of interviews, and eventually an excellent teaching position.) He was also shaking down whatever NTT work he could find, including community colleges; this latter would be advisable to look for if you can, especially if your teaching evals could use some improvement, as this would give you more experience and possibly some institutional support for the development of teaching technique.

RUMOR MILL

9/11: When I was starting out, I applied for a VAP. I didn't get it. But the next year, they called me to offer me the position. It is absolutely true that a rejection is about "fit." You can be too far removed from what the department needs or too close to another faculty member's area. I see very often that non-tenured search committee members try to eliminate applicants that they feel are too close to their own field. This kind of positioning often takes place in the job description, where junior people try to write it so that people close to that research area do not fit well.
9/11: Of the few jobs open last year, it seems to me that many of them were 1-year positions. Has anyone heard any rumblings about any of those jobs being re-advertised as TT positions? Furthermore, if this DOES happen anywhere, does it necessarily mean I shouldn't apply if I was already rejected for the one-year position?
9/17: Absolutely not! I'm not splitting hairs, but "rejections" are often not what they seem to be. Bottom line, of course, is that you did not get the job and someone else did. Typically only the top two to (possibly) five are interviewed, and coming in five out of one hundred applicants is not too shabby. A rejection is not a referendum on your own excellence; remember that vague and nebulous idea of "fit." And so, as we say in England, "keep your pecker up." You puritanical Yankees might want to substitute "chin."
9/21: Plus, we don't all have peckers.
9/21: Supporting evidence to the question above: search committees are seldom the same from year to year. Apply!
10/27: Also, being an inside candidate means nothing. I was a VAP a few years ago - inside candidate for the TT version of the job. It was heavily intimated to me that the TT job was mine for the taking, but then, boom, they got an Ivy league guy with two books applying for "my" position. They just couldn't justify hiring me, and I totally understood (though it sucked). At any rate, don't give up on those positions that look like they might be aimed at one person in particular.
11/1: I'll echo the above: I was an inside candidate for a TT position a while back, and was passed over in favor of 2 candidates with lesser qualifications and experience than myself. The candidate hired had fewer accomplishments and less experience than the other finalist under consideration, and further did not actually meet all of the required job qualifications. This was not totally surprising, as the search was compromised from a standpoint of both ethics and professionalism (according to other faculty members). There was also pressure from the dean not to run another "rigged" search, as they had had 2 the preceding year for which internal candidates were groomed and subsequently hired.
11/6: I'll third this. I too was passed over after being "promised" the job.

CONFERENCES

10/22: U New Mexico interviewing at SMT in Montreal.
10/23: What actually happens at these interviews? Obviously, this is a different type of interview than what we're all hoping to get when we mail in our CV to a school. But I'm new to this, so what happens at an SMT interview?
10/24: I've gotten two very different opinions of the SMT interview process. Some people believe that these interviews can only hurt and not at all help your chances of getting a real interview. They certainly aren't going to hire anyone based on a ten minute conversation, so if you don't interview at SMT, it isn't the end of the world. On the other hand, if you have more personality than a door-stop, an SMT interview could be helpful. Keep in mind that the committee isn't just hiring a good theorist/composer, they're also hiring a colleague they will have to work with for a year or more.
1/23: I am happy to be a semifinalist, although I was not able to be in Montreal for SMT.
2/3: Anyone who submitted an SMT proposal received a confirmation yet?
2/8: Just received notification. (x3)
4/11: A bit off topic, but has anyone heard from the SMT program committee for the Indianapolis meeting? It's getting pretty late and the committee met weeks ago...
4/12: I didn't submit this year, but I had something accepted last year for Montreal. I was notified of the acceptance by email, and that email came on April 13. So, if that's any indication, I'd guess you should hear any day now. Good luck!
4/19: Rumor has it rejections went out late last week. Any acceptance e-mails thus far?
4/19: To 4/19: You're right. I know of someone who recently received a rejection email. I submitted, but I haven't heard anything yet. I suppose no news is good news...
4/20(1): I received a rejection from AMS last week, but no word on my SMT proposal (x2)
4/20(2): Received email rejection from SMT. x2.
4/20(3): @4/20(2), May I ask when you received the emails?
4/20(2): This afternoon, 3:40 EST. It was very cordial!
4/21: Still nothing here.
4/23: Acceptance e-mail, Friday, 6:26 EST. The delay resulted from 300+ submissions this year.
4/23 (2): Ditto; acceptance email received 7:16pm EST.
4/28: Are there others who haven't heard a thing, yea or nay, from SMT? I wonder if/why it's so piecemeal.
4/28: Yes. I haven't heard anything either. I sent Vicki Long an email about it on Monday, but I have yet to hear back. Could be that they have a "standby" list, in case someone who was accepted declines the offer.
4/28: SMT did something similar last year. Emails went out over the course of a few weeks.
5/25: Got an e-mail today asking where my overdue abstract was...despite never having received an acceptance in the first place...and never even gotten a response to my inquiries as to when we might have a response from the program committee.
Anyone else out there who has not heard yet might wish to step up their efforts at getting a response.

7/23: Why is it that the Indianapolis program has been posted on the AMS website for weeks now, but has yet to appear on the SMT website? Could it be that, for once, the musicologists have it together more than we do?
7/25: I don't know, but thanks for bringing it to my attention that the program is up! Now I can decide whether there's enough good stuff on the program to justify a trip to Indianapolis. ;-)

VIDEO

11/7: Is it appropriate to send an edited (cut) video/dvd of one's teaching? The New Mexico search wants a dvd, and my classes are 75 minutes long. I can't imagine a search committee is going to want to watch a video that long.
11/7: I would assume it's appropriate to send a shorter video. When they ask you for one, they'll probably tell you how long it should be. But a question first - did the UNM people ask you for a DVD? In the job description it mentions that they will be asking for a teaching DVD (and writing samples, etc) from SEMI-FINALISTS. So, if you're just submitting your application initially, you don't have to worry about it. I'm hoping they haven't already selected semifinalists, since I just applied yesterday, and their ad says they're not going to START reviewing until Nov. 16. Are they moving ahead with their search already?
11/7: No, I was just getting my materials together. I wasn't assuming I'd be a semifinalist, I just hadn't read the posting carefully enough. Even so, thanks for the answer. It seems like the question could be relevant for some of us, at some time, anyway.

REFERENCE LETTERS

11/10: I recently defended my dissertation. I was wondering if it is common to request a reference letter from one's external dissertation examiner? Does it matter that the external can only speak to your thesis itself if he did not know you or your work before? In my case, the external, whose appraisal was positive, has a stature in the field that surpasses that of my other references. So a letter from him could add substantial weight to my job applications. And though he only just met me, having ploughed through my dissertation surely counts as getting to know a substantial facet of my work. On the other hand, I don't want to burn bridges with him by coming across as opportunistic. Would it be better to request to list him as secondary reference, i.e. listed in one's CV but without asking for a letter for one's dossier? Any advice would be appreciated.
11/10: Ask if he/she (well, okay, he) is comfortable writing for you, or if they might be willing to serve as a secondary reference. If you're polite about it, there's no harm in asking. If they're not comfortable serving as any sort of reference, they'll let you know. That seems unlikely, if they think the diss. has merit. Good luck!

COMPLETENESS?

12/21: Raise your hand if you know about an open theory and/or comp job and have made a conscious decision NOT to list it here. [raising my own hand] I find myself wondering if this actually improves my chances at all of getting those mystery jobs, or if I should just put up what I know. (I'm an infrequent user of this site, if it makes any difference)
12/23: I'll anonomously admit to doing this once also. I don't remember which job it was, but it eventually made it onto the wiki anyway.
12/24: Chances are that any job that you think only you know about, 80% of wiki users already know about. We're all scanning the same limited sources. And any search committee worth its salt will advertise in at least one major venue. Word spreads rapidly. Given the huge oversupply of qualified candidates, why wouldn't every committee seek out the best? So in my view, the advantage of sharing up-to-date info on all job searches outweighs any perceived benefit of "withholding" job ads. Besides, you're deluding yourself if you think that just because it's not on the wiki that the pool of candidates is significantly smaller.

TERMINOLOGY

1/15: Perhaps a silly question, but I'm curious about two terms I've run across. "Shortlist" and "Semifinal round". I know what these words mean, of course, but I'm wondering if there is a common point in the search process when these terms get applied. Is a "shortlist" the list made after the initial review of applications? Cutting down the 100+ applications to something less than 20? And I assume that if a school lists their "semifinal round" as the "requesting more material" stage, that means that there is only one round following it? Either a phone interview or campus interview (probably depending on budget)? Just curious. Thanks for your help!
1/16: In my experience, these terms are pretty much interchangeable: you usually progress from a shortlist of about 10-12 semifinalists to a final list of 3-5. Normally, additional information requests are made of the semifinalists, although some institutions cut to the chase at the outset and ask for work samples with the initial application process. Just exactly how the process works isn't uniform, and may vary from one institution from the next: most departments will ask for work samples at the shortlist phase, while a few will request these with the initial application. Phone interviews normally occur between formulating the shortlist and inviting finalists to campus. Some institutions, however, do phone interviews on a more informal or informational basis prior to formulating a shotlist; a few will do phone interviews as the final interview when there the time and/or funds for campus interviews is lacking. Reference checks are typically done between the shortlist and phone interview phase, but this too can vary; some institutions ask for permission to contact references (on or off the list supplied), others do not, and so on. My informal impression is that there is a 5-10% chance of making a shortlist (assuming a shortlist of about 10 individuals coming from an initial pool of 100-200 candidates), and then about a 30-50% chance of landing a campus interview from having made the shortlist. But then that's just an informal impression. I have seen searches in other areas (choral, etc.) that have yielded much smaller initial pools; moreover the institution's location, reputation, and other factors may also affect the size of the pool.

1/19: Thanks to whomoever deleted the "Holiday Message." It was undoubtedly one of the most hateful things I've seen on this wiki, and I'm otherwise proud of the friendly, professional tone on this page compared to others.
1/19: Agreed. Maybe better suited to the musicology wiki ;). Still, I wonder if a truly level playing field might only be had when we stop trying to atone for past injustices and simply move forward in applying the same standard to all candidates with no regard to race, sex, religion, ethnicity, and the like.
1/21: I'm sorry, but the notion that there is some absolute standard that we simply have to apply blindly in searches seems more or less naive to me. Instead, it seems that there are relative standards that are highly conditioned by the perceptions of the people who are constructing and applying them. If those people all look alike, are similarly gendered, have the same cultural and educational background etc., then they seem to find it easier to agree on what that absolute standard consists of, IOW, of their own shared values.
1/22: Don't we all have shared values, namely (1) teaching potential colleagues and professional musicians how to create, perform, and understand music; and (2) continuing our own creative activity? Sure people are biased, some explicitly so; let's just accept that, present our credentials, and let the chips fall as they may.

THE INTERVIEW

2/14: I have my first interview in a couple weeks, and I'm trying to prepare myself. I wondered if anyone out there might be willing to share their experiences with the actual interview aspects of the campus visit (ie. not the teaching demo, research presentation stuff). I just want to know what I should expect in terms of "typical questions" the search committee/department chair/dean might ask. (There was a phone interview for this particular position, so we've already discussed teaching philosophy, textbook preferences, research agenda, and a couple other things.) In addition, are there particular questions that they're expecting ME to ask them? I have a list, of course, but I don't want to leave and have the search committee say, "I can't believe he didn't ask about X!" Thanks for any insight you might have!
2/15 [A]: Having been on a search committee, and having been interviewed, I will tell you that the most important part will be what they observe you do in your presentation both with respect to your teaching and your scholarship. If it is a liberal arts school, they will want to see how well you are connecting with the students, and if your teaching will be strong and communicative. I was also interviewed for a job a couple of years ago where none of the usual questions were asked (teaching philosophy, textbook, "what would you do if...?), but where the committee wanted to really get a sense of the 'intangibles,'like if it felt as though I was a good 'fit' for their department and where they were headed. Some of those things they look for can be very hard to find out, because you have not been in on the possibly contentious meetings about where the position should go, what direction the department should take, etc. Just be yourself, polite, engaged and relaxed. Your teaching and presentation will do the rest. Congrats and good luck!
2/15 [Q2]: I hope I'm not hijacking the original poster's question, but since the Answer above me brought up the teaching demo and research presentation part of the job interview, it seems related. If you don't know exactly who is on the search committee, to what kind of audience do you try to direct your presentation? I'd hate to prepare an SMT conference-style presentation, and then find out that I'm going to address one theorist, a violin professor, a voice professor and a wind ensemble conductor, all of whom potentially have different expectations for what a "good theory lecture" should consist of. Any thoughts? (this seems particularly relevant if interviewing at a school with a relatively small theory program/area.
2/15 [A2]: Let me add my congratulations to both the questioners. I can offer some advice, having been both interviewee and interviewer a few times. First, to Q2, if you're being invited to campus, it's perfectly legitimate to ask who will be observing your lecture. Personally, I would find it an insightful question for a candidate to ask, especially since it implies that the candidate is able to tailor his/her presentation to different audiences. If they won't give you names or disciplines, at least ask if it should be "scholarly" or for a more general audience. Q1, this is a little tougher to answer since you've done the phone interview already. I second A1's comment about the SC wanting to get a feel for your "fit" with the department, which is something you have little control over. One thing I was asked that threw me for a loop was what my students would say about me as a teacher, and what my teachers would say about me as a student. You may also be asked some general questions about the field and your future place in it, or how you would work with and develop the department if they hired you. In terms of what to ask them, a good one is always "would the department support my continued activities as a [recording engineer, church organist, freelance tubist, etc.]?" Obviously, they're going to say yes, and it's a way of showing them the breadth of your musicianship without coming out and saying it. Most of all, as A1 said, just relax and be yourself. Remember that, no matter how much you might want/need a job, you'll be absolutely miserable in a department for which you're not a good "fit."
2/18 [A3]: It's got to be better than the misery of collecting unemployment insurance, food stamps, and wearing out your welcome with family while facing an uncertain future. For Pete's sake, we're still talking about making a living teaching music, aren't we? To hold out for the "ideal job" in these sad times is hopelessly idealistic!
2/19 [A4]: A3, trust me, it's not.
2/22 [A5]: A2/4, this is A3. I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I need some convincing here. Could you elaborate somewhat on your own experience, please?
2/23 (A6): All I am saying is that search committees are made up of real people from all over the department/school and, as such, typically could care less about the state of the field or your particular discipline. Couple this with the fact that we are talking about music departments (what one highly admired scholar once confided to me as the nastiest, most dysfunctional snake pit on an entire campus) and you have all the makings of a very bad situation. Search committees often want to hire someone who offends them the least, won't make them look bad, and won't "rock the boat." To think that you are hired because of your credentials, references, quality of your cover letter, etc. is naïve at best. For the most part, you will be hired because you are perceived as being the least threatening and/or can serve as a buffer between one faction of the faculty and another. This, as you can imagine, will put you in a difficult position, one that a younger scholar may find uncomfortable and one for which you may be totally unprepared. All the time that you thought would be spent doing research, publishing, teaching, and presenting is instead devoted to putting out fires or working very hard to avoid potential conflicts. Combine all of this pettiness with working in a small institution in the middle of nowhere with few (if any) friends or family around for support and you may end up wishing for the days when you at least had them around (even if you were collecting unemployment and buying cereal with food stamps).

Yes, we all want the ideal job. And given the present economy, many of you want any job. But, as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.

2/24 [A3/7]: Thank you very much, A2/4/6. This has been noted and taken to heart. That does sound, indeed, like an unenviable position. I presume this situation most typically exists at smaller schools where the HR department runs the search rather than the music department.
2/24 [A8]: I started composing this just before the "A3/7" post so I may as well finish it. I'm not quite as cynical as A6 about the administrative hassles, but I can paint you a slightly different picture. You've finally landed that tenure-track position, albeit at a fairly small school. You find out that the entire theory curriculum consists of "harmony 1" and "harmony 2," which are supposed to cover everything from identifying notes in treble and bass clef to an analysis of the Prelude from "Tristan." And, of course, aural and keyboard skills. You alternate teaching these classes with the clarinet professor (nothing against clarinettists, just an example for the sake of argument!), who never really understood the point of theory. How are the students? Well, since it's a small department, anyone can sign up to be a music major, whether or not they've had any prior musical training. And there are definitely no theory majors, let alone graduate students. Fine, you say, I'll focus on my research. Unfortunately, the school has a very limited library and won't give you an allowance to build up your own collection (something which can be negotiated when you're offered a job, BTW). To complicate matters, your spouse/partner hasn't been able to get a job, and the "ethnic" restaurant in town is the pizza parlor/bowling alley. Okay, so you'll look for another job in a few years. But why would a better school hire you when they have their pick of newly-minted Ph.D.'s from top institutions? I'm sure others out there will agree that this scenario, while exaggerated, is only very slightly so.
2/24 [A9]: A8, have you been stalking me? That's a pretty accurate description of my world. Never mind the obscene course loads (14 semester hours is light for me), about 2 dozen advisees, and the time-consuming never-ending committee work. My experience gained here in the salt mines has not helped me to get out, and I've remained active as a scholar, presenting at regional and national events each year. In about 50 applications sent out since I got here, I made my first short list this year. That one is still pending, so there may yet be hope of escaping. And, I'm the person who admitted to making $41k in the discussion above. But I know I am very lucky to have this position despite all of its shortcomings.
2/24 [A10]: This is all very interesting, truly! It is my third year on the market; I acquired a one-year position that was supposed to continue in 08-09. It didn't. Got nothing in 09-10, and 10-11 is beginning to look bleak, although I have a few apps still active but no bites. Thanks to my anonymous wiki friends here for all the good tips. Are music departments really snake pits? Are you all my competitors waiting to cut my throat? I think not. Let's focus on collegiality and optimism! (and, no, I am not smoking anything I shouldn't be)
2/24 [A11]: I have rehearsed responses to some of the above comments several times and they just sound patronizing. Allow me to say only that I am in my fourth year of a TT job, and my fifth of teaching (first year was a VAP at another school). Does everyone agree all the time? No. It's called the art of compromise and how most of life's problems are solved. I can attest that I have never once worked in a "snake pit," and that we have a track record of hiring people who have ideas and can communicate them in a skillful way. It would defy common sense to walk into a department and tell everyone that what they have been doing for ten years is completely wrong, and that you, with virtually no practical experience can fix all of their ills. You may be right, but a big part of getting any job is earning people's trust. So much of life is what one proactively makes it. I have seen some tragically broken-down profs who have been disillusioned in some way during their careers. I am afraid that some of us create self-fulfilling prophecies where we are doomed to fail. Maybe some of these sound familiar: "I can't get funding;" "My load is too big for me to accomplish any meaningful research;" "My colleagues don't care about my work;" "The pay is terrible," and on and on and on. If there is a fault with academics, it is that we obsess so much about ourselves and forget why we did this in the first place. It probably wasn't because we had pretensions of being really important, but that we loved music and couldn't imagine doing anything else. In my own experience I have been happiest when I have built relationships with colleagues and prospective employers around a mutual love of music. For me it has to be about that, as it will never be about the money or the prestige. In any case, I wish you all the best in your interview!

3/8 [Q]: I had a couple interviews in February. Knowing that those schools are done interviewing, I'm getting awfully impatient at not having heard anything. Maybe offers have been made to other candidates, and maybe not. Although I'm sure it varies from school to school, does anyone have an idea of the "average" length of time between campus interviews and job offers? For example, if School X completed their interviews 2 weeks ago and hasn't called me, is it premature for me to freak out that the job went to someone else? Or is it unreasonable to expect a turnaround in that time frame? I'm impatiently curious, I guess...
3/8 [A]: I have only ever had one campus interview a few years back. For that, the Interview was March 30th, and the decision came April 14th. That being said, I would wait one more week before thinking the negative.
3/8 [A]: Don't be surprised if it takes a long time. Remember that meetings need to be scheduled to decide upon a candidate. Sometimes, faculty do not agree and the process gets extended longer than you might expect. I saw one search where it took nearly two months for the search committee to simply agree to make an offer to the least disagreeable interviewee. Also, if one of the finalists requires a visa, the timeline between an offer to that person and firm resolution of the search can take a while.
3/9 [A3]: When I accepted my T-T job, the timeline was like this: I got a call from the dean about a week and a half after I interviewed, then we played phone tag for a week. After being made the offer, negotiations went on for about two weeks before I accepted. So it was around a month before anything was definite, and that was with the SC making a quick decision. Bear in mind that they won't contact anyone until the job has actually been accepted, because they want to make sure that they can still choose from the runners-up if their first choice turns the job down.
3/9 [A4}: The above answer seems to be how it typically goes, from what I've heard, so Q from 3/8 can expect at this point that he/she is not the first choice but could get the offer if the first choice turns it down. Some committees keep you a little more up-to-date. After my only campus interview so far, I got a call a week and a half afterwards (I was the last finalist) to let me know that I was the runner-up and the first choice had verbally accepted. Their hiring of that person could still fall through before the paperwork is done, I suppose, but I'm grateful to not be wondering about it anymore.

INTERVIEW EXPENSES

3/26: (1)I interviewed at School X at the beginning of February, and was told they'd reimburse my flight expenses. I provided receipts/etc the following week, and am still waiting for my check to arrive. I contacted the search chair a couple weeks ago, only to learn that somehow my receipts were lost. So I provided copies of those receipts again, and am still waiting to hear back. It's been a month and a half. I visited School Y about a month ago, and they are apparently just processing my reimbursement now (according to a department secretary). Apparently there was a delay because of spring break. Sigh. I know there's red tape involved in every sort of financial transaction at a university, but really, this seems pretty ridiculous to me. I'm curious if these experiences are the norm when visiting campuses for interviews? I much prefer the way School Z did it - asked me for my availability/preferences for flight dates and times, and then they booked it and paid for it themselves. Saves me the trouble of putting several hundred dollars that I don't have (since I'm a grad student right now) on my not-too-low-interest credit card. Of course, I submitted my checked baggage receipts to School Z, and am still waiting for that check...but it's only been 3 weeks. I'm curious if my experiences are the norm, or if I've just been unlucky. Does anyone else have similar stories?
3/26: (2)For my only interview, I was blessed in that they took care of booking the flights and paying for them right away. I did not check baggage (which I highly recommend if you can just bring a garment bag and briefcase) so didn't have to deal with that. I have heard that it depends on the school, but it seems very responsible of a school not to put you through that kind of hassle. Probably state school, I am guessing? There is a lot to be said for the private market in MANY things...more efficient. I hope they get those funds to you soon!
3/26: (3)To the globetrotter above, it must be nice to be in such high demand! I had an interview for 08/09 in which the dean called me on 5/13 and asked if I could be on a plane to School M in the morning. He booked everything and paid for a shuttle from the airport to the school, sent me an e-mail that afternoon indicating what I would be expected to do, and then waited for me to appear on campus with less than 24 hours' notice. Things went well, but I didn't get the job. Apropos your point, they paid for everything up front. I had a call for 09-10 from a school in California who wanted me to fly out on my own dime. I refused. I'd be interested in hearing happy/horror stories from others since we're at that time.
3/26: (4)I've had a couple of interviews where all travel arrangements were made and paid for by the department, and a couple more where I made the arrangements, paid for them, and was reimbursed. For these latter, the reimbursement came promptly, within 2-3 weeks; the department chairs of both departments were willing to pay whatever it cost to get me there, and in one case I was invited on short notice, for which they were looking at business class airfare (I found something cheaper, so as not to be out of pocket over $1K for a while). I also had a couple of interviews where the departments were up front with their finances, stating I'd have to fly out on my own dime. I did in both cases, and then wrote off both trips from my income tax and ended up getting a refund. If you're having difficulty getting refunded - especially if an offer was made to someone else - I'd keep bugging them, and go higher up the chain of command, i.e. to the dean or higher, if reimbursement doesn't happen.
3/36: (5)I've had both kinds of experience, but only once when I had to pay up front and be reimbursed. I will say that that was also the worst interview experience I've ever personally had so now I associate that practice with badly managed searches from schools I'd rather avoid in the future. I understand the position of the poster who refused the school in California, but I doubt everybody who reads this wiki can afford to be so selective. You'll get your reimbursement eventually.
3/26: (6)Contrary to poster 5, my only real interview so far was a great experience, but one in which I had to pay for travel myself, so I personally don't associate the reimbursement-style travel expenses with lousy interview situations. To be helpful to them, I researched flight possibilities myself before they were able to tell me whether I or they would be paying, and then they told me to go ahead and book it, which I did. I turned in that receipt as well as my checked bag receipt on arrival, and when I checked in for the return flight on the search chair's computer, I printed out that checked bag receipt and handed it to him. I got my reimbursement in about 2 weeks.
3/26: (7) Whenever I am asked to book my own ticket for a campus interview I feel pretty lucky. I'm less worried about the possible $12.50 in finance charges I'll have to pay Visa because the school sends my check a month late. Also, having control over your travel arrangements can be quite advantageous.
3/26: (8) I'm the guy that refused the CA gig. It wasn't being selective per se; the money simply wasn't there (especially on spec at a CC)
3/28: (9) I don't care how desperate you are, never pay your way to an interview!!! If they're not willing to spend a few hundred dollars to fly you there, what will happen down the line at that job? Also, by accepting to pay your own way, you encourage such practices. It's bad enough as it is out there in the job market, and they treat applicants like crap. We need to at least call them on things like that. I've had about 8 campus interviews in the past three years, and I finally have a job now. I was never asked to pay my way there. Once I was asked to book my own flights and be reimbursed, which also went very well, and got paid promptly. The better places though will designate a person who speaks to you and books arrangements for you according to your preferences, without you having to pay out of pocket. By condoning anything else, you also show them how desperate you are. Nobody desperate is getting that job.
3/28: (10) I just sent a "desperate-sounding" e-mail (to my mind, any e-mail inquiring about the status of a search for which you've been shortlisted is desperate unless you have an offer) to a school and have had no reply in a week - oops. Guess they won't be calling me.
3/28: (11) Well, at that point, you're doing it for your own benefit (making the call, sending the email), as we all know, if you don't hear within a couple of weeks of your interview,it's likely that someone else has an offer, and they're in the negotiating stages, so you won't get a rejection letter until that person has sent back their signed offer letter. It's really the worst part of the process: waiting for a rejection letter. They do hold all the power in their hands.
3/29: (12) Re: poster 9. I think community colleges expect you to pay your own way, as they are expecting mainly local candidates. Ditto for adjunct positions. Both are probably more funding strapped than a TT position would be. (Actually, CCs have the funding, but spend it elsewhere, like on technology.) I think poster 3/8 was talking about a CC. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I haven't heard of a 4-year school of any type not paying travel expenses for TT candidates. Poster 4 worries me, though. Could he/she elaborate on the types of schools/positions that had funding issues?
3/29: (13) Poster 4 here. The 2 places that didn't have funding were CCs, although both were TT positions. I went to the first one as it was a cheap flight, and the pay would have been pretty close to $80K (yes, this is true). The second one I agreed to travel to, as I had other business in the area.
3/30: (14) Poster 12 again. Thanks for the detail. I find it fascinating that a school willing to pay an 80k salary to an entry-level hire doesn't have the funding to fly 2 or 3 candidates out at a few hundred bucks each.
3/30: (15) I've seen a lot of different practices, including visiting positions at universities which explicitly advertise that interviewees must travel on their own dime. I've also seen where a travel allotment is offered, with a department reimbursing up to a fixed-dollar amount. With short-notice interviews, that amount may not cover much.
3/30: (16) Poster 4 again. In my case, this wouldn't have been an entry-level hire, but rather the hire of someone (with ties to the community) with an earned doctorate plus several years' experience. That would have mandated a salary just shy of $80K based on their non-negotiable pay scale. In the end, they hired an ABD with no ties to the community and very little teaching experience, and got that person for about $20K less.
3/30: (17) I called it entry-level because it was tenure-track rather than tenured. So the entry level person who got it was paid a little under $60k, which, in any part of the country, seems enough to attract some top people, so I'm still surprised they wouldn't pay for the travel.
4/2: (18) One reason why CCs often don't pay for travel is that, aside from trying to recruit locally when possible, they often will have a fairly large pool of people to do first-stage interviews with - maybe 8-12 people. They then will narrow this down to a smaller group (4-6 perhaps) with whom they do second stage interviews, sometimes on a separate day. Start to finish, the interview process might only involve a few hours of the candidate's time, but this could be spread over 2-3 days.
6/1: (19) I, sadly, work at a 4-year institution that, at least in my college, does not pay interview expenses. When I was interviewed, I was told that they might be able to pay expenses. There are two FT positions in the music department, and the other left three days before school started, leaving myself and some adjuncts to pick up the pieces. Since we didn't pay the other FT salary that year, I was reimbursed for my interview expenses, but not for my very substantial moving expenses. I did submit the moving expenses, though, so that admin would know just what it takes to get here. The result was that our next two hires had some partial reimbursement for moving, but had to interview at their own expense. This practice went away as soon as the economy tanked two years ago. Our administration, including the dean, who is in many ways the best boss I've ever had, just don't see the need to pay for these things. We had a very heinous serach last year for the other FT position, and lost some good candidates who couldn't pay their own way. As you might expect, our salary isn't much to speak of either: we are the lowest paid college in the state. In my previous life as a public school teacher, coming to interview was always at my own expense, but that was in a different part of the country. My brother, as an entry-level journalist, was always flown to his interviews and reimbursed for moving. My wife and I borrowed money from my parents for the move, because it was here or Starbucks.
6/2: (20) Interesting, 19! Geography must play a role, as well as the type of school. In my previous life as a public school teacher, interviewing was also at my own expense. But since teaching certifications are done on a state-by-state basis, a public school isn't going to be interviewing a large number of out-of-state applicants, except in some special circumstances. And my sister, as a not-entry-level journalist was always flown to her job interviews, but never had moving expenses covered. Of course, with the newspaper industry falling apart, this is probably going to be the trend.

NEGOTIATIONS

4/8: (1) For those who do end up getting offers for NTT positions, please do other current and future NTT colleagues a favor: Make sure that the institution is perfectly clear with you about their teaching loads and how these differ for TT, NTT, VAP lines. If you are less than 100% of full-time, make sure you get a clear explanation in your contract as to how that percentage (of FTE) was reached, with a clear breakdown of teaching and other duties and the amounts you will be paid for such work. IMO, it is all too frequent that adjunct/NTT/temporary labor pools are asked to take on additional work for which they are not remunerated, and that work is taken on out of gratitude for being employed, fear of losing one's job, sense of loyalty to the students/institution, etc.
4/9: (2) Or hope of being the front-runner for a TT job in future.
4/9: (3) Exploitation? Like when a tenured faculty member tells an adjunct how he or she could assume significant advisory responsibilities outside said adjunct's primary area and despite a semester-to-semester contract (no guarantee of continuity for the advisees)? That never happens. Especially when followed with "but you won't get paid for it, because you're just an adjunct." Egalitarianism is the norm in higher ed, no?
4/9: (4) This kind of nonsense happens far too often. If it happens to you, my advice in escalating order would be to a) say no, b) go up the administrative chain of command (dean, provost, etc.), and c) get a lawyer. I've known colleagues who have gotten bilked out of thousands of dollars, not paid for teaching entire courses that were thrust upon them last minute. I suspect a lot of adjuncts get roped into extra unpaid work mid-year and are afraid to say no out of fear of non-renewal of contract, especially if they've moved across country to take a VAP gig. Institutions that have departments that behave this way should be reminded that they should only field the kinds of activities they can afford to fund.

COMPENSATION

4/13: (Q) It's time for many of us to revisit our Plan B, C, or D once more. Adjuncts, how are you doing? What's the prevailing per-credit rate out there? VAPs, how are you doing per credit or as a percentage of the average Assistant Prof. salary at your institution?
4/13: (A) Major public R1 institution, 100% FTE = 10 credits; 1 credit = $1200 per quarter. On a per-credit basis, this equates to about 66% of the average entry-level assistant prof. salary. But, at 1 credit = 1 contact hour per week, this ends up being a pretty high hourly rate of pay. (This does not include prep time and limited administrative duties; with those, a 3-credit course would average about 5 hours of work per week.)
4/16: (A) Small regional state school, 100% FTE = 15 credits, which is basically a 5/5 work load. 1 credit = ca. $800 per quarter, which would be about 80% of the entry-level Asst. Prof. salary. Class sizes large and overloads are normal, however, and when added to other expected work not laid out in the contract, 50-60+ hours weeks are the norm, so research or other potentially career-advancing work is close to impossible during the academic year. Effective rate of pay ends up being about $20 per hour. Enter situations like this at your own peril!
4/16: (A) Small liberal arts college, in CA: 100% FTE = 12 credits (though adjuncts are restricted to 50% or less). 1 credit = $1500 per semester. Not sure of the relationship to Asst. Prof. salary levels.
4/17: (A) Tier III/IV small private university: ?$1,000 per credit. No benefits and no support whatsoever. Adjuncts have a calendar year ceiling they cannot teach over to avoid having to provide benefits. The real per hour with grading, preparation, and helping students oscillates around $10/hour +- a buck.
4/17: (Q2) How would one find out the comparable full-time salaries to our adjunct positions?
4/17: (A2) Check the musicology wiki for links: they've compiled a number of them. In brief, it's a matter if public record for most state institutions and many private institutions report their averages and can be found on the Chronicle. Note, though, that the averages will be deceiving: some humanities faculty will make 40% less than average at a school with a lot of grant-funded (soft money) faculty in the sciences.

Baldwin-Wallace College (Status: acknowledged)

3/1: Deadline was 1/11. Any news?
3/9: Rejection email received.

Florida Gulf Coast University (Status: Phone interviews complete)

Announced on the SMT list. See description at http://jobs.fgcu.edu/
Q [12/8]: One required application document is listed as "Stmt of exp w/students in research/scholarshp as fits discip". I asked HR for clarification. HR: "To clarify, an aspirational goal of the undergraduate degree programs at FGCU is to engage students in the academic discipline of their major. For this document, please indicate how you might work with students so that they better understand the creative scholarship of the discipline of music." Does anyone know what this means?
A (12/8): Just a guess, but it sounds like they want to know what kinds of research-based work you do with your undergrad students. (I assume this would also include composition, as that is a form of "scholarship" of the discipline, since this is a theory/comp job. My guess is they want to see that you're a teacher who will ask your students to do reading/writing/composing assignments and projects as opposed to only assigning exercises from a workbook. But again, that's just a guess. I'd be curious to hear how others interpret this.
1/28: Received email request for more materials, due by Feb. 8.
1/29: What materials did they request? Was it something beyond all the optional uploads listed in the original application?
1/29: What did they request? They didn't ask me . . .
1/29: They requested scores/recordings.
2/25: Scheduling phone interviews
2/25: I hope they're still in the process of that, then. I was asked for more materials but have not received a request for a phone interview yet.
3/14: Phone interviews complete

Harvard University (Status: Interviewing)

"seeks to appoint a tenured professor in composition."
Q [10/17]: Are we sure this is for a senior faculty? I'm assuming this conclusion was based off of the "tenured professor" wording as this implies not tenure track, but rather tenure status at start of professorship. But, does anyone have confirmation from the department that it is, indeed, a search for a senior faculty?
A [10/18]: I'm the one who wrote "senior faculty," and I have no information directly from the committee about that. You're right - I made that assumption because it says they are looking to hire a "tenured professor" Bad assumption? I'll change it.
C [10/19]: Fairly certain it's a senior position. I believe I know who they're aiming the call at, a tenured person currently in another major composition program. The call is definitely not tenure-track, but for someone already tenured.
10/22: Too bad I'm not eligible to receive a Harvard rejection letter.
11/6: While I'm certainly not eligible to receive a Harvard job offer, I'll bet that if I send in my application, I'll get a rejection letter. You could too! :-)
12/4: Nah; it'll just be a freakin' bulk e-mail.
12/6: I got rejected from the theory job last year. They sent a letter. It was printed on nice, heavy paper.
12/8: Damn! I knew I should have applied. Probably printed on better paper than my degree.

Illinois Wesleyan University (Status: Search suspended)

9/9: Is there an internal candidate for this job? The description seems to match one current untenured faculty bio.
9/9: I guess that's possible. Or perhaps that person is leaving and they're searching for someone to fill very specific shoes?
http://www.iwu.edu/iwujobs/MusicTheory.shtml
12/20: Someone posted above that the job is canceled. When? How do you know? I applied and have yet to receive an acknowledgment.
12/20: I was wondering the same thing. I applied in September and still haven't even heard so much as an acknowledgment. (Though, if USPS tracking is to be trusted, they did receive it). I was also wondering why this qualifies as an "act of cosmic cruelty."
R: because it was a SCHENKERIAN job!
RR: It's not a Shenkerian job.
RRR: Who cares? It's over.
12/20: I never received an acknowledgment of materials, however I just received a letter in the mail (Saturday) about the cancelation of the search. It also stated they would
hold on to materials in case the university reopened the search in the future.

Ithaca College

3/28: Phone interviews were three weeks ago. Any news?
4/2: They conducted on campus interviews this week, I believe there were three candidates.
4/19: They've invited a second round of candidates for campus interviews-for a one-year teaching 6+6!
4/19: Heilige Gott!! Must be nice to have money to burn!
4/22: 6-6 teaching load? Ouch. Did one semester of that: never again.
4/22: Why not make it 7&7, and it would be a blast, right?
4/22: With that load, a 7&7 would become part of your morning routine.
5/4: Mmmm. That sounds like a good plan!

Jackson State

2/18: What is happening here? No movement at all - not even an acknowledgment.
3/16: Is this different from Jacksonville State?
3/16: Jackson State is in Mississippi, Jacksonville State is in Alabama. The Jackson State job closed months ago, but the Jacksonville State job does not close until late April.
3/28: When did the Jackson State job close? Was there a hire?
3/28: Jackson State closed on October 30. Apparently no one has heard anything.
5/3: The announcement online (http://www.jsums.edu/facultypositions/music/asstassoc_music_theory.pdf) indicates an application deadline of October 30, 2010. Surely this is a misprint?

Longy School of Music (Status: canceled)

[deadline 1/25]
1/19: Acknowledging on rolling basis. Already reviewing applications. But informed that this is a PART-TIME position. Not mentioned in the MVL ad (Jan. 1). But a visit to their website suggests it's the same job: http://www.longy.edu/about/job_opps.htm Anyone know what part-time at Longy means? Workload, pay etc.
1/20: From what I know, all faculty at Longy are officially part-time though some workloads can be near full-time.
3/1: Any news?
3/1: There have been rumors about possible big institutional changes at Longy. I wonder if there is any connection to the lack of news about how this search is unfolding.
3/9: Have been told they are in early stages of review and have received many applications.
3/9: Was this in an email/message from the search committee?
3/9: No, I just contacted the school myself to inquire about the status.
4/1: Any updates on this one??
4/1: The stories about big institutional changes are true, it seems. No idea how it would affect this search.
http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2010/04/01/cambridge_music_school_cuts_jobs_seeks_partner/?page=full
4/14: Email stating semi-finalists selected, requesting materials and to schedule tel interview. But the workload remains unclear and the compensation, too, apart from the fact that all Longy faculty are paid per service. Has anyone taught at Longy before who can describe approximate workload/compensation? Is it worth relocating for such a position?
4/14: Why not just ask them outright? I don't know about Longy in particular, but many conservatories stock their classes with full-time adjuncts, which means you'll be payed per class by the hour and need to teach 5 or more classes a semester to earn a decent wage.
4/15: Would this mean that benefits are not offered for this position?
5/3: Any news about campus visits?
5/6: No news, but it seems like since the specifics about the job (workload required, how part time it is) cannot yet be identified, and that the committee would need to have this information confirmed before campus visits were announced.
5/9: Can anyone confirm that they have moved onto campus interviews?
5/10: I was under the impression that campus visits would be held this week. But I've heard nothing since my tel interview. Poster 5/6 has a point: the SC may want to figure out the workload first.
5/10: Campus visits scheduled
5/15: Search canceled
5/23: Did campus visits happen before the search was canceled?
5/30: Search was canceled the day before my campus visit. I don't know if they had already seen other candidates yet.

Mars Hill College

1/29: (1) Request for additional materials, references to be contacted shortly.
2/3: (2) What additional materials? How far has the field been narrowed down?
2/10: (3) Transcripts. They are in the process of calling references. Field narrowed to <10
2/11: (4) I'm part of that field; from whom did you hear the <10 number?
2/12: (5) From a reference
2/22: (6) The committee met on 2/12 to review the reference interview reports collected, I think, by Teresa Sumpter. Can anyone shed more light on the search?
2/26: (7) I heard the same, but no news since
2/26: (8) Received rejection letter yesterday, dated 2/21, saying they're conducting interviews with other candidates.
2/26: (9) I am one of the <10; has anyone else in this category been contacted about interviews?
2/27: (10) I believe I am as well, still hoping to get a call
2/27: (11) I am also on of the <10, and can't decide whether they are late to contact those who they are actually going to interview, or if I am just late in receiving my rejection letter by virtue of my increased distance from NC! Has anyone actually been contacted for an interview yet? If so, when were you contacted?
2/27: (12) to the poster who received the rejection letter date 2/21):to clarify, were you a semifinalist, or just one of the large applicant pool? Large pool. The letter did not specify whether they meant campus or phone interviews.
3/9: (13) Any word on this yet? they only requeted transcripts, which is the most irrelevant item in an applicant's dossier. I'd like to share teaching materials and/or research materials. They now know about my "D" in chemistry.
3/9: (14) Borodin would be disappointed.
3/9: (15) Still nothing here either
3/11: (16) Unless I hear something by like, tomorrow, I am going to assume that they are interviewing some of the other semifinalists (who are either not on here, or choosing not to disclose), and not informing the rest of the semifinalists in case they need to dip back in the pool.
3/11: (17) Assuming that "semifinalist" means a reference call and transcript request, I am one too, and have been resisting the overwhelming urge to send a polite e-mail or make a phone call inquiring into the status of the search. For the record, I am 2/6/9/13.
3/14: (18) Don't give up yet! I e-mailed and asked about the status of the search. In the response they assured me that I was still being considered, but that they are starting Spring Break and won't be able to progress the search until after break.
3/26: (19) I called to let them know I accepted another offer and was told they are waiting on approval from the deans office to progress. Don't give up hope!
4/15: (20) I am getting very concerned that this search is going to be cancelled. Has anybody heard anything since the reference interviews?
4/19: (21) Your concern may be well founded. Check out this story on their budget problems. http://www.hilltopmhc.com/news/q-a-with-mhc-president-lunsford-on-college-s-budget-crisis-1.1280834.
4/19: (22) It looks like they had a budget shortfall of $500,000. They made up $200,000 through furloughs. They are hoping to make up the rest through tuition increase. It's gotta be a tough time for a department to ask the administration for a TT position.
4/21: (23) I did an on-campus interview in late February, and they said they hoped to make a decision before spring break. Haven't heard a peep from them since.
5/11: (24) Search postponed till next year.

McGill University (status: offer made)

1/29: Where/when was this posted? Anyone have a link?
1/29: Jon Wild posted it to SMT-announce on the 26th. The message didn't include a link.
1/29: job description in SMT-announce posting said "superior musicianship,
expected to be comfortable teaching full range of undergraduate courses
plus own specialization"
1/29: anyone know what the story is re "Canadians are given priority" - is that like a legal requirement or should I not apply if I'm not Canadian?
1/30: The way I've seen this work at other Canadian universities, in other departments, is that they generally need to have at least one Canadian on the shortlist, and if that person is qualified for the job they'll get it. Doesn't mean don't apply, but it does mean don't count on anything!
1/30: I would second that: it de facto means that it would be hard (if not impossible) for them not to hire a qualified Canadian candidate.
2/1: Third that, and other that. Funny the US used to be the most xenophobic country in North America. Not any longer I'm afraid.
2/1: At McGill the way it has worked before is they have hired the best person, wherever they are from, and if questions are raised they simply argued that any unsuccessful Canadians applying were not *as* qualified as the person they hired. Last hire in Theory was American, the search before that resulted in two offers, one American and one Canadian. Recent hires in musicology have been American and European.
2/1: To "third that" poster: Just remember that American academia was built on foreign hiring. Think of all the great musicians, composers and theorists who were recruited from Europe around the time of WW2. Similarly, Canada has welcomed and continues to welcome researchers from around the world (including many Americans), especially in the sciences, but as previous posters note, in music as well. The rationale for the Canadian-first policy, however, is not xenophobic. Understand that Canada is 1/10 the size of the US. Is it unreasonable for smaller countries to give their own citizens, assuming they are qualified, a first crack at the most coveted positions in their homeland? Or is the world America's playground?
2/2: To the third 2/1 poster: get real (the bit about America's playground). I've applied to 12 Canadian gigs. In all 12 cases they hired Canadians. In 2 cases I was told there's a friggin mandate to do so (apparently not but word hasn't spread to the hinterlands). The same consistent hiring BS does not seem to be happening in the US of A. Look around. Although Reagan's policies did much to fuel xenophobia, they simply didn't stick.
2/3: This may vary between schools. I was a finalist some years ago at a Canadian school, and they said specifically that while they had to keep the language in postings, post-NAFTA there was no problem hiring Yanks. It is of course entirely possible that many Canadian schools will still want to hire only Canadians due to the "400-kilogram economic gorilla to the south" principle...
2/8: Have a look at McGill's faculty: of the dozen+ full-time/tenure-track/tenured theorists & musicologists, only three are Canadian. Consider too McGill's (relatively) recent theory/musicology hires. I guarantee you that McGill will hire the best candidate they can get their hands on, regardless of nationality.
2/15: following up on the previous post, I checked the theory and musicology faculty at McGill and made this list of country or continent of citizenship prior to arriving at McGill, for both disciplines, in approximate chronological order of their arrival at McGill. Only tenured or tenure-track staff with non-administrative positions appear. Musicology: US, Canada, Europe, US, US, US, Asia. Theory: US, US, Canada, Europe, Canada, US. Conclusion: you don't get to be a top-ten school of music by limiting your faculty to a tiny fraction of the applicants.
4/20: Received phone call from search chair to schedule interview in May.
5/26: offer made
6/15: to a Canadian?
6/16: no, US citizen
6/17: job accepted by Nicole Biamonte (Yale PhD, University of Iowa faculty)

Midwestern State University (Status: Phone interviews)

Wichita Falls, TX. Tenure track position. Primary areas: theory/aural skills; Secondary area: composition.
2/3: In process of phone interviews
3/3: Anyone receive any updates on this? Anyone invited to campus?
5/22: Reject letter received via snail mail: position was frozen, then re-opened and filled as a one-year NTT position. They apologized for their silence.

New Jersey City University (Status: Canceled, (deadline: Dec. 15, 2009))

Tenure track position. "The candidate would teach undergraduate Harmony, Ear Training, Music History, Composition, Computer Music classes as well as a Graduate Musicianship class, and fulfill other responsibilities as required by the department."
1/23: When did you receive acknowledgment? By mail? I haven't received anything yet.
1/25: Really? I got an AA form postmarked 12/19. Which reminds me, I never filled it out... oops.
1/25: I received a letter and AA form back in Dec. as well.
2/26: Any news at all about this one?
3/14: I called last week to ask if there was any progress. They said they would let us know when the search commences.
3/15: Commences?? Wow.
3/15: I'm wondering if they are waiting for a line to be approved.
3/30: What is going on with this search? Does anyone know if they actually have a line approved?
3/30: I can't imagine they'd advertise a TT line that wasn't approved. Whether they can get it funded in the current economic climate is another story, though.
4/15: Any further info on this job? Was this search ultimately canceled? (Rather pettily, it makes me feel better to list a job under "Cancellations" rather than "Rejections" in my own list of applications!)
4/15: Wondering the same thing, as they're up against the NASM May 1st hiring deadline at this point. Also wondering if there is an internal candidate for this position, as it seems like there might be.
4/22: Still nothing? Anyone?
4/23: Nope
5/6: Search cancelled.
5/6: I like that they said it was cancelled due to "administrative reasons." Translation: New Jersey is broke and can't fund the position. I wouldn't expect this job to reopen in the "near future" either.
5/6: Well, there goes my last viable application of the season.

Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) (Feb. 12)

3/29: Anyone have any info on this one?

Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music (Status: Announced, deadline Feb. 1)

Tenure-track position. Announced in MVL Jan. 22.
Q1 (1/23): The ad states "Bilingual candidates preferred (Spanish & English)". Does anyone know if the language of instruction is exclusively Spanish? The school's website is only in Spanish. Does "preferred" in this case really mean "required", i.e. if one's Spanish is weak is there any point in applying?
1/26: I just checked the employment page at the school's website. Unless I am mistaken, it appears that they are looking for someone in Music Ed.
1/26: Although the link shows "music ed", it opens a PDF that contains 3 job ads: the 2nd is for a TT theory position. Can anyone answer the question above about language? Also, the ad mentions that candidates must be willing to travel to PR for interviews; does that imply at the candidate's own expense?
2/3: Just email them and ask. Schools usually don't mind receiving questions.

Queensborough CC:

5/17: phone interviews
6/8: Does anyone know what's going on with this job? A: They've sent some rejections.
6/23: Well, I didn't get one! But I'm not going to get my hopes up since this job was posted months ago.....

Sam Houston State University (Status: Announced tenure track position, review begins Oct. 19)

11/1: receipt of materials confirmed by email.
11/20: Top 15 selected asked for additional materials: Transcripts, letters, syllabi, scholarship
1/20: Does anyone know where they are in the search process? Have they moved on to phone or on-sight interviews?
1/21: I am one of their "top 15"and have not been contacted since they received my materials.
1/22: Same here.
1/22: C'mon, you other twelve: fess up.
1/22: I'm one of the 15 and have heard nothing. Maybe this is good news and they haven't moved on. Or maybe we're in the bottom of the famous 15. :)
2/14: On campus interviews are now being scheduled for 3 people in February and March.
2/15: Bottom of the famous 15, indeed. Shucks!
3/20: Does anyone know if they've made an offer yet?

Skidmore College (Status: Made a hire)

link: jobs.skidmore.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=52065

Troy University

3/31: References contacted; SC meeting 4/1; Phone interviews 4/4.
4/4: Telephone Interviews ongoing
4/13: Any subsequent contact with those who interviewed? Also, how many are we?

University of Nevada, Reno

5/12: Reject email received.
5/12: Heh, I got that email, too. I guess several years' experience in doing exactly what the job description entails wasn't good enough to make the first cut.
5/20: References contacted.

Williams College (Status: phone interviews)

link: http://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=175423722
3/30: C1: I'm very curious to learn how many applications they received: not full-time and only for one year, but at a good school in a tight market. Anyone know?
3/30: r to C1: At least two that I know of :) Even at .75 FTE I figure that it will pay better than my current adjunct hell and it's a better school.
3/30: C1 here again. Indeed, 75% of a legitimate salary would be far better than the pittance I receive as an adjunct!
4/8 (I): And for whomever they make an offer to: remember .75 of a job should mean just that. If that's all they are willing to pay, that's all they should get.
4/8 (II): I'll second that: make sure they are clear about how many credits makes for a full-time teaching load and explain how they come up with 75% FTE. The successful candidate should then decline any advisory, administrative, or other work (like independent studies, supervising theses/projects) that is not explicitly spelled out in the contract unless the contract is modified and extra remuneration given. (Notes from the trenches, y'all. Been there, done that, seen others get the shaft as well. Added to new thread below: "Negotiations"))
4/12: I agree with 4/8(II). As far as I can tell it's a sabbatical replacement position, so don't expect anything in future years. My guess is that the .75 means that they only want to pay during the academic year - i.e. Sept-May, hence the .75.
4/12: Actually, I think .75 refers to 75% of full time, with the understanding that a 9-month contract is the norm. I.e. if a full-time teaching load is 4/4, .75 would mean the load should be 3/3.
4/12: Many schools expect tt and tenured professors to work something like 40% Teaching - 40% Service - 20% Research. 75% FTE might mean that the temporary faculty member is expected to do teaching, committee, and advising work similar to a tt or tenured professor (hence, 75-80% FTE) but is not expected to do research.
4/13: Rather than speculate, has anyone heard anything further from the department?
4/13: Call and ask.
4/19: This is a 1 year sabbatical replacement. Course load is teaching a first year theory sequence (2 classes in fall, one in Spring).
4/22: Does anyone know how many were invited for the phone interview and/or when on-campus interviews may begin?

Institution-Specific Discussion II: Completed Searches.

Bowling Green State University (non-TT full - time instructor. Status: offer accepted)

6/21: interviews
6/29: offer accepted
6/29: By whom?
6/30: Christopher Dietz (U. of Michigan Ph.D. 2007, previously a VAP at Oberlin)

Belmont University (Status: Canceled)

2/21: Is there any point in applying for this job if one is not a Christian? The announcement did mention that they are an EOE/AA Employer "under all applicable civil rights laws."
2/21: I applied for their composition job last year, and the online application did require an "affirmation of Christian faith" or the like. But I've also heard that the institution is considering severing its church connections.
2/22: I should say not, with regard to the original question. This is a Baptist-affiliated school. The sticking point, though, is how _they_ define "Christian." With the more fundamentalist Protestant sects, Christianity is determined more on an individual basis (have you been "saved") than on a collective one (e.g., all baptized Christians).
2/22: Actually, in 2007, Belmont had a rather contentious and financially costly split with the Baptist convention. I know some folks on the adjunct faculty there and they tell me that within the School of Music, faculty members are all colors and kinds of "Christian." However, faculty are expected to belong to a Christian church. There are Catholics and all brands of Protestants on faculty.
2/22: OP Here. Thanks for the replies. Not being a churchgoer, I think I'll abstain from applying, as it looks like a waste of my/their time. Good luck to any Christians applying.
3/17: Scheduling phone interviews for March 24
3/30: Any updates on this?
3/30: I interviewed with them, but have yet to hear back. I'm not worried yet, though.
4/3: Candidate(s) contacted for on-campus interview.
4/27: Email received stating the search was cancelled, but a new search would begin in the fall. "Owing to a number of factors, not the least of which was our late start, we have decided to leave the position unfilled at this time and begin a new search in the fall."

Brooklyn College (Status: Offer made)

C1: (11/16 email sent stating that "a candidate has been selected"; email of 12/7 "now in its final stages")
10/10: "Dear Applicant" e-mail indicating recepit of application
10/18: Did anyone send their application via email? I haven't received confirmation that it has been received and am wondering if I should mail a hard copy.
10/19: I sent my application by email and received confirmation two days later.
10/19: I wrote the address provided in the ad and they confirmed that email applications are acceptable.
11/9: I missed this one. Can someone provide a link to the job description? Thanks!
11/17: The selection of a candidate for this job seems superfast. The deadline was 10/26. Does anybody know if they did on-campus interviews?
11/17: My guess is that they hired someone from the adjunct pool.
11/17: I received the email today stating that the candidate was chosen. This seems like it was a mock search where they knew from the start who they would hire but had to abide by policy and go through the motions of a search. Ugh.
11/19: It was poorly advertised, and rumor has it that the list was narrowed to three people: two were already adjuncts at BC and the other was a graduate.

Carleton University, Canada (Status: Offer Accepted)

Q: Has anyone heard back yet? They said they'd be in touch on Monday at the latest (my fingers are gradually uncrossing).
C1 (2/21): In the email I received acknowledging receipt it said that ONLY finalists would be contacted by 2/15. Someone moved the position to the interview stage so I assume I didn't make the cut as I haven't heard anything further.
3/20: News here?
4/3: Looks like an offer has been accepted (see above).

College of Charleston (Status: Offer Accepted)

(9/18/2009)Q: Where is this job posted?
9/20/2009 A: CMS Music Vacancy List
01/21: Has anyone heard anything about this job? Not a peep here.
01/25: A colleague of mine applied for a musicology job there last year. He never received any acknowledgement of his application-not even an email or letter indicating who eventually got the job. Wonder if the same can be expected for this search?
02/01 A: Received notice that my application materials are complete, review of candidates to begin.
02/01 R/Q to above: I received a letter as well but it just stated that my application had been received. Did yours explicitly state that it was "complete"?
02/02 A: My letter stated that they were received, not complete. Sorry, my oversight in publishing that entry. Letter was dated some time ago.
2/2: Ditto to the above, letter received today, dated January 10th, mailed January 29th.
2/16: This job seems to be moving at a glacial pace. I wonder if there is a question as to whether or not the position will be funded. Has anyone heard anything new?
2/20: I've heard that they are already interviewing candidates but that the letters came AFTER they had already invited finalists.
2/21: Can anyone confirm that they have selected finalists? I was not contacted but have recently received hits on my website from the College of Charleston (a few visits from the same IP address).
3/15: Does anyone know what is going on here? Have they actually interviewed people or are they just sitting on it for a bit?
3/17: They've had campus visits. At least two finalists have visited already.
4/12: Reject letter received by mail indicating that an unnamed candidate had been selected.
4/15: Offer has been made and accepted (second hand information, but definite)
4/22: Does anyone know to whom the offer was made?
5/27: Yiorgos Vassilandonakis (UC Berkeley Ph.D. 2006, previously a Lecturer at Cal, and VAP at Univ. of Virginia)

Cornell University (Status: Offer accepted)

(asst or assoc prof: "music historian or theorist specializing in Western music of the 19th or 20th century. The successful candidate will have the doctorate (or equivalent professional accomplishment) in music history or music theory, and outstanding scholarly potential with the promise of establishing an international reputation. The successful candidate will also have training and experience such as to qualify him or her to teach in the theory program for undergraduate music majors.")
Q (11/29): Has anyone heard anything about this position? Acknowledgment of application, even?
A (12/1): Nothing. It's been a few days since I checked, but the musicology wiki seems to indicate the same situation from that pool of potential applicants.
A2 (12/2): Their ad said the final deadline for applications was Nov. 30, so maybe they only just started looking at materials.
A3 (12/8): Got an email from James Webster today saying that my application was complete.
C (12/22): Wow, two weeks after acknowledging applications and they're holding interviews already?
C2 (12/22): Well, they already had a shortlist last year...
C3 (1/21): Just received an email from Cornell stating that the process has moved to an "advanced phase" and that my application is no longer under consideration. While I'm fine with this (have known that much from the wiki for several weeks), I'm concerned that this is at least the 2nd email I've received from a school that includes the email address of ALL 119 (rejected) APPLICANTS in the "to:" field. Don't people at Cornell know how "Bcc:" works?? I find myself particularly bothered by this one (more so than the same situation at UMSL), because this is a position at a big name school...and as such, there are many untenured faculty at other schools who apparently are considering a move. I'm a new PhD, so I don't care if everyone under the sun knows what jobs I'm applying for (hint: I'm applying for all of them...duh), but if I were a junior faculty member at a university, I'm not sure how thrilled I'd be to have it become common knowledge that I'm applying for jobs. Good move, Cornell.
C4 (1/21): I'm one of those junior faculty who was just "outed" as being on the job market by that cc list, and I'm pretty pissed off about it. Almost enough to take the sting out of the rejection itself.
C5 (1/21): ca. 120 names on the list! Go Cornell. On the other hand I found addresses for several friends that have been out of touch...
C6 (1/21): Cornell Music Department, where competence reigns! This wasn't the first time that the administrative assistant screwed up. Sources tell me she had a problem misplacing reference letters of applicants. I'm glad she had enough sense to apologize, but it makes you wonder...
C7 (1/21): Second time in one season. Over at the Chronicle there's even a report about how common this breach of privacy is becoming. It may be wise in the future to apply to job using an email address that does not reveal one's identity. Not professional, perhaps, but a small compromise to pay considering the consequences for some. An alias with initials at a gmail account would look reasonable without being identifiable to third parties, for instance.
C8 (2/1): Re: Affirmative Action form request. Dear Nicole Easton: After you informed a number of my co-workers that I'm searching for a new job about two weeks ago, why would I do you and your school the favor of completing your online affirmative action identification form? Thanks, but no thanks.
C9 (2/2): Quoting the Nicole Easton Affirmative Action email: "This information will be maintained confidentially by Cornell's Office of Workforce Diversity and Inclusion..." Dear Nicole (James Webster cc'ed): Really? Did you say confidential? ARE YOU F...ING KIDDING ME???
C10 (2/3): It's nothing new to be rejected by the searching department but still get an affirmative action form or postcard from HR weeks later. It's a new one to be asked to fill out the form by the same person who sent out the rejection email two weeks ago.
C11 (3/3): Any news about this one? They seem to take their time with the interviews...
C12 (3/8): I'm sure if you email Nicole, she'll be happy to tell you more than she should.
C13 (4/3): Is this the same position as the one listed on the musicology wiki? If so, a hire appears to have been made.

Full Sail University (Status: Offer accepted)

link: http://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=175420066
C1: (when you type "Full Sail" into Google, the first category of hits is "Full Sail Scam")
3/20: Is anyone desperate enough to apply for this one?
3/20: Yes. Over 100 people are, actually.
3/21: The second 3/20 poster obviously works for the company (yes, company, not university).
3/21: I recently met someone with a degree from their program. He was installing a new battery in my car. He works full time at AutoZone. I'm just sayin'.
3/21: Wow. Why such animosity? Its a job.
3/21: This is not the place for this kind of discussion. Full Sail is a good vocational school that prepares students for careers in industry. No school can guarantee job placement. I know plenty of people with degrees from state universities and private liberal arts colleges who work retail, in restaurants, and as mechanics. Let's not judge.
3/21: I'm that desperate, and I applied. In fact, I had a phone interview with them this past week, and was told there were more than 100 applicants. It's basically a corporate job: 2 weeks off per year, no tenure or anything like it. Salary would be in the mid 40's, and the workload was said to be "intense". I'm not that desperate. Not even close.
3/21: I'm amused by the second 3/21 poster. Let's see, how many people with PhD's in music theory or composition from reputable schools are going to be seeking alternative places of employment next year? Bottom line: if the job isn't for you, then don't apply. There's no need to try to discredit an entire school simply because it doesn't appeal to you.
3/21: Seriously, some people don't live and die to be researchers at a "top tier" institution. Some want to focus on teaching and desire a job at a liberal arts college. Some might want to do commercial music, and this sounds like a great place to get started doing that. The market is so saturated and the degrees are so limited, that sometimes a PhD in theory is necessary to do any of these things. I have even considered starting my own production company, so this job would be a cool place for me to start. Each of us has our own gifts and interests in music, but it is all music related, and all theory or composition related, essentially. To each his/her own. Are any of these jobs more important than others? When it comes down to it, if the human race had to pick 1 million people to carry on the essentials of the human race, probably none of the million would be people with PhDs in theory ;)
3/21: Full Sail is a for-profit organization. That makes it a business, not a school. It is outrageous that they are allowed to call themselves a university (and they, in fact, have no regional accreditation).
3/21: What university does not function like a business these days? I am not well acquainted with Full Sail, but it appears to focus on a niche that many universities neglect.
3/21: This position only requires a bachelor's degree. It's hard to reconcile that requirement with the word "University" in the institution's name.
How many of those 100+ who applied are any more qualified than some of our current students? I think it wise to be wary of the potential climate you may enter, but elitism should not be a part of our discussion. I for one know that anyone at AutoZone is doing a lot better financially than myself slogging through an adjunct life with minimum wage pay and no benefits. Out of curiosity, how many of us here did apply for this position with a doctorate in hand or ABD? Please edit number: 2
3/21: Fi-Fye-Fo-Fum; I smell troll snot on the wiki.
3/22(a): I find this whole discussion fascinating and ironic in light of the lengthy discussion under "The Interview" below (starting with "For Pete's sake...") It's like reading a whole different wiki.
3/22(b): Offer made.
3/22(c): You seriously can't change your own car battery? That seems like an object for ridicule more than the fact that your mechanic has a degree from Full Sail...
3/22: To 3/22c -fantastic. If we aren't friends yet, we really need to be.
3/23: I'm the second 3/21 poster, and I seriously *can* change my own car battery, but since the purchase came with free installation, I didn't see the need to. I seriously can't believe I am defending my mechanical skills on this wiki. I considered erasing the 3/22c post on the grounds that it is a personal attack (as well as being off-topic), and qualitatively very different from the criticisms of my original comment as elitist. Morale is low enough in light of the disastrous job market and economy, without stooping to petty sniping at each other. Please, let's not. In regard to my original comment: I object to for-profit corporations passing themselves off as universities, as well as to the increasing corporatization of higher education in general, and the gutting of the traditional model of a liberal-arts education with a broadly humanistic basis and an emphasis on critical thinking and writing skills in favor of a more vocational model. I see Full Sail and its ilk as part of the problem, and I do not wish them success in their endeavors. (OK, stepping back off soapbox now.)
3/23: offer accepted (let's leave this alone now)
3/23: Does the person who deleted all of the posts here have some self-interested reason for stifling a useful debate about for-profit institutions?
3/23: That discussion should have been retained.
3/24: I agree; if the deleter didn't like the discussion, then then he or she didn't have to read it. They had absolutely no right to delete those posts.
3/24: I don't think the discussion should have been deleted either, but I'd hardly call the deleted text "a useful debate about for-profit institutions."
3/24: Previous discussion restored.
3/24: Fine. There it is. Now we can all sleep at night. Congratulations, Dr. McCandless. We wish you the best. (and, now that we've all got our parting shots in, let's hope this Wiki can move beyond useless conversations like the one above)
3/25: Once again . . . if you don't like this discussion, don't read it. Stop trying to censor this board (and stop deleting other people's posts).

Gettysburg College (Status: search completed)

Does anyone know anything about the Sunderman Conservatory? Is it accredited?
A: They are a new conservatory (2005) born from a long-established music department in a traditional small, private liberal arts college environment. Since the founding of the conservatory, they have doubled the TT-faculty and increased music majors by a factor of 3. With this search, they are still growing. As for NASM, they are actively pursuing accreditation - their new director is a NASM evaluator.
2/22: Chased down my application's status, since I had heard that others received confirmation emails/letters a while back, and apparently they are still sending notifications out/screening appliations. I applied a long, long time ago, and they are apparently still in the initial stages of this search, FYI.
2/24: The letter confirming receipt of my application specified a very detailed time frame for the search, including phone interviews to be held by March 5. Any news on these?
2/24: Receipt of semifinalist status by email (2/23) and request of further material (CD of compositions) as well as scheduling phone interview for Mar 1st.
2/28: Does anyone know how many semifinalists were contacted for this?
3/5: Received rejection letter, dated 3/1, stating there were 15 semifinalists selected from 125 applicants.
3/6: Ditto above re: rejection letter. I'm very curious about the credentials of these final 15 in such a slow job year.
3/8: Wouldn't the final 15 in a slow year be likely to have stronger credentials than in a normal year? Seems logical.
3/8: Yes, five dears ago, this job would likely attract a majority of ABDs; this year, we fight like dogs for the scraps. I'm not trying to put down Gettysburg and Sunderman (I did, after all, apply with a genuine desire to teach there after reading the job description), but merely to say that it is a less-desireable position because it is not TT. Plus, with the interdisciplinary focus, it probably attracted a disproportionate number of musicologists.
3/8: 3/6 commenter here. My curiosity stems from the general presumption that they would have very strong applicants. However, ABDs are still getting gigs. As for myself, I have several years of strong experience post-degree and was a little dismayed not to survive the first cut.
3/8: Apparently there is all the difference in the world between the Ivy-league ABDs who are getting jobs and the Public U PhDs who aren't. People pay for potential (think Nobel Prize)
3/8: In this economy, offering a TT position to an ABD is often a budget-conscious strategy. They will be more likely to settle for a sub-standard salary offer and it amounts to less of a commitment on the part of the offering institution. Also, people who advertise entry-level (junior) faculty positions usually really want entry level hires, not people with tons of experience and therefore a lot of ideas about how to do things better in their department. In academia you move up when somebody comes in behind you, not on par with you.
3/8: My understanding is that there were '8-12' semifinalists. I was one of them; it seems like a good opportunity despite the lack of TT - it's a relatively new school and a great opportunity to help shape something still in its beginnings. There was talk during the phone 1:1 that the position may become TT after a year or so.
3/8: I am also a semi-finalist and was also told, during the phone interview, this information regarding a future TT opening next go around. However, from my understanding of how these things work, a new search would take place and having been granted the 1-year position does in no way guarantee that the following year's TT position is yours. That being said, this information does make the job a bit sweeter.
3/16: To the other semi-finalists: Was there a date the committee informed you by which time the next round would be decided? I had remembered March 15th, but clearly that didn't happen.
3/17: You remember correctly. To be precise, they said the plan was to have campus interviews between the 15th and 30th of March. So they could by that assertion have all interviews in the last 3 days of March! But you're right; we should have heard something by now if things were going according to plan.
3/19: Email stating that 2 finalists were chosen for upcoming campus interviews.
3/22: You're not missing anything people. This place sucks big time! Spoken from first-hand experience.
3/29: Please elaborate, "3/22." I was not shortlisted, but I was genuinely interested in the school.
7/14: I don't know when the search was completed, but I found out the name from a friend of mine who teaches there.

Indiana University/Purdue University (Status: Position Filled)

2/26: Received confirmation via snail mail beginning of January. Any updates?
4/10: Received Letter via snail mail that position has been filled. Had no idea interviews were even happening!

Indiana University South Bend (Status: Complete)

tenure track: theory and manage music tech programs
2/26: Received a rejection e-mail 1/13

Michigan State University (Status: Offer accepted)

1/23: Have any of the semifinalists for this job heard anything since submitting their round 2 materials?
2/1: Nope.
2/9: Yep. Scheduling interviews.
3/3: Campus interviews in progress.
3/8: Are interviews completed yet?
3/9: Offer made.
3/30: Offer accepted... Anyone know by whom?
3/31: Yes. Mike Callahan, Eastman.

Mississippi College (Status: offer made, verbal acceptance)

Application: send "cover letter; faculty application; three letters of professional recommendation; copy of the transcript from the last degree; curriculum vita; scores and recordings of two representative compositions."
2/1 Received a rejection letter indicating they have narrowed the pool
7/28: Who got the gig?

North Central College (Status: Search completed)

[01/10/10]: Has anyone received a confirmation form them?
1/11: I haven't. But I'm starting to think this is the new norm. Of my 15 applications so far this year only 5 were acknowledged. (And I doubt this has to do with recent deadlines since 3 of my LAST 4 have indeed acknowledged.)
1/15: I didn't receive confirmation of application, either, but they have now contacted a small pool of applicants for phone interviews.
1/25: Any updates? Anyone get a call back for an on-campus interview?
2/23: E-mail: "We have successfully completed the search."

Northwestern University (Status: offer accepted)

9/25: Online HR info requested (tenure track position in "Theory and Cognition," screening to begin Nov. 1)
10/10: Did everyone that sent in materials receive acknowledgment via this online HR form?
11/20: Articles and recommendation letters requested on 11/9

Ohio State University (Status: offer accepted)

9/9: Nu, so where has it been announced? It's not on any of the listed search sites, nor is there anything about it at OSU's job listings page...
9/10: Email from David Clampitt came through on the SMT list yesterday.
9/15: Email confirming application receipt

Oklahoma Baptist University (Status: Offer accepted)

2/26: Phoning semifinalists
3/1: Scheduling Interviews
3/12: Offer made
3/15: Offer accepted

Oklahoma City University (Status: Offer accepted)

C1: review of applicants begins March 17
3/22: received email requesting a phone interview on 3/24 or 3/25.
4/22: It's been a month; any word on this one?
4/22: Interviews have taken place (edited above as well)
5/17: Offer letter received; offer accepted

Peabody (Status: Cancelled)

3/8: I never received an acknowledgment. Anyone else in this boat?
3/8: I didn't think this could be a real search, since it wasn't advertised *anywhere,* and wasn't even posted to the smt-list.
3/8: I agree. I wonder how many of us found the posting and applied anyway? 2 so far?
3/8: Huh? There is/was a job at Peabody? Is it safe to assume they weren't trying to attract a large pool of applicants?
3/13: Received letter of acknowledgment dated 3/5 (x2)
3/23: A month out, has there been any known movement on this "search"?
4/02: I've recently heard from a friend in that department that this search has been cancelled but that they are planning on having a national search next year.
4/6: This search was moved to "canceled" above. Has anyone received official notice from Peabody on this? If so, when and from whom?
4/9: Update?
4/9: I received an email from them today stating that the search was canceled due to "time constraints."
4/9: Ditto. That's a new one.

Rhodes College (Status: Announced)

link: http://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=175422906
Letter, CV, teaching philosophy, 3 letters, transcripts and a video for the intitial application?! Sheesh!
4/5: Phone call informing of semifinalist status, requested permission for background check
4/21: Invited to campus for interview next week
5/1: Offer accepted (Brad Osborn, PhD, University of Washington [2010])

Southern Methodist University (Status: canceled)

[01/10/10]: Has anyone received a confirmation form them?
1/29: Anyone know what's happening with this search?
2/10: It's been canceled, unsure why

SUNY Potsdam (Status: Offer accepted, review begins Jan. 25)

1/18: ABDs need not apply, per email rec'd 1/17. The online application requires a yes or no answer to the question, "Do you have a doctorate?" When I answered no, as an ABD, the system rejected my application as "not qualified." Yesterday's email confirmed: "We are not accepting applications from people who have not yet completed the doctorate."
1/19: I only wish more schools prized complete degrees and experience. All-too-often it seems jobs go to the cheaper-to-hire ABDs, or those fresh out of grad school.
1/20: It would also be nice if those complete degree jobs would hire at a higher pay rate. This job starts at $45,000. I was making more than that teaching high school with only a master's. Frustrating to think that I went back for my PhD to take a pay cut. ;-)
1/20: Does anybody have an address to submit the three letters of recommendation to this job (since all my letters are mailed from a credentials service or directly from the person)? I emailed them last Thursday without a reply. Am I just out of luck because I don't have PDF copies of all my letters? Do most people have these?
1/20: I do! I had to get in contact with my credentials service and have them email the PDFs for me to the head of the search committee (and they made me pay for this service). I got in contact with the head of the search committee beforehand as well, so that she had an idea of what was going on. I can assure you that you wouldn't be the first to let her know you will be doing the same.
1/20: My dossier service does not send out letters electronically, only by mail. And my letters are confidential. When I explained this to the search committee I was given a mailing address at the school. If they haven't answered your email, then call them asap to get the address.
2/3: In my opinion, it's not worth complaining about a starting salary of $45,000. This is the brass ring: a tenure-track job! You'll get to pursue your research, work with young people, teach perhaps ten hours a week, all with practically no interference from your boss. I accepted my first tenure-track job in 1987 at $23,000 per year ($43,436.19 in 2009 dollars). I worked hard (and loved it), pursued my research agenda, moved to another job, and I now earn more than $100,000 as a full professor. If you're built for this, it's the greatest career in the world.
2/9: I'll be happy to have a salary that pays more than my teaching assistantship.
2/20: Where's your self-worth, 2/9? True, Potsdam is in the middle of nowhere and cost of living might be lower up there, but for god's sake any new hire needs to negotiate a better salary than the one initially offered for the sake of the entire profession and for the sake of your own raises which are based on the initial salary. What are they going to do, say forget it and do an entirely new search? 45K is a pretty low starting salary for someone with a doctorate. The musicology board has many links to national salaries and you can access salaries of all NY State employees at: http://www.seethroughny.net/Payrolls/EmployeeSearch/tabid/69/Default.aspx
2/21: I have to say I disagree with the $45,000 is low for a Ph.D salary. Perhaps that can be said for other disciplines, but certainly not in music. I know many, many people who have their first assist prof jobs salary starting in the 30s-40s.
2/21: $45k would be very nice for a starting salary. I'm in my 4th year of a TT job and, even after several raises, making only $41k.
2/22: Considering the amount of education that goes into the degree and the debt one assumes to acheive it, 45K is not a good starting salary. The fact that some or many others are similarly poorly payed does not make it a good salary (argumentum ad populum). I know ABDs in other humanities fields that began VAP positions at 50K+ five years ago. If we accept music as an integral part of the academy it should be compensated properly.
2/23: Salaries are determined partially in response to market value, unless there is a collective bargaining agreement in place, in which case your salary is determined by the union. Would anyone argue that the market is the same today as it was five years ago? There is a very high supply of PhDs and ABDs and a rather low supply of positions for them, TT or otherwise. Further, your [our] sacrifices and descent into debt is not a concern of our future employer. To paraphrase an old hymn, "with music as our father, beggars all are we." We can all hope, though. Hope was enough to win a man a presidency; it may be enough to get some of us a decent salary.
2/24: Just read above that a mass e-mail rejection was sent 2/12. Does this mean they are considering semifinalists? Can anyone confirm a rejection or a follow up?
2/24: I received a request for additional materials, including a teaching video.
2/24: I was rejected and received the email on 2/12 or thereabouts.
3/3: Phone interviews are occurring
3/12: It's funny that this place didn't even bother to consider ABDs that are on the green to finish this spring. In many respects, these are the people who are freshest in the field, and to reject all of them out of hand...?
3/15: In my opinion, I wish more schools and departments would step up and explicitly exclude ABDs from applying. Given the fact that a large percentage of folks who have landed jobs this year in both theory and musicology are ABD (or "expected") why should anyone bother to finish a dissertation in a timely manner?
3/15: I disagree. The actual completion of a Ph.D. is little more than an institutional qualification to hold a faculty position. Most schools seem to have it right; they seek people who show scholarly promise, demonstrated teaching ability, and potential to fit well and thrive in a department. Whether they finish their degree in December or in May seems to have little to do with these things.
3/16: I'm with the second 3/15 poster. I doubt anyone in a t-t position would say that they grew so much as a teacher and scholar in the last six months of finishing the dissertation that they couldn't/shouldn't have started the position without degree in hand. In fact, I'm waiting for job postings to start reflecting actual hiring practices: "ABD's are welcome to apply, but the first year of the position will be considered probationary and the contract will only be renewed contingent on completion of the degree."
3/16: I'm a bit biased, being an ABD applicant this year, but perhaps there's a better way to distinguish between different categories of ABD students. Seems to me that there's a world of difference between an ABD student who recently had his/her diss proposal approved, one who has completed a couple of chapters, and one who has a defense date scheduled. The 3/12 poster appears to have been asking about the third category there.
3/22: get real ABD's: Unless you're from an ivy league place and with a very hot buzz following you, you're not getting a job until you finish your diss. There are far too many qualified Ph.D's out there with way more qualifications than you, waiting for their turn. Nobody cares how "fresh" in the field you are. What does that mean anyway? You're not curing deseases, or inventing technology.... Get a reality check!
3/29: This is simply incorrect, 3/22. Look at who is getting jobs.
3/29: I Agree with above statement. Every job except for it looks like 2 have gone to ABDs or Post docs. It comes down to your qualifications and your fit with the school/dept.
3/29: Connecting the above statement to the second 3/16 post, I think it's important to note that all the ABDs currently listed who got jobs this year list an anticipated completion date of 2010 (this year), which probably means that they have already defended, or at least have a defense scheduled. The term "ABD" is far too broad. In my personal experience, the number of requests I got for additional materials/phone interviews/in person interviews went up significantly between the time I applied as an "ABD" person and an ABD person with a concrete defense date listed in my cover letter. But it's also worth mentioning that, in this economy, it's likely cheaper to hire an ABD (or other "first real job" candidate) than someone who has been out for several years and, presumably, would be looking to leave a current position.
3/29: I think this last point is definitely worth amplifying upon: not only are ABDs typically cheaper to hire than either current TT candidates or NTT candidates with substantial teaching experience, but offering a position to an ABD is very likely to result in a hire. Those of us who have watched the search process from the inside know that a fair number of TT applicants are likely use a job offer to renegotiate their contract at their current institution.
3/29: What's wrong with making an offer to someone who might bring a proven track record to a department even if he/she then uses this offer to renegotiate their current job? This happens all of the time in almost every other job scenario I can imagine! Why the hurry to hire someone who will almost certainly accept the job but will probably take some time figuring out what the job really requires?
3/29: Having never been on a search committee, it's hard for me to say, but I can't imagine that anyone wants to be on a committee that invests a great deal of time and energy on a search only to find that the person they eventually choose has never really planned on accepting the job. Plus, in the time between making the offer and having that candidate use the offer against his/her current institution (which I suspect takes more than a few days), the committee runs the risk of losing their second choice candidate as well.
3/30: So in order to avoid this possibility a committee immediately goes for that person who will most likely accept the offer? Doesn't say much about finding the right "fit" for a department, does it? Unless by "fit" one really means cheapest, won't cause waves, and will do the most for less and will grin and bear it because he or she is just happy to have a job. (And here I am speaking from experience having served on many search committees. This whole talk of "fit" is specious to say the least.)
3/30: I'd say that fits my experience pretty well. Of course, every search committee is different, but I used to wonder why I (and a good number of my colleagues) sometimes got passed over for jobs in favor of candidates with apparently less experience and fewer qualifications. That is, until I got to see the process from the inside. I've also watched several SCs hire candidates they didn't want out of fear of losing the search entirely when their first/second choices withdrew or declined offers. When I think of the number of colleagues of mine who have secured academic jobs overseas on the merit of phone interviews or brief (1-hour!) campus interviews, I sometimes wonder why we need to draw out the interview process with so much hand-wringing and scrutiny of intangibles that so often constitute "fit".
3/31: Having just been offered a job, I found that this whole "fit" notion was exactly on. Being an ABD, I did have the qualifications they were looking for, and the things I am all about were the things they were looking for. I'm looking forward to starting a job at a great school where I already feel welcomed and valued for who I am and what I bring to the table.
3/30: I have also been surprised at the number of ABD applicants getting jobs in this tight market. I (a fairly recent degree recipient) have been teaching as an adjunct for the past several years, and I know that I am now a vastly more effective teacher than I was when I first began applying for jobs as an ABD candidate. One might think that experience would count for more. At any rate... congrats to all who manage to land positions this year, ABD or not.
3/30: Ditto, 3/30 comment above. When I was ABD, I was told by members of multiple search committee that you really had to have the degree in hand to be fully considered and that it was much harder for the committee to make the case for an ABD to administration. Now a few years after my degree with really good NTT teaching experience, I cannot get a nibble anywhere despite what I find to be a much stronger cv. Go figure!
3/30: Well, don't forget how complicated this process is for the SC. It takes a few years to create the position and get it approved. Then you have to consider the insecurities of those in the SC. Some feel threatened by a potential hire in their own area of expertise who may be "hotter" than them. ABD's are indeed more likely to accept w/o negotiating, and get hired to do more for less. Then you have to factor in demographics. I've seen first hand a SC who had to hire a person of a certain gender/race/background, to make the faculty look diverse enough. This stuff really happens. However, to go back to our original argument about ABD's, not having your degree in hand, makes it much harder to hire, and much harder to negotiate anything over what they initially offer you. I'm not saying you shouldn't go on the market before you finish, but be aware that you have very little to negotiate. I too now know what "fit" means, and I'm very happy to be at that place, and it has taken a long time and a lot of anguish to get here. Still, finish your degrees people and good luck.
2/10: Nope.
2/10: Also nope. I submitted my application in mid-December, and got the acknowledgment letter last week. Dated Jan. 20, and says they'll begin reviewing applications at the beginning of January. Hmm.
2/24: Looks like they are on to phone interviews. Can anyone out there confirm that is the case?
4/13: Received a rejection email from them today. Hmmm.
4/13: That seems to agree with what's on the wiki here, since the job moved up to the "offer accepted" category several days ago.

University of Buffalo (Status: offer accepted)

9/16: Does anyone have further information about this job? I can't find the advertisement using the link above.
9/16: Not looking hard enough: https://www.ubjobs.buffalo.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/position/JobDetails_css.jsp?postingId=153950
9/18: Doing my application online. Ummm. Is there a difference between a "Cover Letter" and a "Letter of Interest?" They want me to upload one of each.
9/19: Charles Smith said in a message to SMT-list that you only need to upload one. Most important things are CV and contact info for references. It's some kind of computer SNAFU.
9/20: Just got the email, and your response. Thanks, 9/19 poster!
9/24: mail received indicating references contacted by online application system
10/15: When I tried completing my application on 9/30, the system would not let me submit it unless I attached something under both "Cover Letter" and "Letter of Interest." I simply reattached the Cover Letter and shot Charles Smith an email, letting him know of the problem.
11/1: Additional materials requested by email; several interviews were held at SMT.
11/3: Were these "real" interviews? What additional materials did they request?
11/5: On 10/21, they asked for research materials and asked whether applicants would be attending SMT. I wasn't at the conference, so I don't know how the interviews went.
11/9: Have heard through the grapevine that there is a short list, but don't know when interviews are.
11/17: I have a contact who is traveling to Buffalo this week for an interview.
2/1: It's coming up on a month since an offer was made. Anyone know what the status is here?
2/16: This is scary - I just received an automated email from the UBJobs system that let me know that I didn't meet the minimum qualifications for the position - when I, in fact, do (the only minimum qualification listed was that the Ph.D. be in hand by August 15, 2010)! I know that the UBJobs system had some strange errors earlier on in the search, but to think that I (and potentially many others) might have automatically been DQ'ed from consideration due to computer error is frightening. Anyone else get this email without cause?
2/16: Yeah, I got one too, and I'm pretty certain of my qualifications. I called their HR office to ask what it meant and more specifically to make sure my materials were passed to the search committee. It seems that all applications were forwarded, but that the SC Chair has to specify a reason for not hiring every unsuccessful applicant. I don't know why they chose this as a reason, unless it was a mistake or there were no other more accurate (and polite!) options available.
2/16: Heard from the chair of the search committee today that an offer has been accepted.
2/16: Anyone know by whom?
2/17: Richard Plotkin, University of Chicago.

University of Kansas (Status: offer accepted)

9/29: Email from committee chair about somewhat confusing instructions for supplementary materials to online application: "We would like to have all supplementary materials submitted to our committee in hard copy. We also need a second, hard copy of the cover letter and CV for our application files."
9/29: Yes, that's what they asked for in the job advertisement. "Apply on-line at h ta enil-no ylppA" .tnemesitrevda boj eht ni rof deksa yeht tahw s'obs.ku.edu . IN ADDITION, please send a letter of application, curriculum vita...[etc]..." If I had to guess, I'd suspect that the University requires them to use the online system, but they as a department are happier with hard copies of the application materials.
1/5: Someone said they've contacted references, and I'm curious whether the school told you directly about this, or if your references did. Thanks in advance for the info!
1/6: One of my references told me.
1/8: Thanks!
1/22: Have interviews actually been scheduled?
1/26: Yes
2/10: Interviews have been completed
3/5: Offer has been made
3/8: Offer has been accepted
3/9: By whom?
3/21: Will announce when finalized
4/5: Without revealing the person's identity, could you at least tell us whether s/he will be leaving a position at another school to accept the Kansas gig? (in other words, will this result in another job opening somewhere?)
4/6: Unsure, I wouldn't count on it
4/7: Alan Street it is
4/25: Thanks, Yoda.

University of Missouri-St. Louis (Status: offer accepted)

Q [12/7]: Where is this job advertised? Can't seem to find it anywhere...
A [12/8]: CMS MVL Nov. 6 (check the archives).
12/9: Looks like 80 people have applied for this, since there are 80 email addresses in the "to" field of the email they just sent me (which was a request to fill out an EEO profile). Someone needs to learn how to use "BCC."
1/13: Interesting. I sent them an application toward the end of November and never received any confirmation from them whatsoever.
1/18: To 12/9 Poster: this is too funny! I just found that email from UMSL and was able to search through the "to:" list to check out every single person applying for the job! Ooops! Smooth move, UMSL.
2/7: Kind of creepy, dude (or dudette).
2/8: Perhaps, but it must have given you a nice idea of the depth of the talent pool. It is probably a safe assumption that most of those who applied for this job are applying for most of the TT theory jobs, too.
[moved to "Theory only" category. This is a straight theory job, for which composers were also encouraged to apply]
4/5: Who?
4/13: Zachary Cairns, Eastman.

University of New Mexico [theory] (Status: search complete)

11/4: Does anyone have knowledge of what happened with the UNM search last year? I heard through the grapevine that the search melted down, and that there appeared to have been some unethical things going on.
11/5: I don't know any specifics, other than that there were indeed finalists brought to campus to interview. I do not believe that any of the finalists were offered the job.
1/23: Have any of the semifinalists heard from them since submitting writings/teaching video? I sent mine out about a month ago and haven't heard anything.
1/23: I have heard nothing. I feel like an prolonged suspension with no hope of resolution!
1/24: Phone call today regarding the scheduling of interviews for various dates in Feb.
1/25: Damn! I am predestined to be prolonged in perpetuity.
[Q] 1/26: Just curious. According to this wiki, UNM interviewed some people at SMT in the fall. Did anyone who interviewed with them at SMT get invited to an on-campus interview?
[A] 1/26: I interviewed with them at SMT last fall (2008) and was invited for a campus interview last spring (2009).
[follow up Q] 1/28: Did anyone who interviewed with them at SMT 2009 get invited to campus this year?
2/10 I didn't get invited
2/10: I had the opposite experience. Didn't interview with them at SMT but got invited to campus for an interview.
3/1: Does anyone know if interviews are completed? Offer made? Anything?
3/15: Offer made (second-hand information)

University of New Mexico [composition-theory] (Status: Campus offer made)

10/21: New posting (MVL Oct. 16 or see university website), not the same as the theory position above. Q: If you are qualified for both, do you submit two separate applications, or pick the "best fit", or will the hiring committee(s) share candidate info?
[R] 10/21: Apply to both. They'll almost certainly have different - maybe completely different - committees. What one group might reject, the other might like. This is especially true since this job is basically composition - and will probably have mostly comp people on the committee - while the other is all theory, and will therefore have a theory-centric committee.
1/18: When were materials requested? By email or tel? What was requested?
[R] 1/18: Requested via email on 1/15. They asked for three pieces and scores, and example of scholarly writing, a video of teaching, and official transcripts.
2/7: Anybody know the timeline for review of requested semi-finalists material and announcement of finalists? Or have they already been chosen?
2/7: The unconfirmed rumor I've heard is that the same committee that is running the theory search is also running the composition/theory search. They're interviewing for the theory position this month, so I'd be surprised if they moved on the composition search before the end of the month. But that's just a hunch, based on a rumor. Not sure if that's helpful.
2/21: Bizarre. As a semifinalist communicating with the search committee about sending materials, it was stated that decisions for finalists would be made during the first 2 weeks of February. I'm guessing that either means finalists have been chosen, or the committee is behind schedule.
2/22[Q]: I presume that this information came through a private follow up email or conversation? I too was asked to submit supplemental materials but was not given a timeline.
2/22 [A]: Yes, private follow up email, the day after the original email to semi-finalists was sent, regarding formatting question.
2/28: Anyone heard anything??
3/8: No news, still????
3/14: Have finalists been notified?
3/15: Not sure if finalists have been notified but the silence is driving me nuts.
3/16: Agreed! IF any of you are holding back information from our ethically-questionable-though-tacitly-understood-breach-of-confidence-wiki page you should be ashamed of yourselves.
3/16: Looks like they are starting spring break, so don't expect to hear anything this week.
3/16: It seemed like they were a bit of a rush to get semi-finalists materials despite this 2-month wait. Perhaps they are overwhelmed by the concurrent theory search?
3/17: The list at the top of the page says they have made an offer on the theory search, so I suspect that they'll be moving on this search soon (though probably after spring break).
3/17: Not to be a damper, but one should understand that when a small department is running as many simultaneous searches as this one is, they don't necessarily expect to make a hire in each search. This one may be stalling out, though I hope not, of course.
3/18: I hadn't even considered that. If that were the case, I wonder if they would still gotten this far (2nd round) with the comp-theory search.? Hmm.
3/22: I heard an unconfirmed rumor that they have made an offer to someone for this. I'm wondering if they may be confusing it with the Theory search. Apparently, the person that the offer was made to does not hold a doctorate but an MA. Can anyone confirm this?
3/22: Is this possible???
3/23: It is highly unlikely (though not impossible) on account of the fact that they would be legally in a bind if they did not have interviewees come to campus. IF they did have interviewees come to campus someone would have gotten the word to this site.
3/23: The person that I heard this from is an adjunct there but not in comp/theory. I don't know for sure how much they know.
3/24: Update: No offer made yet for the composition job. There may be a question as to whether or not they can fund the position but a couple of people have been invited for interviews. Can anyone confirm this?
3/25: Confirmed that campus interviews are being held for finalists.
4/15: Have campus interviews been completed?
4/24: Email received from search committee stating that search is complete.

University of North Carolina at Asheville (Status: search complete)

2/10: Received phone call from chair of search committee requesting permission to contact references; they expect to have phone interviews in about 10 days and campus interviews in about a month.
2/3: permission to call references granted
2/10: phone interviewed
2/23: Skype conference
3/9: contacted for campus interview
4/4: interviews complete
4/12: Received letter indicating that the search has been completed.

University of Northern Colorado (Status: search complete)

1/23: Anything from these guys? Acknowledgment? Etc?
1/24: Nada.
[Q] 2/7: When I had my phone interview, they said the next step was a committee meeting (reportedly on 2/3) to narrow the search down to 4-5 candidates, and then to call references to help the committee decide who to invite for interviews. Have any of you heard from your references that they've been contacted by the UNC search committee?
[A] 2/8: One of my references just emailed me to tell me that he was contacted by someone from UNC this morning. But I haven't heard anything from the school directly. Anyone else?
4/29: email received from Monica Coverdale, "At this time, we have reached an agreement with a candidate, and the search has officially concluded."

University of South Carolina (Status: cancelled)

Letter acknowledging receipt of application materials received 2/6 along with an EOE form.
Announced on the SMT list. See description at http://www.music.sc.edu/ea/theory/position.html
2/20: Phone interviews next week.
4/2: Received email stating that the search has been "unexpectedly terminated" due to mid-year budget cuts

University of Utah (Status: search completed)

Q [11/29/09]: Job description says "full-time, non-tenure-track faculty position. Rank: Assistant Professor." What is the protocol for non-TT positions? Does that mean there is no possibility of remaining at the school for more than a year? Or are these appointments renewable, based on evaluations, research, etc, etc? Is there any chance that a job like this might "roll over" into a TT position? (Sorry if these are stupid questions - I have no idea how this stuff works)
A [11/30]: NTT jobs are often renewable, sometimes for a fixed number of years. This is often indicated in the job description, i.e. "renewable for up to three years." NTT jobs make no promises about the possibility of becoming tenure-track, but they do at times convert; however, the person holding the NTT job is not automatically awarded the TT position. There will be another search, for which the holder of the NTT job is usually invited to apply.
A2 [12/2]: I think there are faculty at Utah who have been NTT for several years.
1/2: What happened? There was an exchange on here about this job actually being a TT position (not non-TT, as the description here says), but it's gone. And the Wiki page claims that it hasn't been updated since 12/24, even though I'm certain I saw this exchange on the 26th or so. Am I losing it? Or did the Wiki lose something?
A [1/2]: Your brain is fine. The wiki was down for a few days last week and lost a few entries. To recap: someone asked about the application process. The answer: submit by email to theorysearch@music.utah.edu (as indicated in the MVL Nov 27 ad). One applicant reported receiving an acknowledgment from this email address.
R [1/5]: [sigh of relief] Thanks! I thought I was going nuts.
C [1/15]: Boy, this school is really moving. Deadline was Jan. 4, they emailed on Jan. 12 to request writing samples and asked that they be emailed by Jan. 15. It would be great if all searches moved this fast! (Of course, now that I've said that, they'll probably stall out and not do phone interviews until March...)
C [2/9]: Skipping phone interviews and going right for in-person interviews. Asked (via email) for availability between now and March 11.
3/23: Interviews were to wrap up by 3/12. Has an offer been made or are we waiting until after the spring break?
3/24: I spoke to someone there around the middle of last week. The search committee supposedly met and chose their candidate on Tuesday, March 16, and that name was to be put before a faculty vote on Thursday, March 18. I would assume that an offer has been made (at least verbally) by now, but I don't know that for certain.
5/13: Received official letter today

Wheaton College (Status: offers accepted)

12/16 "Our theory search committee has been meeting over the past months carefully to consider the large number of applications for the position - over 120 - and, without exception, all the applications were impressive: this decision was difficult for us.
After weighing your application materials carefully, regretfully the committee has decided not to pursue your candidacy for this search.
For those who have sent supporting materials, we will send those back to you shortly."
From the job ad: "a highly selective Evangelical Protestant Christian liberal arts college, whose faculty members affirm a Statement of Faith and adhere to lifestyle expectations of our Community Covenant."
http://www.wheaton.edu/HR/employment/openings_fac.php?id=104)
Wheaton College: Statement of Faith and Community Covenant sent, presupposing receipt of application (e-mail,9/6) (theory & aural skills, secondary area in comp, CAI competence)
11/30: requested formal application materials, essays, evals, research (due 1-4)
1/15: contacting references
2/6: had Skype conference (online interview)
2/25: contacted for on-campus interview
4/6: on-campus interviews underway
5/3: offers accepted (Shawn Okpebholo, DMA, U of CINCINNATI COLLEGE-CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC [2007], Union University AND David M. Gordon, PhD, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO [2009])
6/1: Does this mean the position was split into two, or did they get funding for 2 full time positions?
6/2: That school has a lot of money, so knowing them they probably were able to fund two full-time positions.
6/3: Two FT/TT positions.
6/9: Do you think they would accept someone without beliefs in father, son, or ghosts?
6/10: The only ghost I believe in is the Holy Ghost. Can I get an "Amen"?!
6/10: One of these hires appears to have been an internal candidate, FYI.
6/13: My guess, looking at how many adjuncts they have listed on the website, is that they'll be eliminating some adjuncts to create a new FT position. According to all the adjuncts who post here, this must be a good thing, right?
6/14 (1): That's probably true, but they also have trouble attracting and keeping candidates because of the whole statement of faith requirement. They are looking for very specific, Christian candidates.
6/14 (2): Not true & Not true.
6/14 (3): 6/13 poster here. I can't tell what 6/14 (2) is referring to, but I would say it's not the case that Wheaton has trouble attracting candidates who can jibe with the statement of faith. I'm one of at least 2 qualified Wheaton alumni who did not get anywhere with this position. I'm not saying that every one of the over 100 applicants they had could get through the faith screening, but it's not as small a pool as 6/14 (1) might think. Keeping their hires, on the other hand, might be an issue. I can imagine the recent upheaval in the situation of the Conservatory Dean, as well as the upcoming change of College President, having some role to play.
6/15: 6/14(3), What was "the recent upheaval in the situation of the Conservatory Dean?"
6/16: Mainly just that they had an interim dean for at least a year and then hired a new one within the last couple years. I don't remember the exact dates. The previous dean wasn't there too long, either.