I know that it is a bit of bragging to say this in this economy, but I'm starting a TT job at a SLAC this month. However, I have absolutely no experience at a school this size.My history:
Undergrad: Top 20 R1
Grad: Flagship State School
VAP: Flagship State School (different state)
(New) TT: Teeny tiny SLAC (under 2000 students!)
Q: Well, my question is pretty open: what should I expect to be different at a tiny school? There are obvious things, like the the incredibly small class size (largest is 25!), and the fact that there are only 3 sections of Calculus 1 in the Fall instead of 40. Also, I'm sure I'll get to know more students better. But what else? Also, I teach math, if that's any help.
I teach at a 4 year state school with 4,000-ish students. You can expect that teaching will play a significant role in your personnel decisions. You can also expect to be asked to serve on multiple committees, both departmental and campus-wide. Choose wisely. Having a mentor in your department can be very helpful. It might also be good to find a mentor outside of your department to help you navigate your first year. Ask your dean to recommend someone if there is not a mentoring program already in place.
ReplyDeleteJudging by my experience, you can expect that your students will want to friend you on Facebook if you have an account. Tread carefully if you do. I do have students and alumni as Facebook friends, but I treat Facebook as I do my office door or my class: if I wouldn't post something on my door or say something in class, then it does not go on Facebook. I don't friend them, but if they friend me, I always accept. FWIW, I am a tenured, senior faculty member and a department chair.
You will be known, both in good and bad ways. In small schools there is nowhere to hide. Every word you say and every action you take during that first year will be scrutinized by everyone from the president to the janitor. Thus, for a while hold back and observe the culture and just act smart and pleasant. Keep your personal life personal for now. By the end of the first year you should have enough of a sense of the culture to figure out how you can fit into it.
ReplyDeleteWarnings aside, being in a small place can be like living in a warm and fuzzy cocoon where people will take pride in YOUR work and where students will understand your individual contribution to their education (and appreciate it). Good luck!
Congratulations! A dream job! No advice, since I've only been a student at one of those, never on the faculty. But I suspect it will be a joy if your colleagues are okay. Hit the ground running and make the most of it.
ReplyDeleteClara and Harpy are right on all counts. My SLAC is your size, so welcome to Teeny, Tiny Land! Teaching matters a lot and collegiality is a close second. You will absolutely get to know the students (for better or worse) and they, you. The good of the SLAC? Change can happen quickly, as there are generally fewer levels of bureaucracy. You'll feel like you're actually teaching, instead of lecturing huge sections. The bad? You'll likely have to be a generalist, teaching all aspects of your field. You may never have enough majors to run a decent upper-level seminar in your specialty. Committee work up the wazoo (but if your colleagues aren't asshats, this can be fine). Probably less institutional support for research (but this can vary). If you have a dysfunctional department, there's nowhere to hide.
ReplyDeleteI have loved my time at Teeny Tiny SLAC, largely because I have phenomenal colleagues and a ton of academic freedom. The students are pretty average, but at least there aren't teeming hordes of them! You can actually get to know the good ones and mentor them quite effectively, if they're receptive.
Congrats on the job -- I hope things go well for you!
What Hellish Harpy said.
ReplyDeleteThe upside of making a poor impression with your colleagues: if you can convince the administration to grant you tenure, your colleagues will never elect you to any really time-consuming office or committee post.
As an alumna and former adjunct at a SLAC, I'm jealous! Class size means you'll have (and be expected to provide) more personalized attention for your students. It really is like living in a small town. Everyone knows everyone. When I graduated, professors I'd never even had knew me. It wasn't uncommon for professors I took to do things like have us to their homes (which may not happen today given all the liability issues) or take us to restaurants for class discussions. When I was adjuncting, colleagues held quite a few get-togethers, and people worked well across departments. There was a lot of committee service, but people did some decent research as well. Even as an adjunct, I did committee work. On the plus side, if you like feeling like a part of things and having almost a second family, you'll love it. But if you get uncomfortable because it seems like everyone is up in your business (which a lot of folks will be as it's hard to keep a secret), then you'll be miserable.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I've only taught at CCs, I completed my undergrad at a SLAC (with grad school at a giant behemoth). I'm quite happy for you! This would be a dream job for me. I absolutely loved every second of being at the SLAC, and really made the most of it. My peers did, too. Just about everyone went on to do fantastic things. I hope you end up at a school with these lovely snowflakes that just soak everything up. It was a magical time and place. I wonder if it still exists...
ReplyDelete@Mathesian: You didn't mention whether the SLAC is in a small town or big city. There's a difference. If you're at a SLAC in a city, then you can escape and anonymize yourself, eat at restaurants at 3:00am, find books at multiple other libraries/bookstores within an hour, etc.... If you're in a small town, then you will likely have personal relationships with members of the city council one day, you might find that you're acknowledging every single person you walk by (or drive by), and you will probably discover a friendlier way of ignoring certain topics. Either way, go introduce yourself to the college librarian the first day on campus.
ReplyDeleteSmall town/big city is a very important addition to this discussion. A small town SLAC means you're going to KNOW everyone, students, faculty, spouses, etc. Some people thrive in this. Others crack.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the responses!
ReplyDelete@Bubba: So my new place is in Big Metro Area, and there's no chance I would see anyone from work on the street.
@Dr. J: Being a "generalist" for me is just fine. I like teaching all the maths, and teaching the same thing every year would get boring.
@Clara: I only have a dormant facebook page tied to my grad school email. I don't post anything on it, much less anything bad.