Graduate
A Short Guide to Applying to Small Liberal Arts Colleges
Elisabeth Piedmont-Marton (UT PhD in English, 1992)
Associate Professor of English, Southwestern University
The Search
• What are jobs like at a SLAC?
• Who will my colleagues be?
• How will I be evaluated for tenure?
• Do I want to work there?
The Letter
• Audience, audience, audience
• Customize your letter
• Resist framing teaching as opposite of research
• Letter as teaching opportunity: explain why your work is important
• Check letters of recommendation for bias (e.g. “When freed from the burden of undergraduate teaching, Dexter will flourish as a true scholar”).
The Interview
• Be prepared to talk about teaching in some detail
• Have a “dream course” prepared
• Speak enthusiastically about undergraduates and the undergrad curriculum
• Expect to talk about both writing and literary studies.
The Campus Visit
• Be nice – all day!
• Expect to meet with everyone in the department
• Pay attention to your interactions with students
• Get very clear instructions for the job talk
• Be prepared to at least pretend you have interests beyond your work
• Research, research, research: know what the college thinks is so special about itself.