1. Small ▲ College Faculty Margaret Anderson Smith College manderso@smith.edumanderso@smith.edu / 413-585-3821 liberal arts

2. “A day in the life” is a balancing act …dividing your time between teaching, research, and service …with different expectations before and after tenure

3. Which involves …interacting with undergrads in classrooms and teaching labs, in your research lab, during academic advising and in social situations …interacting with faculty colleagues and administrators …maintaining your intellectual curiosity, energy and focus …being involved in on- and off-campus activities, such as developing workshops and serving as a consultant for teaching or lab techniques

4. How to prepare for this position Post-doctoral experience –provides increased breadth of research experience –is an opportunity to select a research area that fits with working in a small school –sets groundwork for future collaborations Publications –establish yourself in the field –provide a working platform for continuing and new research

5. How to prepare for this position Teaching experience –tests your commitment to working with students –helps to establish your own educational philosophy All very useful, none absolutely essential

6. How to find this type of job Ads in journals such as Science and in the Chronicle of Higher Education Job recruiters at national meetings Networking Inquire about jobs at colleges of interest to you, but understand that - if a small college doesn’t advertise a job - it is not likely that your overtures would be immediately fruitful. Departments may be small, and faculty turnover infrequent. Assess each ad –Tenure track? –What are the school’s expectations of teaching and research?

7. Should you accept this job offer? Are the expectations of teaching, research and service clearly articulated? –How will you receive feedback on your performance? –What institutional and departmental mentoring resources are available? What is the interpersonal ‘climate’ in the department? Would your research get off to a good start? –Space and facilities? –Seed money? –Are your research contacts near enough for collaboration? –What are the college’s expectations regarding external grants and publications? –What areas of research are valued (e.g. wet-bench, educational)?

8. Should you accept this job offer? Would your teaching be valued and supported? –Teaching load? –Size of classes? –Library resources? –Teaching workshops offered? –Mentoring by fellow faculty members? –Computer facilities in classrooms and teaching labs? –Would teaching lab facilities allow you to teach ‘modern’ physiology? How much committee and administrative work, student advising, and/or other service would be required?

9. Pros and Cons Cons: –The pressure of juggling teaching and research with other duties is constant. Expect to work hard. –Expect to adjust to changing demands across teaching, research and service. You may need to defer research occasionally in favor of teaching. –You are responsible for covering a broad area of your field. You run Q&A sessions, grade papers & exams, teach labs, write letters of ref. Students expect contact with faculty.

10. Pros and Cons Pros: –Facilitating students’ growth is enormously satisfying They appreciate their contact with faculty They are idealistic They keep you in touch with a continually changing world –Covering a broad area of one’s field is intellectually exciting You have the opportunity to teach creatively and effectively. –While your research keeps your teaching fresh, your teaching informs and inspires your research –In a small college community, it is possible to forge strong and lasting friendships