Interviewing
In the
interview process you should get the maximum information possible by asking
questions. The WFN is aware that some questions asked by interviewees are not
germane in certain colleges. Each college has specific guidelines and policies
and it is advisable for interviewees to ask questions of several sources to
receive accurate answers. Here are some suggested questions for you to
consider.
General
What
is the appointment, how should time be divided among research, teaching,
advising, administration, committee work and other service (departmental,
college, university, and outside), and consulting?
What
are the consulting policies of the college that has the appointment?
What
resources are there at Texas A&M to help a new faculty member acclimate?
What details do you need to find out about benefits, moving, etc.? What Texas
A&M publications should you receive (Policies and Procedures,
Faculty/Staff Directory)? What offices should you contact? What mailing lists
do you need/should include your name?
Who
are good resource people to ask these and other questions of?
Research and Resources
Are you
responsible for finding your own research funding? What expenses are you
expected to cover? How much will this cost?
How do
you go about negotiating for startup funds? How (if at all) will your summer be
funded? How do you buy equipment? What travel support can you expect from your
department?
Do you
need to write proposals before coming to Texas A&M? How soon afterwards?
How do
you go about negotiating for graduate assistantship support, both teaching and
research?
How is
lab space allocated and how do you negotiate for lab space? How is equipment
maintenance paid? How much support staff time does the department cover?
What
other labs are available for cross-disciplinary research efforts at Texas
A&M? Elsewhere?
How do
you negotiate for reduced teaching loads during your first year(s) of
employment?
How is
your tenure clock affected by your starting date of employment?
Teaching
What
is the normal teaching load in this department?
What class
or classes are the responsibility of this faculty position (graduate,
undergraduate, seminar, lecture, recitation, special topic, service subject)?
How often are they taught? What is the normal enrollment in this class or
classes?
What
types of teaching evaluations are used in the department, and how much weight
do they carry in tenure and promotion decisions?
What
advising responsibilities (undergraduate and graduate students) will be
expected of this position?
What are normal office hours?
What are the teaching assistantship policies
within the department? How do you go about getting a teaching assistant and/or
a grader assistant?
Service
What
committee responsibilities (departmental, college and university) will be
expected of this position during the first year of employment and subsequent
years?
What extension responsibilities will be expected?