It’s hiring season at Vol State! In some ways, spring is the busiest time at the college because not only are we finishing up classes, celebrating commencement, wrapping up accreditation and state audit paperwork, we’re also trying to make sure all our classes for the fall semester have instructors.
Right now, the Humanities and Fine Arts Division is in the midst of hiring four full-time faculty positions that will start in the fall: two in Learning Support, to teach our English and Reading support classes, one in Art and one in Entertainment Media Production. Two of these positions are still accepting applications, so if you know someone with a master’s degree in Video Production or Filmmaking, send them this link: careers.tbr.edu/jobs/adjunct-instructor-entertainment-media-video-pool-vscc-all-campuses-tennessee-united-states.
If you know someone with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in English, Education (any grade, almost any subject), send them this link: careers.tbr.edu/jobs/instructor-of-learning-support-english-reading-9-10-month-term-gallatin-tennessee-united-states.
Hiring a full-time faculty member is a labor-intensive process in which a committee of faculty, staff and usually the dean evaluates applications, conducts first-round Zoom interviews and selects candidates for half-day on-campus second-round interviews and a teaching demonstration. Having gone through it myself on both sides, I know it feels mysterious and impenetrable to applicants — and in some ways, it’s hardly less so to those of us on the inside of it all.
So I thought I would share some perspective that will help applicants and maybe help everyone have a sense of what it’s like to hire faculty members, so that if you or your children, grandchildren, friends, whoever, end up at Vol State, you know you’re being taught by the best of the best.
We’re looking for people who:
- Love teaching. This should go without saying, but it’s the No. 1 requirement. Our faculty teach five classes a semester and have no research expectations, as opposed to most faculty at, say, UT Knoxville, who might teach two classes a semester and have hefty research-and-publication expectations. We expect our faculty to be teaching experts. (This is also why I’ll put our faculty up against any faculty member in the world for teaching introductory-level classes. They have experience.)
- Know why they want to teach at a community college. We feel like the forgotten middle child of the higher education system sometimes, so it’s important to us to find instructors who understand the mission and believe in it. I’m always looking for something in a cover letter that addresses working with many different kinds of students or teaching introductory courses.
- Know their subject matter deeply. Usually we’re looking for folks with master’s degrees, but even in programs or positions where the bachelor’s or associate’s is specific, we need experts with experience in the field. We’re also looking for people with burning curiosity, who will stay on top of new developments both in their field and in teaching.
- Are ready to contribute outside the classroom. In addition to teaching five classes, our faculty have service and professional development expectations. Usually that means committee work (like, say, serving on hiring committees), event planning, advising, student organization support, tutoring and, always, meetings galore. Running a college is a big job, and faculty contribute in a big way.
For folks who are qualified but otherwise employed, or who aren’t interested in a full-time gig at this juncture, we’re always looking for part-time or adjunct instructors. We keep pool postings open year-round in our main subject areas and we’re always looking out for good part-time teachers. For my division, we especially need adjuncts in English, Art and Communications Studies, but we can use people in a lot of subjects. Candidates with availability and interest for on-ground teaching are particularly welcome!
Hiring is one of my favorite parts of the job, frankly, because I learn so much every time we do it: both about the subject area we’re hiring in and about the people we’re interviewing.
The stakes are high because the success of our programs depends largely on the effectiveness of the faculty. So the more we learn with each hire, the better we are — and I have to say, I think we’re pretty darn good!
