Diverse Academic Institutions

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Faculty life is not singular. The balance among research, teaching, and service varies significantly by institutional type: expectations at research-focused institutions are often quite different from those at teaching-oriented colleges, and faculty at two-year institutions may have different job descriptions than faculty at four-year institutions. This page describes aspects of faculty life at different institutions and offers suggestions on how to tailor academic job materials for these institutions.

Landscape of Higher Education. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne offers a comprehensive overview of the types of US academic institutions based on the Carnegie classifications.

Higher Education Screencast. Learn more about different types of U.S. institutions with the tools in this screencast.

What's It Like? What's it like to be a teaching postdoc? What's it like to teach at a liberal arts college? CRLT and Rackham organize panels that spotlight faculty worklife at different types of institutions, and video recordings are available for many of them.

Resources: Positioning Yourself for Teaching-Intensive Academic Jobs

Facing the Truth. Advice for those who are curious about jobs at teaching-intensive institutions, but have little or no teaching experience.

Making Yourself 'Fit'. Job application advice for those seeking faculty positions at teaching-focused institutions such as small liberal arts colleges.

Positioning Yourself for a Job in a Two-Year College. Graduate school and job application advice for those seeking faculty positions at two-year institutions such as community colleges.

How the Job Search Differs at Community Colleges. Job application advice for those seeking faculty positions at two-year institutions such as community colleges.

What to Expect at a Community College Interview. This article from the Chronicle outlines a typical interview process used by many community colleges.

Where the Action Is. Essay from Inside Higher Ed about life at a regional public university and how to tailor job materials for such a position.

So You Want to Work at a Teaching College? Wisdom from a faculty member at a teaching-intensive college about workload and preparation for this type of faculty position.

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