I have decided to accept a tenure-track assistant professor offer. But at this moment, I still have a virtual on-campus interview with a different university. It is now the time to inform the university that I won't be able to participate in the interview. Three days ago when I was still waiting for a pending offer, I told them that I would attend the interview. I want to seek some suggestions about turning down the interview invite in a professional manner.
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28Time is of the essence. For your future relations with this other university, letting them know promptly is much more important than getting the phrasing just right,– Nate EldredgeJun 8 '20 at 15:58
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Thanks! I will do that in a moment.– jingweimoJun 8 '20 at 16:00
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8What does virtual on-campus mean? That seems like a contradiction.– Dean MacGregorJun 9 '20 at 13:31
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1I might just add that when you say you have decided to accept a tenure-track assistant professor offer just make sure you have that offer signed by all parties (ie all locked in). It is likely rare but I have definitely heard stories of verbally accepted offers being retracted at the last moment and in the unlikely circumstance of that happening you may regret turning down the interview invite.– GavinJun 10 '20 at 6:02
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@DeanMacGregor Because saying "remote interview replacing the on campus portion of our normal interview process due to quarantine" is too long. I've had "virtual in-person" interviews outside of academia, so it seems like this is becoming a thing.– user3067860Jun 10 '20 at 18:11
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Dear [name of person you were communicating with],
I have an update about my job search. Since we last talked I‘ve received a tenure track job offer from another institution, and have accepted it. Consequently, I am withdrawing my application at your department, and am cancelling my upcoming interview with you and your colleagues.
I do very much appreciate that you considered me for the position, and hope that we will have occasion to meet in the future.
Sincerely,
[your name]
P.S. Congrats on the job!!!
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6+1 for giving a very valid and understandable reason for cancelling. Jun 8 '20 at 16:55
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1"Since we last talked"...should be "spoke" or "communicated". Perhaps "since our last correspondence". Jun 9 '20 at 13:30
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1@AzorAhai To be honest until you asked I couldn't say why, it's just how I was taught. I did some googling and the best thing I can find is that "spoke" is more formal than "talk". That was just a quora answer otherwise I'd link it. Jun 9 '20 at 17:18
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11@DeanMacGregor "Talked" is perfectly cromulent in my dialect/fields. "Communicated" or "since our last correspondence" sounds overly formal, but that may vary by locale. Jun 9 '20 at 17:21