61
votes
Why do most US regional colleges/universities/institutions have poor reputations in academic circles?
My perspective is that of a mathematician who went to an elite small liberal arts college (SLAC) as an undergraduate and taught as a graduate student and in temporary positions at an R1 and an elite ...
- 26.2k
44
votes
Accepted
The registrar's office requested me to raise the cap of my courses
Policies vary from place to place and even across different departments or colleges within the same university. I was at one point a department chair and handled various similar situations to what you ...
- 197k
33
votes
Job applications and explaining the reasons for low research output in my application. Looking for feedback and if it could be seen as an excuse?
Far too lengthy and too negative.
All you need is a simple statement: My research output at the onset of my Ph.D. was hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic, and further compounded by my advisor leaving ...
- 9,643
21
votes
Accepted
Is there no liberal arts "school" that is also a research "school"?
No, what you are saying simply is not true. Some "liberal arts colleges" have PhD programs, like Bryn Mawr College, Wesleyan University, and Tufts University. Some have nursing colleges like ...
- 7,863
15
votes
The registrar's office requested me to raise the cap of my courses
When faced with requests to increase enrollment I usually agree, as long as the department ensures that I receive the teaching support I need. So - more TAs, graders, resources etc.
I think that ...
- 28.3k
12
votes
Job applications and explaining the reasons for low research output in my application. Looking for feedback and if it could be seen as an excuse?
Delete the paragraph entirely. Burn any paper copies and smash any hard drives that contain it. To be brutally honest it makes you come off as a whiner with zero agency that blames everyone else for ...
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11
votes
The registrar's office requested me to raise the cap of my courses
Generally speaking, course sizes are capped for a few primary reasons:
To control the teacher-to-student ratio. I think that it is fairly widely believed / known that the fewer students in a class ...
- 6,065
11
votes
Why do most US regional colleges/universities/institutions have poor reputations in academic circles?
First, it could be good to look in to the definition of R1 and R2 universities.
See Carnegie Classification Methodology PDF for 2022 and the website. They basically do PCA on the cumulative doctorates ...
- 709
11
votes
Why do most US regional colleges/universities/institutions have poor reputations in academic circles?
There is no "bad reputation." The number of universities in the United States that have a "bad reputation" is very small.
Causes of bad reputation are:
Bankruptcy, which is ...
- 99.8k
10
votes
Accepted
How to teach a class with huge differences between students' backgrounds?
Every teacher, course, group and situation is different but these are things that worked for me (Europe, teaching unmotivated and diverse group of undergrads):
Keep external teaching material (books, ...
- 1,853
7
votes
How do I find small, teaching-focused universities in the European Union?
This is an answer for Germany, which is probably not applicable to other European countries.
I cannot answer where to find such universities, since no equivalent to SLACs exist in Germany. However, I ...
7
votes
Accepted
tt Assistant Professor position in math at a smaller university or liberal arts college
Yes, it is reasonable to explore the possibility, but be aware that life is very different than at a research university. I live in a small place with a small university (around 6000 students, I think,...
- 384k
7
votes
Accepted
What are typical examples of "scholarly work"?
“Scholarly work” in academia generally refers to papers and books, with potentially other forms of formally released output (e.g., patents, or source code on a public repository) being included. In ...
- 197k
7
votes
Is there no liberal arts "school" that is also a research "school"?
Current answers are good, but I'll add a little more context about 1. how this works outside the US (my experience is in Australia, your local mileage may vary) and 2. the very long tail of US ...
- 328
6
votes
What are typical examples of "scholarly work"?
For sciences, scholarly work means peer-reviewed publications. Conference papers count if they are peer reviewed.
In other disciplines, it can mean different things.
- 99.8k
6
votes
Are physics and natural sciences considered liberal arts?
There is little consensus, I think. But mostly it is a matter of convenience and organization at colleges and universities. I studied mathematics. I earned both a BA and an MA at different places, one ...
- 384k
6
votes
Becoming a professor at a liberal arts college with H1B visa
H1B visas in the United States are intended for specialty workers and are appropriate for individuals with PhDs using those skills to teach students. H1B visas are awarded through a lottery system. ...
- 3,693
6
votes
Accepted
How do I find small, teaching-focused universities in the European Union?
I'm a professor at a small liberal arts college (SLAC) in the USA. We have about 250 faculty, and I can think of around 20 from Europe (however, many of those got their PhDs in the USA). So it's ...
- 7,863
6
votes
The registrar's office requested me to raise the cap of my courses
Generally speaking, I would anticipate that these decisions are a matter for the department to make. I would recommend that you have this conversation with your department chair. The specifics will ...
- 8,318
6
votes
Why do most US regional colleges/universities/institutions have poor reputations in academic circles?
I'm not sure which field you are in I'm sure that could factor in to perceived reputation as well. I am a PhD graduate in chemistry from an R1, but I did my undergrad in a regional college. I think ...
- 69
5
votes
Telling my professor about another professor who accused me of cheating
In many cases relating to examination rules it is possible to detect a breach of the rule but it is difficult to say whether the breach was accidental or was done intentionally, with a view to gaining ...
- 71.4k
5
votes
Accepted
Does a private university need to get re-accredited if it moves to a different state?
I am not sure of all the details, but it appears that since a controversial regulatory change that went into effect in 2020, "regional accreditors" are no longer legally restricted to ...
- 134k
5
votes
The registrar's office requested me to raise the cap of my courses
This answer attempts to address something I don't think is adequately covered in the other answers (to date). It is a supplement, I think.
My inclination, personally, is to agree to such requests and ...
- 384k
4
votes
How to teach a class with huge differences between students' backgrounds?
What works for me:
Create a set of exercises that cover a wide range of skills, from elementary/introductory ones to challenging ones (some of which may require literature or even own research). The ...
- 50.5k
4
votes
Are physics and natural sciences considered liberal arts?
I don’t think there’s a complete consensus, and my feeling is that outside of the usage “liberal arts college” (or SLAC) the phrase “liberal arts” is going out of common usage. The meaning of both ...
- 33.1k
4
votes
What should I do when a professor is teaching inaccurately?
Your professor sounds simply incompetent - sorry you have to deal with this, but it is an unfortunate fact of life that one runs across such people every once in a while, in academia and pretty much ...
- 197k
3
votes
How direct can I be in a Cover Letter?
First off, I'm biased. I think that liberal arts colleges have a lot to offer to both students and faculty. Among other things there is the possibility of meeting and working with people with a wide ...
- 384k
3
votes
How do I tell the SLAC where I am visiting that I would like to not teach next semester?
Given your other questions and concerns, I suggest that you go talk to the department chair (or maybe the dean) and let them know that you are over committed generally and need a break as soon as can ...
- 384k
3
votes
Job applications and explaining the reasons for low research output in my application. Looking for feedback and if it could be seen as an excuse?
I find this statement too wordy and difficult to follow. It reads like an excuse, rather than an explanation. I understand the compulsion to explain (I faced this same issue for different reasons), ...
- 51
3
votes
About interviews for teaching positions in math during JMM
I am a professor of mathematics at Denison University, a good liberal arts college in Ohio. I've been on around 10 hiring committees. Based on my experiences (detailed below), my impression is that ...
- 7,863
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