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As faculty recruitment season begins, Marjorie Hass, president of the Council of Independent Colleges, joined the HigherEdJobs Podcast to share advice for candidates, as well as comment on some of the opportunities that exist for college and university presidents to advance their institution as we move into the new year.
Doing Your Due Diligence as a Candidate
Podcast co-host Kelly Cherwin kicked off the conversation, asking Hass to share advice for faculty candidates.
Hass stressed that job seekers need to do their homework about each institution they’re applying for and understand the nature of different types of colleges and universities.
“Institutions differ a great deal in the kinds of expectations they have about the relationships you’re expected to build with students, about the relationship between teaching and service and scholarship, [and] about what counts as scholarship,” she said.
Hass also advised thinking about whether you could be at home at the institution. While salary is an important component of an offer, there are many other things to consider, such as how institutions make funding and financial decisions (to get an understanding of future earning capacity and opportunities for additional compensation) and lifestyle perks.
“Looking holistically results in greater happiness,” she stated.
This holistic look also includes an evaluation of the institution’s fiscal health, notes podcast co-host Andrew Hibel. So, how candidates can look into this?
“One of the things that is true about this era is that everyone on campus has to be knowledgeable and engaged in all the different core parts of the institution,” answered Hass.
Those three core parts she refers to are: 1) institutional mission, 2) culture, and 3) business model.
In other words, what is it that an institution says it’s doing? And where does the revenue come from, and where does it go?
Pay attention to these things as a candidate and what consistent messages you are hearing from various people on campus. This can give you an idea of where things are headed and if the institution is struggling, whether there is a plan to fix things.
A Hopeful Look at 2025
Shifting the conversation, Hibel asked about what bright spots in higher education there are to look forward to as we move into 2025.
Hass said there are several bright spots despite the many criticisms of higher education. Among the opportunities that 2025 holds for college leaders are:
- Getting to “build deeper and more meaningful relationships between campuses and the communities they inhabit.”
- Making a tremendous impact on students who are still of the COVID generation and have grown up influenced greatly by social media. Hass says it’s a chance to be “positive role models for what a life well lived looks like.”
- Being reminded of why you got into higher education. “Holding on to it, articulating it, talking about it with your colleagues — that is a way of fostering and generating a hope for the future,” Hass reminded listeners.
While there are certainly these bright spots, no one can deny that 2025 is likely to bring policy changes. Hass advises leaders to “stand on their mission” and really focus on their students.
“When there is distraction and dispute, the best thing we can do is focus on our students and focus on what our students need to be successful,” she said, “and to make sure we provide that whether it is formally in [various] offices and services or in our own interactions day to day with students.”
Listen to the full podcast for more job search advice and perspectives on what 2025 has in store.
