Contingent faculty: Did you discuss the labor movement/market in your SOP? How? Why?

[JeremiahParadise]

I gave it a sentence or two after briefly discussing my teaching, but I was definitely on the fence about it for a while.

 

What about others with adjuncting experience? Did you discuss that aspect of the profession? Folks without teaching experience?

 

Obviously, the SOP is supposed to be more about your research interests, etc., than anything else, but I'm wondering how/why others engaged or omitted this topic.

 

Thanks!

[iExcelAtMicrosoftPuns]

I don't think it's relevant to your statement of purpose... Sure you want to get a PhD to land a tenure track (read: further your career). But is that the sort of behaviour and motivation that the Adcom is looking for? 

Especially considering how difficult it is to land that tenure track job... I think they'd want someone who is doing the PhD for a better reason.

Apology if I've misread and misinterpreted your statement- Zzzzzz

[JeremiahParadise]

I don't think it's relevant to your statement of purpose... Sure you want to get a PhD to land a tenure track (read: further your career). But is that the sort of behaviour and motivation that the Adcom is looking for?  Especially considering how difficult it is to land that tenure track job... I think they'd want someone who is doing the PhD for a better reason. Apology if I've misread and misinterpreted your statement- Zzzzzz

I didn't mean to imply that the job was the only fruit of graduate school. Of course not. I just wonder about whether or not other applicants plucked that string in their SOPs -- one concerning the hellish job market awaiting us. I think a line about it is at least as valuable as a line about one's love for literature. And I think, to an extent, a sense of awareness about the field, broadly speaking, might in fact be valuable to adcomms.

[JeremiahParadise]

And if any 2012 (2011, etc) applicants are lurking and would like to comment, that'd be great, too!

[1Q84]

In my current SOP, I mentioned how teaching and education play a huge role in my background and how it helps make me a suitable candidate because (I believe) being adept in both research and teaching does a successful professor make. I didn't say it in so many words but... I don't see how mentioning teaching experience briefly could be detrimental in any way unless it was somehow suggestive of a less than burning passion for research.

[asleepawake]

 

 

I think a line about it is at least as valuable as a line about one's love for literature.

 

Not to cause panic, but I've been advised not to mention a "love of literature"... It's a given.

 

I didn't mention the job market, either. I did mention my teaching in longer SOPs, though.

Edited January 15, 2013 by asleepawake

[JeremiahParadise]

Not to cause panic, but I've been advised not to mention a "love of literature"... It's a given.  

I was being flip, don't worry I don't think anyone who's been reading these forums/engaging his/her advisers would make that kind of statement in his/her SOP.

[Phil Sparrow]

I think a line about it is at least as valuable as a line about one's love for literature.

 

Unfortunately, a line about one's "love for literature" is not terrifically valuable to an SOP for a traditional PhD program in literature. [Ed.: saw your reply after posting.] I can't speak with any authority to the benefit of directly addressing the adjunct rights movement/market (which, from your title, I surmise is what you're asking about, though I may be wrong), but unless it is pertinent to your scholarly interests, I am not sure how useful it would be. There are many other ways to demonstrate that you know the field.

 

1Q84 has a good take on how to address these in the SOP, though I would add that I was advised by several faculty members not to dwell for more than a sentence or so on my teaching experience, as an SOP should be focused on research. PhD programs, I was reminded several times, want to think (remain under the illusion?) that they'll be turning out R1 TT faculty, not teaching-focused or alt-ac doctorates. Things may be changing in academia in general, but adcoms change more slowly than the rest of us.

Edited January 15, 2013 by Phil Sparrow

[rems]

No, I didn't mention anything about adjuncting in my SOP because it was on my CV. The only school that even specifically asked me to address teaching in the SOP was Ohio, and for them I just mentioned which classes I've taught as a TA and as an adjunct. I'm not really sure what mentioning this in the SOP accomplishes. 

[bluecheese]

The classes I've taught are on my C.V., and a desire to obtain a TT position is implicit. So is a love of literature. That said, the only thing among these that I can see being a negative is the "love of literature" angle... since I've seen it mentioned as a negative in some interviews about the application process as being a negative (I suspect they get a lot of applications that start off with that, so it gets old quickly)--that said, I don't think it is going to get you automatically rejected. I wouldn't worry too much about any singular statement/angle on anything (especially at this point in the application season). If they want to work with you based on your research interests, and they like your writing sample... you'll be okay.

 

Edit: also, I think the negativity towards the "love of literature" angle may not apply to all instances--It could work if it were tied into something like teaching poetry to students in inner city schools, etc. I don't think any blanket statements are true. I suspect the only reason the "love of literature" thing is mentioned as a negative is because it tends to be generic.

Edited January 15, 2013 by bluecheese

[rems]

The classes I've taught are on my C.V., and a desire to obtain a TT position is implicit. So is a love of literature. That said, the only thing among these that I can see being a negative is the "love of literature" angle... since I've seen it mentioned as a negative in some interviews about the application process as being a negative (I suspect they get a lot of applications that start off with that, so it gets old quickly)--that said, I don't think it is going to get you automatically rejected. I wouldn't worry too much about any singular statement/angle on anything (especially at this point in the application season). If they want to work with you based on your research interests, and they like your writing sample... you'll be okay.

 

Edit: also, I think the negativity towards the "love of literature" angle may not apply to all instances--It could work if it were tied into something like teaching poetry to students in inner city schools, etc. I don't think any blanket statements are true. I suspect the only reason the "love of literature" thing is mentioned as a negative is because it tends to be generic.

 

I think the issue with "love of literature" angles is that they tend to overshadow research interests. I think if you have a strong SOP and whatever else, then writing that you also love literature isn't going to change anything. BUT, if you're applying just because you love literature, and you don't really have any research plans, I think that comes off as a big warning sign to the adcoms. 

[bluecheese]

I think the issue with "love of literature" angles is that they tend to overshadow research interests. I think if you have a strong SOP and whatever else, then writing that you also love literature isn't going to change anything. BUT, if you're applying just because you love literature, and you don't really have any research plans, I think that comes off as a big warning sign to the adcoms. 

 

agree. I still think there are situations in which this might get overlooked (& maybe it will hurt more at top tier schools), also it is probably okay (if not the best) for most MA programs.

[blakeblake]

I was told that the big issue with the "love of literature" is that it's such a given.  Of course you love literature, you are actively trying to dedicate the next 6+ years of your life to reading it, teaching it, and writing about it.  Now if you want to use the element of surprise instead, you might be able to write your letter something like this:

 

Dear Adcomm,

 

I hate literature, but I am going to study it anyway because I am a masochist.

 

My research interests include the Marquis de Sade.  At your university, I would like to study Sade's work through the lens of Michel Foucault's Discipline and Punish, which I haven't read, but the title sounds good.

 

I have heard that Professor X from your institution is especially difficult to work with, so I would like him to supervise my thesis.

 

My career goal is to become a tenured professor, which I am sure that I can do because I have no social life and would appreciate any possibility of one being withheld from me while I publish 4 articles a month and continuously explain to the freshmen in LIT 100 that no, Jane Austin did not actually write about zombies.

 

Please, please let me into your program.

 

 

Thank you for your consideration,

Ms. Student Q. Studentington

Edited January 16, 2013 by blakeblake

[Aubergine]

In my SOP (last season), I mentioned discovering a love of teaching while teaching abroad, which motivated me to return to school in order to eventually teach the subjects I love at a university level. I think it's a good idea to devote a line or two to teaching experience (if appropriate) in the SOP, since we are ultimately training to be professors. I don't think it implies that you would be any less capable or devoted a researcher. At least, that was my approach.    

[bluecheese]

Yeah, that sounds fine. I don't think that will hurt your application whatsoever.

 

I do suspect a lot of this depends on your level of teaching experience... I think I made a similar gesture when I had only tutored as an undergrad. Either way, they're going to base their decisions more on the research goals/writing sample stuff.

Edited January 17, 2013 by bluecheese

[Aubergine]

That was last season, and it worked out alright!

[bluecheese]

Sorry, I didn't see the last season parenthetical.  Yeah, I said it should be fine, either way! Cool that you got in somewhere!

[Aubergine]

Thanks! I'm really happy about where I ended up. And best of luck to you! 

[1Q84]

In my SOP (last season), I mentioned discovering a love of teaching while teaching abroad, which motivated me to return to school in order to eventually teach the subjects I love at a university level. I think it's a good idea to devote a line or two to teaching experience (if appropriate) in the SOP, since we are ultimately training to be professors. I don't think it implies that you would be any less capable or devoted a researcher. At least, that was my approach.    

 

This is exactly what I did in my SOP. Eerie!