PFMF Minutes

Minutes prepared by Shawn Elledge

Meeting of Fri Sept 14, 2007.
September 14, 2007 We discussed the roles and responsibilities of faculty members using ASU as our primary example. The responsibilities at most universities are usually in a 40-40-20 ratio, that is, 40% research, 40% teaching, and 20% service. Service refers to committee work and such. This is usually as pass-fail thing, you just need to get it done, but excelling at it is not of severe import. Some schools focus primarily on research and others solely on teaching and others are somewhere in between. This depends on the university and should be considered when deciding for whom to work. After receipt of a Ph.D., those interested in becoming faculty usually go through a post-doc position. Since it is a large commitment for a university to invest in a new faculty member, this is a probationary time. Also, universities can swap post-docs if you want to move (hate the weather, etc.). When negotiating the terms of a post-doc, salary will probably be of primary concern, but there are other things to consider asking for: - general start up money, - travel assistance (primarily money, but other things as well), - technology money for printers, computers, etc., - office space (window vs. no window, etc.), - office furniture (new furniture vs. crappy hand-me-downs), - a reduced teaching load for the first semester, - help with a two body problem (this is a serious issue that the university can sometimes assist with). If you ask for too much, they won't hire you. We enjoyed delicious sandwiches, for the which we thank Sarah for picking them up on her bike. Fair wishes for all.