Western New England College’s Department of Economics is hiring one TENURE TRACK faculty. This link refers to the position advertised in the JOE for Money and Banking and International Economics. Currently, the college has three tenured and two non-tenured faculty. This tenure track position is fully funded; we are searching for a replacement for a colleague who has left for another institution. The department is very interested in recruiting an individual who will be successful in attaining tenure. We offer the information on this page in hopes that candidates will apply who wish to be a potential colleague for many years to come.
The college is a teaching institution. Though scholarly activities are expected, teaching is the key to the attainment of tenure. We encourage research and we reward it but recognize the demands of a normal teaching load of four courses a semester (no TA’s!) and two or three preparations. Those interested in active involvement in scholarship are encouraged to seek a lighter load (down to three courses) to do research. (Both of our newest hires have done this – one in her second year here, the other in his fourth.) Sabbaticals are available either for a semester at full pay or for a year at half pay. The college grants on average five sabbaticals each year.
Western New England College has small classes and faculty are expected to “go the extra mile” in working with students. The introductory sections (we teach Principles in two semesters, a calculus-based Principles in one semester and two Freshmen oriented courses – the Economics of Poverty and Discrimination and the Economics of Crime) average 25-30 students (with a maximum at 35). The advanced sections vary between 6 and 20. In addition, the current Chair has taught the Freshman Seminar. That course brings with it a set of Freshman advisees.
Three members of our Department teach in the interdisciplinary Cultures Past and Present Program – required for all students. These courses are often team-taught with members of other disciplines and give department members a great opportunity to “stretch” themselves – in effect to continue their own education. Two of our members have taught in the Honors Program – again team-taught. Recently the Department offered an Honors version of Principles (micro) in the form of a dialogue between traditional micro-economics and the “political economy” alternatives taught in a few graduate programs.
The college has recently changed its general education requirements so that all students must take a course that integrates both liberal and professional aspects of their education (these courses are labeled ILP). Such courses have been offered for four years and four members of our Department have been involved in creating and teaching such courses (two members have actually been involved in two of them!).
We very much encourage those individuals with a bent towards interdisciplinary research and teaching to consider our college as a good place to develop those interests, especially in the classroom working with colleagues from other departments.
The courses so far involving department members are: Baseball: The Evolution of a Pastime (team taught by four faculty, including our resident Sports Economist, Dr. Herbert Eskot), Management Issues for Professionals (taught by Dr. Eskot together with someone from the Industrial Engineering Department), the Economics of Social Policy (taught by Dr. Schiller Casimir together with a colleague from the Social Work Department), International Perspectives on Business (taught by Dr. Michael Enz together with colleagues from the School of Business), and Football: A New National Pastime (taught by Dr. Enz together with a colleague from the Sport Management Department).
The Department also plays a role in the MBA program in our School of Business. We are responsible for one required course in that program.
FINALLY: We have just created a Masters Program in Economics which we hope will be up and running this Fall. It is contingent on recruiting a sufficient number of students for the first class. We hope that whoever is hired will be ready, willing and able to offer at least one course in that program.
What follows is an elaboration of our hopes for the tenure track position advertised in the JOE.
All faculty teach one or two (even sometimes three) sections of Principles either micro or macro both semesters. We also teach a one-semester course that covers both micro and macro principles using calculus and other mathematical methods of exposition. [You can check out the course descriptions at the catalogue on the college’s web site.] In addition to the numerous courses in the catalogue which are offered at least once every two years, we have a “special topics” rubric which is used a lot, at least once per semester, which would allow a faculty member to teach just about anything he or she wished provided there is enough student enrollment (a minimum of 10 is what the Administration hopes for but there is downward flexibility here!).
In addition to our specific curricular needs, we are very interested in finding people who have flexibility, creativity, interest in new areas, willingness to teach interdisciplinary courses – team-teaching as well. That is why the advertisement mentions the various interdisciplinary teaching opportunities.
Most importantly, we want to encourage people who are primarily interested in teaching to consider us as a possible long-term commitment. We are serious when we say we want individuals who will be potential long-term colleagues. The three senior members of the Department have been here 37 years, 23 years and 11 years. The longest serving member will be retiring in January of 2009. The junior members of our department have been here 4 years and two years. The tenure decision is normally made in the sixth year unless an Assistant Professor is hired with some years of credit.
TO ELABORATE ON THE AREAS FROM THE AD --
We want to hire someone who in addition to being able to (and willing to!) teach Principles of Economics will also teach Money and Banking and International Economics at the upper division level. Money and Banking is required for most Accounting and Finance majors and is offered every semester. International Economics is required by International Business minors and International Studies Majors. Right now our offerings in International Economics are divided into two courses: International Monetary Economics (essentially open-economy macro – we have an International Finance course taught in our School of Business) and International Trade (comparative advantage, gains from trade, trade agreements, etc.). However, whoever we hire is free to alter those offerings.
JUST TO CLARIFY: The Department of Economics is part of the School of Arts and Sciences but many of its courses are required for School of Business students. We have a small but growing number [18 at last count] of Economics majors and a number of Economics minors (most of whom major in Business but some major in Math, Political Science or other Arts and Sciences disciplines).
We are interested in hiring an excellent teacher (who is also interested in pursuing scholarship) who will expose our students to alternative views within the field of economics. If you have any further questions about our college, the Department and the new position, please direct them to Dr. Herbert Eskot heskot@wnec.edu.