This just in:
The School of Law and Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University seeks a Visiting Assistant Professor (VAP) in the School of Law for a two-year term. The VAP’s primary responsibilities will be to design and teach courses related to leadership and character in the law and to produce public and scholarly research related to leadership and character in the law. The most competitive applicants will have experience related to leadership, character, or ethics in the law, but strong candidates with an interest in these fields, even without prior publications or experience, will also be considered.
More information can be found here.
What tangible, measureable skills for which clients will pay will students learn from this hire?
This is so messed up.
1. Is there no one on the faculty that has any "experience related to leadership, character, or ethics in the law"? Of course not. Harvard JD and a couple of years in an amoral, generally unethical huge law firm doesn't quite do it, does it? And, being on a law faculty for 100 years? Doesn't add much, on this issue. In fact, the meter starts running backward after the first few years.
2. The law school will hire someone who has ZERO academic interest and production in this area and ZERO experience. That says it all about the reason for this hire of a "VAP." See, No. 1 above.
3. The notion of a "VAP" under these circumstances, from a labor practice standpoint, is an often, indeed, almost inherently abusive ruse (luring someone to relocate for a relatively brief time, for peanuts, with the false hope of hiring, then cutting that person loose in the most severe manner.) See, No. 1, above.
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This is so messed up.
1. Is there no one on the faculty that has any "experience related to leadership, character, or ethics in the law"? Of course not. Harvard JD and a couple of years in an amoral, generally unethical huge law firm doesn't quite do it, does it? And, being on a law faculty for 100 years? Doesn't add much, on this issue. In fact, the meter starts running backward after the first few years.
2. The law school will hire someone who has ZERO academic interest and production in this area and ZERO experience. That says it all about the reason for this hire of a "VAP." See, No. 1 above.
3. The notion of a "VAP" under these circumstances, from a labor practice standpoint, is an often, indeed, almost inherently abusive ruse (luring someone to relocate for a relatively brief time, for peanuts, with the false hope of hiring, then cutting that person loose in the most severe manner.) See, No. 1, above."
Dont like it? Dont apply! See how easy that was?
"Dont like it? Dont apply! See how easy that was?"
Sad. Anyways, piggybacking on the prior responses, two other possibilities are:
(1) They know who they're going to hire but they have to act like there's a search. This tactic leads to strangely specific ads in some cases. This could be a siren's call for job interview palookas to come forth and not get the job as the fix is in. Happens all the time.
OR MAYBE
(2) There is a shortage of candidates with an established track record for a tt hire in targeted demographic groups. Therefore, the school is going to try to home grow some tt candidates with a temp hire. This is happening more and more.
Ignatius
I would guess virtue signaling.
Sort of like folks who a.) work part time (28 weeks per year) b.) yet earn hundreds of thousands of dollars for, in most cases, at best mediocre performance with NO scholarly output, c.) but lecture everyone they can about how they support and represent "social justice."
Oh, how "rich" it is (pun intended) to hear them pontificate about income inequality (taking a short break from browsing for high end appliances for the next kitchen remodel).
This law school is advertising that it is interested in character and ethics by virtue of an abusive hire that very well might ruin the career of another human being. (Relocating, no hire, wasted two years puttering around for peanuts to please the egos of the hirers with basically little or no long term benefit to the hired person (basically, this is how this is likely to play out).
The answer from the smug, self satisfied ever so "ethical" narcissists: "If you don't like our abusive and hypocritical virtue signaling, don't apply to be our stooge."
Here is a suggestion: DO THE JOB YOURSELVES. Are you capable, or are you "just too busy"?
Please.
Nice people. Ethical. Leaders.
BTW, I would be thrilled to be wrong about my suspicions around this job posting. It could be (not likely but possible I suppose) a great opportunity. But, for me, the tell was: "strong candidates with an interest in these fields, even without prior publications or experience, will also be considered."
That statement, together with my general opinion of most VAP offerings, led me to my statements above. But, reviewing those, I realize that individual circumstances always need to be considered and my generalizations, while in my view valid opinions based on observations, are not always the best approach when applied to comment on a specific job posting.
Good luck.