Understanding the Academy

Did you realize academic institutions fall into four general categories?

• Ph.D-degree granting institutions which are divided into subclasses of prestige, first- and second-raters.
• State University or college branch campuses (non-flagship U’s), many of which can be excellent places to be but which will often carry heavier teaching loads.
• Small universities or colleges offering a liberal arts curriculum
•  And community colleges, most of which have very local constituencies and a large percentage of fully mature students.

Note: Each institution will be interested in different qualities in its job candidates; this will become evident in types of questions you’re asked at interviews.