Wiki Update: The Shape of Things to Come?

[IheartDescartes]

So I'm struck by the fact that offers are already being made. According to the wiki, Cambridge, Yale, and North Texas have already extended offers:

Offers Accepted[/b]
Cambridge University

Offers Made
Yale University
- CogSci position: rejection by e-mail (12/3); offer made (12/3)
University of North Texas
- application acknowledged (11/13); phone interview (10/31); campus interview (11/17); offer made (12/10)[/color]

Is this the shape of things to come? Programs making offers before the APA? As cool as it would be to get an offer (any offer), I wonder what these candidates are thinking as they head towards the APA. I wonder if there is a deadline on these offers, like Yale and North Texas are trying to get a superstar to commit before he or she has any other offers. I know some shady grad programs do that to incoming phd students (you know who you are, e.g. CUNY).

I'm all for wresting power from the APA and decentralizing this circus, but things could get real complicated and confusing if the job market moves off its regular schedule (i.e. postings in October, applications in Nov/Dec, interviews in Dec, on-campus in Jan, offers in early Spring)...

[lemming]

yeah, that's a good point. i had an experience like that when i was applying for phd programs. fortunately the APA dictates that grad students have until April 15th to accept or decline offers. but as far as I know nothing like that holds for job interviews. so maybe you're right. maybe those people who got those offers are in a tight spot...

[alf]

I'm guessing that at least certain departments are trying to get hiring done as soon as possible, before the funding gets pulled. If someone has been officially hired before any hiring freeze is put in place, the dept is safe. Otherwise they will lose the slot.

[lemming]

that's a good point, and it certainly would explain the rush to make an offer.

those people still may be in a tight spot though, depending on whether they were given a deadline. it's like a game show: "Do you want to walk away now with $25,000, or play for $1,000,000?!?!"

i hope they walk away with the $25,000. (i would.) that would be good for the rest of us.

[phallusophy]

The three offers you cite are all to folks who already have jobs and aren't really on the market. So, they don't have any tough decision to make regarding interviewing at the APA. They weren't going to anyway.