Where does your program rank on the Leiter Report?

[desperatephilo]

I think this is a good question. Something that always bothered me about PJMB was that I had no idea what type of program those people were at. It would help me set my expectations if I knew where other people were coming from, and what kind of success they had.

[squid]

Nowheresville. They've only had a PhD prog for 10 years. Not that many grads. I'm just hoping my advisor is a big enough name in her field to get my applications noticed.

[useyourtools]

How are people who are in LR programs doing in terms of interviews? I am in a program that is only ranked for an AOS, but I have 2 interviews so far. Perhaps people on search committees are finally realizing that productivity outweighs pedigree.

[humeismyhomeboy]

I'm from an unranked program, but I've always thought it was strange that it merited no ranking because it seemed to garner respect for certain sub-disciplines. Managed to land two TT interviews this year so far, but never landed an interview for anything but a god awful one year before that. This is either the year that I get out of this sh*t job or just do something else with my life. Good luck everyone.

[bob]

Unranked program, 6 APA interviews.

[humeismyhomeboy]

Congratulations, Bob. That's quite a number.

Anyone know why my "sh*t job" became "nuts job"? Hi-larious.

[PG]

Humean: it looks like proboards.com kindly auto-edits posts to make them PG by having certain words auto-replaced. I first noticed this sort of thing on the comments thread for a newspaper website.

[nuts4plato]

PhD from an unranked school - but still had 7 APA interviews + 2 phone interviews. Maybe standards are indeed changing.

[marketeer]

in the top five, and is first for at least one AOS. I had fourteen interviews (APA and otherwise) and got flyouts at half. But the other people from my program on the market this year are great, andnot everyone had such success - some did okay, some did not do well at all. Pedigreee guarantees jack nuts (so to speak).

[anonymous and single]

useyourtools, nuts4plato, et al.,

I think it's mistaken to infer from 1) the fact that some candidates from top ranked programs received few, or even no, interviews while some candidates from unranked programs received a substantial number of interviews to either 2) the claim that "standards are changing" or 3) the claim that SC's "are finally realizing that productivity outweighs pedigree."

The job market is not a wholly rational process, there are all kinds of seemingly irrelevant factors which affect hiring decisions, and a recession of the current magnitude just exacerbates the instability of the process.

Additionally, who an SC chooses to interview depends, in part, on who that SC thinks they can successfully recruit and retain as a faculty member. There are SC's who --understandably-- would not bother interviewing someone from a top-ranked program for fear that such a candidate would leave for greener pastures after only a year or two.

I do think pedigree plays a problematic role in the job market, but I think it's wrong to infer from 1) that pedigree has somehow become less of an issue.

[anonymous and single]

marketeer,

Congrats on getting so many interviews.

I agree that, as you put it, "pedigree guarantees jack nuts." But I don't think most of those concerned about pedigree would say it absolutely guarantees anything. Rather, the principal concern is that pedigree is accorded a disproportionate significance which is often decisive in decisions about whom to interview, invite on campus, and hire.

Incidentally, for the purpose of this thread, I'm from a ranked department outside the top 20. (I'm also one of those who declined admission to a top 20 program in deference to a program which was stronger in my AOS).

[looky loo]

I didn't go to one of those fancy programs in philosophy, but I generated--how do I put this tactfully--an unhealthy amount of interest in my would-be employers. My nickname at the APA was "the philosophical tsunami", so powerful was the force of my mind.

I did all of this with only a minor in philosophy at an unaccredited online university. I nevertheless, honestly, felt physically threatened by the frenzied interest my candidacy created in Philadelphia. The anxiety this created is probably why I imbibed a bit too much at the smoker and ended up doing the backstroke across the room for about half of the scheduled mingling period. In spite of this social gaffe, I received 48 APA interviews, one offer to become a full professor (SLAC, wasn't interested).

I'll keep everyone posted on how things turn out. I don't mind being the belle of the ball, but I wish I had adequate suitors. I may pass this year and wait for a stronger group to come along.