Timeline

Tenure-Track Positions

For most American institutions of higher learning, the academic year begins in late August; institutions operating on the quarter system start a bit later, usually in late September.  Most institutions start the hiring process for permanent positions one year before the beginning of the appointment.  Openings are advertised nationally as early as the summer and into the fall.  Search committees often begin to review applications in the fall to allow for screening interviews at national conferences in the winter.  Most (though not all) campus interviews occur in the spring with the goal of extending an offer and concluding the hiring process by the end of the spring semester.  There are many exceptions to this timeline, however, as institutions can have unexpected needs and circumstances.  Keep looking.

Part-Time and Visiting Positions

Occasions arise for institutions to search to fill teaching positions on short notice, on a part-time or short-term basis.  The hiring process for these positions can sometimes be much later and shorter—as short as several months, if not weeks, before the start of the term.  In these cases, time constraints may prevent widely publicized announcements and formal searches.  Candidates may be interviewed by telephone and may or may not have a formal interview in person.  An individual who previously submitted an unsolicited letter of interest in working with the department may be a prime candidate for such a position, as may be an applicant to another position in the department who was not hired.