Assistant Professor Search
Beginning August, 2010

Formal Ad Statement

       

Important Information

        Thank you for your interest in our Assistant Professor position in I-O Psychology
            at Angelo State. I've created this RJP so that applicants can have access to
            important information about the position and the university.

            To learn more about the program and the position, click the links below to get
            to the specific questions you might have. Also, within each of the answers, there
            are links you can follow that will pop up other information about our program.

        Thank you for reading!

        Kraig Schell, Director


Frequently-Asked Questions

 

          What kind of program does ASU have?

            Our program is a 2-year, cohort-model program designed to produce Masters-
            level practitioners of I-O psychology. We require 42 credits of coursework and
            students can decide between an internship and a thesis to complete the program.
            Our students average a GPA of about 3.30 and GRE scores of 480(V), 580(Q),
            and slightly over 4.0(W), and we use a holistic model for selection rather than a
            strict multiple-hurdle approach. Most classes are taught at night in the graduate
            program so that students can engage in research and internships during the day.
            We require participation for all first-year students in the Jackson St. I-O Lab
            (JSIOL) facility, and strongly recommend participation in the IOOB/SIOP
            conferences each year.

         

        What is expected of an I-O professor at ASU?

            The formal teaching load will be 4-3 with three original preps per semester. You
            MAY be responsible in any given year for the following courses: General Psychology,
            Industrial-Organizational Psychology, and Psychological Testing at the UG level;
            Personnel Selection, Performance Evaluation, and Stats/Methods I at the graduate
            level. There is also opportunity to develop one's own area of expertise as a course, if
            we currently do not offer it.

            You may also explore teaching a course or two in the summer for extra money, and if
            you secure external funding, you may "purchase" courses from the university to lower
            your teaching load as you do your research. However, you will be responsible for your
            graduate course load, regardless of external grant support.

            I should note that the actual teaching load is 3-3, as you will be the professor of record
            on our internship course (PSY 6399) for one semester, which will be your fourth course.

            ASU expects scholarly activity from faculty as well, but not in the same way as
            doctoral-level institutions. You will have considerable autonomy over your research
            endeavors and are encouraged to maintain research relationships with faculty outside
            ASU to facilitate your work. While it is true that you will not have as much time as a
            professor in a Masters-level institution given the somewhat larger teaching load, I
            can speak from experience that research is possible and that our students and I will
            provide whatever assistance we can. Tenure decisions are based on teaching
            effectiveness and research activity somewhat equally, and you will have about two
            years to get this "up and running."

            I encourage you to visit our lab page, where you can learn about our dedicated lab
            space for I-O students. It's something we are quite proud of.

            Committee service is also expected, but this is not relevant for the first two years of
            your appointment.

         

        What is the culture of the I-O program?

            We admit in the fall term only. We have a capacity of 22 total students, but we usually
            average around 15 students at any given time. We currently offer our curriculum on
            a 2-year rotation, which facilitates mixing between the two classes and relationship-
            building. However, by 2010 we hope to have altered our rotations so that core I-O
            courses (the stats sequence and the "I" side sequence) are offered on a yearly basis.
            This change is slated to begin in the Fall of 2011, tentatively.

            We have organized social events and the students often plan activities together as well.
            Students will often attend IOOB and SIOP as a group, and we have a generous fund
            available to help with travel. In short, we want to create a culture of camaraderie and
            mutual experiences that will generate a closely-knit alumni network in the future.

        

         What qualifications are required?

            We are only interested in applicants with a degree in I-O psychology or a
          closely-related field.
If you do not meet this qualification, your application will likely
            not be considered.

            We are also interested primarily in junior faculty; while senior faculty are welcome
            to apply, appointment will be at the assistant professor level regardless of experience.
            Thus, it is probably not in senior faculty's interests to apply. We would also prefer
            research interests/expertise that are primarily "I" oriented, but will examine all qualified
            applicants regardless of specific research interests.

       

        What is living in West Texas like?

            The area is warm and dry. The culture here is friendly and quiet; while there are things to do
            in the town, we simply do not have the variety of a larger city. Traffic is relatively easy, and
            the city's crime rates are below the national average in almost every category. While those
            from larger cities may feel somewhat isolated at first, the adaptable person will fit into the
            San Angelo culture quickly, we believe. The psychologist in me would say that the city lends
            itself somewhat more to the introverted, independent individual, but don't let that discourage
            the extroverts who might be reading...

            The cost of living is relatively low as well, and in combination with the university's emphasis
            on competitive salaries, that means your dollars go further here. Home prices and rental prices
            are either at or below the national average.

       

        What about the faculty? Are they collegial, competitive, etc.?

            The faculty culture here is very collegial. Competition is virtually non-existent. Also, due to
            some retirements and program initiations, the faculty is becoming younger and starting to
            emphasize research again. There is a large undergraduate pool of students who have been
            starved for research experience that could be tapped. While recently the faculty have not
            engaged in many extra-curricular social activities, there is room to grow such traditions in the
            future, if that is something you value.