Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Research:
1. What kind of support is available for research?
2. Does the department provide research support directly (e.g., computer programmers),
or this only available through the university?
3. How about statistical support?
4. What is the computing infrastructure? Is it centralized or decentralized?
5. How about computing software? Can specialized programs be ordered through the
university, or is everyone pretty much on their own?
6. Are there research centers that sociology faculty belong to?
7. Is there help available for preparing grant proposals and managing grants? Is this
through the department, the college, or the university? How would you characterize
he quality of this support?
8. Do faculty collaborate with each other on research?
9. Can teaching assistants also be used for research?
10. Is it okay to buy offteaching time with grant money? Is this encouraged,
discouraged, or neither? Is there a limit on the amount of release time?
11. Are there small (or starter) grants available through the university? If so, how
competitive is this program?
12. How important is bringing in grant money for performance reviews (including tenure
and promotion)?
13. Is there a particular style of research that is emphasized by the department?
Service:
1. What is the typical service load for junior faculty?
2. How much time are junior faculty expected to devote to service?
3. Are junior faculty expected to participate in service outside of the department?
4. How important is service for performance reviews (including tenure and promotion)?
DEPARTMENTAL ENVIRONMENT
What do you think your department is known for?
What plans does the department have for development? Where do you see the
department headed in the next five years? Strengths and weaknesses?
Plans for recruitment in the future? Women? Jr. Faculty? Sr. Faculty?
Is the department collegial?
Is this a good place to get your work done?
Committee work
Recent faculty departures and reasons for departure?
DEPARTMENTAL STRUCTURE
How are tenure decisions made (# of articles! books, teaching evaluations, service)? What
procedures for evaluation are in place? When, and what kind of feedback, is given (e.g.
annual support)? What have been the recent tenure decisions and what is the average
number of publications for those who recently got tenure?
What is the process for applying for salary increases here?
Decision-making process Qunior faculty equal vote)
Is there a policy on sabbaticals and leaves? Frequency?
Support for junior faculty
DEPARTMENTAL STATUS
How actively does the university administration support the department? [example]
Financial situation of department, recent budget cuts, future hires
Dean's philosophy of education-what recent policies have you stressed w/ the
department?
Any notable distinctions about your faculty?
INTER-DEPARTMENTAL RELATIONS
What is the status of department vis-a.-vis other social science departments?
How hard or easy is it to collaborate with faculty in other disciplines? Is there
institutional support for this?
Is collaborative work encouraged? How to allocate credit?
RESOURCES
What kind of money is available to support research and/ or buy off teaching time?
What support resources are generally available (computing, secretaries, research and
teaching assistants)? Supply support (e.g. copying limits on research, fax, long-distance,
etc.)
Institutional centers of support? Are there support services for research grant proposals?
How good is the library?
What funds are available for travel? What per cent overhead does the University charge
to outside funding agencies?
Available computer programs
OTHER
What do you like about department? What would you like to see changed?
Homeownership/ help with moving expenses
Your research
Summer support or teaching? Summer school salary? Number of weeks?