Colleges in Dire Financial Straits

[Vkw10]

He'd probably be somewhat competitive for similar jobs if he was good and not just trudging through the system. But he wouldn't necessarily look a lot better than some of the other top candidates. The problem is that not that many similar schools are hiring in physics just now. There will probably be more retirements in a few years, but then he'd be close to retirement himself and enrollments might not be high enough to support hiring replacement physicists.

I read some of the thread. He's stated that he's not interested in continuing to teach students who don't want to be there (college and high school jobs) and not interested in uprooting family because wife's job pays better and has better benefits than his did. Overall tenor of his responses to well-meant suggestions indicates near-burnout and shock, which is a bad time to be active on social media. Too easy to say things that you don't want people to find when you're ready to job hunt. And no matter how often we tell people not to Google applicants, some will.

[marshwiggle]

He'd probably be somewhat competitive for similar jobs if he was good and not just trudging through the system. But he wouldn't necessarily look a lot better than some of the other top candidates. The problem is that not that many similar schools are hiring in physics just now. There will probably be more retirements in a few years, but then he'd be close to retirement himself and enrollments might not be high enough to support hiring replacement physicists.

I read some of the thread. He's stated that he's not interested in continuing to teach students who don't want to be there (college and high school jobs) and not interested in uprooting family because wife's job pays better and has better benefits than his did. Overall tenor of his responses to well-meant suggestions indicates near-burnout and shock, which is a bad time to be active on social media. Too easy to say things that you don't want people to find when you're ready to job hunt. And no matter how often we tell people not to Google applicants, some will.

I'm curious - why would you tell people not to Google? There have been people "retired" from positions for illegal behaviour, such as domestic abuse. I wouldn't want to touch someone like that with a 10 foot pole, no matter what their academic qualifications.

[TreadingLife]

He'd probably be somewhat competitive for similar jobs if he was good and not just trudging through the system. But he wouldn't necessarily look a lot better than some of the other top candidates. The problem is that not that many similar schools are hiring in physics just now. There will probably be more retirements in a few years, but then he'd be close to retirement himself and enrollments might not be high enough to support hiring replacement physicists.

I read some of the thread. He's stated that he's not interested in continuing to teach students who don't want to be there (college and high school jobs) and not interested in uprooting family because wife's job pays better and has better benefits than his did. Overall tenor of his responses to well-meant suggestions indicates near-burnout and shock, which is a bad time to be active on social media. Too easy to say things that you don't want people to find when you're ready to job hunt. And no matter how often we tell people not to Google applicants, some will.

The very wise Maya Angelou once said

When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.

[Ruralguy]

Right. Thank you for those details. I should read into this a bit more, but honestly, my answer is the honest answer of what he could do in*in academia*. Maybe he'd have a shot at some community colleges or "directionals" too, but not if he's burnt out over student attitudes.  As for outside of academia, others here have given answers to that either inside or outside of this thread.

Another honest reply: This could be me. Almost literally. I'm in a similar field, similar age, similar enough school. We can survive for a little while, probably, and I doubt Physics would be anything close to first on the chopping block, but we're not the most safe either.  Am I viable? In the broad Physics market, no.
For some similar jobs, maybe. For some admin jobs, maybe. For some outside of academia, again, maybe, but I haven't taken a serious look in a few years.

[ciao_yall]

He'd probably be somewhat competitive for similar jobs if he was good and not just trudging through the system. But he wouldn't necessarily look a lot better than some of the other top candidates. The problem is that not that many similar schools are hiring in physics just now. There will probably be more retirements in a few years, but then he'd be close to retirement himself and enrollments might not be high enough to support hiring replacement physicists.

I read some of the thread. He's stated that he's not interested in continuing to teach students who don't want to be there (college and high school jobs) and not interested in uprooting family because wife's job pays better and has better benefits than his did. Overall tenor of his responses to well-meant suggestions indicates near-burnout and shock, which is a bad time to be active on social media. Too easy to say things that you don't want people to find when you're ready to job hunt. And no matter how often we tell people not to Google applicants, some will.

I'm curious - why would you tell people not to Google? There have been people "retired" from positions for illegal behaviour, such as domestic abuse. I wouldn't want to touch someone like that with a 10 foot pole, no matter what their academic qualifications.

The official background check should turn up anything criminal or otherwise compromising about the person's background.

The problem with Google is the dumb stuff that can come up. "He used to date my wife! A friend of a friend says she was a total drunk in college!"

[Wahoo Redux]

Actually, background checks can be inaccurate.  Legal and criminal record keeping is cumbersome and extremely haphazard, and the data is humongous----I had a family member who got in a wee bit of trouble with the law and saw this firsthand.  There is no national database of criminal convictions.  Agencies, sometimes even within the same county or city, do not talk to each other.  Sometimes the police themselves cannot get a hold of legal documents, at least not without a great deal of legwork, and then sometimes they cannot figure out the legalities of their own records.  Truly, I saw this.

And then there are the things that only Google will reveal. 

Our training is to only use whatever is in the job packet and not to pray at the alter of the Great Info God Google (which were the dictates at our last employer), but as my wife, who will be on a search committee very soon, just said to me, rightly or wrongly, "I'm going to make sure we don't hire a flaming @zz#$*&!"  Okay then.  Google it is.

[Ruralguy]

I always Google, but almost always as a final thing to do as we invite in finalists. So, its more of a last great filter, not a first pass filter. I can't say I have personally ever found much that didn't already seem to confirm what the candidate has told us, unless you want to believe what a couple of whacky students said on RMP.

[spork]

City College of San Francisco:

https://www.ccsf.edu/news/ccsf-issues-statement-budget-cuts-2021-22-academic-year.

[downer]

Are there any estimates of what proportion of schools have, for the time being at least:
abolished or significantly reduced released time for research
abolished or significantly reduced administrative released time
abolished or reduced faculty travel funds
increased teaching loads
cut back on pension contributions
cut faculty wages
cut administration wages
fired untenured or tenured faculty for cost-cutting reasons

[TreadingLife]

City College of San Francisco:

https://www.ccsf.edu/news/ccsf-issues-statement-budget-cuts-2021-22-academic-year.

Here are the highlights

One such change occurred on March 3, when City College issued preliminary layoff notices to 163 faculty members and 34 administrators. The Education Code requires preliminary notices to be issued by March 15, and final layoff notices by May 15. The College is facing a budget shortfall that is projected to be $33 million for the 2021-22 Fiscal Year. This unfunded deficit is the result of several factors. 

The College has:

    Retiree health care liability costs of almost $11 million.
    5% cash reserve need of $9.2 million. We have no funds for emergencies.
    Projected employee health and welfare increases which range from $750k-$900k.
    Collective bargaining agreement obligations for step and column increases of $1.8 million.
    Unfunded operational costs for technology, deferred maintenance, and utilities which amount to $4 million.
    Has been deficit spending for at least 10 years.[/li][/list]


The last bullet point is notable. Most dire places know they are dire, despite the heads in the sand folks that are shocked when the proverbial scat hits the fan. In many ways, it is impressive that places like this can hold on with at least 10 years of deficit spending. I guess this is why people believe that places like this can last forever.

[arty_]

City College in SF has served underserved populations for years on a shoestring. Frankly, they do an incredible job with the tiny resources available to them. This is a shockingly bad thing.

[Hibush]

City College in SF has served underserved populations for years on a shoestring. Frankly, they do an incredible job with the tiny resources available to them. This is a shockingly bad thing.

+1 Organizations and governments that are supposed to be funding them have been figuring out ways to cheat them. It is a shameful situation that is not one on the usual cases of bad management.

[kaysixteen]

If one decides to google applicants, rather than merely relying on standard, HR-done background checks, how do you 1) know whether what you find on google would be accurate, and 2) even if it is accurate, whether it is relevant to your job search criteria (i.e., if you find out I used to date your wife, that should not count, but your knowing this may well make it count, human nature being what it is)?

[marshwiggle]

If one decides to google applicants, rather than merely relying on standard, HR-done background checks, how do you 1) know whether what you find on google would be accurate, and 2) even if it is accurate, whether it is relevant to your job search criteria (i.e., if you find out I used to date your wife, that should not count, but your knowing this may well make it count, human nature being what it is)?

How is googling different than calling up a colleague* who works at the former institution of the applicant and asking their opinion? That's been discussed either here or on the previous fora. There are far more ways to get "informal", unofficial information, and in principle, it all serves the same purpose.

*not one of the applicant's listed references

[Ruralguy]

Really what I am doing by Googling is cross checking what the applicant has stated. Honestly, haven't ever found much other than some details, not terribly relevant. Others claim they have, but not sure how accurate that info. Was.