Additional Information about Tenure-track Position in Cognitive Science and Philosophy
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Because this is a somewhat unusual position, the following clarifications concerning the text of the ad may be helpful. (Slightly updated 10/23/08)
- "Tenure-track appointment at the rank of Assistant (or, in exceptional cases) untenured Associate Professor." We welcome applications (a) from candidates who are on track to receive the PhD in 2009, and (b) from candidates who have completed their PhD in earlier years, but who are not yet tenured and do not expect to be hired with tenure. Information about Yale's academic ranks and criteria for promotion and tenure can be found here (see especially section 10).
- "Effective July 1, 2009." We are looking for a candidate who will be in a position to start at Yale in academic year 2009-10.
- "PhD in Philosophy expected prior to appointment." The tenure-home of this position is in the Department of Philosophy, and we expect that the successful candidate will hold a PhD in that field. Candidates with PhDs in closely related fields -- e.g. History and Philosophy of Science, Logic and the Methodology of Science -- may be considered. But the position is not suitable for applicants whose PhD training has not included extensive coursework in philosophy, and whose dissertation committee is not composed largely of philosophers.
- "Area of Specialization: Cognitive Science or Philosophy of Psychology. Areas of Concentration: open." This really is a position in Cognitive Science or Philosophy of Psychology (and not, for example, a position in Philosophy of Mind). We are looking for a candidate with broad training and interests that extend beyond philosophy and into other domains of Cognitive Science.
- "Teaching load: 4 courses per year, undergraduate and graduate, of which at least 2 will be in Cognitive Science and at least 1 in Philosophy." We are looking for a candidate who is in an immediate position to teach a range of courses in Cognitive Science, including courses at the introductory, intermediate and advanced levels. (For example, an introductory-level survey course, an intermediate-level course covering classic texts in cognitive science, and an upper-level course on the candidate's specific area of expertise.) The successful candidate should also be in a position to teach both undergraduate and graduate courses in Philosophy (again, in areas related to his or her expertise.)
- "Some thesis supervision; usual non-teaching duties." The successful candidate will be expected to serve as a regular member of the Department of Philosophy and the Cognitive Science Program, with associated administrative responsibilities.
- "Active involvement both in interdisciplinary Cognitive Science program and in Department of Philosophy expected. Candidates should have a demonstrated history of collaboration across departments." We are looking for a candidate who is eager to interact with members of the Cognitive Science faculty at Yale (listed here), and to participate centrally and actively in the Program's growth at all levels. Successful candidates will have a demonstrated history of this sort of collaboration and interaction across disciplines.
- "Applications should include: cover letter." Candidates may submit either a simple one-sentence cover letter, or a more personalized letter indicating the ways in which they are suited for the position described.
- "Applications should include: CV." The CV should include (at least) information about the candidate's education, areas of specialization and competence, honors and awards, publications, talks, and teaching experience.
- "Applications should include: at least 3 letters of reference including at least 1 from a philosopher and at least 1 from a non-philosopher." Applicants should arrange to have at least three letters of recommendation submitted on their behalf. There is no limit to the number of letters that will be accepted, but more than six is probably unnecessary. At least one of these letters should be from a philosopher who is in a position to assess the candidate's philosophical promise and the philosophical significance of the candidate's work. At least one should be from a non-philosopher who is in a position to assess the interdisciplinary significance of the candidate's work.
- "Applications should include: writing sample suitable for evaluation by an interdisciplinary committee of cognitive scientists and philosophers." The search committee for this position includes a philosopher, a psychologist, a linguist, a computer scientist and a neuroscientist. The writing sample submitted should be suitable for evaluation by this sort of diverse committee. (If you would need to prepare a special writing sample for this purpose, this may be evidence that this is not the ideal job for you. We are looking for someone whose work naturally crosses disciplinary lines.)
- "Applications should include: evidence regarding teaching qualifications. (Teaching materials may be provided directly, or may take the form of a candidate-provided link to a website where those materials have been posted.)" We are looking for evidence of teaching excellence. This evidence may be provided in the form of a link to a candidate's website.
- "Yale University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer. Yale values diversity among its students, faculty, and staff and strongly encourages applications from women and underrepresented minorities." We welcome applications from all eligible candidates. Since Yale is an AA/EO employer that values diversity among its faculty, we strongly encourage applications from women and underrepresented minorities.
- "Applications may be submitted in one of two ways." Details here.
- "Review of applications will begin November 17, 2008. Campus visits may take place prior to the American Philosophical Association December meetings." It is unlikely though not impossible that we will be interviewing at the December APA meetings. It is likely that one or more candidates will be brought to campus in early December.
- Updates regarding the status of the search will be posted here.
- Please feel free to contact us with any questions at cog.search@yale.edu.
