Bryn Mawr Update

So I went to check out Bryn Mawr's web site in order to see what it said about open positions in the econ department after bemoaning the fact that the listing in the September JOE required at least 2 years of post-PhD experience. It turns out that the school lists an advanced assistant professor position (the one listed in the JOE) and an entry-level position (or maybe two). I don't encourage anybody else to apply to these attractive positions.

And it's no wonder. The department seems to consist of the chair, one other full professor, one associate professor, a visiting assistant professor, and a lecturer. Only five people! Maybe that's standard for a school of Bryn Mawr's size (it has 1,300 undergraduates). And I know that students can take classes at Haverford, but it still strikes me as a fairly small department.

Of course, that's one of the issues. If one is looking for a job at a liberal arts college it is encouraging to think of all the schools in all the states across the country. But if each school only has five faculty members then most will not be hiring in any given year. In that case, whether or not the first job you get out of graduate school is a good fit is a matter of a certain amount of luck. Perhaps even more so when you're looking for your first job in the middle of a recession.