"We've hired professors with tenure on a number of occasions, so I don't believe the fine arts search for a sculptor is unprecedented," said Dean of the Faculty Gregory Call. "[However] we do tend to hire most of our potentially permanent faculty as tenure-track assistant professors," he added.
"We're looking for someone who's an accomplished scholar, has displayed a excellent record of teaching, and who we think can contribute vitally to the department," said Professor of Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought Austin Sarat, chair of the department.
"We're offering a half-time job, because Professor Tom Kearns, who also teaches in the philosophy department, is in phased retirement," he explained
According to Sarat, the department's search is already well underway. Sarat further explained, "We interviewed four candidates. We've made an offer, and we're waiting to hear from this candidate."
The economics department is currently looking to hire two professors, one specializing in macroeconomic theory and another in industrial organization, according to Professor of Economics Steve Rivkin, chair of the economics department.
"An open rank search enables us to expand the pool of applicants to include candidates that already have tenure at other institutions. We consider all candidates very carefully."
The department of anthropology and sociology is looking to add a fourth anthropologist to its faculty. "I would venture that all departments want to be larger-and many apply to the administration to allow them to become so," said Professor of Anthropology Deborah Gewertz, chair of the anthropology and sociology department.
"This [process] involves writing a long proposal about why one's department deserves [or] needs to become larger-why it is curricularly important to increase departmental size in a particular manner. We applied for this new position, if I recall, for each of the last five years and were lucky enough to be granted it this year," she added.
Gewertz said that the current search is for a candidate who has had experience in medical work in a part of the world which no one of the current faculty studies in depth. "We might be interested in someone who investigates-and this is just an example-the social impacts and cultural meanings of HIV/AIDS in, let us say, China," she explained.
The religion department saw Professor Alec Irwin leave the College, and is looking for a replacement. "[He left] the College to work with a non-profit organization called 'Partners for Health,'" said Professor of Religion Robert Doran, chair of the religion department.
The history department has also lost a number of faculty members recently. "We are hiring to replace David Blight who was also jointly appointed in History and Black Studies," said Professor of History Sean Redding, chair of the history department. "He left Amherst last year to take up a position at Yale."
The department is searching for an expert in African-American history. "When we hire for this position, the person will be fully shared with the department of Black Studies," said Redding. "This person's history courses will be cross-listed in Black Studies. This new professor will also have some responsibility for teaching Black Studies 11, which usually is not cross-listed in history," he added.
The chairs of all departments have similar standards for potential additions to their departments.
"We are looking for professors who love to teach and have the ability to share the excitement of their scholarship or artistic endeavors with their students," said Call. "Demonstrated accomplishment and evidence of their potential to flourish in and contribute to the Amherst community are qualities we seek in new faculty."
Redding agreed. "We look for commitment to the development of the academic community at Amherst," he said.
Gewertz summed up, "[We want] someone who is likely to be granted tenure six years down the road."