Like lucrative corporations, both public and private colleges and universities are often willing to dole out hefty salaries and other generous perks if they want to hire a faculty member bad enough.
But too often the applicants — particularly women and minorities — who are new to the world of academe don’t come to the negotiation table fully aware of how to bargain for a better job that could include, among other things, a reduced teaching load, monies for research and travel, and a larger salary.
Dr. Kerry Ann Rockquemore
For years, her center has been helping both veterans and newly minted Ph.D. seekers understand the value and necessity of the negotiating process in the higher education job search. They’ve conducted training sessions and held webinars on the topic.
“There is an expectation that you’re going to negotiate,” says Rockquemore, who adds that every graduate school student should have this conversation with their academic adviser or mentor long before they enter into the job market. “Negotiating seems to be part of that secret knowledge passed from adviser to advisee. Some people get it and some don’t get it.”
Dr. Marybeth Gasman, a full professor of higher education at the University of Pennsylvania and director of the school’s Center for Minority Serving Institutions, agrees.
“If a young Ph.D. does not know how to negotiate, part of the problem is the person’s Ph.D. adviser,” says Gasman. “They should be helping their student understand how to really get the most so that they are able to be a successful faculty member.”
