Approaches to the academic market.

An earlier publication verified that: "Major universities hire primarily from major universities, and these positions are rarely advertised formally. Appointments are based heavily on prestige or promise of prestige, i.e., publications, and there is an institutional pecking order which is of considerable importance in determining the direction of mobility." A brief questionnaire was mailed to a randomly selected group of psychologists in the 1963 APA Directory as having academic rank at an institution of higher learning. "Of the 161 faculty members, 36 or 22% were not seeking employment when they were offered their present position." 53% of appointments to Type A (PhD-granting) departments were secured through "friends or major professor" while only 30% of appointments to Type B (non-PhD-granting) departments were secured in that way. On the other hand 20% and 12% secured positions in type B departments thru "circulated vita" and "answered APA 'vacancy' " while the respective numbers were 4% and 0 respectively for type A departments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

To the Committees on Admissions.

Comments on posters sent to undergraduate departments of psychology to attract students to graduate programs at universities. The author suggests the time and money spent on these posters would be better used to sponsor a colloquium for undergraduates from nearby colleges, have an open house in their laboratories, or in general contribute to the vitality of the discipline at the undergraduate level while recruiting their graduate students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)