I had previously announced the creation of the website for prospective and new faculty. Some of the pages were empty then. I have tried to fill in all the required content and take it out of beta. I have also tried to address the various questions asked in this blog and updated the website. Tinyurls of the website has also been created and posted as links in the gadget, located at the right of this blog content.
Please leave any request for addition/deletion and clarification in the comments. Thank you.
16 comments:
Dear Prof. Madras,
Do you know if IISc replies to the candidates after the applications have been processed informing them about the outcome, or do departments tend to keep the candidate applications for consideration in a subsequent selection round? This may be good to add to the website.
I applied about a year ago, heard late last year (unofficially) that my application was shortlisted by the department but that they are still consolidating applications.Recently I heard (unofficially again thru a friend in IISc)!that the selection committee meeting was held this month but emails to the chairmen (I can imagine they are very busy) have yielded no response....
Suggestion: IITM Pune has an excellent web page which lists details such as:
Number of applications received
Names of candidates shortlisted and
invited for interview
Names of selected candidates
Do you think this may be a good idea for individual departments in IISc to follow, although "extra" work for the dept?
It certainly would score high on transparency and also save IISc on "enquiry" based emails..
From an applicant for a faculty position at IISc
In IISc (or for that matter in any IITs), no one does anything unless there is a benefit attached to it. Replying to a prospective candidate has no value for them. The same chairmen will reply immediately if it is a consultancy project which pays them.
For the last anon comment, why should anybody do "extra" work, especially non-academic work?
Anon #1: Instead of email, call the chairperson. Even some faculty in the department may know, so call one of them you know.
Anon #3: Contrary to what you may think, I do not get paid to maintain a website, blog or write these responses.
Thanks
Giridhar
this is anon1 and anon2. thanks for the information Prof. Madras.
anon3,the existence of this blog created and the new one for prospective faculty is a symbol of hope that thankfully not everyone thinks like you before undertaking action!
Prof. Giridhar is right. Call; many head of departments do not want to say anything in writing but will tell you on the phone.
Regarding IIT-M, Pune, the recruitment is centralized. IISc and IITs do not have a centralized recruitment. Many applications are rejected at the department level. Therefore, maintaining a list becomes a departmental initiative.
There is a discussion of your blog and website here,
http://network.nature.com/groups/natureindia/forum/topics/6364
There is some discussion like below
http://network.nature.com/groups/natureindia/forum/topics/6364?page=1#reply-19789
There are two main inter-related reasons for low research productivity in India, Attitude and Accountability. In US system attitude is reinforced by accountability. Whereas in India the word accountability does not exists which fuels the attitude ‘its okay’ (‘chalta-hey’ in north Indian language)
Give you a scenario: From last couple of years a new hire profile in IIXs looks like this; a Ph.D. from some National / Indian Institute and a few year post-docs from abroad and couple of publications from Ph.D. and post-doc. They fall in two category either people join IIXs with (a) loser’s attitude with a feeling that if they would have got a position in western countries then would have never come here.(b) winner’s attitude that they have done enough in the life to reach to this position now they don’t need to do anything.
There are some but only a few who comes and join with excitement to really do something. In absence of accountability (no tenure-track system), lack of processes and incentives to perform they slowly get molded onto Indian mode. Non-productivity in India has no consequences; one will regularly get scheduled salary rise and promotions and some time early promotions if you are doing reasonably well. Promotions also have no meaning as they don’t really change your take-home salary in great way. So whether you are performing or not it does not matter ‘its okay’. In such scenario a scientist who is not self-motivated looses the vigor with which he/she was performing in western countries. To justify their existence they do publish in some low profile journals or collaborate with abc lab around the world. In general they lack the attitude of a winner or a leader and hence ‘adjust’ with the scene. Its not that they are not talented people but without efforts if one can survive… ‘why not’ and with efforts anyway there is no great incentive to perform.
The existing bureaucratic systems have processes which are just out-of-date but no one take initiatives to make new ones. Again attitude problem and no incentive to perform. Although many things have changed as many scientist who do enjoy doing what they do are trying to put some processes together but its really a Herculean task to satisfy or make a system which everyone feel comfortable with, especially when end-users are not willing to participate in the development of the process.
Rajdeep: Nicely summarized. But there seems to be no solution in near future.
TA
Prof. Madras,
Is it customery/usual practice for the IIX HOD to inform the candidate of the result of the selection comm. decision. Are there any formalities that the IIX has to follow after selection comm. decision is made before issuing the offer letter.
In the same context, what percentage of the applications are shortlisted and out of that what percentage is actually made an offer.
In IISc, the council section issues the offer letter after the selection comm meeting within a week.
Can't comment on percentages; varies from department to department
Prof. Madras,
That is quick. 1 week is pretty fast. However as anon # 1 asked is it usual for the HOD to inform the candidate of the results immediately after selection committee meeting.
BTW in a separate context, I heard from a professor in US that his student was selected by a IIT completely in absentia without even a phone call or seminar over web. This was completely based on the CV and other materials the guy submitted. Is this a common practice or an exception.
depends on HOD. Selection in absentia was common even 3-4 years back. But with the advent of skype etc., it is not so common nowadays. It may be still practiced in some IITs.
Dear Prof. Madra
Kindly shed some light on evaluation criteria for final selection of candiadate by Selection committee. Is department's recommndation plays major role? If yes, than how much. Any weighting factors are there for, candidates cv, Dept. recommnedation, experts recommndation, interview performance etc.
regards
regarding selection comm,
http://giridharmadras.blogspot.com/2009/10/ap-on-contract.html
thanks a lot for the link
and apologies for misspell in previous post.
Prof. Madras,
Good website. I have recommended a similar website to be created at our IIT also. Our faculty candidates have very little information before they come here. It is unfortunate no one takes it as their business here (junior level professors are not allowed to by the way) . The hiring process in our department is pathetic. I sometimes wonder who decides what in the department. Democracy is only for full professors here. Although, we got more money and more publications in the short span we were here than those senior guys who try to control the department. It is sad and I know why we cannot attract good faculty. Money is definitely not the reason.
K
Post a Comment