In our newest “how can we help you?” thread, a reader asks:

Oh gosh this one is a bit time sensitive so I am not even sure it’s worth posting but just in case: how should you prepare to meet with a dean at a flyout? What is going on in these meetings? What is the dean’s role re: your prospects of getting an offer? Any advice at all about this would be so very appreciated.

Good questions! Unfortunately, it’s been almost 10 years since I did one of these and I have terrible episodic memory, so I’m probably not the best person to ask. One reader submitted the following reply:

This really is a simple part of the process. The dean meets with you to sell you her institution. So do not be stressed. It is a chance to ask about the institution, the place of philosophy at the institution, etc. They will want to impress upon you things about the broader community – what a great place it is to live (it is quite unlikely that they will be a philosopher). In one case, though, I did ask the dean why they did an external chair search (where I am from, such searches usually signal that the department is a little fucked up).

I’m curious to hear from other readers: is this right? Are these dean meetings things not to be stressed over too much, or do deans sometimes play important roles in the hiring process that can make these meetings more important than this response makes them sound?

Any readers have any helpful tips, experiences, or other insights to share? 

Originally appeared on The Philosophers’ Cocoon Read More