University of St. Thomas · Minnesota Interview Questions
& Process

I had an initial phone screening with HR, and then an interview with a panel. The panel asked me standard questions about my background and if I was interested in working for St. Thomas. I was really excited about the possibility of working with that team. However, I ended up declining the offer because I was so put off by HR's refusal to negotiate salary. She made it seem like I was being ridiculous for asking them to consider my relevant experience since it wasn't in higher education. I was interested in the job to complete my degree, and the position only required a high school diploma. Even so, I was scoffed at for attempting to negotiate a living wage because I lacked a degree and had no prior experience in higher ed. It's surprising to me that St. Thomas claims to value diversity when their HR department insulted a person of color for requesting that they consider a different kind of experience.

First, there was an online application where I had to submit my teaching philosophy, CV, and answer some specific questions. Then, I had a phone interview. They sent me the questions a couple of days before, and I just responded to them. It felt a bit strange because the interviewers didn't really react to my answers or ask follow-ups, but they said it was to make the process consistent. The main event was a two-day campus visit. Four days prior, I got a detailed rundown of the issues I needed to cover in my two talks. I also had to read several papers on education and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, which we'd discuss. I gave a talk on academic excellence and a teaching lecture of my choice. Both talks were followed by about 40 minutes of Q&A. I also had five one-on-one chats that were pretty relaxed. Everyone I met over the two days at Saint Thomas was super nice and helpful, answering all my questions about the University and the job. The committee members were clearly prepared and had specific questions that showed they'd actually read my application.

The interview process was pretty efficient and communication was good with the recruiter and hiring committee members. After the second interview, though, communication just stopped for almost 3 weeks. I tried to follow up via email but got no response, and then later got a generic rejection email. I really liked the interview process itself and I get that they might have been in negotiations with the person they hired, which could have delayed things, but I wish they had kept me updated more after that second interview.

So the first step was this phone interview with both HR and the hiring manager, and it was exactly 30 minutes. They didn't talk about salary expectations during the interview, but it was mentioned in the email that if you agree with the salary, you can move on to the first interview. They don't sponsor for this position, but I think OPT is fine.