West Texas A&M University Interview Questions
& Process

The interview was pretty basic, and I knew all the questions and answers. It was less technical than I thought it would be. The people were great, and there were 5 people in the room who took turns asking me technical questions. It lasted about an hour. They offered me water and a snack, and I felt very comfortable and secure.

I was interviewed by 4 faculty members right before the Fall term started. They asked about my research and teaching, and mainly to show me their research facilities. They also highlighted the heavy teaching load and committee work, mentioning that faculty often handled administrative tasks. They shared stories about past presidents and a 'reign of terror.' The department chair, who experienced that time, warned that 'academic freedom' was a risky term to use. The Dean reiterated the 'up or out' tenure process, noting it wasn't always applied equally and that he had override power. Given the scarcity of tenure-track positions and the prevalence of adjunct roles, I felt compelled to accept the offer as no other opportunities were available. I also gave a research presentation to demonstrate my lecture style, supplementing it with materials from my teaching portfolio, including case studies for group work and lab exercises. The interview process primarily aimed to inform me about the environment I was entering, which, as I later discovered, was only a small glimpse of the true challenges.

The interview process involves behavioral questions and basic questions about your skills and prior experience. You'll be asked questions by 3-5 people on the interview team, which includes the department manager, another department member, and colleagues from the division or other departments you would work with.

It was a really conversational and easy going 3 person interview. They asked me questions, but it wasn't intimidating and it went great. I did get hired so hopefully this helps you all.