Understand the varying types of institutions: liberal-arts colleges, master's-level universities, doctoral institutions, and community colleges. You must demonstrate your match to the particular type of insitution, as well as your match to the institution itself. Search committees see their institution as unique; your application must demonstrate your fit to each institution. Let's take a look at the different types of institutions. Note that there is a considerable degree of variance among institutions within the same category. In other words, not all doctoral granting (or master's etc.) universities have the same expectations of faculty.
Doctoral Granting Universities
Universities that grant the doctoral degree typically offer a wide range of baccalaureate programs, and they are committed to graduate education through the doctorate. Doctoral granting universities vary to the extent that they emphasize and support faculty research, but all require faculty to do at least some publishing in peer reviewed journals. As a faculty member at a doctoral granting university you will be asked to mentor graduate students, sit on comprehensive examination and thesis/dissertation committees, and teach graduate and sometimes undergraduate courses while maintaining an active research program.
Master's Colleges and Universities
Universities that grant masters degrees (but not doctoral degrees) offer a wide range of baccalaureate programs, and are committed to graduate education through the master's degree. The extent to which master's colleges and universities emphasize and support faculty research varies moreso than is true for doctoral granting universities. Most require faculty to do at least some publishing in peer reviewed journals and presentations at regional and national conferences, but the extent of scholarly activity expected varies among universities. As a faculty member at a master's granting university you may be asked to mentor graduate students, sit on comprehensive examination and thesis committees, and teach graduate and undergraduate courses while conducting at least some research.
Baccalaureate Colleges—Liberal Arts
These institutions are primarily undergraduate colleges that place predominant emphasis on baccalaureate programs. They tend to award at least half of their baccalaureate degrees in liberal arts fields, such as the humanities (literature, the arts, and philosophy), history, and foreign languages.
Baccalaureate Colleges—General
These institutions are primarily undergraduate colleges with major emphasis on baccalaureate programs. During the period studied, they awarded less than half of their baccalaureate degrees in liberal arts fields.
Community Colleges
Baccalaureate/Associate's Colleges: These institutions are undergraduate colleges where the majority of conferrals are below the baccalaureate level (associate's degrees and certificates). During the period studied, bachelor's degrees accounted for at least ten percent of undergraduate awards.
