A New Way to Hire Great Faculty. The University of Austin means to revitalize liberal education.

James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal ^ | June 21, 2024 | Jacob Howland

[karpov]

We learned about the complexities and mysteries of artificial intelligence, the uses of innovative statistical analyses that could improve policing, and the Confucian roots of Xi’s totalitarianism. We discussed the early modern origins of ideological movements, Milton’s translation of Homeric epic into a Christian drama of rebellion and salvation, and Moby Dick’s critical analysis of corporatism. We explored the religious roots of modern politics and the influence of Hebraic constitutionalism on the Founding Fathers. We reflected on Shakespeare’s dialectical examination of politics in his Roman dramas.

This was no academic conference. It was a job interview.

Faculty searches often take months to fill even one position. They are specialized and sequestered by department. But when you are an upstart university tasked with building a faculty from scratch in a matter of months, you have the privilege to get creative.

The University of Austin (UATX) had two dozen employees when the state of Texas authorized us to operate as a university in November 2023. By the time our inaugural class of 100 students matriculates in September we will have effectively doubled in size. The lessons we learned along the way will benefit any institution of higher learning.

We had five months to fill roughly 18 positions across the humanities and the hard and social sciences. By the end of January, we’d reviewed more than 900 applications and settled on 36 finalists. Universities typically bring leading candidates to campus one at a time, but individually hosting three dozen of them was logistically impossible, not to mention very expensive. What to do?

[Ge0ffrey]

Are you in Rio Linda?

[OKSooner]

Like.

Thank you.

[FateAmenableToChange]

Name one university in the USA worth attending other than Hillsdale College.

Grove City College University of the Ozark possibly Liberty Univerty and Patrick Henry University and George Mason University.

[Deplorable American1776]

Is this another Hillsdale?

[Betty Jane]

Add Ave Maria University if Catholic and keep an eye on New College since the state took it over and changed it focus to a more Hillsdale curriculum. Both are in Florida.

[Svartalfiar]

You are obviously not familiar with the University of Austin. It is intending to be an antidote to what has become of universities (i.e., Marxism).

So I assume this isn't UTA as in University of Texas at Austin?

[RoosterRedux]

Yep. You are correct.

[scrabblehack]

UTA is usually University of Texas at Arlington;
UT is usually University of Texas (main campus at Austin).

This UATX is different.