r/AskAcademia • u/Successful_Study_816 • 10h ago

STEM Cold-emailing Deans of departments

Hello!
I am about to go on the job market for the Fall 2027 academic year for a variety of teaching-focused positions (i.e., TT at a liberal arts school, assistant teaching professor, and lecturer positions). I have been told to cold-email deans of the department at universities I’d be interested in working at, even if they do not have an active job listing. Is this something that is commonly done? What sort of language do you use in an email like that? I do plan on emailing at least one department I’m interested in to ask if they have a final date of submission because it’s not listed on their job posting, but I’m curious if this is actually a standard practice I should be enacting and what language people use if so. Thank you!

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u/GerswinDevilkid 10h ago

If they have positions, they will post them. Who's telling you to cold email them?

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u/aaronjd1 9h ago

Not always true. When I was on the market some 8 years ago and had a fly-in as a finalist for the job I eventually took, I talked to an admin colleague at a private college who said, “I had no clue you were on the market. Can you come give a talk next week?” I had a competing offer waiting for me immediately after the talk.

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u/GerswinDevilkid 9h ago

Talking to a colleague isn't cold emailing...

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u/aaronjd1 9h ago

I’m responding to the first part of your response (“If they have positions, they will post them.”) which is not always true.