Professorship: A career option?

For most of the students a job in multinational or further studies in a foreign university is the main aim in life. We hope,for the sake of India and IITs,that a few would prefer to come back and contribute to their alma mater.While we realize that the hope sounds more childish than realistic but it’s got to start at some point of time for IITs to even dare to match the standard setters like MIT,Harvard,Stanford etc.

Pretty much like the students, the professors also hired through a very selective process. Kepping the selection process competitive and efficient is of primary significance to maintain the overall quality of the academic and reseach activities in the campus.The most common notion of a professor’s life is that of a happy and effortless one,albeit earning a penny or two less than the people in industries.But,news heralding a change in times reach ours ears every now and then,making the decision between an academic and an industrial career a perplexing task.Here’s an interview with Dr.Vinod kumar,Dean of Faculty Affairs clearing our doubts and detailing the selection process for us.

What is the process for the selection of facilty in IITR?

      There are two process by which a faculty member is generally appointed-Fast track and regular.Faculty those who are excellent in their fields are taken in as soon as possible through the past track process before the other institutes.

Departments recommend the meritorious people in the respective fields and based on their willingness to work in our institute,they are hired.The Second is the regular process,in which applications are received as a response to our advertisements and processed by the departments. The selection committee then selects the professors based on a round of interviews.

Who are the members of Selection Committee?

      The selection committee consists of the Director,a visitor’s nominee who is nominated by the President of the India,two to four experts nominated by the senate and the board, with exertise in the subject area of the faculty and the Head Of the Department. The selection committee has the final say on all decisions regarding the selection and promotion of the professors.

What are the prerequisites for a person to apply for a faculty position?

       As per Ministry of Human Resources,the qualification for the position of an assistant professor are a PhD and a good academic record in the previous degree.They are inducted at Grade 3 and after a minimum service of 3 years they are promoted to grade 4.If the competition is tough,we look into their achievements and expertise in research and academics.Normally,there are atlest 6 to 7 applicant for a position

How are the current faculty evaluated?

       Performane evaluation of the professors is done taking into account the student’s response,the research activities,consultancy projects,sponsored research etc. Based on these factors a professor is rated on a five point scale. The selection committee may use these data to award the promotions.

What are some common grievances of the professors?

       The professor feel that the funding is given by the MHRD for their attending of international conferences is not enough. We are continuously trying to make the process less cumbersome than it was before. Some of the professors are also complain about the teaching load, which is heavier when compared to the other institutes.

Can you tell us about proferssorship as a career option?

       Compairing myself with classmates,who are in the industry,I would say there is not much of a difference between the two paths. Though the industrial career might have a slightly financial edge ,I am satisfied with fact that whatever I did, I did it for myself and not for the company that employs me. It is a freedom of work that I enjoy the most in this job. The financial difference is also slowly disappearing with the revision of the pay scale and endless consulting opportunities available to the professors.