Target is pretty good about taking back stuff. Also, I found one time that if I gave them the debit card I used they could tell what I had purchased and refund it to that card. That actually was disconcerting considering their security history, but I got my stuff returned.

Mmmmm, now I want a muffin! (but not a choc chip bagel)

Well, I ordered a chocolate cupcake with dinner (because i could) and what showed up on my tray was a chocolate choc chip muffin cut into quarters with a dollop of whipped cream. Total muffin!

As long as there was chocolate, it doesn't sound bad.

At least they adhere to the "have a muffin" doctrine.

People who know about academic stuff: I just got an email from one of the schools I applied to last year, saying that they're looking to hire someone starting in January, and want to know if I'm interested. I am definitely interested, but I've got a contract here for the full school year. Not sure what to do. Suggestions? (The email was just saying that they're contacting the people who applied last year, to see if they can just hire from that pool, rather than doing a whole new search.)

Is the potential position TT? If so, I think breaking your contract (if hired) would be understood. Anyway, there's no harm in saying you're interested.

I'm sure people on all sides of academic hiring are used to contingencies pending unexpected opportunities.

It's not TT, still just a lecturer position, but in a place where I'd be much happier living, I think.

Assuming that you really like the new job. . .

If you were in my department you would tell the other school that you were still interested, that you had an appointment through the end of the academic year, but that there was room to negotiate an earlier start if it was important.

Sometimes they are just stating a preference for start and don't actually care that much, in which case they will tell you so.

If the job really depends on the January start, and they offer it to you, and you want it, you will have to go to your chair and explain that you need to leave at the end of the semester for the sake of your career. It will be a nuisance for them to cover your teaching, of course, but no one really thinks that a one-year contract should hold people back from career advancement. If a department is filling its teaching with short-term positions it give them flexibility, but there are instabilities that come with that, and they are a reflection on the job, not people looking for a better situation.

We've put our lecturers on five-year contracts renewable in the fourth year, so they have greater security and greater commitment to our program and it's future. We now get excellent people who are innovative and dedicated teachers. They buy a house and settle in. It has really transformed our undergraduate program to have so much high-quality teaching.

But if we were still offering one-year contracts no one would be mad if the person bolted for a better opportunity at mid-year.

I know nothing of Math departments and their culture, though. Psychologists are under a certain pressure not to be jerks, at least not out in the open.

We've put our lecturers on five-year contracts renewable in the fourth year, so they have greater security and greater commitment to our program and it's future.

Our department used to put people on three-year contracts once they'd been working at the department for a few years, but they stopped that a few years ago for budget reasons -- the multi-year contracts are paid from a different fund than the one-year contracts, and the one-year fund had extra money while the multi-year fund was tight.

We've put our lecturers on five-year contracts renewable in the fourth year, so they have greater security and greater commitment to our program and it's future.

That's pretty cool!