R1 universities (and those that aspire to be such) have certain expectations for faculty. On the other end of the spectrum, small or dedicated predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs) have others. The balance between teaching and research shifts drastically between the two, but in the middle lies the medium-sized university. Often, these institutions have non-negligible research expectations coupled with reduced but also high teaching expectations. Herein, the role that both research and teaching play in undertaking this type of PUI professorial appointment will be discussed in order to provide graduate students and postdocs a chance to see the middle road between research universities and teaching colleges. Discussion and comparison of research expectations, teaching responsibilities, and service will be described with anecdotal descriptions of what works and what likely does not, as well as the type of individual who can succeed, in this type of university setting.

Professor Gig at a medium-sized PUI

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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