In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:
I had to withdraw from a class due to personal reasons. I am going on the job market next term—does one 'W' look bad on a transcript to job committee members or is this only a problem if there is more than one?
My experience is that most job applications (in America, at least) don't require transcripts, and of those that do, it's probably unlikely that committee members will spend much (if any) time looking at them. Having served on many search committees, my overwhelming sense is that you're not be hired (or interviewed) on the basis of your performance in grad coursework. Rather, what matters is whether you've published, how good your dissertation work is, what your teaching record and pedagogy look like, etc. Finally, even if committees do look at transcripts, I doubt one 'W' would mean much–though if you had more, then perhaps committees might notice, or it might be indicative of issues with finishing work that could lead your letter writers to write less than glowing recommendations.
But these are just my thoughts. What do other readers think?
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