In my CoAL department, it took approximately ten weeks for the permission to advertise forms to be signed by the provost. The dean claimed that every permission to advertise form in the entire college had to be collected on his desk and only then would he walk them over (perhaps led by the the marching band?) to the provost. Why? Who knows?

The job ads have been posted far too late for the annual convention over winter break where every other university in the country holds interviews in my discipline. However, things have a funny way of working out. Since exactly one-half of my department's tenured/tenure track faculty are interviewing for other positions at this same convention, there isn't anyone available to conduct interviews on USM's behalf.