From the ad in the Chronicle:
English: Two full-time tenure track assistant professor positions in English beginning August 2003. Ph.D. in English required. A 4/4 teaching load consisting primarily of freshman composition and general education literature courses, with occasional teaching of upper-level courses.
This reminds me of a conversation I had with some former professors the other day. One of them said that while the job market in Rhetoric is good, meaning plentiful, the quality of jobs is not so good. This one, for example: a 4/4 teaching load and "occasional teaching of upper-level courses"? Are most of the jobs like this--you basically do the work of an adjunct instructor, but with the chance to get tenure? Who can focus on research under that heavy a teaching load?
Seeing the glass half-full?
I see the fact that a job teaching FYC could be tenure-track as actually fairly heartening. Yes, a 4/4 load is heavy, but I doubt Pembroke has the same research requirements as a major research university. And there's always the summer!
Re: Seeing the glass half-full?
My response to this question is:
Yes, talk of tons of jobs in rhet/comp is true - if you either want to teach a heavy load or be in the middle of nowhere (or sometimes both) - and some people do want 4/4 loads.
If you want to teach at a quality school with a better load - some combo of 3/3, 3/2, 2/2, then be prepared for stiff competition like any other job. This is true for research I, research II, or small liberal arts schools with good teaching loads. These jobs get good quality candidates.
That was my experience, and I know of others who have had the same experience.