Pros
At first glance, everybody seems really nice. I met a couple of good colleagues with whom I have stayed in touch. Also, I had a few good students who were willing to work and learn. As excited as I was to begin working here, I was equally excited to leave.
Cons
The work environment is toxic, passive aggressive, secretive, anti-intellectual, and riddled with gossip. Faculty turnover is an issue. Some faculty members try to micromanage their colleagues when they have no authority to do so. You almost have to pursue research in stealth, lest influential gossiping colleagues view you with suspicion. Also, faculty governance is a farce here. Professors who attempt to hold students to a reasonable level of undergraduate expectations are undermined and not supported. It was an absolute joy when a student actually took an interest in the course of study and did what ought to be the norm at the college level instead of the exception. However, doing so opened a student to ridicule from peers. Student evaluations of teaching are given too much credence. Although I was hired for my accomplished teaching, at MSU my teaching "improved" when I finally watered down my classes by no longer giving tests and by "using the textbook" - going through the chapters during class. This was in contrast to my previous expectations for students to do the assigned readings in preparation for class so that we could expand upon the material during class. Professors were openly criticized if something from the assigned readings was on a test and not mentioned ad nauseam in class. Conversely, professors were openly criticized if they taught something that wasn't specifically in a course textbook, with the expectation that the professor should have students open their textbooks during class and point out the pages where something is mentioned. This has no semblance of what should pass for a college education, and it makes me wonder about the kinds of students MSU doesn't attract. North Dakota relies heavily on tax revenue from oil and agricultural commodities, and the state’s budget has fluctuated with boom and bust cycles. Due to state budget cuts to higher education, in North Dakota, even "tenured" faculty can be dismissed with very little notice.