The Faculty Application Letter
• Also called the cover letter
• Best to think of it as an argument (i.e.,
assertions supported with reasons and
evidence) or a marketing essay
• Should not exceed two pages
• Should be carefully customized to match
the institutional type, the character of the
specific institution, and the character of the
department.
Tips for Writing Effective Letters of
Application
• Tailor your letter very carefully and
specifically to the position as described in
the job announcement
• Avoid sending out generic cover letters.
Search committees can spot these
instantly, putting your application in
immediate jeopardy.
• Keep your audience at the center of your
writing. Tailor your letter very specifically
to the institution and to the department.
Use your research skills to research the
place and its people, the mission and the
culture (insofar as this is possible from
afar). The letters that will stand out in the
pile are the letters with a clear attention to
the character of the place.
• Foreground your experience suiting the type of
institution. For example, when applying to an
institution that emphasizes teaching, foreground
(that is, position this paragraph early) your
teaching experience, while backgrounding or
burying (in a later paragraph) your dissertation
and research interests. When applying for a
position that emphasizes research, foreground
your research experience and research
potential. The same advice applies to the
curriculum vitae, which may also be tailored to
the type of institution.
• Include a separate Teaching Philosophy
Statement or Research Statement only if it is
required in the job announcement.
• Avoid rehashing your C.V. in your letter. Okay
to draw attention to highlights, but let C.V. do its
job.
• Limit your letter to no more than two pages.
Your readers will appreciate directness and
concision, as well as language grounded in
detail and examples. Avoid jargon and
theoretical and abstract language.
• Limit the use of the pronoun “I,” especially at
the beginnings of sentences, to avoid giving the
impression of self-absorption or egocentricity.
• Dont underestimat they impotance of editing
and proofing (including making sure you have
spelled the recipient’s name correctly, you have
referred to the institution and department
appropriately, you have avoided gender-biased
language, etc.). Screening committees may be
looking for reasons to eliminate your application;
don’t give them an easy reason.
Online advice on writing cover letters
“The Basics of Cover Letter Writing” by Richard Reis. Chronicle of
Higher Education, 3 March 2000.
http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2000/03/2000030302c.htm
“How to Write Appealing Cover Letters” by Mary Morris Heiberger and
Julie Miller Vick. Chronicle of Higher Education, 21 April 2000.
http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2000/04/2000042101c.htm
Also:
http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/weinstein.agrawal/urbp213assig
nment_jobletter_Tips.pdf
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/639/01/
http://serc.carleton.edu/files/NAGTWorkshops/careerprep/j
obsearch/vita_handout.pdf
The Teaching Philosophy
Statement
• Usually ranges from two to three pages (single
space or space-and-a-half, but not double
space)
• Should be a mixture of your abstract beliefs
about teaching and learning and some specific
examples of how you enact your beliefs in the
classroom. In other words, make general
assertions and then back them up with some
anecdotal evidence.
• May address a set of implied questions
Advice from Dr. Peter Fosl, professor of philosophy at
Transylvania University (which he shared in my GS 650
course in fall 2007):
TPS should feature . . . .
• A sense of voice (dynamism, personality)
• A student-centered focus (an interest in the
needs of students, rather than your own needs)
• Evidence that you are not just interested in
conveying a body of knowledge or doctrine, but,
rather, that you want to cultivate an enduring
appreciation for the value of the subject or
discipline.
Prompts to Help You Prepare a Teaching Philosophy Statement
•Why is teaching important to you?
•How do you see yourself as a teacher? What is your role in the classroom? Would a
metaphor be useful?
•Why is your discipline important for students to understand and appreciate?
•How do you think students learn best?
•What are your learning goals for your students?
•Is your learning model reflected in your teaching?
•Do you have some overriding teaching goals or strategies?
•How exactly will you accomplish what you state? Link assertions to concrete examples.
•Is your philosophy statement reflective and personal versus superficial and generic?
•What might set your teaching apart from your colleagues? Do you apply a different
emphasis or use a different set of strategies?
•What is your plan for personal growth in your teaching profession?
Do you give your reader
•a clear idea about you as a teacher?
•a clear idea about what you believe about learning? About teaching?
•examples of how you implement your philosophy?
Consider your reader
Who is going to read this and for what purpose? Job interview? Promotion and
Tenure?
Will there be readers outside your discipline? Be aware of references,
examples, and jargon.
Is the narration organized clearly?
What tone are you conveying? Confidence? Open-mindedness? A statement
of your beliefs versus a set of absolute truths?
More general tips . . .
• Write in first-person, but don’t overuse “I.” You
don’t want to seem self-absorbed.
• Use paragraphing effectively; that is, use
paragraphs as units of thought. The convention
of announcing the paragraph’s topic in the first
sentence or two will be appreciated (and
noticed) by most readers.
• Be mindful of the importance of your opening
and your closing. Find a way to pull in your
reader and to take the reader back out
gracefully.
• Readers will want to know that you value active
learning (as opposed to the more passive
learning gained through lecturing). Remember,
though, that saying that you value and employ
active-learning techniques is not enough: you
must also provide examples of an instance or
two when you have used such strategies
effectively.
• Find a way to let your readers know that you are
a student of the scholarship of teaching in your
discipline and that you know the importance of
keeping up with new theories and innovations.
Online resources on writing TPSs
• “How to Write a Statement of Teaching Philosophy,” by Gabriela Montell.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 27 March 2003.
http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2003/03/2003032702c.htm
• “Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement,” prepared by Lee Haugen,
Center for Teaching Excellence, Iowa State University.
http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/philosophy.html
• “Four Steps to a Memorable Teaching Philosophy,” by James Lang.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 29 August 2010.
http://chronicle.com/article/4-Steps-to-a-Memorable/124199/
Other Useful Links:
http://ucat.osu.edu/teaching_portfolio/teaching_port.html (for samples)
http://www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tstpts.php
http://chronicle.com/article/How-to-Write-a-Statement-of/45133
http://chronicle.com/article/4-Steps-to-a-Memorable/124199/
http://www.crlt.umich.edu/publinks/CRLT_no23.pdf
Consider . . .
Certificate in College
Teaching and Learning