Additional Resources
Learning Through Diversity
- Digital Accessibility Office—Trainings and tools to help improve the accessibility of digital content
- Inclusive teaching—UNC-Chapel Hill’s Center for Faculty Excellence
- Transparent assignments
- How to Make Your Teaching More Inclusive
- Carolina Women’s Center
- LGBTQ Center
- Safe Zone Training
- Green Zone Training
- National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD)
- Inclusive Teaching Guide—Life Sciences Education
Online Teaching at Carolina
Evaluation and Peer Observation of Teaching
- Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS)
- Effective peer evaluation models
- Practical Observation Rubric to Assess Active Learning (PORTAAL)
Academic Career Resources
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
A curriculum vitae, or CV, should include enough detail without the need for paragraphs. Entries should be in reverse chronological order under section headings. Be sure to separate presentations from publications—keep these in two different sections. Lastly, demonstrate research progress, and include manuscripts under review, revision, accepted, and published.
Cover Letter
An effective cover letter includes information beyond that which is found in your CV. You can use the job advertisement as an outline to structure your letter. Be sure to support claim statements with evidence and examples: Statements should not leave the reader thinking “so what?” Include what you will contribute to the position, department, students, and to the institution—demonstrate forward thinking. Lastly, make sure your research and teaching is understandable to a non-expert.
Research Statements
A research statement should be tailored to the type of institution to which you are applying. For instance, is it undergraduate focused or research intensive? Research statements provide context: what are the most important salient/novel findings, and why? What are your future goals and aims? Why? An effective research statement also conveys excitement, importance, ability to be funded, independence, and includes why your research is important (in non-expert terms).
Teaching Statements
A teaching statement is an opportunity to describe yourself as an instructor, expectations of students, overall goals for student learning, and how you know students are learning. This sample teaching statement includes many of these elements. They provide examples and evidence of your effectiveness, reflect on how you continually improve your teaching practice, and are tailored to the institution. Write to their mission and goals for their students.
- Writing the teaching statement
- Eight pitfalls of teaching statements
- Distinguishing your teaching statement
- Additional tips from the University of California—San Francisco
Diversity Statements
Diversity statements tell a story and demonstrate your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Think broadly and contextually (teaching, research, and service). What have you done to support students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds?
Interviewing
Practice, practice, practice! This applies to all stages of the interview process (phone, via Zoom, in-person). Develop an easy-to-understand elevator pitch of your research: Answer the what/why, discuss novel results, and its impact. Have go-to bullet points and examples at the ready to support responses to questions you anticipate. Ask questions—beyond what is on the website. Be curious.
Teaching Demonstrations
Effective teaching demonstrative show and do not tell. You should know your content well and focus on clear communication. Engage your audience (students and faculty) with active-learning techniques, context, and in conveying the importance of the topic. State your goals for the lesson and end with how students achieved those goals. How are students assessed? How do you know they are learning? Practice with a live audience and gain feedback for improvement before the interview.