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[caesura]

Hi!  I need some advice from people who hire faculty members about how/whether to mention illness/disability in cover letters.

Here's my situation:  I had a pretty promising career in the 90s--a couple of articles in good journals, a book contract, good peer evals of my teaching, decent and improving student evals.  Then I came down with a chronic illness, which was quite severe at first, now under control with minimal inconvenience.  The school was great, offering me leave and extending the tenure clock, but it became clear that I wasn't going to have the physical ability to teach full-time for quite a while.  So, in 2004, I resigned before going up for tenure.

My question:  I want to go back to teaching--online, preferably in programs attached to brick-and-mortar institutions.  There will be no impact of my illness for online teaching, so normally I wouldn't mention it.  But, looking at my cv, it gives the appearance, based only on dates, that I was denied tenure.  I will have a recommendation from my dept. chair at that job, but no one will see that until I pass the first screening.

So I'm thinking about including something like this in cover letters: "My academic career got off to a promising start, but unfortunately was interrupted by a serious health problem (now resolved).  I am thrilled that online teaching gives me the opportunity to return to teaching."

What do you think?  I know some people are weird about illness, but which is worse on initial screening--knowing about my illness or presuming I was denied tenure? 

[systeme_d_]

I am not a dean or chair, but I have served on many search committees.  We've received cover letters like this in the past, and I found that brief, non-detailed explanation / contextualization of an employment gap or publishing drop-off to be perfectly sufficient.

An alternative (or an additional) strategy would be to have one or more of your recommenders mention your severe illness and current readiness to return to teaching.

[der_gadfly]

CHIME systeme_d.

No need to explain your gaps.

[science_expat]

I am not a dean or chair, but I have served on many search committees.  We've received cover letters like this in the past, and I found that brief, non-detailed explanation / contextualization of an employment gap or publishing drop-off to be perfectly sufficient.

I would go with this tactic.

[derosa]

Having participated on and chaired several searches, I would expect that if you didn't explain gaps in your employment, they would be asked about if you were under consideration.  My advice would be to always make your situation as clear as possible.  I think your suggested approach will do the trick.

[caesura]

Thank you!

[jackit]

As usual, I agree with system_d.  I would use both methods: a brief mention in your letter, and a brief mention on a letter from a (hopefully) senior reference letter-writer.