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[slacwriter]

I'm writing a cover letter for a position as dean at an institution other than the one where I currently work. Question: Do I focus on what I've done in leadership roles (program director, etc.) and let them take that as evidence for how I would approach the deanship? Or do I frame it differently, focusing on what I would do there?

I lean toward #1 because it's evidence-oriented and also because it seems less presumptuous to me. I don't know everything I would need to know about the other job and its context, so it's hard to say exactly what I would do.

Do I have that right? Or would you take another tack?

[barred_owl]

First of all, good luck in your bid for the new position, slacwriter!

Can you combine both tactics into your letter?  Demonstrating or offering evidence of your experience is very important, of course.  But, as with any academic job, it's important to show that you've done your homework about the institution to which you're applying and can connect what you've learned about the institution to your previous experience.  I wouldn't assume that the SC will necessarily make those connections without a little prompting from you.

[slacwriter]

Thanks for the tip and the encouragement, Barred Owl. I've taken that approach, a bit, but more along the lines of philosophy than practical things. The position is as Dean of a very small unit at a larger institution, and the very small unit has a unique approach to education. So I've made the connections very explicit in a philosophical sense; I've been clear about the approach I've taken to my current position, what I've achieved, etc.; and I've been less explicit and specific about what I would do there in a practical sense.

In principle, do you think that approach goes far enough? Or do you think that I should be heavier on some specifics of what I would do in the new position?

[barred_owl]

It sounds like you're on the right track, slacwriter.  There's a fine line between being specific about what you might do and sounding like a fool, for lack of a better word--I don't think you've crossed that line, based on what you've described so far.

Thinking back to a cover letter I wrote for a dean position (for which I was later interviewed and hired), it seems to me that I addressed prior experience first, then went to the college's mission statement/guiding principles/strategic vision statement and used those as a platform for talking about how I saw my potential role as dean.  I didn't go into too many specifics, but I used the guiding principles as a template for developing the second half of the letter, more or less.  Of course, I don't know if you have a similar template from which to work.

As an example of what I mean, one of the strategic vision statements from the college was to "Support the professional development of faculty and staff."  In my letter, I wrote briefly about my commitment to prof. dev., how I'd been benefited by such support in the past, and how I might go about enhancing prof. dev. opportunities for faculty through grantwriting, etc.

Does that help at all?  As I said, I think you're solidly on the right track.  It's probably best to be a little more general/philosophical now and then prepare to answer questions at an interview with more specifics.

[slacwriter]

That's very helpful, Barred Owl. It is almost exactly the approach I've taken. Your example helps quite a bit.

[asomarin]

Hi,

I am going to apply for a dean position. I was searching online for some examples from people who have experienced this. Then I found this website and forum so I decided to contact you. I need to prepare a cover letter. I was wondering if you can send me your cover letter. This is my first application for this type of position so any help from you (or other users) would be greatly appreciated.