AJS Guide – Other Supporting Documents

In addition to the academic CV and cover letter, most academic job applications require a set of supporting documents that allow hiring committees to evaluate your candidacy in greater depth. These materials provide insight into how you think as a scholar, how you approach teaching, and how you engage with academic communities and institutional values.

Supporting documents are not supplementary in the sense of being optional or secondary. In many searches, particularly teaching‑stream, research‑intensive, or equity‑focused roles, supporting documents are central to the hiring committee’s evaluation. Expectations vary by discipline, institution, and position type, but collectively these documents help committees move beyond credentials to assess how a candidate’s experiences, priorities, and potential contributions align with the position.

How Supporting Documents Are Used in Academic Hiring

Hiring committees rely on supporting documents to answer evaluative questions that the CV and cover letter cannot address on their own, such as:

Does the candidate have a coherent and sustainable research agenda?
How does the candidate approach teaching and student learning?
What evidence exists of teaching effectiveness or pedagogical growth?
How does the candidate understand and enact professional values, such as equity, inclusion, service, or community engagement?

While not every document carries equal weight in every search, each one is treated as a distinct academic genre with its own conventions. Committees expect these materials to be:

clearly written
appropriately framed for the role
responsive to institutional priorities

Pay careful attention to which documents are requested, and how they are described in the posting, to determine how much time and tailoring you should devote to each.

Core Supporting Documents

Below are the most commonly requested supporting documents, along with guidance on their purpose, typical expectations, and how they are evaluated.

Research Statement

The research statement outlines your scholarly trajectory and future direction. Typically one to two pages, it explains:

the central questions or problems motivating your work,
your key contributions to the field,
your methodological or theoretical approach, and
your plans for future research.

The research statement helps hiring committees understand the coherence, significance, and longer-term trajectory of your research program. Rather than focusing primarily on technical details, it provides an opportunity to explain why your work matters, how your projects connect to one another, and how your research agenda may develop over time. Some institutions request a longer research statement (4-5 pages), which may require a more detailed discussion of future research projects, methodological approaches, funding possibilities, and potential outcomes.

For research-intensive positions, the research statement can also provide evidence of a candidate's capacity to secure funding, contribute to collaborative initiatives, and engage with existing strengths within a department or institution. Clear discussion of future projects and research plans helps readers understand both the scope and sustainability of the proposed research program.

Strong research statements are selective and forward-looking. Rather than cataloguing every project or achievement, they situate a body of work within broader scholarly conversations and demonstrate a clear intellectual direction. In this respect, they share some similarities with funding proposals, which also emphasize significance, feasibility, and future impact.

Teaching Statements and Teaching Dossiers

Teaching-focused application materials allow hiring committees to understand not only what you believe about teaching and learning, but also how those beliefs are reflected in your practice. Depending on the institution and position, applicants may be asked to submit a teaching philosophy statement, a teaching dossier (or portfolio), or both.

While these documents serve slightly different purposes, they are often closely connected. Teaching statements typically articulate your approach to teaching and learning, while teaching dossiers provide evidence that support and illustrate the claims made in the statement. Together, they help hiring committees assess your teaching effectiveness, pedagogical development, and preparedness for the role.

Teaching Philosophy Statement

A teaching philosophy statement describes your approach to teaching and learning. Usually one to two pages, it explains:

your pedagogical values,
how those values shape your instructional choices, and
how you support student learning in practice.

Strong teaching statements move beyond abstract descriptions of teaching and provide concrete examples from practice. Rather than simply statement a commitment to active learning, accessibility, or inclusive teaching, explain how these principles are reflected in your course design, classroom activities, assessments, or student interactions.

Increasingly, hiring committees are also interested in evidence of impact. Consider discussing how your teaching approaches have influenced student learning, engagement, participation, achievement, or other outcomes where evidence is available.

Strong statements often demonstrate:

a clear and coherence teaching approach
specific examples drawn from teaching experience
reflection on teaching successes and challenges
evidence of student learning or engagement
Evidence of student learning or engagement
a commitment to inclusive and accessible learning environments
ongoing pedagogical growth and professional development

Teaching philosophy statements can also direct readers to evidence found elsewhere in the teaching dossier, helping create connections between your stated approach and the materials that support it.

Teaching Dossier or Teaching Portfolio

A teaching dossier (sometimes called a teaching portfolio) provides evidence of your teaching experience, effectiveness, and development over time. While formats vary by institution and discipline, dossiers are generally broader and more evidence-based than teaching philosophy statements.

A teaching dossier may include:

a teaching philosophy statement
teaching experience summaries
course lists and teaching responsibilities
sample syllabi, assignments or assessments
summaries of student feedback or course evaluations
peer observations of teaching
examples of curriculum development
evidence of teaching-related awards, grants, or recognition
records of pedagogical training and professional development

When describing teaching experience, consider providing contextual information where appropriate, such as class size, course level, instructional format, and the scope of your responsibilities. This helps committees better understand the nature and complexity of your teaching experience.

Committees generally look for evidence that supports the claims made in your teaching statement. Quality, relevance, and organization are usually more important than quantity. A concise, well-structured dossier that clearly demonstrates teaching effectiveness is typically more impactful than an extensive collection of materials without a clear narrative.

For teaching stream and teaching-focused positions, teaching materials may be among the most heavily weighted components of the application. Even in research-intensive searches, strong evidence of teaching effectiveness can help distinguish candidates with otherwise similar academic profiles.

For additional guidance on developing teaching statements and dossiers, consult resources such as the University of Toronto's Teaching Assistants' Training Program (TATP) Preparing the Teaching Dossier guide and the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (CTSI)'s Developing and Assessing Teaching Dossiers guide.

Writing Sample

A writing sample allow committees to assess the depth, rigor, and clarity of your scholarly work. Published articles are ideal, but strong dissertation chapters or works in progress may also be appropriate, particularly for early‑career candidates.

Hiring committees typically look for:

quality of argumentation,
methodological or analytical sophistication, and
alignment with the department’s disciplinary expectations.

Choose a writing sample that reflects your strongest work, and that complements the research narrative presented elsewhere in your application. If you are unsure which sample to include, consult your supervisor or mentors.

Thesis or Dissertation Abstract

In many humanities and social science fields, candidates are asked to submit a dissertation or thesis abstract. This one‑page document should clearly articulate:

the central argument,
the methodological approach, and
the scholarly significance of the project.

If a chapter or excerpt is requested instead, include a short contextual note explaining how it fits within the larger work.

The goal is accessibility: committees should be able to understand the contribution of your project even if they are not specialists in your area.

Reference Letters

Most academic applications require three reference letters, though some ask for more. Strong letters come from referees who know your work well and can speak with specificity about your research, teaching, and professional potential.

Request letters well in advance and provide referees with:

the job posting,
your CV,
relevant statements or drafts, and
clear submission instructions and deadlines.

Thoughtful preparation supports stronger, more tailored letters and minimizes last‑minute stress.

Additional or Role-Specific Documents

Some institutions request materials that reflect particular values or institutional missions. These may include:

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Statement

Many institutions ask for a short statement describing your contributions to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging in academic environments. This may include your approach to inclusive teaching, mentorship practices, community engagement, and efforts to support underrepresented students or colleagues.

Strong EDI statements use specific examples such as designing accessible course materials, mentoring diverse students, incorporating inclusive pedagogies, or participating in departmental initiatives. Avoid abstract language and instead demonstrate how you put principles into practice.

Community Engagement or Service Statement

Positionality Statement

Some institutions request a statement that reflects how your personal background, identity, or lived experiences inform your research, teaching, and academic approach. This type of statement should be thoughtful and reflective, connecting your experiences to your scholarly or pedagogical practices without oversharing personal information. The goal is to demonstrate self‑awareness and an understanding of how positionality shapes academic work.

Faith Statement

Other Materials

Each of these documents should be treated as a distinct genre, shaped by the expectations of the institution and the role. They also offer opportunities to convey additional dimensions of your academic identity. Tailor your responses to the institution’s mission and expectations, using concrete examples to demonstrate your experiences and commitments, and provide brief contextual introductions for any samples or portfolios.

Why Institutions Request These Statements

Equity, diversity, inclusion, and positionality statements are increasingly common in academic hiring. Institutions use these documents to understand how candidates will contribute to departmental culture, student learning environments, and institutional values around access and belonging.

Strong statements focus on demonstrated practice, not abstract commitments. Grounding your responses in past experiences, such as inclusive teaching strategies, mentorship approaches, or service activities, offers more meaningful evidence than hypothetical intentions.

Emerging Topic: Generative AI and Application Materials

The use of generative AI tools in academic job applications is an evolving area of discussion. Institutional expectations vary, and candidates should carefully review application instructions and professional norms within their discipline. Regardless of how drafting tools are used, applicants remain responsible for ensuring that all submitted materials accurately represent their qualifications, experiences, and scholarly work.