Online Teaching Blog

The day after the ad ran, I eagerly checked the jobs mailbox. Thrilled to see more than forty applications, I decided to allot time later in the week to begin my review.

Before the end of the week the inbox count was up to more than 220. In the next two weeks, 300+ more applications came in. A nice problem to be sure, but how to sort through the abundance? The obvious answer would be to first eliminate those without qualifications, but most – at least on paper – seemed more than qualified to be online instructors.

After this grueling task, it’s tempting to dash off your cover letter (or email) as an afterthought - but resist. This document is where many hiring managers decide whether to read your resume and invite you to interview.

There is often a misunderstanding about whether regional accrediting bodies and the Department of Education work hand in hand. The regional Commissions maintain a relationship with the federal government and the Department of Education. HLC is considered a “gatekeeper agency” and therefore has specific responsibilities defined by the USDE regarding accreditation.

I’ve hired many adjuncts over the years, both in my current role as Director of Online Programs at Philadelphia University and when I was chair of the Communications department there.

I’ve seen a lot of nutty things submitted by job applicants, things that obviously disqualified them from being hired. While those bizarre behaviors are good cocktail party fodder – remind me to tell you about the candidate who removed her tights in an interview and left them in the conference room wastebasket – this piece is about more subtle actions on social media that can turn off hiring managers.

This is how 21st century learners of all ages learn. We have rapidly become a “how to” society in which we can immediately find a demo online of anything we might want to learn how to do, and then we go about doing it. This type of self-directed learning is a big change from how things were done only a decade or so ago, and has big implications for classroom-based teaching and learning. Teachers no longer need to start with a teacher-led lecture and reading a textbook, followed by written homework assignments. We can go from a how-to video or demonstration to the actual doing.

Thank you for submitting your application to (insert name of university) for the position of (Insert title of position). We appreciate the time that you took to apply for our position. While it is never easy to narrow a search, we have selected the candidate we believe best meet our needs at this time. We hope that you will consider (insert name of university) for future employment opportunities.