The purpose of this guide is to provide a foundation for thinking about your own perspective statements for academic job applications. This guide is general and does not provide discipline-, institution- or position-specific guidance.
The Center for Career Development offers one-on-one advising appointments to review and discuss your perspective statement. We also encourage you to reach out to recent faculty hires in your department or discipline as they are likely to have examples of what committees may find compelling.
What is a perspective statement and what is its purpose?
Many colleges and universities prioritize diversifying their faculty, staff and student bodies. As part of the faculty application process, they may have a required or optional component called a perspective statement (sometimes also referred to as a service statement or life experience statement).
A perspective statement is an outline of how an applicant will advance an institution's approach to fostering an inclusive learning environment. It is also a chance for you to discuss your understanding of the varied experiences of historically underrepresented groups. You can also outline your lived experiences or your experiences meeting the needs of a diverse group during your graduate training and beyond. It is also appropriate to outline a vision of how you, as a faculty member, would make contributions to inclusion initiatives in the future.
Your statement will likely have at least some of these elements:
- A statement of your perspective or values to articulate your understanding of inclusion within higher education
- Personal examples or experience to provide evidence of your commitment to inclusion by describing what you've done in the past
- Examples of what you will do as a faculty member to advance inclusion
What topics might I cover?
Perspective statements vary in terms of what people choose to highlight depending on their own identities, experiences and backgrounds. You may include content you think addresses how you have approached diversity in the past or may approach it in your new position. The following list is intended to serve as a starting point and is not exhaustive.
Context
As with any piece of writing, it's helpful for a reader if you provide a framework. To orient your reader, you may want to discuss difficulties people from certain backgrounds face in your field.
You may also want to discuss your lived experiences navigating some of those very difficulties. However, for legal, personal or political reasons, you may choose not to include information about your identity. Either approach is accepted.
Research
If you are conducting research focused on people of diverse backgrounds or that offers theoretical or practical insights into underserved groups, be sure to highlight it in your perspective statement. Provide greater depth in your research statement.
You may also want to discuss ways you are going to support students of diverse backgrounds who may work with you as research assistants or thesis students.
Teaching
If you have teaching experience, you may consider discussing how you incorporate inclusion of multiple perspectives in your courses. For example, you could discuss inclusive teaching practices or how you have approached teaching diverse groups.
Mentorship is another form of teaching, so highlight experiences working with students from underserved or historically underrepresented backgrounds.
It is common to generate ideas about how you would approach teaching as a new faculty member through the lens of multiple perspectives. Topics you include in your diversity statement related to teaching should complement what you write about in your teaching statement.
Service
If you hold positions within your department, on campus or your professional associations related to inclusion, you can discuss how those will shape your approach as a faculty member.
You can also discuss any outreach you may do in the community, especially related to marginalized groups.
Getting started
Writing a perspective statement is like writing other academic job materials (e.g., teaching or research statements). Therefore, many of the steps for a successful perspective statement are similar to other documents.
Step 1
Brainstorm
Using the topics listed above, you can also ask yourself more specific questions related to your ideas, for example:
- How have I grown over the past year? What have I learned?
- In what ways did the place(s) in which I grew up shape me?
- What has been a defining moment in my life?
- When did taking someone’s advice have a positive impact on my life? When did challenging expectations yield an unexpectedly positive result?
- What experiences have given me a deeper appreciation for others’ perspectives?
- What steps might I take to create an environment of trust and mutual respect with colleagues or students whose backgrounds differ from my own?
Step 2
Consider your audience
Your statement will be read by a committee of faculty members, but the exact composition will vary depending on the type of institution to which you are applying. Consider what faculty will want to or expect to see in your statement.
Step 3
Select your examples
Perspective statements are typically only about a page long. You may have a range of experiences you would like to discuss or cover. Be thoughtful about which examples you choose.
Each example you choose should highlight a competency, perspective or experience you have that demonstrates your commitment to an inclusive learning environment.
The Writing Center, Center for Career Development, Gender and Sexuality Resource Center and your faculty mentor(s) are good resources with whom to discuss your examples.
Step 4
Revise and refine
As with almost all writing, your first draft of your perspective statement won't be your last or your best.
Have trusted advisers, mentors, and/or friends read over your statement to help make sure you're articulating your points as clearly as possible.
Should I tailor my perspective statement?
Once you have a general draft with which you feel comfortable, you should make sure to research a specific institution or department's programs, efforts and policies related to maintaining an inclusive learning environment.
Align your statement with the institution to demonstrate you understand their environment and student body. This provides more specific evidence about why you are the best candidate for their open position.
Example perspective statement
This statement was used by a candidate during a faculty job search as a fifth-year Ph.D. student. They received a faculty offer at a small liberal arts college in a psychology department.
Sample
My commitment to inclusion stems not from personal experiences of marginalization, but from a growing recognition of the structural barriers many students face—barriers I did not have to overcome myself. I come from a relatively privileged background: I attended well-resourced public schools, had financial stability, and never had to question whether I would feel “at home” in academic spaces. Yet this very privilege has made it all the more important for me to listen, learn, and act in ways that help create inclusive environments for those who have not shared my experience.
My awareness of these disparities deepened during my undergraduate years. I witnessed peers struggling with challenges I had never considered: the fear of being academically outpaced, the emotional weight of being a first-generation college student, the sense of invisibility that can accompany being part of a marginalized community. These were eye-opening moments for me, and I came to understand that while I may not share these experiences personally, I have a responsibility to help address them.
I began this work in earnest through my role as a peer adviser. Working with a diverse cohort of first-year students gave me direct insight into the range of experiences and obstacles they faced. Some students hesitated to ask for help, fearing their backgrounds would be misunderstood or dismissed. Others struggled to find a sense of belonging. These conversations reinforced for me how important it is to create environments where all students feel seen, respected, and supported.
As an adviser and mentor, I’ve learned that valuing students’ perspectives and making space for their voices is not just important—it’s foundational. This understanding has shaped the way I approach teaching and mentorship today, and it will continue to guide my work as a faculty member.
As a Ph.D. student, I have taken on several roles aimed at promoting inclusion. I was elected as the graduate student liaison to faculty, a role that involved gathering and communicating student concerns on a range of issues, from microaggressions to financial hardship. One particular serious incident involved several students missing paychecks. I drafted a letter to the dean based on students' reports of the problem and helped push for a resolution. Although I did not personally experience the financial strain, I recognized the importance of using my position to advocate for those who did.
I also served on my department's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) committee. One of my contributions was organizing a training session led by a staff member from the university's LGBTQIA center. The session focused on supporting queer students and was well-received by faculty and graduate students alike. Initiatives like these remind me how impactful even small steps toward inclusivity can be, especially when they are supported by institutional structures.
In the classroom, I make it a priority to foster inclusive and accessible learning environments. In my Psychology of Language course, I encourage students to think critically about the demographics of participants in psycholinguistic research, and we discuss how these limitations affect our understanding of language and cognition. I dedicate a full class session to inclusion and include readings that explore how our field can evolve to become more equitable. Feedback from my students has been positive: on average, they have rated the inclusiveness of my classroom environment as 4.78 out of 5, above the department and college averages.
As a writing tutor in the university's Writing Studio, I often support students navigating how to share personal experiences—sometimes deeply personal ones—in their academic work. In one instance, a student was unsure whether to discuss their gender identity and disability in a graduate school essay. While I couldn’t fully understand what that decision meant for them, I offered support and helped them reflect on how their identity shaped their goals. They ultimately chose to include that part of their story, and I was honored to help them feel empowered in that decision.
Although I do not come from a traditionally underrepresented background, I am deeply committed to creating equitable learning spaces. I see it as part of my role as an educator and academic to use whatever privilege and access I have to advocate for inclusion. I am eager to continue this work at X college/university and to be part of a community that values and actively promotes equity for all.