Application Components and Sample Documents

The CDIP application has two parts: one to be completed by the student applicant, and the other by the applicant in collaboration with the CSU Faculty Mentor. Funds will only be disbursed if the applicant enrolls at an institution he or she has proposed in the application.

Application Materials include:

Resume or Curriculum Vitae

Up to four pages, enumerating academic and professional accomplishments, including scholarly conference presentations and publications.  This must be in at least an 11-point font.

Qualifications and Motivation Statement

Up to three pages, addressing the applicant’s:

  • Commitment to becoming a CSU faculty member;
  • Academic preparation (academic achievements, awards, honors, fellowships);
  • Professional experiences in teaching and research;
  • Motivation and interest in becoming a university professor (as a teacher and a scholar);
  • Connection to the CSU and knowledge of the CSU mission and role in preparing California’s workforce;
  • Dedication and ability to educate a diverse student body.

Please note: Students from a professional and/or online doctoral degree program (see Eligibility) must address in their Qualifications and Motivation Statement their professional goal as a university faculty member. This also needs to be addressed in the mentor’s letter of recommendation.

Sample Qualifications and Motivation Statement [pdf]

Collaborative Plan of Support

READ

  • ​Applicants to the program must have a CSU Faculty Mentor who is a full-time, tenured or tenure-track CSU faculty member.
  • Faculty Mentor and applicant jointly develop a high quality written plan of support describing how they intend to maintain communication and collaborate. This plan should describe clearly defined activities with a timeline designed to assist the applicant through doctoral studies.

Sample Collaborative Plans of Support provided by CDIP: Sample 1 [pdf] | Sample 2 [pdf]

Recommendation Letters

Two current letters of recommendation are required with this application. One letter must be from applicant’s CSU proposed faculty mentor and second from appliant's doctoral advisor if applicant is currently enrolled in a doctoral program.

If the applicant is applying to doctoral programs, then a letter from someone familiar with their academic work research interests and potential and commitment to the discipline is appropriate. The letters of recommendation should address:

  • Proposed plan of study, including the quality of the institutions and departments where applicant intends to pursue the doctorate;
  • Potential to succeed as a doctoral student and be hired as a CSU tenure-track instructional faculty;
  • Experience and motivation relevant to educating a diverse student body in the CSU.

CSU Faculty Mentor Letter of Recommendation: CSU Faculty mentor letter indicates a strong support of applicant’sand their partnership in CDIP. The potential, skills, motivation of students in the doctoral program. The quality of the applicants proposed plan of study, potential to be successful in doctoral studies and to receive gainful employment as CSU tenure-track faculty. The CSU faculty mentor indicates strong support of the applicant’s potential to enthusiastically support the CSU’s ongoing commitment to the academic success of all of our students, including students of color, students with disabilities, students who are first generation to college, veterans, students with diverse socio-economic backgrounds, and students of diverse sexual orientations and gender expressions. Strong support of the applicants
commitment to educate the diverse student body in the CSU and dedication to mission, values and goals of the CSU.

Second Faculty Reference: The second faculty letter addresses the quality of the addressing the quality of the doctoral program (existing or future program) of applicant. Strong doctoral programs are viewed favorably by CSU hiring committees. The quality of the institution and department where the applicant intends to pursue their doctoral degree and appropriateness for a CSU tenure track instructional faculty position. For example: Does it provide the appropriate certification or accreditation needed in the field?). For-profit universities do not generally provide the necessary preparation needed for a CSU tenure track faculty position. If an applicant is pursuing a professional degree (DSW, DNP, EdD) a case must be made that the degree is suitable for a teaching career in the CSU system.