Diversity and Ethics Cover Letter
Objective: Apply the sociological concepts you’ve learned to the task of writing a cover letter.
You are applying to be part of a diversity, inclusion, and ethics team at your school or workplace. As part of the application process, you must write a cover letter to the head of the diversity and ethics committee. There are two things you must include in the cover letter:
1. In two paragraphs, address the two questions about you and your background
2. In one paragraph, respond to questions about the scenario provided
Each of these three paragraphs in your cover letter should be at least 5–7 sentences long. Because you are using writing templates, the cover letter will be automatically formatted for you, so you don’t need to worry about adding components like a greeting or signature.
Remember, if you include any exact wording or information from this webtext or other sources, you must add an in-text citation in
SWS style
. You’ll also need to add a source list at the end of the assignment.
PARAGRAPHS 1–2: DESCRIBE YOUR BACKGROUND
Use this template to answer the first two questions for your cover letter, writing one paragraph for each question. Each paragraph should be at least 5–7 sentences long.
ASSIGNMENT TEMPLATE
The following text will be automatically added to the top of your cover letter:
Dr. Gabal
Director, Diversity and Ethics
Herringbone University
Dear Dr. Gabal:
I am writing in response to an opening on your diversity and ethics committee. Please find my responses to the questions on the job ad below.
Paragraph 1:
Describe how your background and unique perspectives would be a valuable addition to the team. Which sociological concepts we’ve explored in this course might help you make the case?
Provide at least 2 specific examples. Think of aspects like your background, experiences, and talents.
Remember, if you use any exact wording or information from this webtext or another source, be sure to add an in-text citation in SWS style.
Paragraph 2:
Give an example of a time when you intentionally looked at other diverse and ethical perspectives in order to make a better/more ethical decision. What sociological concepts could help explain your decision-making process? What influence did they have?
Provide at least 2 specific examples.
Remember, if you use any exact wording or information from this webtext or another source, be sure to add an in-text citation in SWS style.
PARAGRAPH 3: RESPOND TO THE SCENARIO
For the third paragraph of your cover letter, you’ll need to respond to the following scenario. Read it carefully and then answer the questions in the template below.
SCENARIO
In the graduate program at Herringbone University, students are allowed only one missed class per semester or they face academic discipline. Three female students have approached you as the diversity and ethics officer with a concern about the policy. They explain that they all have young children (as do many students in the program), and getting childcare during class times is difficult because some of the classes don’t end until 8:00 in the evening. They feel the policy is unfair, especially since the university doesn’t offer any support, leniency in policy, or childcare options. In addition, the location of the university (an upper middle class neighborhood where most children have at least one parent at home) is not where most students live (a neighborhood where most children have two working parents or a single working parent).
Use this template to answer three questions about the scenario you just read. Your responses will make up the third paragraph of your cover letter. The whole paragraph should be 5–7 sentences, so you should write around 1–3 sentences for each question.
ASSIGNMENT TEMPLATE
Paragraph 3:
How would you approach this issue using diverse and ethical perspectives? Use specific examples from the scenario and your personal and professional life.
Remember, if you use any exact wording or information from this webtext or another source, be sure to add an in-text citation in SWS style.
Why is it important to consider diverse and ethical perspectives in this situation?
Remember, if you use any exact wording or information from this webtext or another source, be sure to add an in-text citation in SWS style.
How would you raise awareness and communicate the importance to others at your school in your role on the diversity and ethics committee?
Remember, if you use any exact wording or information from this webtext or another source, be sure to add an in-text citation in SWS style.
ADD YOUR SOURCE LIST
If you used information or ideas from the webtext or any other sources in your responses on this page, you should have added
SWS-style
in-text citations to those responses. Now you need to add corresponding entries to your source list.
Remember, there are two different ways to cite this webtext. Soomo Learning is the author of all the Assignment pages, and Steven Barkan is the author of all the other webtext pages. If you only cited the webtext, your source list might look something like this:
1. Steven Barkan. 2020. Sociology: The Story of Us. p. 6.11.
2. Soomo Learning. 2020. Sociology: The Story of Us. p. 6.19.
If you need help creating your source list, review the
Giving Credit to Sources
page or the citation guide in the Tools Menu.
Use this writing template to list your sources.
ASSIGNMENT TEMPLATE
If you used information or ideas from the webtext or any other sources in your responses on this page, you’ll need to cite your sources in SWS style. Add your source list entry or entries below.
