SECTION SEVEN: Letters of Reference/Recommendation/Evaluation

General Information

1. Original letters on reviewer's letterhead, with signatures, must be included. No faxes or emails.
2. Include a brief vitae of each reviewer, in addition to the brief statement.
3. Put the letters in the same order as the list of referees.
4. Letters of Reference Template

General

For promotion recommendations of tenured and tenure-track faculty, a minimum of four reference letters must be compiled that evaluate the research/creative contributions and other accomplishments of the candidate and that summarize his or her professional standing. Reviewers should be individuals with an understanding of the academic setting and standards.

The letters are to be accompanied by a brief statement prepared by the department identifying the professional/academic stature of the people from whom the letters were sought and stating the reason(s) why they were selected as reviewers. At a minimum, the statement should:

• identify the institution (including the department) or other agency with which the reviewer is affiliated
• give the rank or other title within the organization
• describe the academic specialization(s); and provide any other relevant information about the evaluator that would assist those involved in the process who are not practitioners in the candidate’s field to identify the professional/academic stature of the external referee.

Responsibility for developing a list of appropriate outside reviewers rests with the department chair/budget council. Candidates shall suggest names of possible reviewers, but the chair/budget council is not bound by the candidate’s suggestions and shall select outside reviewers as they deem appropriate. As a general rule, about half of the reviewers should be chosen from the candidate’s preference list, and the others should be arm’s-length evaluations from recognized experts at peer institutions. All solicited letters of recommendation received concerning a candidate must be included in the candidate’s dossier.

This section of the candidate’s dossier should contain the following

• an example of the letter sent to referees
• a list of publications (not the actual documents) or other examples of research/scholarly/creative activities sent to the referees
• a list of everyone approached to be a referee, including those who declined to serve in this capacity. If a requested external review is refused, a very brief explanation for the reviewer’s unwillingness to evaluate the candidate should be included
• the letter from each referee, followed by a short version of their CV or resume. Where available online, resumes may be printed from the Web for this purpose.