<date>
<name and title>
<address line 1>
<address line 2>
<address line 3>
<address line 4>
Dear <name>:
The Department of <department's name> is considering the possible appointment at the rank of associate professor with tenure of <faculty member's name> . The basic standards for all actions are the determination that the candidate's achievements increase the quality of the candidate's department and raise its stature, are comparable to those of the candidate's peers, and are consistent with the expectations of the candidate's department and the College of Engineering. Appointment as an associate professor with tenure requires the determination that these basic standards have been achieved and that it is likely that such achievements will continue over the course of the candidate’s academic career. The primary objective to be considered at this level is professional distinction in research and scholarly activity. Contribution to and effectiveness in teaching as well as appropriate public and institutional service are also necessary. The nominal assignment of effort between teaching, research and outreach/service for < faculty member’s name > is xx%, xx% and xx% respectively.
An essential component of the evaluation procedure for appointment is a set of appraisals of the candidate's ability by outstanding individuals who are familiar with the candidate's technical field and work.
Accordingly, we hope you would be willing to provide such an appraisal. We are interested in your evaluation of [ his
* her ] achievements and future potential in research and, as you can pass such judgment, in teaching and public service as well. We are also interested in your assessment of any weaknesses you may perceive in [ his * her ] ability to meet the standards as described above for an associate professor with tenure in the College of Engineering at Michigan State University. As you evaluate the extent and quality of < faculty member’s name >’s scholarship, including its contribution to the discipline, it would be especially helpful to us if you could compare [his*her] record with that of other scholars at approximately the same stage of career development. For your information, a copy of [his*her] curriculum vitae, a reflective statement, [and several recent reprints [and preprints]] [is*are] enclosed.
<Insert here any additional information on the candidate or requests of the addressee. It is critically important that the contents of this paragraph be stated in absolutely neutral language.>
Your letter of evaluation, as part of an official review file, will be held in confidence and will not be disclosed to the faculty member under consideration or to the public except as required by law or
University policy. In all such instances, the information made available will be provided in a form that seeks to protect the identity, privacy, and confidentiality of evaluators. We request that you disclose any potential conflicts of interest in your letter of evaluation, and that you submit your evaluation on institutional letterhead.
We thank you in advance for your efforts to fulfill our request and hope you will be able to respond within the next several weeks.
Sincerely yours,
<requester’s name>
<requester’s title> cc: department chairperson (if not requester) enclosures