August 28, 2007
Sample Letter
Dear Professor/Dr. XX:
I am pleased to inform you that the School of Engineering is in the process of assessing Dr. Candidate’s
[First name, Last name] credentials for tenure/promotion in the ZZ department at the University of
Connecticut. Dr. Candidate currently is an Title. A critical component of the review package is external
assessments of a faculty member’s scholarly, teaching and professional activities.
I therefore wish to request that you review Dr. Candidate’s enclosed CV and selected papers and then
prepare a written evaluation of Dr. Candidate’s suitability for receipt of academic tenure/promotion to the
rank of YY. It would be helpful if you could answer the following questions in preparing your response.
Of course, we welcome any additional remarks you feel will be useful.
1. Please describe your current position at your institution. How long have you known Dr. Candidate,
and in what capacity?
2. Please describe Dr. Candidate’s ability to conduct visionary research.
3. Please comment on the importance and impact of his/her research; for example, how have Dr.
Candidate’s contributions advanced or changed the way researchers view the discipline, addressed a
critical need or solved a vexing problem.
4. Please describe Dr. Candidate’s ability to interact effectively with industry, state and federal agencies
and his/her ability to attract major research funding from external sources.
5. Please comment on Dr. Candidate’s teaching abilities and communication skills, as well as his/her
ability to develop and lead student research groups.
6. How does Dr. Candidate record compare with those of peers at a similar stage of their careers?
7. Please comment on Dr. Candidate’s professional involvement in national and international
professional societies, editorial positions and the like.
8. Would Dr. Candidate be viewed favorably for tenure and/or academic advancement to the rank of YY
at your institution?
Thank you very much for your assistance. To facilitate the proper evaluation of all submitted material, we
will appreciate your submission of your assessment via e-mail by Date if possible. Please also send to my
attention an original letter on appropriate letterhead by regular mail. Attached are Dr. Candidate’s CV
and the first one/two pages of selected publications (and other material) for your review. If you require
additional material to aid your assessment, please contact me at your earliest convenience. Regarding the
confidentiality of replies, while candidates do not necessarily see letters of reference, such letters become
part of their permanent file, and under Connecticut’s Freedom of Information statute, candidates have
access to such files. If this situation poses any problems for you, please contact me as soon as possible.
On behalf of Dr. Candidate and the University of Connecticut, I thank you for your time. I look forward
to receiving your communications.
Sincerely,
Sign
Name
Title
Phone
Mailing Address
1
August 28, 2007
Enc.:
2