APPENDIX 6b
Promotion from Associate Professor with Tenure to Professor with Tenure
EXTERNAL REVIEW SOLICITATION LETTERS
TEMPLATE LETTER TO AN ARM’S LENGTH REVIEWER
(items in bold should be modified appropriately)
[Date]
Dear Professor [Name]:
The [Unit(s)] at the University of Michigan [is/are] considering [Candidate Name] for promotion
from the rank of associate professor with tenure to the rank of professor with tenure. Faculty at the
University of Michigan are promoted on the basis of excellence in research, scholarly, and/or
creative contributions; teaching ability; service; and academic leadership. Recognition of the quality
of their work by their peers is a significant factor in the review process.
We value your candid assessment of [Candidate Name]’s research accomplishments and future
promise, including both positive points and areas needing improvement. We are not asking you to
recommend for or against promotion, nor to compare the candidate’s scholarly achievements
against the norms for promotion at your own or other peer institutions. Rather, we are looking for
your expert evaluation of the scholarly accomplishments, trajectory, and impact of [Candidate
Name]’s research. Please keep in mind that considerations of time in rank are not a factor in
promotion at this rank at the University of Michigan.
Based on the enclosed materials and any other knowledge that you have of [his/her] work or
professional accomplishments, we would like your candid evaluation of [Candidate Name]’s
written and scholarly contributions in relation to others of comparable experience in [his/her] field.
[For interdisciplinary/joint appointments, please include, “[Candidate Name] is engaged in
research that is interdisciplinary in nature. [He/She] holds a joint appointment in the [Unit1]
and [Unit2]. We invite your consideration of the interdisciplinary nature of [Candidate
Name]’s work in your review of [his/her] scholarly contributions.]
We would appreciate your comments on the following issues:
1. Have you ever met the candidate personally? If so, how long and in what capacities have you
known the candidate? What are the extent and nature of your current contacts with the
candidate?
2. What are your impressions about the quality, quantity, focus, and scholarly impact of
[Candidate Name]’s works?
3. How would you assess [Candidate Name]’s scholarly visibility at the national and/or
international level? How would you characterize [his/her] contributions to the discipline or the
profession at large?
4. Which, if any, of the scholarly publications or works do you consider to be outstanding? Why?
5. How would you evaluate [Candidate Name]’s service contributions to the discipline; that is,
[his/her] work on professional committees, as a reviewer of proposals or papers, as an editor,
or similar activities?
[The following paragraph (word-for-word) must be included in
ALL letters soliciting an evaluation of the candidate.]
Questions sometimes arise about the confidentiality of external review letters, and we do want to
advise you that your letter will be reviewed by senior faculty at the University of Michigan. Because
the University is a public institution, legal considerations limit our ability to assure confidentiality,
but it is our practice not to release external review letters unless required to do so by law.
Kindly provide us with your written evaluation by [date]. We would also appreciate it if you would
send us a short biosketch along with a brief description of your areas of expertise and current
research interests.
We realize that your schedule is full and that this may be a time consuming task; however, we will
be most grateful for your assistance. We have selected you because of your expertise in this area.
Should you fail to respond, this will be so noted in the promotion record. If you need further
information please contact [Name] at 734-[phone number], 734-[phone number] (fax), or
[uniqname]@umich.edu.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Chair/Director]
[Name, if joint]
[Chair/Director]
Enclosures: [List materials provided to reviewer which should include at a minimum a
current CV, teaching and research statements, selected written materials.]
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TEMPLATE LETTER TO A NON-ARM’S LENGTH REVIEWER
Supervisor of doctoral dissertation or post-doctoral fellowship,
or important collaborator within the last ten years
(items in bold should be modified appropriately)
[Date]
Dear Professor [Name]:
The [Unit(s)] at the University of Michigan [is/are] considering [Candidate Name] for promotion
from the rank of associate professor with tenure to the rank of professor with tenure. Faculty at the
University of Michigan are promoted on the basis of excellence in research, scholarly, and/or
creative contributions; teaching ability; service; and academic leadership. Recognition of the quality
of their work by their peers is a significant factor in the review process.
We value your candid assessment of [Candidate Name]’s research accomplishments and future
promise, including both positive points and areas needing improvement. We are not asking you to
recommend for or against promotion, nor to compare the candidate’s scholarly achievements
against the norms for promotion at your own or other peer institutions. Rather, we are looking for
your expert evaluation of the scholarly accomplishments, trajectory, and impact of [Candidate
Name]’s research. Please keep in mind that considerations of time in rank are not a factor in
promotion at this rank at the University of Michigan.
Based on the enclosed materials and any other knowledge that you have of [his/her] work or
professional accomplishments, we would like your candid evaluation of [Candidate Name]’s
written and scholarly contributions in relation to others of comparable experience in [his/her] field.
[For interdisciplinary/joint appointments, please include, “[Candidate Name] is engaged in
research that is interdisciplinary in nature. [He/She] holds a joint appointment in the [Unit1]
and [Unit2]. We invite your consideration of the interdisciplinary nature of [Candidate
Name]’s work in your review of [his/her] scholarly contributions.]
We would appreciate your comments on the following issues:
1. Do you know the candidate and, if so, for how long and in what capacity? What are the extent
and nature of your current contacts with the candidate?
2. How would you characterize [Candidate Name]’s scholarly accomplishments? Has [he/she]
demonstrated clear evidence of sufficient progress in an outstanding research program?
3. If you have collaborated with the candidate on scholarly work or research grants, how would
you characterize the candidate’s role in your joint activities? What was the division of labor
between you (and/or others) and [her/him] in the work that led to the publication or grant?
4. Which, if any, of the scholarly publications or works do you consider to be outstanding? Why?
3
5. How would you assess [Candidate Name]’s scholarly visibility at the national and/or
international level? How would you characterize [his/her] contributions to the discipline or the
profession at large?
[The following paragraph (word-for-word) must be included in
ALL letters soliciting an evaluation of the candidate.]
Questions sometimes arise about the confidentiality of external review letters, and we do want to
advise you that your letter will be reviewed by senior faculty at the University of Michigan. Because
the University is a public institution, legal considerations limit our ability to assure confidentiality,
but it is our practice not to release external review letters unless required to do so by law.
Kindly provide us with your written evaluation by [date]. We would also appreciate it if you would
send us a short biosketch along with a brief description of your areas of expertise and current
research interests.
We realize that your schedule is full and that this may be a time consuming task; however, we will
be most grateful for your assistance. We have selected you because of your expertise in this area.
Should you fail to respond, this will be so noted in the promotion record. If you need further
information please contact [Name] at 734-[phone number], 734-[phone number] (fax), or
[uniqname]@umich.edu.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Chair/Director]
[Name, if joint]
[Chair/Director]
Enclosures: [List materials provided to reviewer which should include at a minimum a
current CV, teaching and research statements, selected written materials.]
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