APPENDIX 6b
Promotion from Associate Professor with Tenure to Professor with Tenure
TEMPLATE EXTERNAL REVIEW SOLICITATION LETTERS
TEMPLATE LETTER TO AN ARM’S LENGTH REVIEWER
Dear Professor [Name]:
The [Units] at the University of Michigan [is/are] considering [NAME] for promotion from the rank
of associate professor with tenure to the rank of professor with tenure. We would very much
appreciate your candid evaluation of [his/her] achievements as a scholar. Faculty at the University
of Michigan are promoted on the basis of excellence in research, teaching, and academic
leadership. Recognition of the quality of [her/his] work by peers is a significant factor in the review
process. Your scholarly and professional judgment will play an important part in our promotional
evaluation of [NAME], though the final decision rests in the hands of the departmental and College
review bodies. 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 [NAME]’s research. Considerations of time in rank are not a factor in
promotion at this rank at the University of Michigan.
[For joint appointments, please include: Professor [NAME] is engaged in research that is
interdisciplinary in nature. [She/he] holds a joint appointment in the departments of [unit] and [unit].
We invite your consideration of the interdisciplinary nature of [NAME]’s work in your review of
[his/her] scholarly activity.]
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 [NAME]’s written and
scholarly contributions. Please address the following questions in particular:
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 the candidate’s scholarly accomplishments? Has he/she
demonstrated clear evidence of sufficient progress in an outstanding research program?
3. What do you consider the most important publications in the candidate’s file? Which item(s)
would appear on a list of the most significant publications in your field?
4. How would you assess the candidate’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?
Your evaluation of the candidate’s scholarship – of its strengths and limitations – is essential to our
review. We value frank judgments very highly. 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 before [date]. We would also appreciate it if you
would send us a brief biography or a copy of your curriculum vitae along with a brief description of
your areas of expertise and current research interests.
You have been selected because of your expertise in this area. We know that you are very busy
and that we are asking you to perform a time-consuming task. Please be aware that if you have
agreed to provide an evaluation and are then unable to do so, we must make note of this in the
promotion record. We are most grateful for your willingness to help with a decision that is very
important to the candidate and to the University of Michigan.
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.]
2
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 [Name] for promotion from the rank
of associate professor with tenure to the rank of professor with tenure. We would very much
appreciate your candid evaluation of [her/his] achievements as a scholar and, if you have
information on the subject, as a teacher. Faculty at the University of Michigan are promoted on the
basis of excellence in research, teaching, and academic leadership. Recognition of the quality of
[her/his] work by peers is a significant factor in the review process. Your scholarly and
professional judgment will play an important part in our promotional evaluation of [Name], though
the final decision rests in the hands of the departmental and College review bodies. We are not
asking you to recommend for or against promotion, nor to compare the candidate’s scholarly
achievements against the norms for promotion in your own or other peer institutions. Rather, we
are looking for your expert evaluation of the scholarly accomplishments, trajectory, and impact of
[Name]’s research. 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 [her/his] work or
professional accomplishments, we would like your candid evaluation of [Name]’s written and
scholarly contributions.
[For joint appointments, please include: Professor [NAME] is engaged in research that is
interdisciplinary in nature. [He/She] holds a joint appointment in the departments of [UNIT]1 and
[UNIT]2. We invite your consideration of the interdisciplinary nature of [NAME]’s work in your
review of [her/his] scholarly activity.]
Please address the following questions in particular:
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 the candidate’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. What do you consider the most important publications in the candidate’s file? Which item(s)
would appear on a list of the most significant publications in your field?
3
5. How would you assess the candidate’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?
Your evaluation of the candidate’s scholarship – of its strengths and of its limitations – is essential
to our review. We value frank judgments very highly. 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 before [date]. We would also appreciate it if you
would send us a brief biography or a copy of your curriculum vitae along with a brief description of
your areas of expertise and current research interests.
You have been selected because of your expertise in this area. We know that you are very busy
and that we are asking you to perform a time-consuming task. Please be aware that if you have
agreed to provide an evaluation and are then unable to do so, we must make note of this in the
promotion record. We are most grateful for your willingness to help with a decision that is very
important to the candidate and to the University of Michigan.
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.]
4