Date
CONFIDENTIAL
Dear _________:
I write to ask for your help in evaluating [Dr./Professor][Candidate], who is being considered for a promotion to a tenure position in the [Department(s)/School(s)] of X at Columbia. [Dr./Professor][Candidate]'s curriculum vitae is enclosed [as are several of [his/her] recent publications]. [Dr./Professor] [Candidate] currently holds the rank of X [in the Department/School of X].
Like every nomination to tenure at Columbia, that of [Dr./Professor] [Candidate] is subject to a thorough and searching review, first by the faculty of [his/her/our] own department/school, [subsequently by the Committee(s) on Appointments and Promotions of the Faculty of Dental Medicine/Medicine/Public Health, and of the Faculty of Health Sciences and,] [finally/then] by an independent University-wide ad hoc committee. In assessing [his/her] candidacy, we are interested in [his/her] effectiveness as a teacher and [his/her] service to the University, but we are above all concerned to evaluate [his/her] qualities as a scholar/scientist [and artist/architect/journalist]. It would help our assessment considerably to have your views on the following:
1. How original has [Dr./Professor] [Candidate]'s work been? Is [he/she] likely to be a productive and creative scholar/scientist [and creative artist/architect/journalist] in the future?
2. How important has [his/her] work been to the development of [his/her] discipline [and artistic genre/profession]? As the discipline evolves, can we expect [him/her] to work on problems which will be central to it?
In considering [Dr./Professor][Candidate], as we do with all candidates, we wish to make certain that [he/she] is, or has the potential to be, a leader in [his/her] field. We will, therefore, also appreciate your opinion on these additional questions. How does [he/she] compare with other [scholars/scientists] in the field of X? If [he/she] is not now a leader in the field, may we expect [him/her] to become one? For your reference, we have attached a list of individuals to whom we believe [Dr./Professor] [Candidate] might be compared, recognizing that not everyone on the list is at the same stage in their professional careers. Please feel free to augment the comparison list as you see fit.
Finally, if [Dr./Professor][Candidate] were under consideration for a tenured appointment at your institution, would you support his nomination?
We would be most grateful to have your views on these questions and any other points you consider relevant to our assessment of [Dr./Professor] [Candidate]'s candidacy. We will, of course, hold your response in confidence to the extent permitted by law and show it only to the Provost, members of the ad hoc committee, and the [Department Chair/Executive Committee of the Department/School] [and the Committee(s) on Appointments and Promotions of the Faculty of Dental Medicine/Medicine/Public Health, and of the Faculty of Health Sciences]. If you wish, however, you may address any restricted comments to me to the Provost or to the ad hoc committee.
While I realize that my request imposes upon your time, the opinions of outside referees play an important part in Columbia's system of tenure review. For this reason I would very much appreciate the benefit of your views, which I hope you will give us as soon as you possibly can.
With thanks in advance.
Sincerely,
[Dean/Vice President]
| Enclosures: | Curriculum Vitae |
| Comparison List |