Letters of Recommendation

Each year faculty and professional staff are asked to prepare letters of reference for students and graduates of the University. Students sometimes become regular visitors as they make individual requests for each graduate school or employer they may be considering.

Specific guidelines on reference writing found in Section III-Y-1 of the Faculty Handbook cover information appropriate for inclusion in such letters. University guidelines stress that all information included in the letter of recommendat ion must be supported by demonstrated evidence that is within the purview of the reference writer. Personal data, sexist, or racist remarks of any kind clearly overstep the bounds of appropriate reference-writing.

Some basic points to keep in mind when writing references:

• The writer must determine if enough information exists about the student to prepare a letter of reference. Broad letters with little substance may do more harm than good when read by employers.
• The reference writer should discuss with the student the purpose of the reference and be cognizant of the student's goals. References that include information relating to professional objectives of the student carry the most weight with reference readers.
• Information should be included that places the student in comparison with other students you may have taught.
• If you feel strongly about the candidacy of a student, offer to provide additional information by phone so that the reference reader may feel comfortable in initiating further contact.
• You may be asked to write a new, updated letter of reference for a student with whom you have had an ongoing relationship. When your new letter is added to a student's file, the old letter will remain until the student requests that it be removed.

Faculty and staff are under no obligation to write letters of reference for students. Any letter that is written should, in fact, be supportive of the student. If this is not the case, it should be stated at the time of the request so that the student can determine whether a letter may still be needed even if information which might not be entirely positive is included.

Please review the sample reference letter that follows:

Sample Faculty Reference Letter

Dear [Name of Employer]:

This reference letter is provided at the written request of [name of student], who has asked me to serve as a reference on [his/her] behalf. It is my understanding that [name of student] is being considered by your organization for the position of [job title]. Please be advised that the information contained in this letter is confidential and should be treated as such. The information should not be disclosed to [name of student, if student has waived access] or anyone in your organization who would not be involved in the hiring decision regarding this individual. Additionally, the information should not be disclosed to anyone outside of your organization without the consent of the student.

I have known [name of student] for the past [number of months, semesters, years] as [he/she] has taken the following courses which I teach: [list courses, give brief description of content of course]. As [his/her] professor, I have had an opportunity to observe the student's participation and interaction in class and to evaluate the student's knowledge of the subject matter. I would rate the student's overall performance in these subjects as average. This is evidenced by [his/her] grades - - [state the grades].

[One or two specific examples of the student's performance may be appropriate.] As part of [his/her] grade in [name of course], the student was required to prepare a paper. The paper was designed to measure the student's ability to research, to analyze the results of the research, and to write. [Discuss how the paper submitted by the student indicated to you the student's skills in these areas.] Based upon this, I rate the student's skills competent but not excelling.

The one area in which the student performed above average was in oral communications. [Give specific example to support this.]

I believe the student would perform competently with your organization and has potential if challenged.

If you would like to discuss this further, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

SOURCE: CPC Legal Monograph: A New Dilemma: Reference Letters and Checks