Version of 20 June 13

Template for Letter to University Referee

for

Promotion (to Professor of Practice) Review

Dear ______:

Dr. ______, currently Associate Professor of the Practice of ______in the Department of ______, is being considered for possible promotion to Professor of the Practice of ______and is thus undergoing a comprehensive review of (his/her) professional performance. You have been suggested as especially well qualified to serve as a referee in this review, and we are very grateful for your willingness to assist us. We are enclosingcopies of Dr. ______'s vita, selected scholarly products, and (his/her) personal statement prepared for this review.

As you review Dr. ______'s scholarly work, please keep in mind that our expectations inthis review differ from those for a review on the tenure track. Under the terms of (his/her) appointment, Dr. ______’s primary duties are ______. While promotion to the Professor level requires sustained and valuable contributions to scholarship oriented toward application, integration or teaching, such scholarship may appear in a variety of forms, including publications for practitioners, papers, presentations, reports, audio and video recordings, computer software, and websites. To be considered scholarship, contributions must be in a form that permits public observation, peer review, and distribution to the lay public or to the academic community. In Dr. ______’s case, the examples of scholarship that have been submitted for review include the printed materials enclosed with this letter. The nonprinted forms of scholarship mentioned above are not involved in this particular case.[1]

We would appreciate your assessment of the quality and impact of Dr. ______’s scholarship. In what ways are (his/her) contributions significant? Given the nature of our review process, specific illustrations are invaluable. In addition, we would welcome any other observations you may have about Dr. ______, (his/her) role in the field, and (his/her) potential for further contributions.

As usual, this review is subject to University schedules. Your review will be of the greatest assistance to us if it is received by ______. With your review, please include a copy of your curriculum vitae. Under current policies and practices at Vanderbilt University, peer evaluations are, within the limitations imposed by law, regarded as confidential. In that spirit, such evaluations are intended only for the use of, and only will be seen by, University members (excluding Dr. ______) directly involved in the actual review process.

We understand that serving as a referee is time consuming, and we are grateful to you for your generosity in helping us with this important matter.

Sincerely,

(Department Chair)

[1] (This sentence to be modified if nonprinted forms of scholarship are involved.)