Sample Faculty Reference Letter

This form may be printed and personalized to suit NACE

member needs.

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.]

Based upon the student's academic performance and my

understanding of the position for which the student is
applying, I believe the student would perform (place overall
evaluation here).
If you would like to discuss this further, please feel free to
contact me.

Sincerely,

In Pursuit of the Perfect Letter of Reference

Campbell, R.W., M. Boersma, J. Dower, G. Muller-
Parker, C.S. Weiler

Reference letters are an important part of a young

scientist's life - recieving a good recommendation can
tip the scales when applying for a grant, fellowship,
or job. As well, as one becomes involved with the
supervision of students, etc., one will eventually
begin to recieve requests for letters of reference, and
there are not many resources available on the topic of
what exactly consitutes a "good" letter of reference.
If one has not had the opportunity to see many
reference letters, writing those first few letters can be
a difficult task. Below are some resources for both
writing, and receiving, a good reference letter, put
together by Rob Campbell from discussions at the
DIALOG VI symposium and suggestions by John
Dower,Sue Weiler, Gisèle Muller-Parker,
and Maarten Boersma.
• Links and resources
• Tips for writing a good reference letter
 • Tips for receiving a good reference letter

Links:
• Guidelines for Writing Effective Letters of
Recommendation from the Sigma Xi Grants-in-
Aid of Research Program
• Forthright Letters Of Recommendation Are Best
For All Parties from 'The Scientist' magazine
(registration required)
• Suggested Guidelines for Reference Givers From
NACEWeb (members may also view this
article )
Books:
• Writing Recommendation Letters - A Faculty
Handbook, J. Schall, Pennsylvania State
University.
• There are numerous handbooks available on the
topic of reference letters for college admissions
(example), and they are easily found by
searching your favorite online bookseller.
Tips for writing a good reference letter:
1. As you begin, remember that your job is
to honestly represent the candidate's strengths, and
focus on them (not their weaknesses). Some referees
seem to feel obligated to include something about a
candidate’s weaknesses as well as their strengths (this
seems to be particularly common among government
researchers). If you do not think the person is
appropriate for the opportunity, whatever it is, tell
them and give them the option of then selecting
another reference.
2. Don't equivocate. Make it clear, right from the
start of the letter, what you think about this person's
appropriateness/strengths for the job in question. For
instance, whereas many (most?) reference letters start
with something banal like "I have known Dr. Blogs
for three years" (a particularly bad example, from
the NACE site). Try to open with something more
like "Dr. Blogs is without doubt one of the top young
prospects in the field of Y and will be an outstanding
addition to your department." Key point: If the person
writing the reference letter can't get excited about the
candidate, neither will the Search Committee!
3. Be concise. Don't waste undue space prattling on
about the candidate's academic record. You can
safely assume that the members of the Search
Committees can read, and that they will no doubt
have noticed the CV in the application package.
Spend a sentence or so summarizing the highlights:
"In terms of academic excellence, Blogs' CV speaks
for itself, as does the fact that he was awarded the
prestigious Whatchamacallit Fellowship for his
doctoral studies." Be sure to mention anything in the
CV that make the candidate particularly suited to the
specific opportunity.
4. It is sometimes useful to give some kind of
'rating'. For example, "of the 50 students I have
supervised or otherwise interacted with over the past
10 years, Dr. Blogs is among the top x". If you are a
relatively new faculty member, it might be
appropriate to mention that, but say something like:
"of the x graduate students and post-docs I have
interacted with, Dr. Blogs is among the top x". Use
this technique sparingly! If you grade every candidate
you write a letter for as in the top 5%, people will
notice, and your opinion will become less valuable.
5. Give tangible examples of things that make the
candidate suitable for the job in question. Anecdotes
are particularly useful, because they give the person
reading the reference letter a sense of what the
candidate is really like. For instance, if the position
specifically seeks a candidate with sea-going
experience then instead of writing that "Dr. Blogs has
considerable sea-going experience", write something
like "Blogs is as much at home at sea she is in the
lab. In fact, her dogged determination to get the job
done (coupled with an iron-clad stomach!) have
earned her considerable admiration within the sea-
going oceanographic community."
6. Put the candidate's key scientific contributions in
perspective: Keep in mind that, in most cases, only
one or two members of the Search Committee will be
bona fide experts in the particular field in question.
Therefore, it is important to make it clear why the
candidate's accomplishments are noteworthy. So,
rather than saying that "Dr. Blogs has published
several papers in reputable journals and has presented
his results at international meetings", try something
like "Dr. Blogs' papers have appeared in the top two
journals in her field, and are already being regularly
cited by her peers. Her work has generated
considerable international interest as well, and this
past year she gave an invited talk at the ASLO Ocean
Sciences Meeting (the most important annual
meeting in her field)". Remember that you, the
referee, can 'brag' about the work a bit more than
might be seemly by the candidate.
7. Hit all the key points (and hit them hard) but know
when to stop. Opinions on the “ideal length” of a
good reference letter vary from between 3/4 of a page
to 2 pages. John Dower suggests: “If at all possible, I
keep reference letters to a single page - if one well-
crafted page hasn't convinced the Committee that you
can walk on water then a 2nd page is just going to
annoy them even further”. One way to keep things
succinct is to avoid repeating information that the
candidate has already presented elsewhere in their
application (e.g. in their CV, their statement of
research interests, etc.).

8. Give examples that indicate personal

characteristics/strengths. Key point: In addition to
looking at your professional credentials, Search
Committees look at job candidates as future potential
colleagues (i.e. who they will have to interact with on
a daily basis for the next 20 years). Couching the
candidate's skills in a way that makes them seem like
a real person, and someone that you like to work
with, with can help to get the Search Committee on
their side. John Dower suggests: "After the initial
introductory sentence, think about referring to the
candidate by their first name in the rest of the letter -
it’s a bit like the strategy used by hostage negotiators
to get the kidnappers to see their hostage as a real
person". Not everyone does this, and Sue Weiler
notes: "In recent DIALOG letters, reviewers are
increasingly using the last instead of first name, and
sometimes even just the initials, in the body of the
letter after the first mention (e.g., "Mary Jane Blogs"
or Matthew Jason Blogs" become "MJB". Referring
to "MJB" or "Blogs" instead of "Mary Jane" or
"Matthew Jason" tends to make the entire letter seem
more gender neutral. Maybe I'm too old-fashioned
here--I started publishing in the era when many
women would use initials instead of names for
published papers so the reader would not be able to
identify the gender. Hopefully this new generation
carries less baggage.... See for yourself how it works
on you -- For example, compare "Blogs", "Mary
Jane", "Matthew Jason" and "MJB" in the sentences
from section 6. Of course, as John indicates, it is
important to show the candidate as a person. Use of
first or last name is situation-specific, and something
to keep in mind at all times." In addition to the
professional credentials, remember to include
perspectives about personal attributes. For example,
"Having worked extensively with MJB, I can predict
that you will enjoy having Blogs in the lab. MJB is
bright, energetic, works well in a group or alone, fits
in well in any situation and is absolutely dependable
and delightful to work with. MJB is one of those rare
people that has the personality, maturity and
combination of curiousity and intellect to make
almost any group better." Specific examples are
useful as well. For example, "MJB is an extremely
intelligent, well educated, and extraordinarily flexible
scientist who is willing to take on any challenge.
Blogs recently taught two weeks of an introductory
course I am teaching with XX students and by all
accounts did exceptionally well."

9. Remember that cultural differences are enormous

between countries. If you are a non-US person
writing a letter for the US system, keep in mind that
letters in the US are normally much more glowing
than letters from other countries. In many countries a
letter of reference is simply a statement that the
person worked in the organization, and of course this
will not be received well if sent to a US institutions.
This does not need to be highlighted (e.g. avoid
statements like "I am a European so I write honest
letters", which is less uncommon than you might
think), but make sure that the cultural difference if
present is explained well. Be aware that there are
sometimes "secret codes" that are used in some
countries. For example, something like "Blogs was
well liked by her colleagues", could in some circles
be interpreted as "Blogs spends too much time
socializiing". If in doubt ask the person applying for
the position, or better still a person familiar with the
specific institution. Try to avoid sentences which can
be interpreted in more than one way. A few words of
explanation can avoid much ambiguity.
10. In summary, be honest, clear and concise, and
focus on the candidate's strengths.

Things to do to receive a good reference letter:

1. Pick your referees carefully. Remember that a
letter from a leader or leaders in your field will carry
much more weight that someone less well-known.
Select your referees so they can address different
aspects of your background experience and abilities
(i.e., at least one or more of your 3 referees should be
able to talk about more than just your research). If at
all possible, include your Ph.D. advisor as one of the
referees. If you do not, readers often assume the
worst. If there is a good reason for not including your
advisor, explain yourself or ask one of the other
references to explain why the advisor is not being
used (away at sea? maternity leave? deceased?
jealous of your fabulous work? stole your ideas...)
2. Give your referees all of the background
information about you they will need to write a
complete and thoughtful letter of recommendation
(CV, statements of research and teaching interests,
list of courses you can teach, etc.). Update the
information on a regular basis. Mention to them any
accomplishments/expertise/etc. that you think make
you particularly well suited for the opportunity.
3. Don't just send the referee links to the university or
position announcement. Give your referees a short
synopsis of the announcement, and include the
following information in a short bulleted list of job
specifics, including:
• Size of university/college and terminal degree
offered (BS, MS, PhD);
• Mission of the university (or mission of the
department to which you are applying);
• The job expectations (the focus on
research/teaching, undergrad/grad, disciplinary
emphases);
• What you would like them to write about or
emphasize (things in your CV that are most
noteworthy, or relevant);
• Why the job is particularly well-suited to your skills
and interests;
• Why you think you are the right person to teach the
courses required;
• Optional (should definitely be in the candidate's
cover letter, but sometimes worth including in
reference's letter as well):
• How your research fits in with that of others on the
faculty;
• Your ability to get external funding within the
context of the university environment.
4. Be nice to your referee! Give your referees plenty
of lead time and thank them for their efforts. Keep
them posted on developments in your job search.
Acknowledgments: DIALOG is supported by the
U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), and Office of Naval
Research through NSF/OCE-0217056 and ONR-
N00014-98-1-0590 to Whitman College, C.S. Weiler
PI.
Programs » Grants-in-Aid of
Research » References » Guidlines

Guidelines for Writing Effective Letters of

Recommendation for the Grants-in-Aid of Research
Program

Solid letters of recommendation contain a number of

common traits. The Sigma Xi Committee on Grants-in-
Aid of Research has developed the guidelines below for
developing a well-structured recommendation letter for
this program.

Comments from the Review Committee:

I'm impressed when I feel like the writer really knows
the student. I look for one or two anecdotes about the
person's strengths.

I like specifics, not just "this student is a nice person."

The letter should describe a particular experience or
relationship with the writer; it means the writer really
cares about and knows the candidate well. Remember,
the committee is trying to project how this student
performs. A good letter should address that.

• Begin the letter by briefly stating your position,

where you work, your relationship to the applicant,
and how long you have known and/or worked with
the applicant.
• Describe the candidate's personality and work ethic,
using concrete examples that demonstrate a strong
relationship.
• Be vivid and specific, including memories of the
candidate, anecdotes, something to indicate that
you know this candidate very well and think highly
 of him or her. Letters that matter to the review
committee bring the candidate to life on the page.
• If the applicant will use any complex techniques or
need any specific instrumentation or facilities, the
letter should indicate the availability of the
equipment and training in its use.
• If the applicant's work falls within the constraints of
an ongoing project, clearly state how the applicant's
work meshes with the larger project and is a unique
contribution.
• Describe and evaluate in detail the student's
scholarly work, especially work related to the
proposed research project, if possible. The letter
should help the review committee understand the
significance of this research, and the potential for
contribution that it has.
• Address the scholarship criteria specifically in ways
that demonstrate your abundant confidence in the
student and your knowledge of the candidate
beyond grades and classroom performance.
• Provide evidence of the candidate's leadership and
teamwork skills. The most effective letters use
narrative technique to highlight the student in
action, as a teaching assistant, researcher,
volunteer, employee, innovator, etc.
• Reflect, refer to, and elaborate on themes in the
candidate's proposal. The student should provide a
copy of this proposal for you. Request one from him
or her if the student hasn't already provided it for
you.
• Rank the candidate in relation to other students you
have taught/worked with, if possible.
• The length of letters of recommendation varies
greatly, but one page is generally enough. The
most effective letters consist of wisely chosen
content. Remember that a concise letter is usually
more useful than an overly verbose one.