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All departments should use the following letter when soliciting external reviewers for candidates applying for promotion to professor:

Dear [EXTERNAL REVIEWER NAME]:

The Department of [DEPT NAME] is evaluating the academic and professional record of [CANDIDATE NAME] who is applying for promotion to the rank of professor at ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ. ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ is a public university located in Oxford, Ohio, with regional locations in Hamilton, Middletown, West Chester, and the John E. Dolibois European Center in Luxembourg. Nearly 16,000 [15,813] undergraduates and 2,800 graduate ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵs are enrolled at the Oxford campus with approximately 5,500 undergraduates enrolled at the regional locations. ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ offers bachelor degrees in over 120 areas of study and master’s degrees in more than 60 areas. In the Carnegie system, ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ is classified as a Research University-High Activity, offering doctoral programs in 12 fields and awarding around 55 doctorates a year. U.S. News & World Report ranks Miami second among the nation’s top universities for its commitment to undergraduate teaching.

[ADDITIONAL DEPARTMENT-SPECIFIC INFORMATION MAY BE INSERTED HERE]

I would appreciate your candid assessment of Professor [CANDIDATE NAME]’s scholarly or creative achievements and your answers to the following questions to assist with our decision-making process: Our evaluation of the candidate’s teaching and professional service will be considered separately; therefore, please assess only the candidate’s scholarly or creative accomplishments. To help you contextualize the workload of this faculty member, Professor [CANDIDATE NAME], on average, teaches XX courses/sections per year which is equivalent to a X:X [2:3] teaching load. The candidate’s curriculum vita and a packet of Professor [CANDIDATE NAME]’s scholarly or creative work are enclosed.

1. How do you assess the quality of Professor [CANDIDATE NAME]’s scholarly or creative work, including the significance and impact of the candidate’s contribution to the literature and the field and to the quality of the venue or publisher? Has the professor's achievements resulted in an established reputation in the discipline?
2. How would you evaluate the significance of Professor [CANDIDATE NAME]’s most recent work and how does it fit into the overall scholarly/creative record?
3. Without making specific comparisons, how do you assess Professor [CANDIDATE NAME]’s development as a scholar or creative artist compared with others in the field with a similar workload and stage in their career?

Letters from external reviewers are intended to be unbiased evaluations from recognized scholars, artists, other professionals in the field, and (when relevant), community partners, with a sufficient arms-length relationship with the candidate. If you have a close personal or professional relationship with the candidate; e.g., former teacher, dissertation director, co-author, co-worker or former co-worker, or if you’re simply unable to commit the time required for a thoughtful review, I ask that you let me know as soon as possible so that I might identify another reviewer.

For your comments to receive full consideration, your letter should be received by (insert date). A fax or email copy by that date is acceptable if followed by a letter with your original signature within a few days. Please provide a one-page curriculum vita or resume with your letter. Under the Ohio Public Records Act, Professor [CANDIDATE NAME] has the right, upon request, to inspect any materials in their general file, including your letter, as your letter is considered a public record. Should you have questions or concerns, please contact me via phone (insert phone #) or email at (insert email address). I also request that you send us a brief email confirming your willingness to assist us with this process.

Thank you in advance for your time and effort with this important step in our review and evaluation process.

Sincerely,

[REQUESTER NAME]