Departmental Recommendations for Tenure and Promotion The Chair’s Letter Denis M. Medeiros, PhD, RD Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs University of Missouri Kansas City Beci Edmundson Faculty Affairs Specialist

Chair’s Recommendation Letter: Overview Department Chair’s Role in Tenure & Promotion Recommendations Best Practices for Developing your Recommendation Constructing the Letter (Template) Sample Letter Handouts Q&A

BEST PRACTICES for Developing Your Recommendation

Role of Department Chair Department Chair is the most important recommendation in T&P review Direct supervisory perspective, able to provide context and objective analysis of Previous recommendations of committee and external evaluations Departmental climate and conditions Candidate’s strengths, weaknesses, and trajectory Expert in content area Access to unique “Toolbox” of Resources

Chair’s “Toolbox” of Resources Candidate’s Portfolio Carefully review all materials provided by candidate Examine all letters of recommendation within the portfolio, noting both positive and negative comments Departmental T&P Guidelines and Criteria Candidate’s Annual, Mid-Tenure, and/or Post-Tenure Performance Evaluations Institutional policy may allow you to collect additional materials from outside resources

Points to Ponder How candidate meets or does not meet department criteria is critical How does candidate compare to recent cases? Consider the allocation of time to specific aspects of the position What are the aspirations of the department and how does it compare with similar departments at other universities? Comment on the departmental culture Don’t ignore negative comments from reviewers or T&P committee Address incorrect/erroneous assessments or data provided by other reviewers or in candidate rebuttals Provide your own opinion and assessment of the case Has the candidate moved the department forward? Is an upward trajectory displayed? Is the faculty member collegial? Are there accomplishments/experience outside the review period which should be considered and why? Examples of ACCOMPLISHMENTS/EXPERIENCE OUTSIDE REVIEW PERIOD: Years’ credit toward tenure, industry or professional experience national/international commendation or awards

Chair’s Letter Template: Introduction & Criteria Introduction (1 short paragraph) State department’s culture, aspirations and some of its goals State faculty member’s name, rank, discipline, and when they joined the department Brief summary of previous recommendation results including committee vote tally and number of external letters for, against, and/or mixed Chair’s recommendation in respect to previous recommendations A statement of the Department’s criteria Can be a brief listing of expectations in terms of candidate’s areas of appointment (teaching, research, and service) Describe unit expectations relative to assigned workload Describe unit expectations relative to assigned workload: Does unit require above average or excellent evaluations in two of the three areas? Does the unit have higher expectations in teaching and research than in service? Is the candidate on a specific research or teaching track?

Chair’s Letter Template: Interpreting Previous Recommendations External Evaluation letters Often minimized or ignored Be direct in your interpretation Include critical or impactful comments (both positive and negative) while maintaining evaluator’s anonymity Impact of research on the field/art/science/discipline Significant/noteworthy contributions to the field/art/science/discipline Address negative comments/letters Always link your assessment back to the department’s criteria Departmental Committee Recommendation Do you agree with the committee’s assessment? Provide direct interpretation of any departmental conflict or climate which may have impacted the departmental committee’s recommendation Address negative comments/letters Speak to the validity and context of the claims and whether or not you agree with the assessment and why DO YOU AGREE WITH THE COMMITTEE’S RECOMMENDATION? Explain any instance where you might disagree with the committee’s assessment and WHY substantiate with additional documentation Always link back to the department’s criteria

Chair’s Letter Template: Research/Scholarly Works Significance of the Research Evaluate the quality, impact, and volume of the candidate’s scholarly/creative work – link to the department’s criteria Speak to the quality and prestige of the journals/presses/performances/exhibits/venues Include discipline-related Tiered Journal Lists (e.g.: impact factors) Authorship – how does your department weigh/value primary authorship vs single-authored and/or collaborative works External Funding/Grants Impact of research/scholarly works on the field/art/science/discipline Is candidate recognized by peers for research/scholarship? Is candidate recognized by peers for research/scholarship? Significant awards/commendations for research/scholarship

Chair’s Letter Template: Teaching Effectiveness Briefly state teaching load and courses How was teaching assessed? Sense of ratings by students and a select comment or two Peer Evaluations Compare ratings with institutional, college/school, department, etc. Context of evaluations (first time course taught, new course, etc.) Review of syllabi and example projects Curriculum Development (can be listed as Service in some units) Candidate’s significant teaching awards/commendations Explain candidate’s role in non-traditional teaching models (Team Teaching, Lecture Series, Collaborative Teaching Projects) Advising and Student Supervision Address any course reduction agreements and their impact

Chair’s Letter Template: Service Activities State the department’s expectations as this may vary by rank Do not simply list the committees What was the quality of the service? Did the service take up significant time? Was the service for department, college/school or institution? What about professional service? How has the candidate’s service record assisted in establishing a national/international reputation in the field? Editorial Boards, grant review panels, invited lectures, election to professional committees Service Learning Initiatives Administrative Service? How has the candidate’s service record assisted in establishing a national/international reputation in the field? This may have more impact on applicants for Full Professor Administrative Service: Talk about candidate’s role in Administrative Service and how that may have affected teaching and/or research workload during the review period

Chair’s Letter Template: Summary and Attachments Summary of Chair’s Recommendation Succinct paragraph to justify your overall sense by portraying the collective evidence. Clearly state whether you recommend or do not recommend promotion and/or tenure Attachments Attach any documentation not already contained in the portfolio which was significant to your recommendation Adds support and credence to your recommendation Documentation becomes part of the official record Provides the candidate an opportunity to review the documentation and speak to your claims from their own perspective in the rebuttal process Examples of Attachments? Redact confidential information from attached documents when necessary Attach any documentation not already contained in the portfolio which was significant to your recommendation This may be required by your process for the sake of transparency Examples of Attachments Faculty Development Plans; Annual, Mid- and Post-Tenure Evaluations; MOUs; Offer letter; Behavioral Modification Directives; etc.

The Chair’s Letter: Handouts Sample Department Committee Letter of Recommendation Example of an insufficient letter of recommendation Lacks detail to support assessments Does not link assessments to Departmental Criteria Does not address the dissenting opinion Sample Chair’s Letter Created utilizing template methods described today Good example of how the Chair’s recommendation can provide vital information necessary to reach an objective and fair assessment of the candidate’s qualifications for promotion and/or tenure

Departmental Recommendations for Tenure and Promotion The Chair’s Letter Q & A? Citation: Arizona State University Best Practices for Departmental Letters 2008 – Dr. Gail Hackett