We will use this page to post models for recommendations, readers’ reports, tenure letters, and other evaluative work. Please consult the Discussions page for advice as well.
- Guide for job-market recommendation letters:
In the US, academic job-market recommendations are usually 2-4 single-spaced pages, with a brief laudatory first paragraph, followed by two or three paragraphs summarizing and showcasing the merits of the dissertation by placing it in the field and comparing it to other dissertations. Subsequent paragraphs assess teaching and service, with perhaps a brief mention of personality/collegiality at the end. The recommendation can also work to explain away any potentially worrisome elements in the student’s record. Different conventions apply in the UK, Canada, etc.
If a faculty member is unsure whether the letter is pitched appropriately, please consult with your institution’s DGS or placement officer. If a student is unsure whether a letter is working, please send your dossier to a trusted friend or your department’s DGS or placement officer to vet its contents.
See this useful paragraph-by-paragraph outline for rec letters in the advice from “The Professor is In”
Advice about whether and how to criticize in recommendations is available here.
2. Guide for moderating sessions
Here’s Eve Tuck’s advice for moderating Q & A sessions (via Twitter):
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1141501422611128320.html
I say that this is a time for them to share a question they are considering posing in the q and a, and that they should
a) make sure it is really a question;
b) make sure they aren’t actually trying to say that THEY should have given the paper; 10/
c) figure out if the question needs to be posed and answered in front of everyone;
d) I remind the audience that the speaker has just done a lot of work, so they should figure out if their question is asking the speaker to do work that really the question-asker should do. 11/
Then, after 5-10 mins, I will sometimes ask for the first question to come from particular people in the room— Indigenous graduate students, etc.
Or, if opening it up for anyone to begin, I will ask, “did you peer review your question?” before the person takes the mic. 12/