For Faculty Recommenders

Faculty play an essential role in the University’s nationally competitive award process, and are vital collaborators in our work with undergraduate applicants. This is for several reasons, including:

• Letters of recommendation are required for the vast majority of nationally competitive award applications – often 2 or 3, sometimes as many as 5.

• Faculty work directly with students in classroom and research contexts and are uniquely positioned to comment on students’ development in a given field

• Faculty also have the content knowledge and skills that can help the student communicate in writing the importance of their work to an audience of reviewers who may be non-specialists

Across all disciplines, we welcome student referrals from faculty who know a student who may be well positioned as a strong applicant.

Resources for Faculty Recommenders:

• “Faculty Rec Letter Webinar” Slides (created by Dr. Paola López-Duarte and Dr. Beth Whitaker). Includes vital information such as important elements to include in the letter, how you know you’re the right letter-writer, and avoiding biased language in your supportive remarks.

• Letter Request Form – Use and/or adapt this set of questions for a letter request form of your own. Template developed by Dr. Paola López-Duarte.