Additional COVID-19 Language
Updated: October 7, 2021

The paragraph below is an example of text that AP and CAP suggest be included in a solicitation letter, either in the body of the letter or as a note below the Chair’s signature. If outside letters were already requested but not yet returned, Chairs are encouraged to send a short supplemental letter to outside reviewers with the information from this paragraph.

“During the pandemic, starting in March 2020, there have been major research disruptions and significant shifts in teaching modalities as well as challenges with dependent care that have impacted faculty productivity. We ask that you take these unprecedented events into consideration when evaluating work performed by the candidate.”
Sample: Promotion — Assistant Professor to Associate Professor

Revised Extensively on 5/23/23 to be consistent with family/pandemic/medical leave language.

Dear ________:

The Department of __________ at the University of California, Irvine, has under consideration the promotion of Professor_________ to the rank of Associate Professor, an action that carries with it tenure. In the University of California system, letters of evaluation from peers and from scholars outside the University are important parts of the review.

In considering the promotion to Associate Professor, the University evaluates the faculty member’s research performance during their entire service as Assistant Professor. I would therefore appreciate your assessment of Professor _____________’s scholarly accomplishments in terms of the significance of the work and its overall contribution to the field, and your description of the main ideas, conclusions, or methods which are especially innovative. In particular, please comment on Professor ____________’s progress as it bears on tenure in the University of California system (the quality and quantity).  Please specify the leading departments (with the most rigorous standards for scholarship) where scholars pursuing the same kinds of work as Professor_________ are promoted.  In your judgment, does Professor ________ meet the standards for promotion to a similar position in these departments?  Would you support Professor ________’s promotion at your institution? Please also compare Professor ________’s record with the record of (a named cohort) of recently tenured/promoted candidates at leading departments.

In considering promotion to Associate Professor, the University evaluates the faculty member’s performance during their entire service as Assistant Professor. As you are making your assessments of quantity, please note that the eight-year limit can differ for candidates for a variety of reasons. We are most interested in your evaluation of whether the volume, quality, and impact of work warrants promotion. We do not evaluate the annualized rate at which work was produced. 

The University looks for “evidence of a productive and creative mind should be sought in the candidate’s published research or recognized artistic production in original architectural or engineering designs, or the like.”1 With respect to professional competence and activity, “the candidate’s professional activities should be scrutinized for evidence of achievement and leadership in the field and of demonstrated progressiveness in the development or utilization of new approaches and techniques for the solution of professional problems.”2

In providing the assessments it is important that reviewers not only identify research and professional contributions, but also provides evaluative comments. For example, it is helpful to compare a particular work to other similar work in the field; to compare the individual to other named individuals in the field; to comment on the influence of the work to the specific area of research; and to see potential national recognition likely to accrue as a result of the work. The more specific the analysis, the more helpful it will be to the committee.

For your convenience, I am enclosing a copy of Professor __________’s vita, a statement concerning their scholarly activities, and samples of scholarly work. We would greatly appreciate if it you could respond to this request by ____ [give date].

Although the contents of your letter may be passed on to the candidate at prescribed stages of the review process, your identity will be held in confidence. The material made available will lack the letterhead, the signature block, and material below the latter. Therefore, material that would identify you, particularly your relationship to the candidate, should be placed below the signature block. In any legal proceeding or other situation in which the source of the confidential information is sought, the University does its utmost to protect the identity of such sources.

In advance, thank you very much for your assistance.

Sincerely yours,

1 APM 210-1-d-(2)
2 APM 210-1-d-(3)

Sample: Promotion — Associate Professor to Professor

Revised Extensively on 6/26/23 to be consistent with family/pandemic/medical leave language.

Dear ______:

The Department of ___________ at the University of California, Irvine, is reviewing Professor __________’s status and recent accomplishments in order to determine whether it would be appropriate to recommend them for promotion to the rank of Professor. It has been suggested that you could provide valuable assistance in the assessment of Professor _____________’s scholarship, and I am hopeful you will be willing to assist us in this process.

Professor ______________ is currently an Associate Professor with tenure. To offer insight into their work, I am enclosing a copy of the CV and copies of some recent publications and papers in press. If you are willing to evaluate Professor _________, we would need a detailed analysis of their work, the significance of their contributions, and an assessment of their relative standing in the field.  Please specify the leading departments (with the most rigorous standards for scholarship) where scholars pursuing the same kinds of work as Professor __________  are promoted.  In your judgment, does Professor ________ meet the standards for promotion to full professor to a similar position in these departments?  Would you argue that you would support Professor __________ at your institution? 

In considering promotion to Professor, the University evaluates the faculty member’s performance during their entire service as Associate Professor. As you are making your assessments of quantity, please note that the time at rank can differ for candidates for a variety of reasons. We are most interested in your evaluation of whether the volume, quality, and impact of work warrants promotion. We do not evaluate the annualized rate at which work was produced.

I realize a request for your assistance constitutes an imposition. I would, however, like to assure you that opinions of outside scholars such as you carry critical weight in considerations about promotion in the University of California. If you are unable to provide an evaluation of the type requested, I would appreciate hearing from you at your earliest convenience. If you are willing to assist us in assessing the scholarly contributions of Professor __________, we would like to receive your letter as quickly as possible, and no later than the first half of December. Should you need any additional information to assist you, please let me know.

Although the contents of your letter may be passed on to the candidate at prescribed stages of the review process, your identity will be held in confidence. The material made available will lack the letterhead, the signature block, and material below the latter. Therefore, material that would identify you, particularly your relationship to the candidate, should be placed below the signature block. In any legal proceeding or other situation in which the source of the confidential information is sought, the University does its utmost to protect the identity of such sources.

Should you need additional information to help you evaluate Professor _______, please feel free to contact me. Thank you for your valuable assistance.

Sincerely,

Sample: Advancement to Above Scale — Professor

Revised Extensively on 6/26/23 to be consistent with family/pandemic/medical leave language.

Dear ____________:

The Department of __________ is considering recommending Professor ____________ for advancement to Professor, Above Scale, the highest professorial rank in the University of California system. This designation is reserved for scholars of the highest distinction whose work is internationally recognized and acclaimed. We would greatly appreciate your evaluation of Professor _____________’s scientific work and their position in the field of _____________. It would be helpful if you would compare them with other scientists and scholars of comparable stature.

In considering the advancement to Professor, Above-Scale, the University evaluates the faculty member’s performance during their last three to five years. As you are making your assessments of quantity, please note that the time for advancement to Professor, Above-Scale, can differ for candidates for a variety of reasons. We are most interested in your evaluation of whether the volume, quality, and impact of work warrants the advancement. We do not evaluate the annualized rate at which the work was produced.

While we are interested in your view of Professor _________’s scholarship as a whole, we are particularly interested in your evaluation of their work over the past three to five years. To aid you in this evaluation, I have enclosed a copy of Professor _________’s CV as well as several of their most recent publications.

Although the contents of your letter may be passed on to the candidate at prescribed stages of the review process, your identity will be held in confidence. The material made available will lack the letterhead, the signature block, and material below the latter. Therefore, material that would identify you, particularly your relationship to the candidate, should be placed below the signature block. In any legal proceeding or other situation in which the source of the confidential information is sought, the University does its utmost to protect the identity of such sources.

I would like to thank you on behalf of the Department of _____________ for your assistance. I realize that this is an imposition on you, but the opinions of distinguished outside scholars weigh heavily in consideration of personnel actions at the University of California. As an authority in the field, your opinions will enter significantly in the university’s deliberations on this case.

Should you need additional information to help you evaluate Professor _______, please feel free to contact me.  Thank you for your valuable assistance.

Sincerely,

Sample: Promotion — Assistant Professor of Teaching to Associate Professor of Teaching

Revised Extensively on 8/29/22 to be consistent with family/pandemic/medical leave language in Professor Series.

Dear __________:

The Department of ______ at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), is considering Professor_______ ______ for a promotion from Assistant Professor of Teaching to the rank of Associate Professor of Teaching. Appointees in the Professor of Teaching series are members of the Academic Senate and upon evidence of meritorious achievement in teaching, research/creative activity, and service, they may be awarded Security of Employment (the equivalent of tenure). For promotion to Associate Professor of Teaching, UCI requires letters of evaluation from experts in the field.

In considering the promotion to Associate Professor of Teaching, the University evaluates the faculty member’s performance during their entire service as Assistant Professor of Teaching. As you are making your assessments of quantity, please note that the eight year limit can differ for candidates for a variety of reasons. We are most interested in your evaluation of whether the volume, quality, and impact of work warrants promotion. We do not evaluate the annualized rate at which work was produced.

I am writing to ask if you are willing to assist by writing a letter assessing Professor _________ achievements in teaching, research/creative activity and service. I am attaching Professor _________ CV and materials documenting their contributions to teaching, research/creative activity, and service. I would like to receive your letter no later than Month Day, year, which will allow us sufficient time to meet our internal review deadlines. I realize this request impacts your valuable time and I assure you that opinions of outside scholars such as yourself carry critical weight in considerations for promotion at the University of California.

Promotion to Associate Professor of Teaching at UCI requires contributions in the three major review areas, 1) teaching, 2) research/creative activity, and 3) service with the expected effort in each area outlined below. We have also included the School Expectations Guidance for Merit and Promotion in the Professor of Teaching series.

We ask that your letter address the following issues:

  1. Teaching (XX% effort) [Please insert the percent distribution in each section below based on the Professor of Teaching guidelines established in your school]: What is the evidence that Professor XX is making effective and innovative contributions to the undergraduate and/or graduate academic program in the Department of ________? Please provide specific comments on the candidate’s performance as a teacher (e.g. evidence of effectiveness in the classroom, mentorship, creativity, innovative use of technology, course or curriculum design, assessment strategies, evidence of the use of inclusive pedagogy, etc). Commenting on any additional items such as teaching awards would also be helpful.
  2. Research/Creative Activity (XX% effort): What is the evidence that the candidate has made outstanding and recognized research or creative contributions in their discipline and/or to pedagogy? Evidence of impact beyond the university can include but is not limited to journal publications, books, presentations at national meetings, performing in performances, design for concerts, video creation, or other creative activities, grants to support teaching innovation, and development of training programs.
  3. Service (XX % effort): What is the evidence that the candidate has made appropriate contributions to departmental and university governance and/or contributed service to the profession and the broader community outside of the university? Please also comment on their contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion. In addition, we would appreciate receiving any comments regarding their leadership and level of commitment required for a particular service role.

Finally, it would be particularly helpful if you could comment on whether the candidate would likely be given this promotion at your institution.

Although the contents of your letter may be passed on to the candidate at prescribed stages of the review process, your identity will be held in confidence. The material made available to the candidate will lack the letterhead, the signature block, and any material below the signature block. Therefore, any information that would identify you, particularly your relationship to the candidate, should be placed below the signature block. In any legal proceeding or other situation in which the source of confidential information might be sought, the University does its utmost to protect the identity of sources.

Should you need additional information to help you evaluate Professor ________, please feel free to contact me.

Thank you, once again, for your valuable assistance.

Sincerely,

Sample: Promotion — Associate Professor of Teaching to Professor of Teaching

Revised Extensively on 8/29/22 to be consistent with family/pandemic/medical leave language in Professor Series.

Dear __________:

The Department of ______ at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), is considering Professor_______ ______ for a promotion from Associate Professor of Teaching to the rank of Professor of Teaching. This designation is awarded to faculty who have had a large impact on the educational mission of the university and whose scholarly work in the discipline and/or pedagogy is well recognized and impactful beyond the university. Promotion to Professor of Teaching at UCI requires letters of evaluation from experts in the field.

In considering the promotion to Professor of Teaching, the University evaluates the faculty member’s performance during their entire service as Associate Professor of Teaching. As you are making your assessments of quantity, please note that the time at rank can differ for candidates for a variety of reasons. We are most interested in your evaluation of whether the volume, quality, and impact of work warrants promotion. We do not evaluate the annualized rate at which the work was produced.

I am writing to ask if you are willing to assist by writing a letter assessing Professor _________ achievements in teaching, research/creative activity and service. I am attaching Professor ____ CV and materials documenting their contributions to teaching, research/creative activity, and service. I would like to receive your letter no later than Month Day, year, which will allow us sufficient time to meet our internal review deadlines. I realize this request impacts your valuable time and I assure you that opinions of outside scholars such as yourself carry critical weight in considerations for promotion at the University of California.

Promotion to Professor of Teaching at UCI requires contributions in the three major review areas, 1) teaching, 2) research/creative activity, and 3) service with the expected effort in each area outlined below. We have also included the School Expectations Guidance for Merit and Promotion in the Professor of Teaching series.

We ask that your letter address the following issues:

  1. Teaching (XX% effort) [Please insert the percent distribution in each section below based on the Professor of Teaching guidelines established in your school]: What is the evidence that Professor XX is making effective and innovative contributions to the undergraduate and/or graduate academic program in the Department of ___________? Please provide specific comments on the candidate’s performance as a teacher (e.g. evidence of effectiveness in the classroom, mentorship, creativity, innovative use of technology, course or curriculum design, assessment strategies, evidence of the use of inclusive pedagogy, etc). Commenting on any additional items such as teaching awards would also be helpful.
  2. Research/Creative Activity (XX% effort): What is the evidence that the candidate has made outstanding and recognized research or creative contributions in their discipline and/or to pedagogy? Evidence of impact beyond the university can include but is not limited to journal publications, books, presentations at national meetings, performing in performances, design for concerts, video creation, or other creative activities, grants to support teaching innovation, and development of training programs.
  3. Service (XX % effort): What is the evidence that the candidate has made appropriate contributions to departmental and university governance and/or contributed service to the profession and the broader community outside of the university? Please also comment on their contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion. In addition, we would appreciate receiving any comments regarding their leadership and level of commitment required for a particular service role.

Finally, it would be particularly helpful if you could comment on whether the candidate would likely be given this promotion at your institution.

Although the contents of your letter may be passed on to the candidate at prescribed stages of the review process, your identity will be held in confidence. The material made available to the candidate will lack the letterhead, the signature block, and any material below the signature block. Therefore, any information that would identify you, particularly your relationship to the candidate, should be placed below the signature block. In any legal proceeding or other situation in which the source of confidential information might be sought, the University does its utmost to protect the identity of sources.

Should you need additional information to help you evaluate Professor ________, please feel free to contact me.

Thank you, once again, for your valuable assistance.

Sincerely,

Sample: Advancement to Professor of Teaching, Above Scale

Revised Extensively on 8/29/22 to be consistent with family/pandemic/medical leave language in Professor Series.

Dear __________:

The Department of ______ at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), is considering Professor_______ ______ for an advancement from Professor of Teaching to Professor of Teaching, Above-Scale. This designation is reserved for teacher-scholars of the highest distinction, whose work is nationally and internationally recognized. At UCI, Advancement to Professor of Teaching, Above-Scale, requires letters of evaluation from experts in the field.

In considering the advancement to Professor of Teaching, Above-Scale, the University evaluates the faculty member’s performance during their last three to five years. As you are making your assessments of quantity, please note that the time for advancement to Professor, Above-Scale, can differ for candidates for a variety of reasons. We are most interested in your evaluation of whether the volume, quality, and impact of work warrants the advancement. We do not evaluate the annualized rate at which the work was produced.

I am writing to ask if you are willing to assist by writing a letter assessing Professor _________ achievements in teaching, research/creative activity and service. I am attaching Professor ________ CV and materials documenting their contributions to teaching, research/creative activity, and service. I would like to receive your letter no later than Month Day, year, which will allow us sufficient time to meet our internal review deadlines. I realize this request impacts your valuable time and I assure you that opinions of outside scholars such as yourself carry critical weight in considerations for advancement at the University of California.

Advancement to Professor of Teaching, Above-Scale, at UCI requires contributions in the three major review areas, 1) teaching, 2) research/creative activity, and 3) service with the expected effort in each area outlined below. We have also included the School Expectations Guidance for Merit and Promotion in the Professor of Teaching series.

We ask that your letter address the following issues:

  1. Teaching (XX% effort) [Please insert the percent distribution in each section below based on the Professor of Teaching guidelines established in your school]: What is the evidence that Professor _________ is making effective and innovative contributions to the undergraduate and/or graduate academic program in the Department of ___________? Please provide specific comments on the candidate’s performance as a teacher (e.g. evidence of effectiveness in the classroom, mentorship, creativity, innovative use of technology, course or curriculum design, assessment strategies, evidence of the use of inclusive pedagogy, etc). Commenting on any additional items such as teaching awards would also be helpful.
  2. Research/Creative Activity (XX% effort): What is the evidence that the candidate has made outstanding and recognized research or creative contributions in their discipline and/or to pedagogy? Evidence of impact beyond the university can include but is not limited to journal publications, books, presentations at national meetings, performing in performances, design for concerts, video creation, or other creative activities, grants to support teaching innovation, and development of training programs.
  3. Service (XX % effort): What is the evidence that the candidate has made appropriate contributions to departmental and university governance and/or contributed service to the profession and the broader community outside of the university? Please also comment on their contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion. In addition, we would appreciate receiving any comments regarding their leadership and level of commitment required for a particular service role.

Finally, it would be particularly helpful if you could comment on whether the candidate would likely be given this advancement at your institution.

Although the contents of your letter may be passed on to the candidate at prescribed stages of the review process, your identity will be held in confidence. The material made available to the candidate will lack the letterhead, the signature block, and any material below the signature block. Therefore, any information that would identify you, particularly your relationship to the candidate, should be placed below the signature block. In any legal proceeding or other situation in which the source of confidential information might be sought, the University does its utmost to protect the identity of sources.

Should you need additional information to help you evaluate Professor ________, please feel free to contact me.

Thank you, once again, for your valuable assistance.

Sincerely,

Additional Sample Wording for Solicitation Letters

PROFESSOR, STEP VI

This department is considering Dr. __________ for advancement to Professor, Step VI, and effective July 1, 2009. The department will appreciate it if you will assist us by providing a frank assessment of the significance of Professor __________’s research and professional standing. Do you feel that Dr. ___________’s accomplishments warrant advancement at this time?

Advancement to Step VI involves a career review. It requires evidence of highly distinguished scholarship, highly meritorious service, and evidence of excellent University teaching; in addition, great distinction, recognized nationally or internationally, in scholarly or creative achievement or in teaching is required.

The University of California divides the rank of Professor into nine steps. Steps VI, VII, VIII, IX – and the rank of Professor, Above-Scale — reward excellence beyond that needed to become full Professor.

PROFESSOR, ABOVE-SCALE

This department is considering Dr. ___________ for advancement to Professor, Above-Scale, effective July 1, 2009. Advancement to Professor, Above-Scale, is reserved for scholars and teachers of the highest distinction, whose work has been internationally recognized and acclaimed and whose teaching performance is excellent. The University of California divides the rank of full Professor into nine steps. The most distinguished rank of Professor, Above-Scale, rewards excellence beyond that needed to become Professor, Step IX.

We will appreciate it if you will assist us by providing a frank assessment of the significance of Dr. _________’s research and professional standing. Do you feel that Dr. __________’s accomplishments warrant advancement at this time?