Recommendation letter for professor promotion from student

At Appalachian, I have had the gift of working with a wide range of students, both at the undergraduate and the graduate levels.  My students have impacted me greatly and have taught me many valuable lessons about teaching, learning, and life.  Off-campus, I have taught in Hickory, Winston-Salem, Caldwell, Burke, and Wilkes counties.  Each of those cohorts were non-traditional and greatly appreciated having access to a quality Appalachian teaching program brought to them in their communities. Some had no other means of obtaining an education that would allow them to change careers or begin anew after suffering from economic hardship. Others had raised their children and were attending college for the first time. Still others were coming back to school to further their careers. Their hard work, dedication, and sacrifice were an inspiration and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to know them and work with them.  The letters from those cohorts I have chosen to include here are from Mark Bauguess (Wilkes graduate cohort, Fall 2010), David Chapman (Wilkes graduate cohort, Fall 2010), Martha Hyde (Winston-Salem graduate cohort, Fall 2012). 

My on-campus students have provided me with a different experience.  Since they are more traditional in terms of age, gender, race, and socioeconomic status, they have been less diverse in some ways.  However, diversity still exists among them in terms of school experiences, family background, religion, and socioeconomic status.  Teaching them, mentoring them on research presentations, and working with them in our student organization have all been so rewarding and affirming.  Many of them have written me letters or notes of support and their kind and generous words make me proud of the work I have done with them.  I am including a range of letters from two cohorts, the class of 2011 and the class of 2012.  I hope you can spend some time reading these and considering them as evidence of my teaching. I firmly believe that the students' voices should speak loudly to the effectiveness and quality of the education they receive at Appalachian. 

Off-campus Students

On-campus Students

A professor recommendation letter can be written in a number of situations. For example, it can be for a professor who is being considered for a promotion or a grant or it can be for a professor who is changing colleges.

Sample:

This sample professor recommendation letter is written on behalf of an associate professor who has been working diligently at his university to become a full professor. The Dean of his particular school is addressing the university president and board of directors on his behalf requesting that he be made full professor.

Dear President Carlson and Distinguished Board of Directors:

I would like to take this opportunity to highly recommend Benjamin Preston, Ph.D. for the position of professor of anthropology at XYZ University. He has held the distinction of associate professor at the university for the past five years although recently he has essentially been performing the tasks of a full professor. As his dean, it is my view that Dr. Preston is fully qualified to be promoted to the position of professor and I urge you to award him this title and the responsibilities and benefits that go along with it.

Dr. Preston has conducted fascinating research over the last five years, particularly in the area of population migration. His numerous publications on the topic have been well-received and have made a significant impact on the theories regarding human migration from the seat of civilization in Northern Africa to what is now the continent of Europe. He has made several trips to dig sites in Ethiopia with members of the Archeology Department to offer his expertise in population migration theory as well as the impact of the environment on cultural changes within a population.

Students clamor to register for Dr. Preston’s courses in population migration as well as human-environmental interactions, linguistics, origins of domestication and forensic anthropology. He is an exceptionally gifted lecturer who keeps his students enthralled with his compelling arguments and well-documented research. I know absolutely no other professor who is as passionate about anthropology and who desires to understand how we as humans got where we are today than Dr. Preston. All of his classes are packed to capacity.

Dr. Preston has worked closely with the Archeology Department to obtain grants for archeological digs and anthropological research. As you know, the two disciplines go hand in hand. Dr. Preston has been instrumental in the award of two grants in particular that have served to place XYZ University in the forefront of research in these two exciting fields. We experienced a noticeable upsurge in applicants for anthropology and archeology majors following the award of these two grants.

It is my honor and privilege to recommend Benjamin Preston, Ph.D. for a promotion from associate professor of anthropology to the position of full professor. I am easily accessible should you wish to further discuss Dr. Preston’s qualifications. Please contact me at (555)-555-5555 or via email at [email]

Respectfully Submitted,

John Cooper

John D. Cooper, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Anthropology

XYZ University

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