Sample: Letter for On-Campus Solicitation

Dear [recipient name],

The Department of [reviewing dept/unit name] has under consideration the advancement of [candidate's full name] from [candidate's current rank & title] to [proposed advancement rank & title].

As you know, advancement in the University of California is based upon research, teaching, and University and public service. The department is interested in your [or your unit's] evaluation of [candidate's name]'s contributions to [e.g. scholarly work/research within your unit; teaching within your department, service within your unit; etc.].

For your convenience, I am enclosing a copy of [candidate's title and full name]'s biobibliography.

Please include a statement below your signature block (see policy on confidentiality and redaction below) that identifies whose views are represented in the letter (e.g. your own, all members of the unit, names of a subset of members of the unit, etc.).

Under University of California policy, the identity of authors of letters of evaluation which are included in the personnel review files will be held in confidence. A candidate will, at certain prescribed stages of the academic personnel review process, be provided access to such letters in redacted form. Redaction is defined as the removal of identifying information (including name, title, institutional affiliation, and relationship to the candidate) contained either at the top of the letterhead or within and below the signature block of the letter of evaluation.

The full text of the body of your letter will therefore be provided to the candidate. Thus, if you provide any information that tends to identify you in the body of the letter, that information will become available to the candidate. If you wish, you may provide a brief factual statement regarding your relationship to the candidate at the end of your letter, but below the signature block. This brief statement will not be made available to the candidate.

Although we cannot guarantee that at some future time a court or governmental agency will not require the disclosure of the source of confidential evaluations in University of California personnel files, we can assure you that the University will endeavor to protect the identity of authors of letters of evaluation to the fullest extent allowable under the law.

We would very much apprecite receiving your evaluation at your earliest convenience by [date]. I thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter.

Sincerely,

[Department Chair Name]
[Department Signature]