tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post4491565299826979034..comments2024-03-25T02:33:41.590-05:00Comments on FemaleScienceProfessor: Let Us Now Praise Our Advisors Even MoreFemale Science Professorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-50088143924719913872012-07-24T11:12:44.555-05:002012-07-24T11:12:44.555-05:00Along with other people's gratuitous comment, ...Along with other people's gratuitous comment, I also want to give special thanks to FSP for this entry, it's great help to get me a jump start on writing the letter-instead of having to begin from scratch. <br />Many thanks.ConstituentOtherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502413445770500299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-11498889137735357412011-09-08T19:32:45.669-05:002011-09-08T19:32:45.669-05:00wow..I had no idea where to begin or what to write...wow..I had no idea where to begin or what to write, I'm so glad I found this site.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-64017612518290117382010-07-09T13:54:13.135-05:002010-07-09T13:54:13.135-05:00This was a VERY useful post for me. Thank you so ...This was a VERY useful post for me. Thank you so much!Morganhttp://studentaffairsnotapassingaffair.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-27744445703815183532009-03-09T01:30:00.000-05:002009-03-09T01:30:00.000-05:00Thanks a bunch for this post. Its amazing, but th...Thanks a bunch for this post. Its amazing, but this is the only thing on the web of its kind. It really helped me get my letter written.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-43627742142832408682008-11-12T06:21:00.000-06:002008-11-12T06:21:00.000-06:00FSP, I can't believe the timing of this; I read yo...FSP, I can't believe the timing of this; I read your entries on this about a week before I was requested to write a letter for my advisor who is going up for tenure. Your comments were very useful. I thought about it and decided I didn't want to write one because of the conflict of interest, and submitted a short statement in place of a letter about why it was unreasonable to ask current graduate students to submit a letter (or at least, why all such letters would be positive if the students valued their own career advancement).<BR/><BR/>But then I talked to two people not in my department, a community college professor and a scientist who was in scientific academia 20 years ago. They both claimed that me not writing a letter would count as a black mark against my professor, and that she could be denied tenure based on that. I like my professor and want her to get tenure (as I said in my non-letter), and so now I feel guilty about this... but I still stand by my original qualms about the letter's uselessness because of the conflict of interest. Can my refusal to write a letter really be taken as an 'F' on some part of my professors application for tenure?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-30044311253128724772008-10-18T11:29:00.000-05:002008-10-18T11:29:00.000-05:00Thank you so much for this! I was just asked to wr...Thank you so much for this! I was just asked to write a letter for my undergrad advisor's tenure file. He was absolutely fantastic and I wanted to be sure to convey that in the right way. I wasn't certain how to balance personal and professional remarks, but this guide gave me some very good ideas, and I think my finished product is quite polished!Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09730643090815080691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-67803819919109553892008-10-17T14:02:00.000-05:002008-10-17T14:02:00.000-05:00Kitten X just got tenure!Kitten X just got tenure!Female Science Professorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-15650562667154636952008-10-17T08:58:00.000-05:002008-10-17T08:58:00.000-05:00I'm hoping this series of posts on advisor-praisin...I'm hoping this series of posts on advisor-praising letters culminates in a sample recommendation letter for Kitten X.Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hydehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07005652406299754952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-46185861056658734312008-10-16T19:50:00.000-05:002008-10-16T19:50:00.000-05:00It was once pointed out by a colleague that "waivi...It was once pointed out by a colleague that "waiving your right" to see reference letters is just that, waiving your "right." It does not prohibit you from seeing the letters, it just prohibits you from asking for them.<BR/><BR/>This came to light when said colleague was going up for his/her next promotion. The department chair at the time offered to show my colleague copies of their reference letters that were used for tenure X years earlier. I was rather stunned.<BR/><BR/>This surprised me. I know this former chair, and suspect it would not have been done if the letters were negative. Still, it strikes me as a "legalistic" interpretation that is not within the spirit of how it is interpreted by letter writers.<BR/><BR/>Has anyone else heard of such situations?Professor Staffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10956540743632827470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-54333481546129659312008-10-16T17:02:00.000-05:002008-10-16T17:02:00.000-05:00Wow, thanks so much FSP! This post will be helpfu...Wow, thanks so much FSP! This post will be helpful for many of us now and in times to come. I feel for those who have to write a negative letter, that can't be fun. I'm very thankful for thoughtful advisers...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-51521394648192279822008-10-16T11:55:00.000-05:002008-10-16T11:55:00.000-05:00This is incredibly helpful, as next week I have to...This is incredibly helpful, as next week I have to write a letter for a former professor. I want to praise him to the skies, but now I know what the pro forma letter sounds like so I can exceed the expectation (without wasting my time/paper).ScienceWomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11252480538852802610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-34473025247023118962008-10-16T08:20:00.000-05:002008-10-16T08:20:00.000-05:00FSP, thank you for this guide! There really needs...FSP, thank you for this guide! There really needs to be a guide for writing letters like this (and general student rec letters too). Writing a good letter is a skill and it's not one that we're given any training in. <BR/><BR/>I think my comfort level with writing something like this for a professor would depend on my opinion of them. I'd be happy/comfortable writing a letter for someone who I have a good relationship with, but not for someone who I don't. I have to work with this person and I hardly want a written record with me saying what a horrible person he/she is to work with! Especially as I am in a position of less power as the student. I admit, I'm uncomfortable writing a negative letter; perhaps the refusal of students says something?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-25837987604320331122008-10-16T00:47:00.000-05:002008-10-16T00:47:00.000-05:00It's recommendation letter MadLibs!It's recommendation letter MadLibs!Notorious Ph.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/08700875559325201086noreply@blogger.com