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| In every course I receive several requests for reference letters from students. To make things clear, the following is my policy regarding reference letters: | In every course I receive several requests for reference letters from students. To make things clear, the following is my policy regarding reference letters: |
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| | (Template for undergradautes who took my PSYC3052/PSYC2071 courses and conducted a replication and extension project, please see the template here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/sqrru8dc6g7s1jd/AAAw8BXiFqH0zQRuZm74xyesa/Other?dl=0&preview=Reference+letter+template+for+courses-Gilad+Feldman.docx&subfolder_nav_tracking=1 ) |
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| | I generally do not give personalized reference letters for large fundamental undergraduate courses (e.g., PSYC2020), because the course structure does not allow me sufficient individualized interaction with each student to truly talk the student. To be able to do so, we would need to have met and talked in-depth during the semester and/or started working on something together. |
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| I generally do not give personalized reference letters for large fundamental undergraduate courses, because the course structure does not allow me sufficient individualized interaction with each student to truly talk the student. To be able to do so, we would need to have met and talked in-depth during the semester and/or started working on something together. If you are still interested in adding me as a referee, then please send me a notification that you will do so and I will provide a short letter indicating that you took part in my class and will shortly comment about your overall performance in the course. | If you did a personalized project in one of my advanced classes (PSYC3052/2071), and you did well (A grade and above), then I'm happy to provide a recommendation. |
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| If you did a personalized project in one of my advanced classes, and did well, then I'm happy to provide a recommendation. In such a case please follow the instructions on [[https://reason.kzoo.edu/psych/req_letters/|this website]]) | ====== General requests/terms ====== |
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| | - Think carefully how many applications you want me to help you with, I have my limits. I have hundreds of students, if I complete reference letters for all of them to all places they're applying I won't be able to do anything else. |
| | - For course instructor: I will support up to __**2**__ applications, no more. |
| | - For thesis students: Up to __**5**__ applications. |
| | - I will only do things **electronically**. Please do not ask me to do reference letters that require mailing in post/printing/scanning, etc. I simply do not have the time to mess around with these 18th century requests. It shows lack of respect for referees' time. If you really need my help in places that require those, ask wherever you're applying to if they can make an exception in my case. Refer them to this page. |
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| | ====== Detailed guidelines ====== |
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| | In such a case please follow the instructions on [[https://reason.kzoo.edu/psych/req_letters/|this website]]) |
| <blockquote> | <blockquote> |
| * Plan ahead. It is customary to give all materials to your Professors AT LEAST 3 WEEKS before the earliest deadlines for your letters. Aim for more than 3 weeks, if possible. (May take longer, if during Christmas/Summer breaks or if your professor is on leave/sabbatical). | * Plan ahead. It is customary to give all materials to your Professors **AT LEAST 3 WEEKS** before the earliest deadlines for your letters. Aim for more than 3 weeks, if possible. (May take longer, if during Christmas/Summer breaks or if your professor is on leave/sabbatical). |
| * Be organized. Provide ALL materials in a folder at ONE time, and check that everything is there. The best would be a link to a Dropbox with all the materials. (Writing "PS: my grades and resume will be in your box next week" - or forgetting to give us a form the school wants us to complete - gives us more loose materials to keep track of. Most of us do not start writing your letter until all the information is in anyway, so it’s best to wait till everything is gathered). | * Be organized. Provide ALL materials in a folder at ONE time, and check that everything is there. The best would be a link to a Dropbox with all the materials. (Writing "PS: my grades and resume will be in your box next week" - or forgetting to give us a form the school wants us to complete - gives us more loose materials to keep track of. Most of us do not start writing your letter until all the information is in anyway, so it’s best to wait till everything is gathered). |
| * If you decide to send more applications out, just ask us and send all the materials we need again. If we still have your accompanying materials (ask us), you may only need to send your new addresses etc. + attachment. Even though the process may be faster as we will already have a letter on file for you, it is a good idea to still allow about 2 weeks. | * If you decide to send more applications out, just ask us and send all the materials we need again. If we still have your accompanying materials (ask us), you may only need to send your new addresses etc. + attachment. Even though the process may be faster as we will already have a letter on file for you, it is a good idea to still allow about 2 weeks. |
| - I must have a sense of you as a person beyond the letter grade that appears in my records. Especially for large lecture-style courses, where it is difficult for professors to know their students well individually, reflect back upon your own behavior and ask yourself the following: Did you ask astute questions in class? Did you actively participate in discussions? Did you make use of office hours? Did you find other ways to leave a lasting, positive impression? To write a strong and effective letter, I need to be able to describe you qualitatively. | - I must have a sense of you as a person beyond the letter grade that appears in my records. Especially for large lecture-style courses, where it is difficult for professors to know their students well individually, reflect back upon your own behavior and ask yourself the following: Did you ask astute questions in class? Did you actively participate in discussions? Did you make use of office hours? Did you find other ways to leave a lasting, positive impression? To write a strong and effective letter, I need to be able to describe you qualitatively. |
| - I will only write recommendation letters when you have signed a waiver of your right to examine the letter. When I write letters of recommendation, I treat them as confidential documents whose destination is to a relevant third party (e.g., prospective employer, graduate school). By asking me for a letter, you are giving me permission to discuss your performance, both quantitatively and qualitatively, in my courses and to provide the third party with an honest accounting of your academic abilities and your promise for future success. | - I will only write recommendation letters when you have signed a waiver of your right to examine the letter. When I write letters of recommendation, I treat them as confidential documents whose destination is to a relevant third party (e.g., prospective employer, graduate school). By asking me for a letter, you are giving me permission to discuss your performance, both quantitatively and qualitatively, in my courses and to provide the third party with an honest accounting of your academic abilities and your promise for future success. |
| - I need at least two weeks to craft and submit a letter for you. Faculty schedules are busy, and I need as much lead time as possible. Two weeks is the minimum amount of lead time for me to consider writing for you. As the saying goes: “Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part”. | - I need at least two weeks to edit and submit a letter for you. Faculty schedules are busy, and I need as much lead time as possible. Two weeks is the minimum amount of lead time for me to consider writing for you. As the saying goes: “Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part”. |
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| If I do agree to write a recommendation, you have several responsibilities: | If I do agree to write a recommendation, you have several responsibilities: |
| | - Take the template file (see above), adjust that to your case, add as much as possible about your specific case, remove whatever isn’t relevant necessary, include as much as possible about what you’re doing or have done with me, and make that together with the other things in the page above available to me. |
| - Organize all the pertinent information together. Information that I need to know per letter includes: nature of your application (a description of the organization/program to which you’re applying), deadline for the letter to be postmarked/received, method by which I am to submit the letter (via email, in hard copy mailed directly to a program, in hard copy to you with a signature across the envelope seal), name and contact information of the third party (full names and affiliations of the person/group receiving the letter), if there is a word limit for the recommendation letter, and any additional forms that I am to complete on your behalf. If there are additional forms beyond the letter, you must first check that you have completed all the relevant student-related sections (e.g., your name, contact information, and waiver of right to letter) before handing the materials over to me. There is no need to furnish me with envelopes and stamps. | - Organize all the pertinent information together. Information that I need to know per letter includes: nature of your application (a description of the organization/program to which you’re applying), deadline for the letter to be postmarked/received, method by which I am to submit the letter (via email, in hard copy mailed directly to a program, in hard copy to you with a signature across the envelope seal), name and contact information of the third party (full names and affiliations of the person/group receiving the letter), if there is a word limit for the recommendation letter, and any additional forms that I am to complete on your behalf. If there are additional forms beyond the letter, you must first check that you have completed all the relevant student-related sections (e.g., your name, contact information, and waiver of right to letter) before handing the materials over to me. There is no need to furnish me with envelopes and stamps. |
| - Please also attach an up-to-date clear photo of yourself to help me remember who you are. | - Please also attach an up-to-date clear photo of yourself to help me remember who you are. |
| * Relationship to Applicant: Course instructor / thesis advisor | * Relationship to Applicant: Course instructor / thesis advisor |
| * Submission Method (Online (Preferred)/ Hardcopy) : Online only | * Submission Method (Online (Preferred)/ Hardcopy) : Online only |
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| ====== General requests/terms ====== | |
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| - Think carefully how many applications you want me to help you with, I have my limits. I have hundreds of students, if I complete reference letters for all of them to all places they're applying I won't be able to do anything else. | |
| - For course instructor: I will support up to __**2**__ applications, no more. | |
| - For thesis students: Up to __**5**__ applications. | |
| - I will only do things electronically. Please do not ask me to do reference letters that require mailing in post/printing/scanning, etc. I simply do not have the time to mess around with these 18th century requests. It shows lack of respect for referees' time. If you really need my help in places that require those, ask wherever you're applying to if they can make an exception in my case. Refer them to this page. | |
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