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Letters of Recommendation

Last updated on 12/02/2003

Students may ask you to write a letter of recommendation for placement in an academic program, internship or job.

You should consider this request as a compliment.   You need to decide whether you have the qualifications to perform the task, and, perhaps most importantly, whether you should, in good conscience, write such a letter.

Common sense will serve you well here.   Perhaps the guiding question you should ask yourself is whether, if someone asked, you could defend your decision to write.

There are no formal policies, practices, or standards at Baruch for this sort of thing. Three things, however, come to mind:

1. If the letter of recommendation is requested from you in your capacity as a Baruch instructor, then the use of Baruch stationery is proper.
2. You should be clear in your letter that you are an adjunct (not full-time faculty).
3. It is likely that departmental chairpersons have differing ideas about this subject.   It is prudent, therefore, to make sure your department knows what you are doing and why.