Referees

Overview

Dossiers must include a minimum number of letters from external referees that are selected by the department (e.g., the promotions committee) or the candidate. All numbers below represent minimums for each type of letter.

Selecting Referees

Referees should hold a position at an institution of higher education. In some cases, a referee may instead hold a key position at an influential organization or agency such as the National Institutes of Health. If you are unsure if a referee without college/university appointment qualifies, contact BMFAwith the referee's CV and a brief statement of justification.

Referees should not be collaborators, co-authors, former trainees, or former mentors. At the very least, department-selected referees should not include such individuals to allow the department to benefit from unbiased opinions regarding the candidate's contributions and reputation. Collaborators, co-authors, former trainees, and former mentors are not in a strong position to offer an objective evaluation. Candidate-selected referees may include such individuals but candidates should note that the strongest dossiers include 'arm's-length' referees as well.