Academic

To Recommend or Not to Recommend

By firstamendmentblogger

When do you decline to write a recommendation letter?

I was recently asked to write a scholarship recommendation for a student who was having difficulty covering law school costs due to personal circumstances.  His request, addressed to "Ms. Bergin," acknowledged a mediocre exam performance and several late arrivals to class.  He offered to assist me "in whatever pet project" I have going on next summer, and disclosed that he gave me a good evaluation at the end of the course in which he had enrolled.

With so little to work with I felt ethically compelled to not write the letter, and can't help but think that the request itself showed a profound lack of judgment.  Maybe its a generational divide (I couldn't imagine sending that request to one of my Profs); maybe its an act of desperation (I don't know his personal circumstances or whether he faces withdrawing from law school).

Maybe its a gender thing.  . . . "Ms.?"  

I know plenty of female law prof who've been in a similar position.  But what about our male colleagues?  Do they get these requests?  Do they write them, or confidently dismiss them out of hand?  Are they too offered help on course preparation, legal scholarship, text-book drafting, disaster relief, global rule of law initiatives "pet projects" outside of class?  Are they too guilted into a post-hoc quid pro quo: "I gave you a good review so now you owe me." 

Sound off . . .

Full post as published by The Faculty Lounge on March 12, 2009 (boomark / email).