Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: [Phys-l] failure is always an option



So, why is it that every college application I have ever seen from a student asks for two or even three letters of recommendation? If the letter is meaningless then why do the colleges not update their applications? Even the common application has a checklist, and a short area to add comments. At least in a letter you can add personal statements about the student.
In fact, back in the 90's I wanted to NOT write letters for certain students and was told in no uncertain terms I had to or else I would not be teaching physics the next year! Have things changed? Not from listening to my colleagues in the school where I left 10 years ago. The physics teacher still HAS TO write letters for EVERY student who asks! And as someone wrote, who in their right mind is going to write something bad. These things are never private in spite of all the protestations that no one ever sees the letters... I know better! (see below)

There is a real horror story I could tell regarding how these letters were handled back then and probably still are. Suffice it to say I probably could have sued over breach of privacy of said letters! There's a real horror story there I won't get into here. In 1998, the issue over letters was one of the straws that broke this camel's back, so I retired from there, never to return. Obviously I didn't sue because they keep asking me to come back every year since then to take over a science class somewhere in the city for some poor young person who can't handle the inner city and quits in the middle of the year... happens every year for the past 10 years!

Marty



On May 10, 2008, at 2:33 PM, Michael Edmiston wrote:

In response to Wes and Ken concerning letters of recommendation, I share
your dismay. I used to be a strong believer in letters. I have always
tried to write honest and worthwhile letters... still do. But I now realize
the value is practically nil. Part of the problem has come from those who
have written letters that weren't honest. Part of that problem has come
from the fear of being sued if the reviewed person believes or discovers
that a disparaging remark in the letter is what lost them the scholarship
(or job).

In "the real world" today (i.e. not academia) many supervisors will not
write letters of recommendation anymore. My brother is president of a major
investment firm, and he will not write letters of recommendation, and he
does not use letters of recommendation. He tells me I am stupid if I ever
write a letter that has anything negative in it because I am going to get my
butt sued some day. I also know for fact that some school boards have
offered to write a clean letter of recommendation for a teacher or even a
principal or superintendent if that teacher (or principal, or
superintendent) will resign rather than force the school board to fire them
mid-contract because of a significant indiscretion on the part of the
employee.

Sad, but letters of recommendation are quickly becoming a thing of the past.

Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry and Physics
Bluffton University
1 University Drive
Bluffton, OH 45817
419.358.3270
edmiston@bluffton.edu


_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l