[SIGCIS-Members] I'm coming up for tenure... letters?

[Thomas Haigh]

Hello Everyone,

I'm coming up for tenure at UWM this semester in the school of information
studies (http://www4.uwm.edu/sois/) . My office is currently knee deep in
papers as I get my file together. External reviews should already have
received packets for evaluation, and the school's internal committee will do
its reviewing in about a month's time.

One of the things we are asked to do is gather evidence of a lot of things,
including service and the impact of research. This can take the form of
letters of recommendation. SIGCIS is the community I've done most of my
service with, if any of you happen to be willing to write a letter in
documentation of the usefulness of my work here to your own involvement in
the field then I would appreciate this. I'm thinking of things like the
conference panels, resource guide, lunch meetings, dinners, members
directory, email list, etc. (Of course I've had a lot of help from the other
SIGCIS volunteers in implementing these).

Likewise, if you have found any of my published research useful in shaping
your own thinking, providing facts, or for teaching purposes then a short
statement of recommendation explaining this would be very welcome. Or if
you've found my comments or guidance helpful at some point. 

These letters are not anonymous and do have to attempt an evaluation of my
overall case as those from the official external reviewers do. Therefore it
is fine just to send them to me. But in the letter itself, maybe use "Dear
Dr. Zhang" (the chair of the SOIS executive committee) as the addressee --
it would seem a little weird to be writing to me to tell me how great I am.

The file has to be submitted on paper. My postal address here is Thomas
Haigh, UWM School of Information Studies, Bolton Hall 5th Floor, 3210 N
Maryland Ave Milwaukee, WI 53211. 

However, if you send the letter as an attachment, scanned PDF, etc. to
thaigh at computer.org then I can print it out myself.

Pardon any presumption. This seemed less intrusive than making individual
requests, which then could create awkwardness or a feeling of obligation. I
am looking forward to seeing many of you at the SHOT conference and SIGCIS
workshop next month. If you have any announcements of your own (new books,
papers, resources discovered, etc) then please do share them with the list.

Tom Haigh
www.tomandmaria.com/tom