Policy on Reference/Recommendation Letters

A. I provide reference/recommendation letters for outstanding students who have taken any of my classes. To qualify for a letter, you must satisfy the following criteria:

1. You must be in good standing in all of your classes. This means your average should be A- (80%) or above.

2. You must have received at least a grade of 82% in my class, with at least one straight A (85%) in any of the exams.

3. You must have demonstrated superior communication skills through active participation in my class.

4. Your records must indicate consistency in your performance.

B. If your standing in another course is better than in my course(s), I strongly suggest that you contact the instructor of this other course first. It is not in your best interest if I cannot rank you as one of my best students in a given year. I cannot provide reference letters to students for which I cannot vouch in good conscience.

C. To apply for a reference letter, you must contact me to set up a meeting. To this meeting you need to bring:

1. A complete set of transcripts of your academic achievements during your enrollment at UBC.

2. A curriculum vitae (also known as a résumé) that contains information about your academic and professional career, language skills, and extracurricular activities such as volunteer work.

3. [For a job application] A one-page mission statement in which you describe the goals for your future career, your strengths. Additionally, you should inform me about anything that may pertain to your job application.

4. [For a graduate school] In case you are applying to graduate school, just bring a preliminary version of your statement of purpose.

D. Once I have examined this material, I will decide if the application fulfills the criteria outlined above. In case I reject an application, I will return the material to the applicant. When I write a reference letter, I will keep the material for future reference.