CONSISTENCY ATTENDANCE LEADERSHIP
POSITIVE ATTITUDE
REQUESTS FOR FACULTY LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
Students will from time to time wish to request a letter of recommendation from Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program faculty for employment or credentialing purposes. The CMHC faculty, as licensed counselors, have an ethical obligation to be honest and accurate in their assessment of a student in a letter of recommendation. This ethical obligation concerns not only providing each student with accurate feedback on their abilities and attitudes, but also as a safeguard to clients who deserve competent service. If a student wishes to request a letter of recommendation from a faculty member, please first make sure that: The faculty member knows the student well. Letters can only consist of observations made over time in order to form a consistent opinion. Remember, this will include important behaviors such as classroom attendance, consistency in being on time and not leaving early from class, prompt submission of high-quality assignments, and positive student attributes in
the classroom such as a cooperative attitude and ability to take risks and provide leadership. The student knows in advance who the letter is directed to, what the letter is for, in order to provide the most specific advice possible to the letter writer. It is also acceptable to ask for a general letter of reference; however, be aware that it might not address what the student wants addressed as well as a focused letter. The student may also request the letter from a faculty member. The student should remember they have a right to refuse to write a letter. If there may be issues that reflect on the student unfavorably, the student will be advised of this in as specific a way as possible so that they can decide if they want the letter written. In most cases, if there are concerns, the student would have heard about them previously in feedback from classroom and Practicum/ Internship faculty, and/or Practicum/Internship Site Supervisors.
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Hodges University Student Handbook
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