Language for Peer Review Letters

Review Initiator letters and other higher level review letters (AULs, ULs) should be written to clearly indicate whether a standard merit or promotion is recommended, or whether a greater or less than standard increase is recommended. The following are examples of the types of language that would be helpful to include in a review letter. 

• Standard Merit

  • “I recommend a standard merit increase based on this positive review."
    
  Greater than Standard
  • 
    

• Merit with Exceptional Performance

  • “I recommend a greater than standard merit increase merit with Exceptional Performance based on this positive review and the exceptional performance during this review period.”

• Standard Merit / Promotion  (If a merit or promotion is recommended)

  • “I recommend a standard promotion increase based on this positive review.”
    
  Greater than Standard
  • 
    

• Promotion with Exceptional Performance

  • “I recommend a greater than standard promotion increase promotion with Exceptional Performance based on this positive review and the exceptional performance during this review period.”

• No Action

  • “I recommend a no action based on this less than positive review”
    
    

• No Action with Salary Increase

  • “While this was a less than positive review, I recommend a no action with salary increase based on the exceptional circumstances described in this review.”
  • “While this review was not uniformly positive, I recommend a no action with salary increase based on the exceptional circumstances described in this review.”

In addition, if your campus uses a form that summarizes the review action(s), you may want to revise the form to specifically include categories such as the followingAvailable Actions for Recommendation:

• Standard merit increaseGreater than standard merit increase
• Merit Increase with Exceptional Performance
• Standard promotionGreater than standard promotion
• Promotion with Exceptional Performance
• Career status
• No action
• No action with salary increase
• Termination