[HiTech RedNeck]

When a scientist writes a recommendation or other opinion, he puts his credibility as a scientist on the line.

He could quite truthfully and charitably say something like "this student understands very well the evolutionary theory of biological origins, and is a good scientist in XXX and YYY and ZZZ areas of biology" [not related to evolutionary theories of origins] and leave it at that.

[Catspaw]

He could quite truthfully and charitably say something like "this student understands very well the evolutionary theory of biological origins, and is a good scientist in XXX and YYY and ZZZ areas of biology" [not related to evolutionary theories of origins] and leave it at that.

How would the professor had known this if the student in question never took the class?

[cinFLA]

He could quite truthfully and charitably say something like "this student understands very well the evolutionary theory of biological origins, and is a good scientist in XXX and YYY and ZZZ areas of biology" [not related to evolutionary theories of origins] and leave it at that.

Something like "this student fails to accept the basics of biology and scientific methodology".