89-00 Student Privacy Regarding Letters of Recommendation

Prior to submitting a letter of recommendation, faculty shall obtain written documentation of a student’s pledge to “waive” or “not waive” their right to see the requested recommendation in the future. Also prior to submitting a letter of recommendation, faculty shall obtain written consent from a student to release information from their education record as deemed appropriate for purposes of the letter. For peace of mind, faculty members may wish to obtain written consent from students to use information from the student’s educational record even in instances where the faculty does not ultimately use the information. Electronic documentation (e.g., email, online forms, etc.) satisfies the written documentation requirement, so long as the signed and dated written consent by the student contains an electronic signature that appropriately identifies and authenticates that particular student.

Initial Legislation: 1/28/2020