CUR Annual Meeting 2002 Report
 
Recommendation Letters for Students: Ethical Issues, Pragmatics, and Best Practices

Tara Kuther
Western Connecticut State University

Summary:
Provided an overview of the current literature about writing letters of recommendation for students and graduates. Discussed four cases that illustrate some of the ethical challenges that professors face in writing such letters. Workshop attendees discussed potential solutions as well as best practices. 

Presentation:

1. Letters of Recommendation
   • Essential for admission to graduate school
   • Little published on the art of writing letters of recommendation 
      
2. Current Literature Emphasizes 2 Issues
   • Letter inflation
   • Lack of training 
      
3. Overview 
   • Ethical principles integral to teaching
   • Cases illustrating thorny dilemmas
   • Tips and strategies
      
4. Ethical Principles Integral to Teaching
   • Beneficence
   • Nonmaleficence
   • Respect for student autonomy
   • Integrity
      
5. Legal Responsibilities: FERPA (1974) - Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
   • FERPA affords certain rights to current or former students of higher education institutions concerning their education records: 
     • the right to inspect and review education records
     • the right to seek to amend those records
     • the right to limit disclosure of information from the records. 
        
6. What You Need to Know 
   • Students may waive their rights of access to recommendation letters
   • Students who have applied, but have not attended an institution, do not have rights of protection
      

7. Best Practices: Tips for Writing Letters of Recommendation

 
Inform Students
Students tend to be uniformed about their needs and responsibilities in seeking letters of recommendation. Guide students by providing them with a detailed list of what will assist you in writing a letter on their behalf. Many professors create a handout or webpage listing the desired information. Here are some suggestions:

• Explain the purpose of the letter
• Desired focus of the letter (e.g., discuss my research skills and experiences in your lab, or discuss my responsibilities as a teaching assistant in your class).
• Useful skills (e.g., computer, statistical, or interpersonal skills) 
• Related experiences (extracurricular, work experience, clubs, volunteer work)
• Courses taken with the faculty member, with grades and sample work (e.g., term paper)
• Reasons for pursing graduate school
• Resume 
• Transcript 

 
Think About It
Do not immediately to write a letter on behalf of a student. Instead, take a little bit of time to think about it and reflect on your experiences with the student. 

Be Honest
If you do not know a student well or cannot write a positive letter on his or her behalf, explain your reservations to inform the applicant. If he or she insists, you can either refuse, write a neutral letter, or include negative evaluations with supporting behavioral examples. 

Get Permission 
Obtain the student's written permission (the signed recommendation form included in admissions packets for most graduate programs is suitable)

Be Specific 
Use specific examples to support your statements. Specific examples will enhance the value of positive comments and will protect you from legal action. If you choose to include unfavorable information, you must include specific examples to illustrate your point. 

Organize the Letter
An effective letter of recommendation is structured. Begin your letter by indicating for whom you are writing, what they are applying to, and an overview of the tone of the letter. Indicate to what extent and length of time you have known the student. Your next step should be to review grades and your records regarding the student. Next, provide specific examples that illustrate the student's intellectual ability, capacity for independent and original thought, knowledge of the field, or attitude and motivation. Close by reiterating your overall recommendation and its strength. 

Beware of Ambiguity
Letters of recommendation tend to be overwhelmingly positive. Because most letters are inflated, readers examine them as if they were written in code. Recommendation letters thus become a projective test wherein any ambiguity is questioned. Any equivocal information might be interpreted in a negative light, even if you did not intend so.
 
 
VIII. Resources
 
Legal Implications of Letters of Recommendation
http://www.uah.edu/legal/PDF_Files/ltrs_of_rec.pdf 

Writing Reference Letters
http://www.cpp.umich.edu/cpp/facstaff/RecLet97.pdf 

Writing Letters of Recommendation for Students: How to Protect Yourself from Liability
http://www.lemoyne.edu/OTRP/otrpresources/otrp_lor.html 

Forthright Letters Of Recommendation Are Best For All Parties
http://www.the-scientist.com/yr1997/july/prof_970721.html 

Legal Risks and Rules for Providing Employment/Academic References
http://www2.gasou.edu/ola/graphics/pdf/feb97.pdf 

FERPA
http://www.wku.edu/Dept/Support/AcadAffairs/CTL/ferpa.htm 

Ault, R. L. (1993). To waive or not to waive? Students' misconceptions about the confidentiality choice for letters of recommendation. Teaching of Psychology, 20, 44-45.

Range, L. M., Menyhert, A., Walsh, M. L., Hardin, K. N., Ellis, J. B., & Craddick, R. (1991). Letters of recommendation: Perspectives, recommendations, and ethics. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 22, 389-392.l.