If you request a recommendation from a CU Boulder faculty or staff member as a current or former student, they are under no obligation to provide one. However, if they do, please be aware of the following guidelines.

  1. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) allows for oral or written recommendations to be released without written consent if the communication contains only authorized directory information or other personal observations, or if it's addressed to an educational institution where the student seeks or intends to enroll, including professional school admission services.

  2. If your intended use or your recommender's intended content is other than that outlined in item 1 (e.g., you're sending the recommendation letter to a prospective or current employer), you must provide express, written permission to allow your recommender to access your educational records and disclose your confidential information to a third party.

If your request falls under item 2, we recommend that you complete a CU Boulder Release for Letters of Recommendation for your signed consent. If you choose to use another form of release, you must sign and date it and it must include a description of the information your recommender may disclose, the purpose of the disclosure, to whom they may disclose it, and whether you waive your rights to review a copy of the letter or know the contents of the oral communication. Your faculty or staff recommender should retain such documents of authorization for a mutually agreed-upon period of time.