Hi Y'all,
The following is available for free downloading from the Office of
Teaching Resources in Psychology - Writing Letters of Recommendation
for Students: How to Protect Yourself from Liability* . It can be found
at http://www.lemoyne.edu/OTRP/teachingresources.html#lor
Warm regards,
Linda
Stephen Black wrote:
>
> Here's a question I've been pondering which is currently
> hypothetical but could easily come to pass at my institution.
>
> Suppose you have a student who does exceptionally well in your
> courses. However, this student has also been classified as a
> "special needs" student, and therefore receives special
> consideration on examinations, such as extra time and a quiet
> place to write. Presumably, the student would argue that
> these accommodations are essential to her success.
>
> Question # 1: Suppose the student asked you to write a letter of
> reference, either for an employer or for graduate school. Would
> you mention the special help received on examinations?
>
> My tentative opinion is that you would have a duty to include
> this information in the letter of reference, although you might
> warn the student beforehand that you would do this.
>
> Question # 2: Inclusion of this information in a letter to an
> employer would undoubtedly hurt the student's chances of getting
> the job. But would it also hurt her chances of getting into
> graduate school? Would a graduate school take this as an
> indicator of lesser fitness for graduate training?
>
> Question # 3: Contrary to my opinion in Question # 1, is it
> possible that it would be legally or ethically improper to
> include information about being a "special needs" student or
> receiving special accommodations in a letter of reference? Could
> it be argued that this is privileged personal information which
> has the same status as disclosures in a therapy session, and
> therefore should not be divulged in a letter of reference?
>
> If I'm right in Question # 1, one implication is that student
> counsellors should warn students seeking special status. They
> should be told that accepting special arrangements on exams
> carries the disadvantage that the information will be noted in
> letters of reference.
>
> What do people think?
>
> -Stephen
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Stephen Black, Ph.D. tel: (819) 822-9600 ext 2470
> Department of Psychology fax: (819) 822-9661
> Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Lennoxville, QC
> J1M 1Z7
> Canada Department web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy
> Check out TIPS listserv for teachers of psychology at:
> http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/psyc/southerly/tips/
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Linda M. Woolf, Ph.D.
Associate Professor - Psychology
Coordinator - Holocaust and Genocide Studies
Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights
Webster University
470 E. Lockwood
St. Louis, Missouri 63110
http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
