I know that some groups have gotten reminders recently regarding the required FERPA form for letters of recommendation. It is probably a good reminder for all of us. Note that these regulations are cover currently registered OSU students.
FERPA releases are MANDATORY for writing letters of recommendation for students. The mandatory FERPA form is attached and must be completed by the student. These can be kept within a departments central office for general use, in NOLIJ with the students records, and or by an individual.
It is also against FERPA policy to communicate official OSU business with students via personal email addresses, as personal email is not sufficiently secure to protect students’ information.
General FERPA Federal policies can be found at: http://registrar.oregonstate.edu/privacy-records