Meaning of question "do you give permission to release a copy of this recommendation to another academic institution" in a recommendation form While filling in the online recommendation form for Yale regarding one of my students, I was asked to answer the following question


  If this student enrolls in the Yale Graduate School, do you give permission to release a copy of this recommendation to another academic institution upon request of the student and at the discretion of Yale Graduate School?
  
  Yes   No


Any idea what this question is about and the meaning/implications of choosing yes or choosing no?
The text suggests that YGS may want to send a copy of the recommendation letter to another school, given a request from the subject (your student) and the permission of the author (you). That the school seeks your consent in advance suggests that it is streamlining its process for forwarding old recommendations to other institutions. Perhaps this mechanism is sometimes used in the vetting of visiting scholars?

The worst implication that a "no" seems likely to incur would be the student having to seek out another recommendation instead of using one on file. I don't see how they could justify treating the letter's contents any differently based on the response to this question (unlike the issue of whether the applicant has waived their right to see the letter).