Freedom of Information Access Requests

 The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA, the Act) extends a general right of access, with some limitations, to information under the custody and control of the college.   

Members of the college community and the general public have the ability to request personal information about themselves, as well as to make requests for access to the general records of the college. Depending on the information or record(s) being requested, the information may be available on an informal basis through routine requests or publicly available information, or through the submission of a formal Freedom of Information (FOI) access request.

Routine requests

Many records held by the college are available through an informal process. For example, official student transcripts are available for a fee from the Office of the Registrar, and employees can access their own personnel records by contacting the Human Resources department.

If you are requesting your own personal information, it may be possible for you to receive it directly from the office that holds your information. Please contact the relevant office prior to submitting an FOI access request.

If you are requesting access to another person's personal information, a signed Third-Party Information Release form or proof of authority to act on that person's behalf is required.

Publicly available information

It may also be helpful for you to consult the following webpages to determine if the record(s) you are seeking are released regularly to the public:

General

• Accountability Reports
• Audited Financial Statements
• Budgets
• Organizational Charts
• Research Forest Annual Report

Governance

• Board of Governors Meeting Attendance & Honoraria
• Board of Governors Public Agendas
• Policies & Procedures

Planning

• Strategic Plan
• Education Plan

Please note that records that contain confidential, personal, or third-party information are subject to exemptions under the Act and are not disclosed routinely.

How to submit an FOI access request

Freedom of Information requests must be submitted in writing, to the Privacy Office. FOI requests must include the following information:

• Your first and last names
• Phone number
• Email address
• Concise description of the records you are seeking

To limit processing delays, be as specific as possible and include a date range for the records sought. The Act allows the College 30 business days to respond to the request and in some cases fees may be charged. If required, the Privacy Office may contact you to clarify the request or to notify you of any required fees.