Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues:

With the start of the new calendar year I am writing to remind you of UConn’s obligations under the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).  As a public agency and state-supported institution of higher education, UConn is subject to the requirements of FOIA, which is a state law that promotes government transparency by providing access to the public records and meetings of all Connecticut state government agencies.  Failure on our part to appropriately comply with records requests may result in legal sanctions and civil penalties.

The definition of “public records” is quite broad and likely to include virtually any document you create or receive, including emails.

The volume of records requests made to the university every year is very substantial. The university has a dedicated office and staff who are responsible for working with those making the request and employees of the university to ensure all records requests are fulfilled in a timely and accurate manner.

Some records requests come to them directly; others are sent to individual employees.  All requests for records (even if not identified as a public records/FOI request) should be treated as a time-sensitive matter and forwarded right away to [log in to unmask].  Your immediate action allows the Public Records office to acknowledge receipt of the request within four business days, as required by state law.

There are specific exemptions in state statutes that allow certain records to be withheld from disclosure.  Public Records staff are very familiar with these exemptions and are able to determine when they do or do not apply.  

If the Public Records office receives a request for records and believes you may have responsive records, you will be notified by email. The notification will include a description of the records being requested, instructions on searching for responsive records and a deadline for responding.

At UConn, we are committed to responding to public records requests as promptly as possible while also protecting the privacy rights of our students and employees.  Thank you for your continued cooperation and commitment to complying with UConn’s obligations under the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act.

Sincerely,

Tom

Thomas Katsouleas

President

University of Connecticut

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