Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
It is the policy of Southern state
community college that openness leads to a better informed citizenry, which
leads to better government and better public policy. It is the policy of
Southern state community college to strictly adhere to the state's Public
Records Act. All exemptions to openness are to be construed in their narrowest
sense and any denial of public records in response to a valid request must be
accompanied by an explanation, including legal authority, as outlined in the
Ohio Revised Code. If the request is in writing, the explanation must also be
in writing.
(A)
Public records
This office, in accordance with the
Ohio Revised Code, defines records as including the following: Any document -
paper, electronic (including, but not limited to, e-mail), or other format -
that is created or received by, or comes under the jurisdiction of a public
office that documents the organization, functions, policies, decisions,
procedures, operations, or other activities of the office.
All records of Southern state community
college are public unless they are specifically exempt from disclosure under
the Ohio Revised Code. Under Ohio law, a record (or portion of a record) may
still be withheld from release because state or federal law makes the record or
a portion thereof confidential.
The college will respond to a public
records request within a reasonable amount of time after receiving the
request.
(B)
Directory information
Southern state community college has
defined their directory information as follows:
(1)
Name
(2)
Dates of attendance
(3)
Honors and awards
received
(4)
Degree(s)/certificate(s) awarded, if
any
(5)
Full-time or part-time enrollment
status
(6)
Address
(7)
City of
residence
(8)
Participation in officially recognized sports and
activities
(9)
Photograph
However, releasing directory
information to any person or group for use in a profit-making plan or activity
is prohibited.
(C)
Policy
It is the policy of Southern state
community college that, as required by Ohio law, records will be organized and
maintained so that they are readily available for inspection and copying (See
paragraph (F) of this rule
for the e-mail record policy). Record retention
schedules are to be updated regularly and posted
prominently.
(D)
Records request
With the exception of student
records
, each request for public records should be evaluated
for a response using the following guidelines:
(1)
Although no
specific language is required to make a request, the requester must at least
identify the records requested with sufficient clarity to allow the public
office to identify, retrieve, and review the records. If it is not clear what
records are being sought, the records custodian must contact the requester for
clarification, and should assist the requester in revising the request by
informing the requester of the manner in which the office keeps its
records.
(2)
The requester does not have to put a records request in
writing, and does not have to provide his or her identity or the intended use
of the requested public record. It is this office's general policy that this
information is not to be requested.
(3)
Public records
are to be available for inspection during regular business hours, with the
exception of published holidays or closings. Public records must be made
available for inspection promptly. Copies of public records must be made
available within a reasonable period of time. "Prompt" and "reasonable" take
into account the volume of records requested, the proximity of the location
where the records are stored, and the necessity for any legal review of the
records requested.
(4)
Each request should be evaluated for an estimated
length of time required to gather the records. Routine requests for records
should be satisfied immediately if feasible to do so. Routine requests include,
but are not limited to. meeting minutes (both in draft and final form),
budgets, salary information, forms and applications, personnel rosters, etc. If
fewer than
twenty pages of copies are requested or if the records are
readily available in an electronic format that can be e-mailed or downloaded
easily, these should be made as quickly as the equipment allows.
All requests for public records must
either be satisfied (see
) or or be acknowledged in writing by
Southern state community college within three business days following the
office's receipt of the request. If a request is deemed significantly beyond
"routine." such as seeking a voluminous number of copies or requiring extensive
research, the acknowledgement must include the following:
(a)
An estimated
number of business days it will take to satisfy the request.
(b)
An estimated cost
if copies are requested.
(c)
Any items within the request that may be exempt from
disclosure.
(5)
Any denial of public records requested must include an
explanation, including legal authority. If portions of a record are public and
portions are exempt, the exempt portions are to be redacted and the rest
released. If there are redactions, each redaction must be accompanied by a
supporting explanation, including legal authority.
(E)
Costs for public
records
Those seeking public records will be
charged only the actual cost of making copies.
(1)
The charge for
paper copies is two
cents per
page.
(2)
The charge for downloaded computer files to a compact
disc is one dollar
per disc.
(3)
There is no
charge for documents e-mailed.
(4)
Requesters may
ask that documents be mailed to them. They will be charged the actual cost of
the postage and mailing supplies, paper copies and/or
discs.
(F)
E-mail
Documents in electronic mail format are
records as defined by the Ohio Revised Code when their content relates to the
business of the office. E-mail is to be treated in the same fashion as records
in other formats and should follow the same retention schedules.
(1)
Records in
private e-mail accounts used to conduct public business are subject to
disclosure, and all employees or representatives of this office are instructed
to retain their e-mails that relate to public business (see paragraph (4) of
this rule,
public records) and to copy them to their business
e-mail accounts and/or to the office's records custodian.
(2)
The records
custodian is to treat the e-mails from private accounts as records of the
public office, filing them in the appropriate way, retaining them per
established schedules and making them available for inspection and copying in
accordance with the Public Records Act.
Replaces: 3358:3-1-06
