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Policy Statement
Individuals requesting public information will be provided access to all public information in accordance with Minnesota's Public Records Law, the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA), Chapter 13 of the Minnesota Statutes. The MGDPA applies to all government data that is "collected, created, received, disseminated or maintained by the University, regardless of physical form, storage media or conditions of use." This includes all University work-related information produced or held on University-owned devices or on employee owned devices such as tablets or smartphones. Unless directed to another specific unit in the Procedure for Requesting Information from the University of Minnesota, data requests must be submitted through the University’s online portal.
The Director of Data Access and Privacy (DAP) is the Responsible Authority and Data Practices Compliance Official under the MGDPA and is responsible for managing and fulfilling requests for information in accordance with the MGDPA. Whenever possible, the University will direct requesters to existing sources of public information.
Units that receive requests from either the public or subjects of data must send those requests to the DAP Office for review and response. In order to comply with the University’s legal responsibilities, members of the University community, upon request, must promptly provide data to the responsible authority and the DAP Office.
Individuals who are the subjects of data collected or maintained about them by the University have the right to:
- know what data is kept and how it is classified;
- notification when private or confidential data is collected from them;
- challenge the accuracy or completeness of data about them; and
- have private data secured.
Reason for Policy
The University adheres to the provisions of state and federal privacy and records laws, including the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. In so doing, the University:
- Increases the value of University information resources through widespread and appropriate use.
- Prevents the inappropriate and unauthorized disclosure of information and thereby avoids adverse legal consequences.
Providing efficient and effective access allows the University to minimize expenses related to record keeping and document production and maximize the resources devoted to the primary mission of the University.