Definitions

(1) “Commission” means the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. (2) “Office of Open Records Counsel” or “OORC” means the State of Tennessee Office of Open Records Counsel, established pursuant to T.C.A. §§ 8-4-601 et seq., or any successor office or entity. (3) “Public Records” means all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, photographs, microfilms, electronic data processing files and output, films, sound recordings, or other material, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business by any governmental agency, not otherwise protected by law or exempt from disclosure under the Tennessee Public Records Act. (4) “Public Records Request Coordinator” or “PRRC” means any individual within the Tennessee Higher Education Commission whose role it is to ensure public records requests are routed to the appropriate Records Custodian and are fulfilled in accordance with Tennessee Public Records Act. (5) “Records Custodian” means any office, official, or employee of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission lawfully responsible for the direct custody and care of a public record. The Records Custodian is not necessarily the original preparer or receiver of the record. (6) “Requestor” is a person seeking access to a public record, whether it is for inspection or duplication. (7) “TPRA” is the Tennessee Public Records Act in T.C.A. §§ 10-7-501, et seq.