Introduction

(1) This rule is adopted for The University of Tennessee by The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees to provide economical and efficient access to public records as provided under the Tennessee Public Records Act. The Tennessee Public Records Act provides that all public records must, at all times during business hours, be open for personal inspection by any citizen of the state of Tennessee, and those in charge of the public records must not refuse such right of inspection to any citizen of the state of Tennessee, unless otherwise provided by law. Accordingly, the public records of The University of Tennessee are presumed to be open for inspection unless otherwise provided by law. (2) University employees must timely and efficiently provide access and assistance to persons requesting to inspect or receive copies of public records. The provisions of this rule must not be used to hinder access to non-confidential public records. However, the integrity, confidentiality, and organization of public records, as well as the efficient and safe operation of the University, must be protected as provided by law. (3) Concerns about this rule should be addressed to the appropriate Public Records Request Coordinator or to the Tennessee Office of Open Records Counsel. (4) This rule is based on policies and guidelines published by the state of Tennessee’s Office of Open Records Counsel as of November 2, 2018, including the Model Public Records Policy, the Best Practices & Guidelines document, the Safe Harbor Policy, the Schedule of Reasonable Charges, and the Reasonable Charges for Frequent and Multiple Requests Policy. (5) This rule must be applied consistently throughout the various units of the University.