Human Resources
Quinn Administration, 03, 00076
p. 617-287-5150
f. 617-287-5179
Freedom of Information Act
It is the policy of the University of Massachusetts Boston to fully comply with the letter and spirit of all applicable public information statutes. The Massachusetts Public Records (MPR) law and the Federal Freedom of Information Act (FIA) provide that any person has an absolute right of access to public information. This right of access includes the right to inspect, copy or have copies of records provided upon the payment of a reasonable fee. Massachusetts General Laws broadly defines “public records” to include all documentary materials or data, regardless of physical form of characteristics, which are made or received by any officer or employee of any Massachusetts governmental entity.
The MPR contains twelve (12) exemptions to its general rule of disclosure. The most frequently invoked and the most applicable to UMass Boston employees is the privacy exemption. The privacy exemption contains two clauses that are both applicable to university employees. The first clause restricts dissemination of employee medical and personnel information that relates to an identifiable individual and is of a “personal nature”. Generally, medical information will always be considered personal enough to warrant exemption. Personnel information however is exempt only if it is “evaluative” in nature.
The second clause involves requests for information that implicate privacy interests but do not involve personnel or medical records. In order to qualify as a privacy exemption, the requested information must involve “intimate details of a highly personal nature.” For instance, examples of intimate details of a highly personal nature would include information regarding marital status, paternity, substance abuse, governmental assistance, family disputes and reputation. Employees should be confident that UMass Boston will take every step under the MPR to ensure that its employees’ privacy interests are protected. However, it should be noted that University employees have a diminished expectation of privacy in matters relating to their University employment.
Employees who receive requests for information pursuant to the MPR or FIA should direct such requests to the Department of Human Resources at ext.5150.