University of Manitoba - University Governance - Governing Documents: University Community

Governing Documents: University Community

POLICY:	SECURITY, SURVEILLANCE AND THE RELEASE OF INFORMATION
Effective Date:	January 26, 1978
Revised Date:	December 2, 1991
Review Date:
Approving Body:	Board of Governors
Authority:
Implementation:
Contact:	Vice-President (Administration)
Applies to:	All Staff

Recently there has been a good deal of concern relating to security, wiretaps, surveillance, and the release of information involving the R.C.M.P. or other agencies. These are very sensitive areas. The following should help to clarify what can be legitimately expected, what cannot be required, and what are the channels for communication on such matters.

General Surveillance and Electronic Eavesdropping

The administration is not aware of any such surveillance by the R.C.M.P. or other agency in the past nor of any attempt to institute such surveillance.

Guidelines

No member of the University should cooperate in such surveillance without seeking the advice and approval of the President. This approval will be given only if a court order has been obtained. B. Specific Investigation of Individuals

There seem to be two categories of investigation, not always easily differentiated.

Suspected Illegal Activity

There have been occasional investigations by the R.C.M.P. on specific matters which might lead to charges of illegal activity. We assume that police officers have the right to conduct investigations of any individual on or off the campus accused or suspected of a specific crime.
Information relating to matters such as security checks and checking of records of specific individuals.

Guidelines

Information which involves university records, whether of a staff member, a student, or a graduate, should be released only by the Vice-President (Administration) and enquiries should be directed to that office.

With respect to student records, Policy "Disclosure and Security of Student Academic Records" shall apply.

No further information shall be released without written authority from the student concerned.

With respect to other requests for information, the Vice-President (Administration) is guided by the Report of the Board-Senate Committee on the Release of Information (March, 1973), from which the following excerpts are drawn:

1.

a) Confidential material is information explicitly so justified and so declared by regulation or by the officers or bodies who are otherwise authorized to do so. Such information may not be released without authorization.

b) Such information as the following is not confidential (i.e., is in the public domain): lists of winners of competitive awards, lists of graduates, Deans' lists, officially settled facts of appointments, employment, promotion, etc., and all such announcements as are contained in DBS, AUCC, CAUT, and similar surveys, and in the following official publications of the University of Manitoba: the Calendar, Convocation programs, and the President's Report. This list is not intended to be exhaustive.

2. All information pertaining to an individual, except that which is in the public domain, is deemed to be personal and private and therefore confidential.

3. Personal information is all details of an individual regarding such matters as:

a) (normally should not be recorded) race, religion, colour, ethnic origin, political affiliation, non-professional memberships, social or other views or habits, reading interests or habits;

b) (normally should not be released, except in statistical form where pertinent) income, letters of reference or assessment or similar documents, citizenship, health, medical, psychiatric, psychological, counselling records, disciplinary or criminal records, marks, sex, sexual history, non-academic activities or involvement (except where the reporting of such involvement is required by the Senate "Policy on Consulting"), family (other than marital status and related data), and other similar information.