New Freedom
of Information
Capilano Al, e

he new provincial Freedom of

Information (FOI) and Protection
of Privacy Act will come into effect for
colleges and universities this October.

Anyone may request, and must be
given, access to all of the personal
information that the College holds on
them, including notes kept in bottom
drawers and computer files.

Passed in 1992 and already regulating
information access within provincial
government offices, the Act strives to
balance two sometimes conflicting
notions — the public’s right to know,
and an individual’s right to privacy. It
covers all new and existing records
under the control of the College. A
record may be in paper, electronic,
mechanical, or other form.

The College must do several things to
prepare for implementation of the Act:
1. Establish an implementation frame

work

' 2. Compile a directory of College
records and personal information
banks
3. Develop policies and procedures for
records management and request
handling
4. Provide education and training for

College employees.

Rob Turner is the College’s FOI
contact person, overseeing implementa-
tion of the legislation at Capilano. A
steering committee, consisting of Frieda
Wiebe, Dianna Larsen, Cindy Rogers,
Randi Duke, Marleen Morris,
Stephanie Forsyth, Steve Gallagher,
and Alan Ng, is responsible for the
development and implementation of
policies and procedures to manage
Capilano’s compliance with the legisla-
tion.

A short-term contract employee will
compile the directory of College records
and a list of College-held personal
information banks. During the next few
weeks, this person will be visiting many
departments asking for information
about records (description, format,
retention) and asking for several forms to
be completed for inventory purposes.
Information will also be collected on the
personal information banks held by each
area. A personal information bank is a
collection of information that is organ-
ized and retrievable by the name of an
individual, or by an identifying number
or symbol assigned to an individual. The
legislation covers all institutional
records, whether they are located
centrally or in individual offices.

Education and training will perhaps
be the most important preparation
activity of all. Everyone will need to
have a general understanding of the Act.
The library has a video, A Matter of
Balance: the Freedom of Information
and Protection of Privacy Act, which is
available for viewing. It gives an
important overview of the legislation.

August 18/94

In many ways, Capilano is already
conforming to the spirit of the Act. The
registrar’s office, for example, is very
careful about protecting student files
from inappropriate use and allowing
individuals access to their own files. But
the new act will ensure that the College
adopts institution-wide records manage-
ment policies, as well as a new level of
professionalism in record-keeping.

Questions about the Act may be
directed to Frieda Wiebe at local 2943,
chair of the implementation steering
committee, or to any of the committee
members.

P ersonnel Services has supplied this
update on staff changes at Capilano
College during the summer.

Effective May 1, Donna Savage,
previously with Community Health
Services, was hired as Capilano Col-
lege’s Community Health Nurse. Shelley
Kean is the new Public Relations Officer
and will be working Monday, Tuesday
and Wednesday. She is also the new
editor of Informer and welcomes all
contributions. Michael Millard has been
hired as a temporary full-time Computer
Operator II.

A few people have changed their jobs
at the College. Three regular part-time
positions have been filled: Dave
Sharrock has become a Student Em-

Personnelly

Speaking

ployment Advisor; Barb Smith is the
new Secretary, Academics; and, June
Daniel is Supply and Services’ Clerk
Typist II.

Two regular full-time positions have
been filled: Kelly Langner, Student
Loans Clerk, and Nancy Findlater,
College Switchboard/Receptionist.

There were also a few announced
departures. Roxanne Fonagy, College
Switchboard/Receptionist, is leaving
August 26 to become a full-time student
at the College. The library’s Pat DeMelo
left July 22 to work with a graphic
design firm. Marianne Ketchen, with
Supply and Services, is leaving Septem-
ber 2 to spend more time with her
family. O