FIPPA and PHIA applies to all records in the custody or under the control of UM and its colleges, but does not extend to information that may be considered exempt from disclosure, such as teaching or research materials, or a question that is to be used on an examination or test.

Request for access to general information and an individual’s own personal information may be made either informally to the holding office, or formally to the Access and Privacy Office.  For formal request please complete the Application to Access form (PDF).

A formal Access to Information request is required if:

• You are requesting access to:
  • Confidential information
  • Personal information concerning an individual who is not named as a requestor
  • Third-party business information
• The holding office has doubts about whether the information should be released
• You are not satisfied with the information you have received informally and are requesting additional information

Requests for access to personal health information should be made to the office where the individual believes the records containing their personal health information are held.

No special forms are required if the individual is making a request for their own personal health information, but the request should be in writing. The written request must contain the name of the individual requesting the record(s), address, phone number, signature and date of the request.

Prior to permitting an individual to examine or receive a copy of their personal health information, UM will need to confirm their identity through photo or other appropriate identification.

Anyone seeking access to the personal health information of another individual must submit a written request to the Access and Privacy Office.

After you submit your request

You will be sent an acknowledgement letter that specifies the date your request was received by the university. The wording of your request is mailed to the address supplied on your application form within the first five to seven days of the application process.

If the wording of your access request is modified based on conversations with the university after your application is submitted, a clarification letter will be sent to you detailing the changes made to the original wording of your request.

Who will know that I submitted an application for access at the university?

The Access and Privacy Office staff is obligated to protect your privacy during the access requests process, so your identity will only be shared with other university staff member(s) if your identity is required in the retrieval of the records you have requested.

If your identity needs to be shared, it will only be shared with the minimum amount of people required to complete the application for access.

Fees

There is no charge to submit an application for access. However, there are fees that may be applied to your application. If any of the following scenarios apply, a fee estimate letter will be sent to you.

1. All access requests are allotted two free hours of search and preparation. A fee of $15 per 30-minutes will be charged to access requests that take longer than two hours.
2. Computer programming and data processing fees of $10 per 15-minutes if internal programming or data processing is required, or the actual cost of external programming or data processing is incurred by the university.

A fee estimate puts the application process on hold until payment is received by the university. Therefore, the deadline to respond to your request will be delayed.

What happens if I receive a fee estimate, but I am unable or unwilling to pay it?

If you are unable to or do not want to pay the fee estimate, please contact the Access and Privacy Office to discuss your concerns. We may be able to help you narrow the scope of your access request in order to decrease the fees, or eliminate them entirely.

If the fee is not paid, and/or the Access and Privacy Office is not contacted to discuss the fee estimate, the file will be considered abandoned and closed 30 days after the last contact.

Response time

The university is required to respond to your access request within 45 calendar days of receipt of your application for access unless a time extension has been taken. The date the university received your application will be included in the acknowledgement letter sent to you.

FIPPA allows the public body to take a 30-day time extension under certain circumstances, which is outlined under subsection 15(1) of the Act.

For example, if a large number of records are requested which would unreasonably interfere with the operations of the university, or if the university needs to consult with a third party or another public body before deciding whether or not access will be granted to the record(s), the university can take a 30-day extension.

It has been 45 days since I sent in my application, and I have not received a response. What should I do?

Unless a notice for a time extension was sent to you, the university has 45 calendar days from the day they received the application for access to complete your request. Please allow two to three business days after the 45-day deadline to see if a response arrives in the mail. If nothing arrives, contact the Access and Privacy Office to inquire on the status of your request, either by phone (1-204-474-9462) or by email: fippa@umanitoba.ca.

Your access request decision

You can contact the Access and Privacy Office by phone (1-204-474-9462) or by email at fippa@umanitoba.ca to discuss your questions or concerns about the university's decision regarding your request.

How do I make a complaint about my access request?

Subsection 59(1) of The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act provides that you may make a complaint about the university's decision regarding your request for access to the Manitoba Ombudsman's Office. You have 60 days from the receipt of the university's decision letter to make a complaint.

December 2024

No new requests at this time

• The public has a right of access to UM records (subject to specific exceptions).
• The public has a right to request corrections be made to their own information held at UM.
• UM must securely collect, store, share and dispose of personal information.
• Set defined limitations on the use and sharing of personal information based on minimum amount and need to know for approved and authorized purposes.
• UM’s actions and decisions regarding access and privacy decisions are subject to independent reviews by the Manitoba Ombudsman’s Office.

Please refer to Application for access and information for more information on requesting access to information under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Personal information means recorded information about an identifiable individual, including:

1. The individual's name.
2. The individual's home address, home telephone  or email address.
3. Information about the individual's age, sex, sexual orientation, marital or family status.
4. Information about the individual's ancestry, race, colour, nationality, or national or ethnic origin.
5. Information about the individual's religion or creed, or religious belief, association or activity.
6. Personal health information about the individual.
7. The individual's blood type, fingerprints or other hereditary characteristics.
8. Information about the individual's political belief, association or activity.
9. Information about the individual's education, employment or occupation, or educational, employment or occupational history.
10. Information about the individual's source of income or financial circumstances, activities or history.
11. Information about the individual's criminal history, including regulatory offences.
12. The individual's own personal views or opinions, except if they are about another person.
13. The views or opinions expressed about the individual by another person.
14. An identifying number, symbol or other particular assigned to the individual.

Record or Recorded Information means a record of information in any form, including information that is written, photographed, recorded or stored in any manner, on any storage medium, or by any means, including by graphic, electronic or mechanical means, in the custody or under the control of the University of Manitoba.

All records (regardless of format or medium) created, received, used or maintained by officers and employees of the University of Manitoba in the course of their duties on behalf of the university are the property of the university.

Records to which The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) applies

FIPPA applies to all records in the custody or under the control of the University of Manitoba and its Colleges, including records containing general information, personal information and personal health information. It does not apply to teaching or research materials, or a question that is to be used on an examination or test.

Under the Act, a person has the right to examine and to receive a copy of his or her personal health information (PHI) subject to the exceptions of PHIA. At UM, PHI may be held by a faculty, department, division, program, centre or service, health care unit or health services agency.

A request to access your own PHI must first be made by contacting the unit or office where you believe the records are held. You may be asked to put the request in writing and it should include your name, address, phone number, signature and date of signing. Please note that prior to being allowed to examine your record, the office that holds the record must confirm your identity through photo or other appropriate identification.

If you are requesting PHI on behalf of another person, you will be referred to the Access and Privacy Office and you will be asked to provide a written request. Prior to the release of any information, the Access and Privacy Office, and if necessary, the Office of Legal Counsel, will require you to verify your identity.

Before a record containing PHI is released for viewing, the office holding the record and/or the Access and Privacy Office will first review the record under the provisions of the Act. If the record does not contain any third party or otherwise confidential information, the record may be examined in the office that holds the record. A copy may be provided if requested.

Personal health information means recorded information about an identifiable individual that relates to:

• The individual's health or health care history, including genetic information about the individual.
• The provision of health care to the individual.
• Payment for health care provided to the individual, and includes the personal health information number (PHIN) and any other identifying number, symbol or particular assigned to an individual, and any identifying information about the individual that is collected in the course of, and is incidental to, the provision of health care or payment for health care.

General privacy (FIPPA) training for employees, contractors, students or affiliates who have or will have access to personal information. Personal information includes names, contact information, financial information etc.

If you have access to UM Learn, please login to UM Learn,

1. Select the Self Registration menu item. 
2. Click on General PHIA and Privacy training for UM Community course.
3. Choose the General Privacy Training (1st content).

If you do not have access to UM Learn, complete the training using this link:

Register for the General Online Privacy Training

At the end of the training module, follow instructions to download, complete and submit the pledge. Please ensure to click 'Submit' so our office will be notified of your completion.

General University of Manitoba PHIA training for employees, contractors, students or affiliates who also have or will also have access to personal health information. Personal health information includes doctor’s notes, diagnosis, medical accommodations and records, etc.

If you have access to UM Learn, please login to UM Learn,

1. Select the Self Registration menu item. 
2. Click on General PHIA and Privacy training for UM Community course.
3. Choose the General PHIA Training (2nd content).

If you do not have access to UM Learn, complete the training using this link:

Register for the General Online PHIA training

At the end of the training module, follow the instructions to download, complete and submit the pledge. Please ensure to click 'Submit' so our office will be notified of your completion.

For those involved in a UM research project who do not have a UMNetID (i.e. external collaborators), complete the training using this link:

Register for the Privacy Training for Researchers 

At the end of the training module, follow instructions to download, complete and submit the pledge. Please ensure to click 'Submit' so our office will be notified of your completion.

For those involved in a UM research project who have a UMNetID (students, staff, faculty), please complete Privacy Training for Researchers in UM Learn.

To access the course, Login to UM Learn and do either of the following.

• Select the Self Registration menu item. Click on Privacy Training for Researchers.
• OR, On UM Learn home page, scroll down to 'My Courses'. (Note: You may need to select "View All Courses" to see all your available courses.) Click on 'Privacy Training for Researchers and WRHA PHIA'. From the Content menu/Content Browser, click on 'Privacy Training for Researchers' course.
• UM Learn instructions