Who can make a request under FIPPA?
Anyone can place a request under this act: the public, students, faculty, or staff.
How do I make a request for information under FIPPA?
To make a request for information, the first thing you must do is to fill out a FIPPA Application for Access form.
Where do I send my application form?
Send or take the completed form to FIPPA Office, 233 Elizabeth Dafoe Library, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N2.
Is there any charge for making a request?
Depending on the request, you may be required to pay a fee for making an application or for search, preparation, copying, and delivery services. But any such fees will be identified in a "Estimate of Costs" form, sent to you before services are provided. You then have 30 days to indicate whether you will accept the charges or whether you want to modify your request. If you do not respond within 30 days, your application is considered abandoned.
When will I be notified regarding my request?
The U of M FIPPA Office has 30 days after receipt of your application to respond. If the Access & Privacy Coordinator does not respond by this time, or if the Coordinator decides to extend this 30-day time period under subsection 15(2) of the Act, you may file a complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman.
As a student do I have the right to see my graded test or examination?
Yes. A student has the right of access to his or her own personal information, including education history that is held by a local public body such as the University. Access cannot be denied without invoking a clause of the Act to justify the denial. A student may view his or her own examination twenty-one (21) days or later from the time grades are released. The examination should be viewed in the presence of the examiner/professor/instructor or a department-appointed staff member. At the professor/instructor’s discretion a copy of the examination may be provided. Note, however, that such a release may compromise the future use of the exam questions.
As a student can I obtain access to my written evaluation or progress report?
Yes. A student has the right to view and receive his or her written evaluation or progress report if such a report exists. Such evaluations and reports are commonly created in graduate programs and practicums. It is recommended that Deans’ offices coordinate the creation of copies, and that copies be dated and stamped with department names.
In the context of the University who are the first party, second party, third party in an access request?
The first party is anyone, whether student, staff, or a member of the public, who makes a request under FIPPA. The third party is a person, group, or organization who is neither the individual requesting the access nor the public body. An example might be a situation in which a student requests access to notes made of a conversation he or she had with a faculty advisor. In this case the student is the first party, the University is the second party, and other individual referred to in the notes is a third party.
If you have questions about FIPPA, PHIA or the request process, contact the Access & Privacy Coordinator at fippa@umanitoba.ca. Do not send information requests via email -- follow the proper request process instead.