Access Requests
Making aN Access Request under FIPPA
You can submit a formal request for records under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act electronically or by mailing your request and payment to:
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Office
University of Toronto
C/O Office of the Governing Council
27 King's College Circle
Simcoe Hall, Room 106
Toronto, ON M5S 1A1
The University will not accept oral requests.
Please note: if a department or faculty in unable to grant your informal request, making a formal request does not necessarily mean that you will be given access to the information. For example, if the department or faculty refused your informal request because you are requesting access to information respecting research then making a formal request will not change the outcome. The Act does not cover research.
When you submit an access request, you are legally required to pay a $5.00 application fee. FIPPA does not allow this fee to be waived, even if the record you have requested cannot be released to you or does not exist. Additional fees may be payable. The University may waive all or part of the fees related to a request if it is fair and equitable to do so.
You may appeal any decision under the Act, including one on fees to the Information and Privacy Commissioner.
Informal Access Requests
The University of Toronto promotes access to information and transparency of its governance and decision making. In many cases the information you seek may already be available, for example, on the University’s website. Before making a formal request for access to information (or to correct your personal information) under the Act, contact the department or faculty you believe has the information you are seeking and ask them if they are able to provide you with the information. If the information is readily available then the department or faculty will direct you to the information, or where appropriate, send the information to you.
Requests for correction
The University tries to ensure that all of its records are up-to-date and accurate. If you are aware of incorrect personal information about you in a University record, you may wish to request that the information be corrected. It is recommended that you begin by making an informal request to the department or faculty that holds the relevant record. If you are able to prove that the factual information about you is incorrect and the department or faculty is satisfied as to your identity then the correction in many circumstances will be made free and without further process.
*The University will only make corrections to factual information about you, for example: an incorrectly spelled name, an incorrect address, an incorrect birth date, a change of marital status, etc. The University will generally refuse to make changes to information about you which is evaluative or an opinion. Though you may disagree with the evaluation or opinion, making a request under the Act may not be an appropriate response. Please refer to the University’s Policies and Procedures on the matter.