FOIPOP - FAQ

FOI - Freedom of Information

To ensure that public bodies are fully accountable to the public by:
(i)  giving the public a right of access to records,
(ii)  giving individuals a right of access to, and a right to correction of, personal information about themselves,
(iii)  specifying limited exceptions to the rights of access,
(iv)  preventing the unauthorized collection, use or disclosure of personal information by public bodies, and
(v)  providing for an independent review of decisions made pursuant to this Act; and

To provide for the disclosure of all government information with necessary exemptions, that are limited and specific, in order to:
(i)  facilitate informed public participation in policy formulation,
(ii)  ensure fairness in government decision-making,

POP - Protection of Privacy

To protect the privacy of individuals with respect to personal information about themselves held by public bodies and to provide individuals with a right of access to that information.

(FOIPOP Act (Section 2 - Purpose of Act))

As defined in section 3(1(k)) of the FOIPOP Act, a “record includes books, documents, maps, drawings, photographs, letters, vouchers, papers and any other thing on which information is recorded or stored by graphic, electronic, mechanical or other means, but does not include a computer program or any other mechanism that produces records;"

(i) the individual’s name, address or telephone number,
(ii) the individual’s race, national or ethnic origin, colour, or religious or political beliefs or associations,
(iii) the individual’s age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status or family status,
(iv) an identifying number, symbol or other particular assigned to the individual,
(iii) the individual’s age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status or family status,
(iv) an identifying number, symbol or other particular assigned to the individual,
(v) the individual’s fingerprints, blood type or inheritable characteristics,
(vi) information about the individual’s health-care history, including a physical or mental disability,
(vii) information about the individual’s educational,financial, criminal or employment history,
(viii) anyone else’s opinions about the individual, and
(ix) the individual’s personal views or opinions, except if they are about someone else;
As an exception, the name and work contact information of an employee is NOT considered to be personal
information.

At Mount Saint Vincent University, on-campus email addresses are not considered personal information; in the case of faculty and staff, MSVU email addresses are actually considered business information.

In the case of students, the University considers the Mount email address as the official means of communication and publicly viewable, although students may request that their name and email address not be listed together in the directory.

When students are required to participate via email with other students in their class to fulfill course requirements, they should expect to share contact information. When communicating with large groups through email, there are ways of concealing the list of e-mail addresses (such as an entire class) through the use of "blind copy" (bcc)).

The Acts give everyone a right of access to most recorded information held by public bodies (including universities).. This information may be contained in books, documents, maps, drawings, photographs, letters, vouchers, or any other source of recorded or stored source of information.

Additionally, you have the right to request access to and correction of personal information about you. Personal information includes such things as your name, address, telephone number, age, sex, education, marital status, health-care history, and financial history.

You may ask to examine the requested information, or ask to receive a copy of the record.

Any person can make a request for records in the custody or under the control of a public body.  A 'person' may include:  a private citizen, a legal representative, a society, or a company.

If you have any questions regarding records related to your health, please contact the Health office; feel free to also to view public health legislation please follow the link for health related inquires.