Office of Public Records

Public Records Requests may be submitted by: 1) email; or 2) mail, using the required Public Records Request form found at on this website.

Requests made by email: 

Send to: public.records@oit.edu

• Requests made by email will be acknowledged within five (5) business days of receipt of the email.

Requests made by mail:

• Send to Oregon Institute of Technology, Office of Public Records, 3201 Campus Drive, Klamath Falls, OR 97601
• Requests made by mail are "date stamped" and will be acknowledged within five (5) business days.

Receiving Documents:

• Requests seeking copies of records must contain a mailing address for delivery of the response.
• Requests for electronic copies of records must contain an email address for delivery of the response.

Compliance with Oregon's Public Record Law is mandatory for all public bodies and their employees. If your office receives a Public Records Request by any method of communication (i.e., verbal or written), please either forward it or direct the requester to the Oregon Tech Office of Public Records.

Contact Information: Pam Grove, Oregon Tech Public Records Officer | (541) 885-1116 | public.records@oit.edu

The Office of Public Records will review the request to determine if the requested records are public record by law. We will then work with your office to develop an estimate of staff time and cost to search for, gather, and provided the requested records. The Office of Public Records will confirm with you when and if your office should begin compiling records, how to track staff time, and how to get materials to our office, etc. We are also responsible for determining whether records or their contents are exempt or subject to redaction.

Every office on campus should be aware that Oregon Public Records Law provides specific retention periods for various kinds of records. Oregon Tech's Record Retention Schedule and concomitant potential penalties for failure to retain documents is available on Oregon Tech's University Records Management website:  https://www.oit.edu/faculty-staff/archives-records-management

Please note, that a subpoena is not a Public Records Request. If you are served with a subpoena, make a note of how and when you received it, retain all documents, and contact the Office of University Legal Counsel at (541) 885-1116. The law provides strict timelines for responding to a subpoena. 

What is a public record:

A public record is a writing kept by a public body that contains information relating to the conduct of the public's business. Most public records can be disclosed, but some records and some specific details within records are exempt from disclosure under the Oregon Public Records Law and/or other state or federal privacy laws.

Who can make a public records request?

Any person, whether representing themselves or any other organization, has a right to request and review any public record of an Oregon public body if that record is not exempt from disclosure.

How to you make a public records request?

Public records requests may be made by submitting the Public Records Request form found on this website and submitted by email to public.records@oit.edu, or mailing to: Oregon Institute of Technology, Office of Public Records, 3201 Campus Drive | Klamath Falls | Oregon | 97601. The request should clearly and with specificity describe the records being requested. Our office may follow-up with the requester to get more information to help us identify the records being requested.

How long does it take to get a response?

The Office of Public Records responds to a Public Records Request within five (5) business days of receipt of the request as required by law. Oregon Tech records are highly decentralized, which can add more time to the process of gathering records if they are located within multiple locations throughout Oregon Tech's campuses.

Do I have to pay for public records?

As allowed under Oregon Revised Statute ORS 192.324(4), the Office of Public Records charges for the actual cost of making public records available. This includes all staff time involved (calculated based on hourly rate of pay and benefits), a per-page fee for photocopies (should hard copies be requested), any mailing or delivery charges. Staff time locating, gathering, compiling, reviewing and segregating the records into exempt and nonexempt records, redacting, summarizing,  monitoring (if a request is made to to inspect records on site), or copying in response to a request. Our office provides the requester with an estimated total cost, and begins work when payment is received. In some circumstances, upon petition by the requester, Oregon Tech may reduce or waive certain fees.

What public records are exempt from disclosure?

Some public records can be conditionally or unconditionally exempt from disclosure, depending on the nature of the record. The reasons for exemption vary but are always provided by either state or federal law, and are often related to protecting personal information of students, employees, or other individuals. Where permitted by law, some public records containing both exempt and nonexempt material may be separated or redacted and the nonexempt material made available. For more information on the legal context in which exemptions or redactions are made, the text of ORS 30.864 and a 2011 Oregon Department of Justice Opinion on Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Public Records might be helpful, and is posted on this webpage.

Where can I get a copy of Oregon's Public Records Law?

A link to the Oregon Public Records Law, as well as the Oregon Attorney General's Public Records and Meeting manual can be found on this website under "Useful Links." 

Fees:

Oregon Institute of Technology (OT) charges for the actual cost of making public records available. Payment of all fees will be required in advance if you wish OT to produce the records requested.

Fees are based on the actual value of staff time involved in retrieving, identifying, reviewing, processing and presenting the materials. The charge may also include the cost of time spent by an attorney in reviewing the public records, redacting material or segregating the public records into exempt and nonexempt records. The cost of time for each employee is calculated by multiplying the employee’s hourly wage calculation (including benefits expenses) by the hours or portion thereof necessary to process the request.

Fee Reduction or Waivers:

In accordance with ORS 192.324(5), a public body may reduce or waive fees when fulfilling public records requests that benefit the interest of the community or society as a whole. If you would like to apply for a fee waiver or reduction, please provide a statement that conveys how your request meets this requirement and thus justifies redirecting the public’s resources away from Oregon Tech’s primary mission of education to absorb some or all the cost of your request.

Exceptions:

Public records requests made for commercial purposes are ineligible for fee reductions or waivers.

Petition:

Pursuant to ORS 192.415, a requester who has been denied records may petition the Klamath County District Attorney.