U of M investments in staff and policy enhance public transparency

Larger staff and greater efficiency enabled continued accountability amid record-level public records requests

Recent investments in staff and policy have shaped the University’s approach to accessing public records, delivering markedly improved response times despite rapid increases in the volume of public records requests received each year, according to a report to the University’s Board of Regents this week. Leadership from the Office of the General Counsel and its Data Access and Privacy team, the unit responsible for managing the University’s compliance with the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act and federal public records laws, highlighted the ways in which the U of M has honored its responsibility to be as responsive as possible to public records requests. 

Across the country, there has been a notable increase in the number of records requests received by public institutions, including leading research universities like the U of M. In fiscal year 2012, the University received 283 requests for public records. That number more than quadrupled over the past decade, reaching a record 1,280 requests in fiscal 2022, an average of 3.5 requests per day. The University will likely receive more than 1,500 requests by the end of the current fiscal year on June 30, a 10% increase over the previous year. 

While these numbers continue to skyrocket, the U of M has considerably reduced response times. Five years ago, the average response time to public records requests was 60 days. That number shrank to 14 days in fiscal 2022 and continued to improve in 2023, with the current average at just 10 days.

Presenters credited these successes to a commitment made by the Board and University administrators in 2019 to enhance transparency and accessibility. At that time, the University underwent a thorough assessment of its data practices, resulting in a restructured office with additional staff, enhanced quality controls, a new online request portal, systemwide employee training and an updated University policy. Collectively, these changes enabled more data to be provided to more requesters more quickly.

New Board leadership and 2023-24 meeting schedule approved

The Board also elected new officers to serve two-year terms from July 2023 through June 2025. Regent Janie Mayeron was elected as the Board’s chair, with Regents Doug Huebsch and Mike Kenyanya elected to serve as co-vice chairs. The Board selected Brian Steeves and Myron Frans to continue in their roles as secretary and treasurer, respectively. 

The Board also set its meeting schedule for the 2023-24 academic year. Regular meetings are usually held on the second Fridays, with committee meetings on the preceding Thursdays, in February, March, May, June, July, September, October and December. Other meetings are scheduled as needed and may include work sessions, open forums and public hearings. The first scheduled meetings for the next academic year will be held July 12-14, 2023, which will include the Board’s annual summer planning retreat.

The Board also:

• Approved the administration’s recommended fiscal 2024 capital improvement budget.
• Reviewed the administration’s recommended fiscal 2024 operating budget and hosted a public forum on the proposed operating budget to welcome input from the University community and general public.
• Received an update on systemwide strategic enrollment planning across the University’s campuses.
• Discussed the University's systemwide distributed learning strategy to increase access and meet workforce needs.
• Received updates on public safety and the Positioned for Excellence, Alignment and Knowledge (PEAK) initiative.
• Received annual reports from governance leaders representing faculty and staff.
• Approved amendments to two Board policies — Board of Regents Policy: Endowment Fund and Board of Regents Policy: Disability Services — and reviewed Board of Regents Policy: Code of Conduct for Members of the Board of Regents.
• Recognized outgoing University President Joan Gabel and her husband, Gary Gabel.

The Board of Regents is scheduled to meet next on July 12-14, 2023. Visit regents.umn.edu for more information.