Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA)

Until June 10, 2006, Ontario universities were exempted from FIPPA. Universities are now included under this legislation and it is important that you know about it. FIPPA legislation regulates how records (electronic, tape, paper) are collected, archived, and destroyed, and it also regulates who has access to these records and how. Some records are excluded under this act.

INFORMATION & PRIVACY COMMISSIONER OF ONTARIO

The Information & Privacy Commissioner of Ontario has an informative web-site at: http://www.ipc.on.ca/

The Freedom of Information, Protection of Privacy Act can be found here.

A detailed guide to the Act is also provided on the Ontario, Access and Privacy Office website.

QUEEN'S

Queen's has created a website to answer many of your questions.

Queen's has provided guidelines for the use of FIPPA contacts in university departments, schools and other units, regarding the implementation of the Act in the University. The guidelines can be viewed here.

To contact Queen's Access and Privacy Coordinator with questions not answered in the websites above, please see the following.

QUFA

While FIPPA does not apply to trade unions or associations that represent employees of an "institution", QUFA is being prudent in paralleling the University's policies and procedures should we be included partially or fully in the future. To that end, QUFA adopted a Privacy Protection Rationale and a Privacy Policy that have now been vetted by legal counsel in accordance with recommendations 1 and 2 of the Rationale, and QUFA is in the process of developing a records management system and records request system in accordance with recommendations 2 and 3 of the Rationale.

You can find the Policy and Rationale here.

Please contact QUFA if you have any questions or concerns.