REQUESTS FOR PUBLIC RECORDS

California’s Constitution, Article I, Section 3, subdivision (b), and the Public Records Act (Gov. Code §§ 6250-6276.48) govern access to public records of California state and local government agencies. 

Under the California Public Records Act (CPRA) the public has a right to access certain public records maintained by government agencies, including the District. To request records maintained at Santa Rosa Junior College, please submit a request using the College's online public records portal, or contact Stephanie Jarrett, Director, Purchasing & Risk Management at sjarrett@santarosa.edu, or call (707) 527-4822. A written request is not required, but is preferred and may help if your request is complex.

Public Inspection of Records

Upon request for a copy or inspection of records, Santa Rosa Junior College will provide an initial written response to a public records request within 10 days of receipt.  A determination regarding whether documents will be provided may require up to an additional 14 days, depending on the complexity of the request and the availability of responsive documents.  The production of responsive records may follow these determinations on a rolling basis, depending on the volume of records to be produced.  

A public record includes any writing owned, used or maintained by the Chancellor’s Office in the conduct of its official business, and may include information recorded or stored on paper, computers, email, or audio or visual tapes.

Requests for inspection or copying of public records:

• Must be specific and focused. Where a request is not specific or focused, the District will assist. Please note requests too general in nature, i.e. all files relating to, etc., may result in delay pending further identification of the records.
• May not interfere with the business operations of the District.
• Can be oral or in writing. For purposes of clarity, the District encourages written requests.

Records Exempt From Disclosure

The District will provide access to all public records upon request unless the law provides an exemption from disclosure. Examples of records exempt from disclosure include but are not limited to: certain personnel records, investigative records, drafts, confidential legal advice, records prepared in connection with litigation, and information that may be kept confidential pursuant to other state or federal statutes.  In many circumstances, when the District removes or redacts exempt information from the record, it will disclose the remainder of the record.

If you have questions about submitting a Public Records Act request, please contact Stephanie Jarrett at sjarrett@santarosa.edu or call (707) 527-4822 during business hours. Additional information regarding the California Public Records Act can be found here.