Making a Request for Information under FIPPA

At Wilfrid Laurier University, we are committed to protecting the privacy of the personal information entrusted to us by our students, employees, alumni, donors and other members of the community. We collect, use, disclose, retain and dispose of personal information as authorized by law, such as Wilfrid Laurier University Act and in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), other applicable legislation and the University's policies and procedures.

Informal Process

Many university policies and operations allow for you to access your own information as part of regular procedures. You are encouraged to reach out the relevant department first before making a formal access request. Please note that FIPPA allows for the provision of records (recorded information such as documents, files, images, recordings), and not verbal information that has not already been recorded.

Formal Process

If informal access is not possible, you can make a formal request under Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) by:

1. Completing the access request form, paying particular attention to the description of the records you are interested in. We may reach out to you if clarification is required.
2. Paying the $5 application fee required under FIPPA. You can pay the fee by cheque or money order made payable to 'Wilfrid Laurier University,' or by e-transfer. To pay the fee by e-transfer, please contact Laurier's Privacy Office for instructions.

Payment can be mail to:

Privacy Office
Wilfrid Laurier University
75 University Avenue West
Waterloo ON N2L 3C5

Timelines

Under FIPPA, the Laurier has up to 45 business days to complete a request once the fee has been paid and the request is clarified enough to proceed. In some cases, more time is required. If that is the case, a notice of time extension will be sent to you. A phased approach of record release may also be proposed to allow for timely access to records.

Fees

In most cases, you will not be charged additional fees if your request is for your own personal information. For requests for general records, the university charges fees in accordance with Regulation 460 of FIPPA, which could include $30 per hour for records searches and $30 per hour for records processing. If the fee is estimated to be above $25, a fee estimate will be sent to you before the request is completed. In some cases, a deposit will be required and payment of the fee in full will be needed before the records are released.