REG 04.00.02 – Public Records Requests
Authority: Issued by the Chancellor. Changes or exceptions to administrative regulations issued by the Chancellor may only be made by the Chancellor.
History: First Issued: July 1, 2002. Last Revised: January 21, 2025.
Related Policies:
NCSU REG04.00.01 – Standard Operating Procedures for Crisis Communications
NCSU REG11.00.01 – Family Educational Rights and Privacy (FERPA)
NC State University Public Records Requests Portal
Contact Info:
Associate Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing
University Records Officer (919-515-3071)
1. INTRODUCTION
North Carolina State University (NC State), as a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina and an agency of the State of North Carolina, is open and responsive to information requests from the public and the news media. NC State is committed to a policy of openness, honesty and cooperation with members of the public and the news media. This policy is implemented in accordance with the NC Public Records Act, N.C.G.S. Chapter 132.
2. PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS AND RELEASE OF INFORMATION
2.1 News Media Requests for Information
2.1.1 University Communications is the principal liaison with the news media. Members of the media should contact University Communications’ News Services unit (newstips@ncsu.edu) regarding requests for information.
2.1.2 NC State units or employees that receive requests for information from news media should direct the requester to News Services.
2.2 Public Records Requests
2.2.1 All public records requests must be submitted to NC State’s public records request portal. Unless the request specifies an earlier search end date, NC State will search for responsive records that were only made or received prior to the date NC State received the request. NC State employees who receive a public records request directly from an individual should direct the requestor to NC State’s public records portal.
2.2.2 The University Records Officer is authorized to provide records in response to a public records request. Unless approved, NC State employees and units are not permitted to release records in response to a public records request.
3. CHARGES FOR PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS
3.1 Copying Fee
If the requestor asks for printed copies of documents or in another form of medium, NC State may charge the actual costs for the copies.
3.2 Special Service Charge
3.2.1 If the request requires extensive use of information technology resources or extensive use of personnel for clerical or supervisory assistance, or if producing the records results in an excessive use of information technology resources, then NC State may charge, in addition to the copying fee, a special service charge.
3.2.2 For purposes of this section, NC State considers more than four (4) hours required to respond to a request as constituting an extensive use of personnel. NC State will charge an hourly fee for each additional hour after the first four hours.
3.2.3 The University Records Officer will provide an estimate of the costs for an extraordinary request. If the requestor fails to narrow the requested search or provide an initial deposit (based on the estimate) to NC State for the requested search within thirty (30) days of being provided the estimate, NC State will consider the request withdrawn and canceled.