Open Records Act

About Requesting Information —

The Texas Public Information Act entitles every person to prompt access to governmental information, unless otherwise expressly provided by law. An open records request is a request for public information contained in the files or records of a Texas governmental agency. For more information about the Texas Public Information Act or open records requests, please review the Texas Attorney General’s webpage entitled Overview of the Public Information Act.

Please use the drop downs to the right to navigate this page and review our FAQs to answer any questions you might have. Please reach out at [email protected] for additional questions that are not addressed on this page.

Request Information and Records

A&M–Central Texas accepts records requests online through our independent web portal. Request documents, and track your document requests.

Frequently Asked Questions

Chapter 552 of the Texas Government Code, also known as the Texas Public Information Act (TPIA), gives the public the right to access the files or records of a Texas governmental entity such as Texas A&M University–Central Texas. The TPIA requires governmental entities to produce information it holds in response to appropriate requests, unless that information is exempt from disclosure under the TPIA or other state or federal law. The TPIA does not require a governmental entity to prepare answers to questions, perform legal research, create a new document in response to a request, or comply with a continuing request to supply information on a periodic basis.

The Public Information Officer (or designee) must first obtain the requested information from the individual department(s) holding the information, and then review the information before it can be made available. The process can take up to ten (10) business days, depending on the availability of the information from the individual department(s), the number of requests pending, and other factors. If information is identified during the review process that may be subject to an exception under the TPIA or other applicable law, A&M University–Central Texas may need to request a ruling from the Office of the Attorney General regarding the information, which also may delay release. You will be notified of any delay or requests sent to the Office of the Attorney General.

Yes, but these are handled through a different process. If you are a current or former A&M University–Central Texas student (or a former student of Tarleton State or University of Central Texas Formerly American Technological University) requiring your official academic record, you may request a transcript using the university Registrars online ordering services. For more information, please visit A&M University–Central Texas’ Transcript Request page.

If you, as a A&M University–Central Texas employee, receive a public information request, please forward that request to [email protected] or through inter office mail. If the request is submitted in person, please take the request and the requestors contact information including email, and email to [email protected] . If you have any additional questions, please reach out to Institutional Compliance.

If you want copies of confidential/protected information, it will be necessary for the university to request an opinion from the Office of the Attorney General about this information. The information will not be available for review until after the Attorney General makes a decision about whether the information is to be made available. The Attorney General’s office has at least 45 business days to make a decision on whether the information may be released.

If part of the information you requested is considered public information, then you will receive copies of that information, even if a request for an Attorney General’s open records opinion is necessary regarding the confidential/protected information. If public information and confidential/protected information are both included in a single document, the document will be provided to you. However, the information believed to be confidential/protected will be redacted (marked out) while the request for an Attorney General’s opinion is pending.

If you are not seeking access to confidential/protected information, you may simply state in your request that you do not want any information that is not considered public information by the Office of the Attorney General. If you indicate that you are only seeking information that the Office of the Attorney General considers public information, then it will not be necessary for A&M University–Central Texas to make a request for an opinion.

We will process any request submitted to our office regardless of the format; however, we have included a sample template to use or modify at your discretion.

Sample of a Written Request for Information:

Under the Texas Education Code 51.212 subsection (f) and in reference to the Texas Government Code 552, I request access copies of ____________ [Include the name of the document or the type of information. You may also request the information in a particular format (for example: a paper copy or digital format) Please also include a time frame for your request (for example records from MM/YYYY to MM/YYYY or Fall/Spring/Summer Semester YYYY)]. Please provide the information to me at __________________________.

Please include a good form of contact regarding any questions and where to send the requested information, for example mailing address for hard copy and email for digital.

Contacts

Designated Public Information Officer

Texas A&M University-Central Texas Seal
Deserie Mensch

Chief Compliance Officer, Civil Rights Administrator, Public Information Officer & Records Officer
Phone: 254.519.5763
Email: [email protected]

Compliance Officer

Texas A&M University-Central Texas Seal
Jacqueline Orellana

Title IX Coordinator, Compliance Officer, and Director of Research Compliance
Phone: 254.501.5976
Email: [email protected]

Open Records

Texas A&M University–Central Texas is dedicated to the principles of open government and strives to ensure compliance as set forth by the Texas Public Information Act.

The Texas Public Information Act (Texas Government Code, Chapter 552) gives you the right to access government records; and you may not be asked why you want them. All government information is presumed to be available to the public, unless otherwise exempt. Certain exceptions may apply to the disclosure of the information. Governmental bodies shall promptly release requested information that is not confidential by law, either constitutional, statutory, or by judicial decision, or information for which an exception to disclosure has not been sought. The PIA does not require a record be created where one did not exist prior to the request for information. Additionally, A&M University–Central Texas is not required to answer questions when information is not in a university record. Subpoenas are not covered by the PIA. Student education records may only be disclosed consistent with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA.

Designated Public Information Officer

  • Deserie Mensch
    Chief Compliance Officer, Civil Rights Administrator, Public Information Officer & Records Officer
  • 1001 Leadership Place
  • Killeen, Texas 76549

Procedures to Obtain Information

  • No official format is required, but information must be requested in writing directed to that member’s Public Information Officer (PIO) and contain requestor contact information.
  • Cooperate with the governmental body’s reasonable efforts to clarify the type or amount of information requested.
  • A public information request may only be submitted by one of the following methods to the PIO: hand delivery, US mail, email, or our electronic open records portal Public Records Online Portal.
  • Request should include:
    • Your name;
    • Email address if request mailed or delivered in person;
    • Mailing address if requesting hard copies mailed;
    • Your phone number (in case we need to call you for clarification);
    • A detailed list/description of the records you need, preferably with dates;
    • The more specific you can be, the faster we can find them. Do you agree to the redaction of information that is subject to mandatory exceptions, provided such redactions are clearly labeled on the information you received? YES or NO
    • Do you agree to the redaction of information that is subject to discretionary exceptions, provided such redactions are clearly labeled on the information you receive? YES or NO
  • You can also complete and return this form.

Methods for Submitting an Open Records Request

Effective September 1, 2019, pursuant to section 552.234 of the Government Code, a person may make a request for public information only by delivering the request by one of the following methods to the governmental body’s public information officer or the officer’s designee:

  • Open Records Office Electronic Open Records Portal
  • Email to [email protected]
  • US Mail (see mailing address above)
  • Hand delivery (see physical address above)

Resources

File a Report

Contact Us

Compliance

Contact us by phone, email or visit us in person.
We are located in Founders Hall, 3rd floor, Suite 317.



Title IX

Contact us by phone, email or visit us in person.
We are located in Founders Hall, 3rd floor, Suite 317B.