Freedom of Information and Data Subject Access Requests
The Freedom of Information Act makes provision for any person to make a request to the University for information, for the University to respond whether it holds that information and, if so, subject to exemptions, to communicate that information. The University normally has 20 working days to respond to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
Individuals (commonly known as ‘data subjects’) have the right to access personal data that the University holds about them by making a Data Subject Request (SAR) either verbally or in writing. The University normally has one calendar month to respond to a SAR.
University point of contact: foi@sussex.ac.uk (for Freedom of information requests); dpo@sussex.ac.uk (For queries relating to data subject requests, or requests from third parties for personal data held by the University)
Support available: Advice and guidance.
Each Faculty or PS Division should:
- Ensure all staff are aware that all University correspondence (emails, Teams messages and Zoom messages etc) are subject to Freedom of Information and Subject Access requests.
- Members of staff understand the University’s requirements to meet external deadlines and support the collection of required information to respond to requests.
Relevant webpage(s):
Freedom of Information; FAQs on Freedom of Information; Data subject rights of Individuals
Compliance indicators:
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If your Faculty or PS Division receives an email from the Information Management team regarding a FOI or SAR, the request is prioritised in order for the University to meet the statutory deadline. |
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You nominate a sufficient number of Information Owners (data owners) to ensure that all FOI or SAR deadlines set by the Information Management team are met. |