As a state university, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is responsive to public record requests under Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L. Ch. 66. Requests for campus records should be made to the Records Access Officer, who is tasked with coordinating the University response to public records requests.
How to File a Public Records Request
All requests for public records should be submitted to the Records Access Officer via the Public Records Request Form. Requestors are encouraged to be as specific as possible in their requests, providing, for instance, dates and specific names of records when known. The Records Access Officer may request clarification from a requestor in order to determine how to best respond to a request.
Fees
Under Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L. Ch. 66, the University may assess a fee to search and segregate records responsive to a request. Requestors will be notified in writing if a fee is expected.
Timeline for Receiving a Record
The University responds to requests for public records as soon as practical and within 10 business days of receipt of the request. In the case of voluminous requests, the Records Access Officer may request to the requestor and/or the state's Supervisor of Records an extension.
Records Retention & Schedules
In order to assist with the management and disposition of records, a list of common records can be found in the UMass Amherst Record Retention and Disposition Schedules. More information is available here.