Students, profs want UPEI included in Freedom of Information Act

Three groups, including students and professors, are jointly calling for the University of Prince Edward Island to be included under provincial Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy legislation.

The legislation is under review. Currently, the university and municipalities are not regulated by the act.

The UPEI Student Union, UPEI Faculty Association and CUPE want that to change.

"Nearly half of UPEI's revenues are derived from government funding," said UPEI Student Union vice president Taya Nabuurs, in a news release.

"It is long overdue that we bring Prince Edward Island up to speed with every other province and territory in Canada in bringing its post-secondary institutions under FOIPP legislation."

UPEI Faculty Association president Nola Etkin said UPEI's internal access to information system is inadequate.

"[It] leaves the institution to decide when or even if information is made public. This is unacceptable in modern Canada," Etkin said.

CUPE 1870, which represents 280 support staff at UPEI, called for UPEI to be included in FOIPP in the same news release.

All three organizations have recently made submissions to government on the issue.

CBC has also made a submission togovernmentfor its review of the FOIPPAct, suggesting post-secondary institutions and municipalities be covered by the provinciallegislation.

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