POLICY

Western Oregon University will not release information to the general public 
from an employee's payroll file or computer database unless the university has 
written authorization from the employee to release the information.  Address 
disclosure forms signed by employees are strictly enforced.  Students are not 
required to sign disclosure forms.  Instead, they sign Request to Restrict 
Directory Information forms with the Registrar's Office.

Requests from lending institutions are handled very carefully, verifying only 
information given the lender by our employees.  The university will verify that 
an employee works at the university but will not divulge additional information 
about the employee without a written authorization from the employee.  A credit 
application asking that information be released, signed by the employee, is 
considered to be a written authorization.

    PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to provide for confidentiality of employee 
records, especially those designated by Higher Education as sensitive, 
which include social security number, gender, ethnicity, citizenship, birth 
date, address, phone number, and other payroll records (such as net pay, 
deductions, etc.)  Gross pay is considered a public record.

    PROCEDURES

President's Staff requests for information on their own employees will be 
honored.  The members of President's Staff may designate authority to specific 
employees.  Information regarding employees from other departments or other 
state agencies will be honored on a "need to know" basis.  These requests 
should be directed to the Budget Director.

    AUTHORITY

Internal Management Directive 1.120.  President has authority to administer 
affairs of the institution.

    APPROVAL

It is the responsibility of the employee to authorize information they want 
released and sign disclosure forms for information they do not want released.

It is the responsibility of every office to protect the confidentiality of 
employee information that is considered sensitive.