The Kansas Open Records Act

The Kansas Open Records Act grants you the right to inspect and obtain copies of public records created or maintained by public agencies in Kansas. The Open Records Act, K.S.A. 45-215 et seq., as amended, declares that it is the public policy of Kansas that "public records shall be open for inspection by any person." Public records are defined as "any recorded information, regardless of form or characteristics, which is made, maintained or kept by or is in the possession of any public agency." University of Kansas is classified as a public agency for the purposes of this Act.

The Open Records Act, K.S.A. 45-215

Public Records Maintained by University of Kansas

  • Regulations
  • Policies
  • Minutes/records of open meetings
  • Salaries of public officials
  • Agency budget documents

Requesting a Record

Jen Arbuthnot is the designated official Custodian of Public Records, and requests for inspection and copies of records should be directed to her.

The University of Kansas asks that you submit a written request to obtain public records. Please include the following information in your request:

  • Name
  • Organization (if requesting on its behalf)
  • Mailing address
  • Email address
  • Daytime telephone number
  • A specific description of the records you are requesting. Make your request as specific as possible to expedite the process.
Requests for public information regarding the University of Kansas, the University of Kansas Medical Center or Kansas Athletics, Inc.
University of Kansas
Custodian of Records
245 Strong Hall
1450 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7535
If you have questions about KORA, KU’s policies, or seek to resolve a request-related dispute, contact KU’s Freedom of Information Officer
Julie Murray
University of Kansas
230 Strong Hall
1450 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7535

Request a Record - Things to Note

You have the right to request assistance from the University's Freedom of Information Officer at any time.

You have the right:

  • To inspect and obtain copies of public records which are not exempted from  disclosure by a specific law.
  • To obtain a copy of the agency's policies and procedures for access to records.
  • To receive a written response to your request within three business days. The response may inform you that it will take additional time to produce the records.
  • To file a complaint with the Kansas Attorney General if you feel your request for public records is wrongfully denied.

You must request records - written, photographic, or computerized. The Kansas Open Records Act does not require an agency to answer questions, prepare reports, or compile information.

An agency may require you to put your request in writing, and you must provide proof of your identity, if requested.

Reasonable fees, not exceeding actual cost, may be charged for access to records, copies of records, and staff time for processing your request.

The Kansas Open Records Act recognizes that certain records contain private or privileged information, and the agency is not required to provide access to those records. The Act lists several exceptions, including but not limited to: 

  • Records closed by the rules of evidence
  • Personnel records of public employees
  • Medical treatment records
  • Criminal investigation records
  • Notes, preliminary drafts, or records in which opinions are expressed or actions are proposed
  • Records for which disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy
  • Proprietary business information
  • Records protected by attorney/client privilege
  • For the complete list, see K.S.A. §45-221(a)

Records more than 70 years old may be disclosed without regard to the above-listed exemptions, unless exempt under other federal or state law.

Records only partially exempt will have the exempt portions excluded prior to production. Records that would unduly disclose individual identities may be produced if exclusion of identifying portions would prevent identification.

Nothing in the Kansas Open Records Act supersedes federal law, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). While FERPA permits disclosure of student “Directory Information” without student consent, KU’s Student Records Policy does not define email addresses in bulk as Directory Information; therefore listings of multiple student email addresses are not produced for any purpose. KU also does not produce listings of student names and addresses for commercial purposes pursuant to K.S.A. §45-230.  

Commensurate with the actual costs in University employee time and resources, fees shall be charged for the retrieval, review, and production of public records. In accordance with K.S.A. §45-219, the following fee rates are established by the agency’s head and may be applied, with payment of total estimated fees required by check or money order in advance of records production:

  • Senior manager rate based upon the highly paid employee’s annual salary/hourly pay rate
  • Manager rate for retrieval and/or review: $65/hour
  • Staff rate for retrieval and/or assembly to produce: $33/hour
  • Specialized computer retrieval: $50/hour
  • Digital transmission or mailing fee: $1.50

If the actual cost in time and resources exceeds the fee estimate, the requestor will be billed for the balance of fees incurred, with full payment required before records production. If the actual cost is less than the fee estimate, the requestor will be refunded any difference over $5.00.

Request a Record from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center

DISCLAIMER: The Office of the General Counsel of the University of Kansas publishes these web pages for general information only. The pages are not intended to provide specific legal advice for any specific situation. Legal advice can be provided only in the course of an attorney-client relationship with reference to all the facts of a specific situation. This information, therefore, must not be relied on as a substitute for obtaining legal advice from a licensed attorney. While we try to provide links to timely and authoritative information, the content of linked sites is subject to local disclaimers, and the Office of the General Counsel makes no guarantees, express or implied, concerning its accuracy. We recommend that users obtain confirmation from official sources of all information found on World Wide Web sites.