Employees should keep in mind that e-mails can be considered open records and can be requested under the Georgia Open Records Act. In recent months, the university has received a number of open records requests for faculty or staff e-mails. Not all of these have involved state business. Some have been private concerns of the faculty or staff member which nonetheless were open records because they were sent from a UGA computer or through a UGA e-mail account. E-mails can be considered open records if they at least one of the following criteria: they involve state business, they are sent over a UGA account (even if on a privately-owned computer from home) or they are sent on or through UGA-owned equipment, no matter where it is located.
Except under very limited exceptions, such e-mails are subject to disclosure if requested under the Georgia Open Records Act. For questions or more information, contact Mitch Clayton (mitchc@uga.edu).
