Procedure No.:   02.001

Page No.:        1,2,and 3 of 3

Date Issued:     1/1/98

Issued By:       John F. Burns

Purpose

To establish a policy to implement Section 121.22 ORC covering Open Meetings.

Operation

Section 121.22 ORC requires boards, committees, and similar decision-making bodies of an "institution", including Ohio state universities, to hold open meetings and to take official action and to conduct all deliberations upon official business only in open meetings, unless the subject matter can be discussed in executive session.

Ohio University's Statutorily Required Open Meetings

(A)    All meetings of the Ohio University Board of Trustees and its committees and sub-committees.

(B)    All Ohio University committees appointed at the direction of the Ohio University Board of Trustees, and from which recommendation(s) are to be made to the Ohio University Board of Trustees for their decision, notwithstanding there may be no board of trustees members who serve on the committee.

(C)    In these instances, the public notification and other provisions of Section 121.22 (F) ORC will be in effect.




Ohio University's Governing Organizations and Committees That Will Be Open To The Public in accordance with this Policy.

(A)    The Ohio University Faculty Senate plenary meetings

(B)    The Ohio University Administrative Senate plenary meetings

(C)    The Ohio University Student Senate plenary meetings

(D)    The Ohio University Graduate Student Senate plenary meetings

(E)    Classified Service Advisory Council (CSAC) plenary meetings




Ohio University Meetings and Committees That Require Special Designation To Be Open To The Public

(A)    Special committees appointed by the President, Provost, executive officers or deans will be considered closed, unless the appointing authority listed above provides a written authorization to the committee chair that he/she may open all or some of the committee meetings to the public. The written authorization will be based on the appointing authorities determining the committee will consider matters of Ohio University, significantly Athens, or regional community public interest or for other reasons.

(B)    Presidentially appointed Standing Committees of Ohio University will not be open unless the committee chair, in consultation with the Provost, opens the committee meeting to the public.

(C)    Standing and special committees of the Ohio University faculty, administrative, student and graduate student senates will not be open unless the committee chair, in consultation with the chairperson of the respective senates, open the committee meeting to the public.




Ohio University Meetings That Will Not Be Open To The Public

(A)    All staff meetings of the President, Provost, executive officers, deans, department chairs and administrators will not be open to the public.

(B)    All departmental committee meetings will not be open to the public.

(C)    All meetings between supervisors and employees will not be open to the public.

(D)    All other meetings similar in nature.




Video/Audio Tape Recording of Meetings

(A)    All meetings of the Ohio University Board of Trustees and other meetings covered under paragraph I may be video/audio recorded under arrangements made in advance with the Secretary of the Ohio University Board of Trustees.

(B)    Video/audio recording of any other meeting which is open to the public must be approved by the person chairing the committee.

(C)    Audio or video recording will be permitted only in exceptional cases by participants (for example, faculty, staff, students or community appointees) in meetings not open to the public, after consultation with and prior approval by the Office of Legal Affairs.




Public Information

All public information regarding the responsibilities of Ohio University committees will be provided in accordance with the university policies.

All questions regarding implementation of this policy should be referred to the Office of Legal Affairs, Pilcher House, 10 E. Union St., Athens, Ohio 45701, 740-593-2626. The Office of Legal Affairs will consult with the Provost and provide advice and directions regarding implementing this policy.

Dick Piccard revised this file (http://www.ohiou.edu/policy/02-001.html) on June 11, 2008.

Please E-mail any comments or suggestions to "policy@ohio.edu".