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Policy and Procedure ManualChapter 390, Emergency Management and Campus Security Responsible Department: UCD
Police Department This policy states the UC Davis position concerning threats or acts of terrorism against faculty, students, and staff or against the research they are conducting. It includes procedures for UCD officials to follow in preparing for and responding to threats or acts of terrorism toward the research community. Research, in addition to teaching and public service, is one of the core missions of the University of California. The University is committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for research investigators and does not tolerate threats or acts of terrorism against faculty, students, staff, or the research in which they are engaged. UCD will take necessary action to prevent and to respond to acts of terrorism targeting research. This is accomplished through educational collaboration with research faculty, staff, and students that stresses communication, media practices, public outreach, information management, employee orientation, and personal safety techniques and practices. Additionally, the UCD Police Department will aggressively investigate and seek prosecution of those responsible for terrorist acts. III. Procedures and Responsibilities A. Notification and information sharing A communication process is designed and maintained to ensure the management and the timely and accurate flow of information concerning terrorism issues and activities that may have an impact on the normal operation of UCD. 1. An email list comprised of the Council of Deans and Vice Chancellors (CODVC) will be used for notification of significant terrorist events and activities that may affect the normal operation of the University. 2. The CODVC members may disseminate this information by forwarding it to appropriate individuals and departments. CODVC members or their designees will provide the UCD Police Department with a list of individuals for direct dissemination of information by email and are responsible for submitting changes to the list. 3. If there is information that is believed inappropriate to be sent by email for reasons of confidentiality (see III-D, below), direct telephone contact will be made by the UCD Police Department. If a confidential fax machine is available, it may also be used for such information. B. News media Terrorist incidents, by their nature, draw news media interest. When UCD has been the target of such activity, UCD spokespersons will be sought for news interviews. As a public university, UCD is obliged to provide information to help the general public understand the nature, value, and purpose of the work conducted by its faculty, staff, and students. In quiet times and in crisis, this informational effort will help to further understanding and to sustain public support (see also III-D, below). In addition to the following information, UCD Policy & Procedure Manual Section 310-40, Public Information and Media Relations, should be consulted. 1. Selection of spokespersons News Service will work quickly to identify appropriate administrators to serve as spokespersons to the public. 2. Media requests for interviews a. To protect the privacy and best ensure the safety of those who desire not to speak or appear publicly following terrorist activity, the News Service and Police advise that departments or individuals should: 1) Alert the News Service when media calls are anticipated and the faculty, staff, or student being requested to speak or appear does not want to be contacted. It is an individual's right not to respond. The News Service will do its best to prevent such inquiries and to redirect interview requests. 2) If a reporter contacts an individual who does not wish to grant an interview, the individual might respond, "I would prefer not to offer comment at this time. Please call the News Service at (530) 752-1930 for assistance in reaching a campus spokesperson." 3) It is not necessary that an individual commit immediately to grant an interview. It is acceptable to obtain a reporter's name and publication or broadcast station and to ask what type of information he or she is seeking and the deadline for response. 4) It is not recommended that an individual grant an interview if a television reporter suggests blurring the person's image on a televised report to obscure his or her identity. b. Those who desire to speak or appear publicly following terrorist activity, the News Service and Police advise: 1) Individuals should give themselves time to gather their thoughts. News Service can help individuals focus their comments and anticipate reporters' questions. News Service routinely prepares background fact sheets that could aid the discussion. 2) If individuals are concerned about publication of their photograph, News Service will not publish or share their photo with news media without the individuals' permission. Individuals may wish to review the images on the departmental Web pages to further protect their privacy. 3) Individuals should advise News Service when they have had media contact, and the outcome, so that media relations professionals can best direct future inquiries. C. Management of information about research 1. Public access UCD often receives requests for records or other information concerning research activities. A variety of laws, including the California Public Records Act and the California Information Practices Act, and University and UCD policies implementing these laws, govern public access to such information. The majority of University records are "public records" that, pursuant to the Public Records Act, must be disclosed to the public upon request. However, the Public Records Act exempts from disclosure a number of different types of records. In addition, the Information Practices Act and Article I of the California Constitution limit the disclosure of personal information about an individual, and several legal privileges protect other types of confidential information. The following UCD policies, as well as the Information Practices Officer or Campus Counsel, should be consulted prior to responding to requests for records or other information concerning University research activities: a. UCD Policy & Procedure Manual Section 320-21, Privacy and Access to Information. b. UCD Policy & Procedure Manual Section 320-23, Disclosure of Information from Public Records. c. UCD Policy & Procedure Manual Section 380-25, Disclosure of Information from Personnel Records. 2. Confidential information As noted in III-C-1, above, the majority of UCD records are public records, but limits to disclosure are defined. The following summary is provided to assist University personnel in identifying the types of information that may not be subject to disclosure. The summary is not exhaustive and the Information Practices Officer or Campus Counsel should be consulted prior to disclosure of University records or other information that may be personal or confidential. Many of the privileges rely upon balancing the public interest in nondisclosure versus access. a. Personal information concerning an individual that, if disclosed, would be an unwarranted invasion of privacy. Although application of this standard may vary depending upon specific circumstances, generally the following information about a UCD employee may be released: name, title, campus address, campus telephone number, current job description, and rate of pay. b. Unfunded grant proposals. Once funded, the grant terms become public information unless another privilege applies to specific information to permit nondisclosure of that information. c. Research data and information related to an ongoing research project. Once the research project has been completed and the results have been published, the public interest in nondisclosure decreases. d. Trade secrets. A "trade secret" is information that derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to others who could obtain economic value from its disclosure or use and is subject to reasonable efforts to maintain its secrecy. e. Information acquired in confidence by a University employee in the course of the employee's duties and not open to the public. This "official information" privilege applies where it can be demonstrated that the disclosure of the information is against the public interest because there is a necessity for preserving the confidentiality of the information that outweighs the necessity for disclosure. f. General balancing of the public interest. UCD can withhold from disclosure any type of record when it can demonstrate, based upon the facts of a particular case, that the public interest in not disclosing the record clearly outweighs the public interest in disclosure of the record. D. Public education and outreach UCD encourages and supports the efforts of faculty, staff, and students to inform and educate the general public about the research and instructional programs of the campus. Such efforts should be sustained year-round and may include, for example, interaction with K-12 teachers and schoolchildren, presentations to community groups, classroom visits, and tours of research facilities. The Office of the Vice Provost--University Outreach & International Programs provides coordination of outreach opportunities and training and logistical support of volunteers for its programs. E. Orientation An orientation program designed to inform faculty, staff, and students engaged in potentially targeted research about possible terrorist activity is offered by the Office of the Vice Chancellor--Research, Police Department, Fire Department, Environmental Health & Safety, and Public Communications. For further information on the orientation program, contact the Vice Chancellor--Research. F. Public safety The UCD public safety responders, including the Police Department, Fire Department, Environmental Health & Safety, Facilities Services Department, and other public safety and administrative units will partner with the community to provide for the public safety of all community members by initiating practices designed to prevent and to protect against acts of terrorism and to respond appropriately to acts of terrorism. Public safety responders will implement strategies that include recommendations of the latest safety and security technological advances, self and on-site safety and security surveys, assessment of potential targets, investigation of crimes, and assistance in departmental emergency preparedness plans. UCD Policy & Procedure Manual Section 290-05, Campus Emergency Policy, as well as the Police Department, the Emergency Preparedness Planner, Fire Department, Environmental Health & Safety, and Facilities Services Department should be consulted concerning public safety and emergency preparedness programs. Emergency in progress Police/Fire: 9-1-1 V. References and Related Policies UCD Policy & Procedure Manual: A. Section 290-05, Campus Emergency Policy. B. Section 310-40, Public Information and Media Relations. C. Section 320-21, Privacy and Access to Information. D. Section 320-23, Disclosure of Information from Public Records. E. Section 350-85, Loss of or Damage to University Property. F. Section 370-30, Property Insurance. G. Section 380-25, Disclosure of Information from Personnel Records. Copyright © 2006 The Regents of the
University of California, Davis Campus. All Rights Reserved. |
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