Administrative Rules

Purpose 

The College recognizes the employees’ right to confidentiality of personal information.  It is the College’s policy to permit employees to designate that their personal information (name, home address, social security number and home telephone number) may not be released for public access in accordance with the Texas Open Records Act, Section 3A. 

Personnel files, by state law, are considered public records.  Personnel files shall contain only information pertinent to an employee’s employment status (including compensation data, placement information, payroll data, performance evaluations, etc.).  If the employee does not grant public access to their personal information, the Office of Human Resources is responsible for ensuring that personal information is blocked from the materials distributed to the public under the Texas Open Records Act. 

It is expected that any employee who has access to a personnel file shall keep confidential all information to which the employee has access as a part of their job with the College.  Willful or intentional disclosure of personnel information to unauthorized persons will be considered sufficient cause for disciplinary action. 

Responsibilities 

The Office of Human Resources is responsible for monitoring access to and maintenance and storage of active personnel records.   

The Office of Human Resources shall ensure that employees have an opportunity to designate that their personal information should not be released to the public under the Texas Open Records Act.  If access is not granted, the Office of Human Resources shall ensure that this information is blocked on any documents or materials submitted under the Act. 

Each ACC employee is responsible for designating whether their personal information may be released to the public in the college’s processes designed for such purposes.  If it is not so designated, the personal information, by state law, becomes public information.