Legal Forms
LEGAL FORMS FOR FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS
Legal forms that can be downloaded and used.
FOIA FORM
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT POLICY 10.3
Section 1 of the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA” or “the statute”) provides, "It is the public policy of this state that all persons, except those persons incarcerated in state or local correctional facilities, are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of those who represent them as public officials and public employees, consistent with this act. The people shall be informed so that they may fully participate in the democratic process.”(1) To that end, all people, excluding prisoners, are allowed to file FOIA requests with a Grand Valley State University (the “University”). A requester must simply file a request in writing with the University’s FOIA Coordinator, and the University will begin processing his or her request.(2) Each request must include the requesting person’s complete name, address (in compliance with United States Postal Service addressing standards), and either a telephone number or email address. The full Freedom of Information Act Policy can be found on the University's policies page.
Consistent with the Section 4 of the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, "A public body may charge a fee for a public record search, the necessary copying of a public record for inspection, or for providing a copy of a public record."
FERPA RELEASE FORM
FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT
Under FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), eligible students have the right to inspect and review their education records, seek amendment of any records believed to be inaccurate, consent to disclosure of education records except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent, and to file a complaint with FPCO concerning potential violations. Your educational records are confidential and may be disclosed to appropriate University administrators, faculty members, or staff members at Grand Valley State University; contractors acting on behalf of the University who require such access in order to perform their legitimate educational and business duties when such records are needed in furtherance of the educational or business purposes of the student or University; or to those to whom you have given express, written permission by completing the FERPA Permission to Release Non-Public Information form.
For further FERPA questions, please refer to the Registrar's FERPA frequently asked questions page.
INDEPENDANT CONTRACTOR FORM
INDEPENDANT CONTRACTOR POLICY
A Purchase Requisition is required for contractual services with companies or non-employee persons. A copy of the signed contract or letter of agreement indicating the scope of services, contract period and payment terms must be submitted. The Requisition must be processed when the contract is finalized and prior to the services being rendered. The department is responsible for completing an Employee/Independent Contractor Determination and Agreement form that includes the IRS requirements for all contracts with non-employee persons.
A Purchase Order will be processed to facilitate payment availability based upon terms of the contract or letter of agreement. The Purchase Order will indicate the payment schedule, if multiple payments are required during the contract period. In this case, an approved invoice or department payment authorization is required for each payment release.
INDEPENDANT CONTRACTOR FORMS
PHOTO RELEASE FORM
PHOTO AND VIDEO RELEASE POLICY
If you are publishing photographs in print or on the web, it is important to have the recognizable subjects in the photo sign a release form. In general, if you are photographing one single person (no matter where they are), you should get a release form or at the very least, verbal permission to take their photo. Potentially you could still use a photo of a single person taken in a public space (like the football arena) without a release or permission, but if you are going to use their name and/or state their location, you need to get permission from them. This is not just from a legal perspective but could also have safety implications for some people, such as those dealing with domestic violence or other such issues where they don’t want someone to be able to find them.
There are different kinds of areas where people have more or less of an expectation of privacy. The more of an expectation of privacy a person should have in a particular space, the more important it is to get permission, and a release form.
- Outside in a crowd, there is no expectation of privacy and so the probability of there being a legal issue with a photo of a group of people out in a crowd is minimal.
- Inside in places like KC or the Library are semi-private, so there is a medium level of expectation of privacy. Wide photos of several people are okay, but if you are focusing on one or two people, a release form would probably be best.
- In the classroom or in a living center are considered private and you should not photograph people in those spaces without permission.
For more information on taking photos on campus, please visit the University Communications page.
GVSU understands the importance of the film industry to the local economy and the benefit it can provide to our students interested in a career in film and film production. However, film production on campus is permitted only if it does not interfere with normal University business and/or previously scheduled events. A Location Permit is required to film on campus. The Location Permit can be approved only when all of the appropriate procedures and requirements have been met. Use of any location can only be approved with the consent of the impacted University units or buildings and consideration of the impact on surrounding areas and activities. Scheduled University events, regardless of size, take precedence over film shoots in determining location availability.
For more information on taking videos on campus, please visit the University's policies page.