University of Tennessee

16 May, 2018

UT uses new exemption to keep confidential how much it pays investment, hedge fund managers

By |2018-05-18T06:30:16-05:00May 16, 2018|Categories: exemptions|Tags: , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Daniel Connolly wrote today in the Knoxville News Sentinel about how the University of Tennessee lobbied for a public records law exemption that is now being used to hide how much the public university pays hedge fund managers. Doesn't seem quite right, does it? Connolly, a reporter with the Commercial Appeal in Memphis, did a story about the rising amount of endowment money that public colleges are pumping into private equity funds and alternative investments -- mostly hedge funds -- often in offshore accounts. The University of Tennessee system has $345 million in such funds, about 38 percent of all of its investments. From the story: Under the new law, [...]

1 May, 2018

TCOG’s 2018 Legislative Report

By |2020-02-20T17:23:53-06:00May 1, 2018|Categories: crime records, exemptions, Legislature, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |1 Comment

Following is TCOG's 2018 legislative report on changes related to public records and open meetings. The 110th General Assembly of Tennessee adjourned April 25. 1 - Selection of state college presidents  (HB 2000 / SB 2586) A requirement in the law to reveal the names and applications of candidates for president at state colleges, including University of Tennessee, was changed to allow search committees to make public “up to three” finalists instead of requiring disclosure of “no less than three.” The effect is that college search committees now have the option of recommending to a governing board as few as one person as finalist for president. Only the finalist or [...]

17 Apr, 2018

Bill to allow more confidentiality for college president candidates awaits governor’s signature

By |2018-04-17T11:46:33-05:00April 17, 2018|Categories: exemptions, Legislature|Tags: , , , , , |1 Comment

Legislation that would allow more confidentiality for college president candidates has passed the House and Senate and is now on the governor's desk for signature. The bill, which includes an automatic repeal in three years, expands an exemption in state law that already allows names and applications of college presidents to be confidential except for "no less than three" finalists selected by a search committee. Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam The change allows a search committee to select "up to three" instead.  The effect is that college search committees now have the option of recommending to a governing board as few as one person as finalist for president. Only [...]

6 May, 2015

The Tennessean: UT withholds emails about student athletes, citing FERPA

By |2015-08-18T08:28:19-05:00May 6, 2015|Categories: requests|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments

The Tennessean's news director Maria DeVarenne said the University of Tennessee is stonewalling the news organization's efforts to report on allegations of sexual assault against football players. In a story published today, reporter Anita Wadhwani reports that the university withheld emails between administrators "that could shed light on how the university and its athletics department responded to allegations of sexual assault against student-athletes." The university said emails about the students are protected under the Tennessee Public Records Act and the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA. More from the story: The Tennessean in November requested email messages containing the names of five current or former UT football and basketball [...]

20 Jan, 2014

Weekend roundup: Using the sunshine laws

By |2014-04-09T16:59:26-05:00January 20, 2014|Categories: Open Meetings|Tags: , , |0 Comments

There were two great examples this weekend of Tennessee reporters being watchdogs in their communities, digging deeper on whether sunshine laws were being followed. Amelia Morrison Hipps with The Wilson Post contacted the board chair and the attorney for the Wilson County Board of Education when she heard the board had planned a private meeting on Saturday to discuss a recent incident involving its director of schools, according to the article in The Wilson Post. She protested that no notice was given of the meeting. The board changed its meeting to Sunday and sent notices to media. Hipps went on to write an article about open meetings law, particularly what [...]

Go to Top