Freedom of Information at the University of Surrey
The Freedom of Information Act fully came into force on 1 January 2005. The University of Surrey will be guided by the following principles:

• To be as open, transparent and helpful as possible with its information and to be proactive in making it available and accessible to its members and the public at large.

• To make responsible use of the exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act and to invoke them as a last, not first, resort.

• To disclose the requested information unless there is a clearly greater public interest in withholding it.

• To strive to exceed the applicant's expectations when dealing with requests for information and complaints under the Act.

Information which the University will routinely make available is outlined in the Publication Scheme.

Information Compliance Unit
The University has its own expert team called the Information Compliance Unit that deals with freedom of information and data protection issues. The ICU is also responsible for records management and the University Archives.