If you application is not valid, we will ask you to make it before the end of the processing period.

For your application to be valid it must:  

• be in writing, 
• give enough details about the document/s to enable us to identify them,  
• state an address (email or post), to which notices may be sent to you,  
• have proof of your identity, 
• where applicable, proof of the authority of someone acting on your behalf, 
• state the information to be amended, the way it is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date or misleading and the grounds for the claim, and the necessary amendments to be made.  

The services we offer

Students

• Alumni services
• Courses and programs
• Community services
• Facilities
• Global mobility
• Headstart program
• High performance sport
• Parents and guardians information
• Student support services
• Research students
• Scholarships - Domestic and International
• Work placements

Community

• Community services (e.g., art gallery, campus retail and eateries, clinics, sport and fitness, library, print services, venue and event services)
• Giving opportunities
• News
• Security and Emergency
• Transport and parking

Employees

• Community services
• Employee services

Research and engagement

• CIDSEL
• Industry engagement
• Innovation collaboration
• International partnerships
• Research
• Schools engagement

What we spend and how

• Budget information – Read our Reports on our financials and expenditure 
• Enterprise Agreement
• Finance Policies and Procedures
• Scholarships
• Tenders - current and awarded
• Procurement

University of the Sunshine Coast's Australian Business Number is: ABN 28 441 859 157 

What are our priorities and how we are doing

• Strategy, quality and planning
• ACPIR Strategic Plan
• Diversity and inclusion
• Sustainability
• Key statistics
• Graduate Outcomes Survey Reports
• Our rankings
• Reports include annual reporting on our strategic goals and annual audit of the financial report

How we make decisions

Our decision-making processes and records of decisions.

• Council, Academic Board and Committees
• Council - Public participation
• Council reports
• Annual Reports set out Council decisions
• Submissions on public policy
• Governing Policy

Our policies and procedures span a range of categories, and may apply to students, employees, providers, supporters, partners, and volunteers. 

• Policies and procedures

Asking for information

If you’re looking for information that is not publicly available through our website, other options available to you are set out on this webpage and will guide you on how to request or apply for the information.

• Privacy and Right to Information - Operational Policy

Our lists and registers

• Academic experts available for media comment
• Art Gallery collection and exhibitions 
• Calendars, timetables and key dates
• Disclosure log - information released under Right to Information
• Events - Community, schools engagement, ACPIR, and ITRC
• Honour roll
• Ignite magazine - our publication
• International - agent representatives, global exchange partners and study guides 
• Privacy webpage - lists the types of personal information we hold
• Reports
• Research - Supervisor search and Research Bank publications
• Scholarship finder
• Study guides (Printed copies can be requested from Student Services)

If you application is not valid, we will ask you to make it valid before the end of the processing period.

For your application to be valid it must:  

• be in writing, 
• give enough details about the document/s to enable us to identify them,  
• state an address (email or post), to which notices may be sent to you.  

And when applying for access to information that is: 

• personal: have proof of your identity, and where applicable, proof of the authority of someone acting on your behalf. 
• non-personal: have paid the application fee.  
• personal and non-personal: have proof of your identity, and where applicable, proof of the authority of someone acting on your behalf, and have paid the application fee.

1. Receipt 

We will acknowledge we have your application. We may contact you should additional information be required or to consult you on your application to make it valid, clarify or narrow the scope. 

2. Processing 

We will locate and review documents within the processing period. We will issue you a written Charges Estimate Notices (CEN) of the estimated total processing and/or access charges if there are any for your valid application. This is payable upon issuance of the second and final CEN.   

3. Decision 

Our decision on your application will be issued in a ‘decision notice’. This will either grant you full, partial or no access to the documents your applied for. Some information may be redacted if it is irrelevant, not within the scope of your application, or it was not able to be released. If we do not give you a decision by the end of the processing period, we are deemed to have refused you access to all the documents applied for and you will be issued with a refund if you paid the application fee. 

4. Access 

If you are granted access to the documents and there are charges, you must pay these before you can access the documents. You have 40 business days to access the documents from the business day after the decision or expiry of any document access deferral period. You can request additional time to access the documents. However, after this time a new application will be required.  

5. Review 

After we send you a notice, or a decision is overdue, you can ask for a free review of the decision. You can apply for an internal or external review.  A full list of reviewable decisions is set out in the RTI and IP Acts.   

You must submit your request in writing within 20 business days following the date on your decision notice. This must give an address (email or post) where correspondence can be sent and provide details of the decision for review.   

The Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) Queensland has more on explaining your review rights. 

Internal review   

Contact our RTI-Privacy Officer to request a free internal review. 

Within 20 business days from the date of your request for an internal review we will send you a decision notice. This time may be extended if you only provide a postal address, when we consult a concerned third party, and request an extension of time.   

Should we not give you a decision by the end of the internal review processing period the initial decision is deemed to be upheld.  

You may apply for an external review should you not agree with the internal review decision.  

External review  

You may apply of an external review if you:  

• have received a health care decision; 
• you are not satisfied with our decision on a formal application or internal review; or  
• are not issued a decision notice within the processing period or extended time for a formal application or internal review.  

You can apply online or contact the OIC Queensland to request an external review. 

Applications must be processed within the timeframes set out in the RTI Act. This is known as the ‘processing period’. This takes a minimum of 25 business days and starts on the next business day from when a valid application is received. 

If your application is not valid, you will be asked to make it valid before the end of the processing period. If you do, the time re-sets and we have 25 business days from that point to process the application.

The processing period may be extended if you only provide a postal address, the application is transferred to another agency, when we issue a Charges Estimate Notice (CEN), consult a concerned third party, and request an extension of time.

We can request an extension of time with you prior to the end of the processing period. This can happen if:  

• additional time is required due to the size or complexity of the application,  
• there is difficulty in locating or extracting the documents,  
• there is a backlog of applications.  

The Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) Queensland has more on timeframes. 

Please visit Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) Queensland’s page for the current fees and charges. 

Fees and charges may increase 1st July each year in line with the Government’s indexation policy. Applications received before the new fees and charges come into effect on 1st July each year will be charged at the previous rates.

Fees and charges that can apply:

• A fee does not apply to requests for personal information.
• A fee applies to requests for other non-personal information and cannot be waived.
• Charges can apply to either type of request. This can be waived due to financial hardship.

When the FOI Act applies, the charges under the FOI Act apply. Please visit the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) for more on charges.