Public Records

In compliance with the Open Public Records Act of July 2002, enacted to give the public greater access to government records maintained by New Jersey public agencies, Brookdale records are available to you.

Brookdale Board of Trustees Policy 2.0002 and Board of Trustees Regulation 2.0002R detail the establishment of a Public Records Custodian at the College, responsible for developing and supervising the process by which members of the public may obtain Brookdale records.

The full text of our Notice of Right to Access follows:

The New Jersey Public Access to Government Records Act N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et. seq. (the “Act”) requires that the College grant members of the public access to government records as defined in the Act. The Act safeguards from disclosure proprietary and private records and information.

To make a request for Open Public Records Act, Open Public Meetings Act or Freedom of Information records, contact Brookdale’s Public Records Custodian Bonnie Passarella by calling 732-224-2239 or e-mailing bpassarella@brookdalecc.edu  Her office is in the Brookdale Administrative Center (BAC) on the second floor; use Parking Lot #3.   Individuals who are in need of their academic records (including Official Transcripts) should visit:  www.brookdalecc.edu/transcripts to make their transcript request, or contact records@brookdalecc.edu for more information.

Requestors must fill out a form specific to their request. You can find the Request Form in the Office of the President or here as a PDF. 

You may request access for government records anonymously.

Upon payment of the applicable fee, the College is required to make government records available within the following time periods:

The college will provide immediate access to budgets, bills, vouchers, contracts, including collective negotiations agreements, individual employment contracts, and public employee salary and overtime information. If the record is in archive storage or not in use, the college will provide access as soon as possible.

Not later than seven (7) business days after receiving the records request, access will be granted or denied to all other government records provided record is currently available, not in use and not in storage or archived. Failure of the Custodian of Government Records to respond within seven business days after receiving a request is deemed a denial, unless the requestor has elected not to provide a name, address or telephone number, or other means of contacting the requestor, in which case the Custodian of Government Records shall not be required to respond until the requestor reappears before the Custodian seeking a response to the original request.

The requestor is entitled to be advised in advance of the estimated amount of fees and charges to be imposed by the College for the reproduction costs and other special services requested.

Contact Brookdale’s Public Records Custodian, Bonnie Passarella at 732-224-2239 or e-mail bpassarella@brookdalecc.edu

View/print the Open Public Records Request Form.

Right of Appeal

A person who is denied access to a government record by the Custodian, at the option of the requestor may institute a proceeding challenging the Custodian’s decision by

(1) filing a complaint with the Government Records Council, NJ Division of Local Government Services by telephone, (609) 292-4584; fax (609) 292-9073 or by email mpfeiffer@dca.state.nj.us 

(2) filing an action in the Superior Court, Monmouth County Courthouse, Freehold, NJ.

About OPRA

Any member of the public has the right to examine or obtain copies of public records. Some records are subject to exceptions from disclosure.

A government record is a physical record that has a government purpose. This includes any paper, written or printed book, document, drawing, map, plan, photograph, microfilm, data-processed or image-processed document, and information stored or maintained electronically or by sound recording.

You may see and copy government records from a records custodian at a municipal building or board of education. From other levels of government, such as county and state agencies and local, county, and state authorities, you may see and copy government records from records custodians.

Each public agency will have a form available to request access to records. In order to access the record, you must fill out the form correctly.

Visit the Government Records Council website at http://www.nj.gov/grc/