Opinion ID: 2618880
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The President of The University as a Public Officer for Purposes of AS 09.25.110.

Text: The University contends that only elected officials are subject to AS 09.25.110, since the statute provides that  public officer[s] having the custody of public records shall give on request a copy of such documents, [16] and public officials are defined as person[s] elected to a public office... . AS 09.25.220(2). Since the board of regents (appointed by the governor, Alaska Constitution, article VII, section 3) appoints the president, AS 14.40.170(1), who in turn appoints his subordinates, AS 14.40.210(2), none of the officials with custody of University records are elected. Thus, the University concludes, they are not required to comply with AS 09.25.110. We disagree. AS 09.25.220 specifically provides that definitions therein are to be disregarded if the context otherwise requires. Here, the context does necessitate an expansion of the definition of public officer to include appointed officials. First, as noted earlier, AS 39.51.020(b) specifically protects University employees releasing information in accordance with AS 09.25.110. Thus, the legislature must have anticipated that University officials would be presented with demands for information under AS 09.25.110. Second, in Kenai we construed public officer in accordance with common usage rather than relying upon AS 09.25.220(2). In that case we cited the definition of public office found in Webster's New International Dictionary (2d ed. 1960): An office or position in the services of a nation, state, city, etc. 642 P.2d at 1322. If, as we concluded in National Aircraft, the University is the single governmental entity ... specifically created by the people to meet the statewide need for a public institution of higher education [existing] constitutionally to act for the benefit of the state and the public generally, 536 P.2d at 124-25, then the presidency is certainly an office or position in the service of a ... state. Kenai, 642 P.2d at 1322. Thus, the University's argument that its president is not a public officer for purposes of AS 09.25.110, is rejected.