Tech’s Society for Collegiate Journalists have started a petition asking the board of trustees to change the school’s policy to allow more access to public records.
SCJ is a club formed for student media leaders on college campuses. The purpose of the club is to build leadership skills among student journalists.
The trustees are scheduled to vote at the meeting on March 21.
Tech officials conducted a required public hearing on the purposed policy on Feb. 1.
Without a Tennessee driver’s license, Tech students, faculty and staff cannot access public records.
Universities must provide the state with a written policy outlining how it complies with written records.
Carolina Hatfield, editor of The Oracle, said she knows how especially frustrating it is for journalism students when trying to gain access to public records.
“It doesn’t make sense for people to live here that are working and studying to not have access to Tech’s public records just because they don’t have a Tennessee drivers license,” she said.
