FOIA Request to Arkansas State University Regarding Chinese National Students on June 3, 2025.
As part of our commitment to transparency and accountability in governmental affairs, we at the Jonesboro Times have submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Arkansas State University. Our request seeks detailed information about Chinese National students currently enrolled at the university.
The request includes several specific inquiries:
1. We are asking for documents or lists that show all current students who are Chinese Nationals and their respective departments of study. If this information is protected, we request the total number of such students broken down by department.
2. We seek documents or lists detailing the scholarships received by these students, including the amount and source of each scholarship.
3. In cases where scholarships are affiliated with the Chinese Scholarship Council, we ask for a list of recipients if not already covered in our second request.
4. Finally, we are requesting any policies or procedures that describe how the university monitors students, including Chinese Nationals, to protect its Intellectual Property and other confidential information.
This request is made on behalf of both our publication and The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization dedicated to uncovering governmental actions through Freedom of Information and Sunshine Laws. As members of the media, we believe access to public records is crucial for holding public institutions accountable and ensuring transparency for the public. Given our role in disseminating information, we have requested a fee waiver as media professionals.
For more information about The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, please visit their website at [https://stopsecrecy.org/about/](https://stopsecrecy.org/about/).
