SW Missouri News

FOIA Request to Missouri Southern State University regarding Chinese National students on June 16, 2025.

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Missouri Southern State University by SW Missouri News on June 16, 2025. The request seeks information about Chinese National students enrolled at the university. The request was made under the Missouri Sunshine Law § 610.023 et seq., and a preference for receiving the information in electronic format was expressed.

The FOIA request comprises several specific inquiries:

1. Documents or lists showing all current students who are Chinese Nationals, including their department of study. If such information is protected, a total number of these students and a breakdown by department were requested instead.

2. Documents or lists detailing the scholarships received by current Chinese National students, including the amount and source of each scholarship.

3. A list of recipients of any scholarships granted by entities affiliated with the Chinese Scholarship Council, if not already covered in the previous request.

4. Policies or procedures describing how the university monitors students, including Chinese Nationals, to protect its intellectual property and other confidential information.

The requester represents both SW Missouri News and The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization that assists media companies in investigating governmental agencies using Freedom of Information and Sunshine Laws.

The requester also seeks a fee waiver due to their role as a media professional involved in gathering and reporting news to the public, emphasizing that access to public records is crucial for holding public institutions accountable and ensuring transparency.

For more details about The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, visit their website at https://stopsecrecy.org/about/.

Our team will continue to keep you updated as we gather and report news related to this request and other matters of public interest. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further clarification regarding this matter.