East Michigan News

FOIA Request to Central Michigan University regarding Chinese National students on June 16, 2025.

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Central Michigan University by East Michigan News on June 16, 2025. The request seeks information concerning Chinese National students enrolled at the university. The request was made under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act § 15.231 et seq., with a preference for receiving the data in electronic format.

The FOIA request includes several specific inquiries:

1. Documents or lists showing all current students who are Chinese Nationals and their respective departments of study. If student names are protected, a total number of such students and a breakdown by department is requested.

2. Information on scholarships received by current Chinese National students, including the amount and source of each scholarship.

3. A list of recipients of any scholarships affiliated with the Chinese Scholarship Council, if not included in the previous request.

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

The request emphasizes that if certain information needs redaction due to privacy concerns, it should be redacted accordingly. Furthermore, if providing totals does not compromise information integrity, grouping data is acceptable for some requests.

East Michigan News has also indicated that they are acting on behalf of The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization dedicated to investigating governmental agencies and promoting transparency through FOIA and Sunshine Laws.

The media organization has requested a fee waiver for this FOIA submission based on their role in gathering and disseminating news to the public.

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.