Cape News

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

Cape News, a media organization focused on providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, has submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Southeast Missouri State University. The request was made under the Missouri Sunshine Law § 610.023 et seq., seeking information about Chinese National students enrolled at the university.

The request includes several specific inquiries:

1. Documents or lists showing all current students who are Chinese Nationals, along with their respective departments of study. If student names are protected, the request asks for a total number of such students broken down by department.

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 affiliated with the Chinese Scholarship Council that are not included in the previous request. If these scholarships are covered in the earlier request, identification of which ones would satisfy this inquiry is requested.

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

The FOIA request emphasizes that access to public records is essential for Cape News to fulfill its professional responsibilities in holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. The requester also seeks a fee waiver as a media professional involved in gathering and reporting news.

This request is made on behalf of Cape News and The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization assisting media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through Freedom of Information and Sunshine Laws.

We look forward to receiving this information in an electronic format as it will greatly aid in our reporting efforts. As always, we remain open for any questions or clarifications regarding this request.