FOIA Request to Farmingdale State College regarding Chinese National students on June 16, 2025.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Farmingdale State College by Suffolk Reporter, in collaboration with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy. The request seeks information about Chinese National students enrolled at the college. Specifically, the request asks for lists or documents detailing the number of current Chinese National students and their respective departments. Additionally, it requests information on scholarships received by these students, including the amount and source of each scholarship.
The FOIA request also inquires about any policies or procedures that the university has in place to monitor students, including Chinese Nationals, for the protection of intellectual property and other confidential information. In cases where student names are protected under privacy laws, the requester has asked for redacted versions or aggregated data where possible.
The requester has emphasized their role as a media professional involved in gathering and reporting news to hold public institutions accountable and provide transparency. As such, they have requested a fee waiver based on their position within the media industry.
The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy is a non-profit organization that assists media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through FOIA requests. More information about this organization can be found on their website: 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.
