South Bend Times

FOIA Request to Indiana University-South Bend regarding Chinese National students on June 16, 2025.

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Indiana University-South Bend by a news reporter from the South Bend Times. The request seeks information under the Indiana Access to Public Records Act § 5-14-3-1 et seq., specifically concerning Chinese National students at the university.

The request outlines four main areas of interest:

1. Documents or lists detailing all current students who are Chinese Nationals, including their department of study. If 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 scholarships affiliated with the Chinese Scholarship Council, if not already covered in the second request.

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

The request emphasizes that if certain student information is protected, redaction is acceptable. However, where redaction might be burdensome but grouping does not lose information, such as in the first request, totaling may be used instead.

The FOIA request is made on behalf of both South Bend Times and The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy—a non-profit organization that assists media companies and public advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through transparency laws.

As part of this process, the requester has asked for a fee waiver based on their role as a media professional involved in gathering and reporting news to hold public institutions accountable.

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.