FOIA Request to University of Maine at Presque Isle regarding Chinese National students on June 16, 2025.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the University of Maine at Presque Isle by Aroostook News on June 16, 2025. The request seeks specific records concerning Chinese National students under the Maine Freedom of Access Act ยง 402 et seq. The information is requested in an electronic format for ease of access and analysis.
The FOIA request includes several specific inquiries:
1. A list or documents showing all current students who are Chinese Nationals, along with their respective departments. If this information is protected, a total number of such students and a breakdown by department is requested.
2. Documents or lists detailing the scholarships received by these Chinese National students, including the amount and source of each scholarship.
3. Identification of recipients of scholarships from grantors affiliated with the Chinese Scholarship Council, unless already covered in the previous request.
4. Policies or procedures describing how the university monitors its students, including Chinese Nationals, to protect intellectual property and other confidential information.
The request emphasizes that if certain student names are protected under privacy laws, redaction should be applied where necessary. Additionally, if redacting names proves too burdensome but does not result in loss of information, a grouped total may be provided instead for certain requests.
This FOIA request is made on behalf of Aroostook News and The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting transparency within governmental agencies through Freedom of Information and Sunshine Laws. As part of their journalistic duty to hold public institutions accountable and provide transparency to the public, Aroostook News has requested a fee waiver for accessing these records due to their role as media professionals.
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.
