FOIA Request to The College of New Jersey regarding Chinese National students on June 16, 2025.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to The College of New Jersey by Mercer Times, seeking specific records related to Chinese National students at the institution. The request, sent under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, aims to gather detailed information about the enrollment and scholarship status of these students.
The request outlines four main points. Firstly, it seeks documents or lists showing all current students who are Chinese Nationals, including their department of study. If certain information is protected, a total number of such students broken down by department is requested. Secondly, it asks for details on scholarships received by these students, including the amount and source of each scholarship. Thirdly, if not covered in the previous point, it requests a list of recipients with scholarships affiliated with the Chinese Scholarship Council. Lastly, it seeks any policies or procedures that describe how the university monitors students to protect its intellectual property and other confidential information.
The request emphasizes that if redaction is necessary due to privacy concerns, it should be applied where appropriate. However, if providing totals does not result in a loss of information for certain requests, this approach may be taken instead.
Mercer Times has indicated that this request is made on behalf of both their publication and The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy. As a media organization committed to transparency and accountability in public institutions, they have requested a fee waiver based on their role in disseminating information to the public.
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.
