St. Paul Reporter

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

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Metropolitan State University by the St. Paul Reporter on June 16, 2025. The request seeks specific information concerning Chinese National students enrolled at the university.

The St. Paul Reporter has requested several documents under the Minnesota Data Practices Act § 13.01 et seq., with a preference for receiving them in electronic format. The first request is for documents or lists that identify all current students who are Chinese Nationals and their respective departments of study. If student names are protected, the request asks for the total number of such students, broken down by department.

The second request seeks information about scholarships received by these students, including the amount and source of each scholarship. The third request focuses on identifying recipients of scholarships from grantors affiliated with the Chinese Scholarship Council if not already covered in the second request.

Additionally, the FOIA request asks for any policies or procedures that detail how Metropolitan State University monitors its students, including Chinese Nationals, to protect intellectual property and other confidential information.

The St. Paul Reporter emphasizes its role in gathering and reporting news to hold public institutions accountable and provide transparency to the public. They have also requested a fee waiver due to their status as a media organization.

This request is made on behalf of both the St. Paul Reporter and The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization dedicated to investigating governmental agencies using Freedom of Information laws.

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.