FOIA Request to Athens State University regarding recent course syllabi on August 6, 2025.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Athens State University by the Huntsville Leader, a media organization focused on providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs. The request, sent under the Alabama Open Records Law § 36-12-40 et seq., seeks access to a complete list of course syllabi for all undergraduate and graduate courses offered during the Spring 2025 academic semester. This includes syllabi for courses across all departments, schools, and colleges, regardless of whether they were conducted in-person, online, or in hybrid formats.
The request also asks for relevant metadata associated with each course syllabus. Specifically, it requests details such as the course title and number, instructor name, department or academic unit, and the course delivery format (online/in-person/hybrid).
The Huntsville Leader emphasizes that access to public records is crucial for fulfilling its role in holding public institutions accountable and ensuring transparency. As a media organization involved in gathering and reporting news to the public, they have requested a fee waiver based on their status as media professionals.
Additionally, the requestor is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization that assists media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through Freedom of Information and Sunshine Laws. More information about this coalition can be found at 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.
