FOIA Request to J. F. Drake State Community And Technical College Regarding Chinese National Students on May 16, 2025.
As part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability in local governmental affairs, we at the Huntsville Leader have submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to J. F. Drake State Community And Technical College. This request seeks detailed information concerning Chinese National students currently enrolled at the institution.
The request specifically asks for documents or lists that identify all current students who are Chinese Nationals, including their respective departments of study. If privacy laws protect student names, we have requested aggregated data showing the total number of such students broken down by department.
Additionally, we seek information on scholarships awarded to these students, including the amount each student receives and the source of these scholarships. In particular, we are interested in identifying any scholarships affiliated with the Chinese Scholarship Council.
Furthermore, our request includes a call for any policies or procedures that outline how the university monitors its students—specifically Chinese Nationals—to safeguard intellectual property and other confidential information.
This inquiry is made not only in our capacity as a media organization but also in collaboration with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit dedicated to enhancing transparency within governmental agencies through strategic use of Freedom of Information and Sunshine Laws.
Our role as members of the media is to gather and report news that holds public institutions accountable while providing transparency to the public. We believe this request will contribute significantly to these objectives by shedding light on how educational institutions manage international student affairs and protect sensitive information.
For more information about The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy and its mission, please visit [https://stopsecrecy.org/about/](https://stopsecrecy.org/about/).
