Baltimore City Wire

FOIA Request to University of Baltimore regarding Chinese National students on June 16, 2025.

The University of Baltimore has received a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from Baltimore City Wire, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive news coverage on local governmental affairs. The request was made under the Maryland Public Information Act Title 4 and seeks specific records related to Chinese National students at the university.

The request includes several components:

1. Documents or lists showing all current students who are Chinese Nationals, along with their department of study. If student names are protected, the request asks for the total number of such students and a breakdown by department.

2. Documents or lists detailing all current Chinese National students, including the amount and source of each scholarship they receive.

3. A list of recipients of any scholarships affiliated with the Chinese Scholarship Council, unless this information is already included in the previous request.

4. Policies or procedures describing how the university monitors students, including Chinese Nationals, to protect its Intellectual Property and other confidential information.

Baltimore City Wire has emphasized that access to these public records is crucial for fulfilling its professional responsibilities in gathering and reporting news to the public. The organization has requested a fee waiver due to its role as a media outlet committed to transparency and accountability in public institutions.

This FOIA request is also supported by The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization assisting media companies in investigating governmental agencies through Freedom of Information laws. More details about this coalition can be found on their website here.

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.