FOIA Request to Maryville College Regarding Chinese National Students on May 14, 2025.
As part of our commitment to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we at South Knoxville News have submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Maryville College. This request seeks detailed information about the presence and academic involvement of Chinese National students at the institution.
The request specifically asks for documents or lists that identify all current students who are Chinese Nationals, along with their respective departments of study. If student names are protected under privacy laws, we have requested aggregated data showing the total number of such students broken down by department.
Additionally, we are seeking information on scholarships awarded to these students. This includes details about each scholarship’s amount and its source. Furthermore, we have inquired about any recipients of scholarships affiliated with the Chinese Scholarship Council, requesting identification of such scholarships if they overlap with other requests.
Our inquiry also extends to university policies or procedures that outline how Maryville College monitors students—particularly Chinese Nationals—to safeguard the institution’s Intellectual Property and other confidential information.
This request is made in collaboration with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing transparency within governmental agencies through the use of Freedom of Information and Sunshine Laws. As media professionals, access to public records is crucial for us to hold public institutions accountable and ensure transparency for our readers.
We look forward to receiving this information from Maryville College and will continue our efforts to inform the public about important issues affecting our community.
