The University FOIA Battleground
Information Access, Power, and Personal Justice (FOIA Libraries, Part 3)
Infophilia, a Positive Psychology of Information | March 29, 2025 | Vol. 3, Issue 15
✨Welcome to Infophilia, a weekly letter exploring how our love of information and connections can help us all thrive, individually and collectively. 🤗
Cite as: Coleman, Anita S. (2025, March 29). The university FOIA battleground: information access, power, and personal justice (FOIA Libraries, Part 3). Infophilia, a positive psychology of information, 3 (15).
Announcements
Sunshine Week (March 16–22) is an annual event dedicated to promoting transparency, open government, and the public's right to access information. It's a reminder of why Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) laws exist and why they are crucial for holding government and institutions, including universities, accountable. Public universities are subject to open record laws.
Jason Leopold, whose FOIA Files newsletter I introduced in part 1 a few weeks ago, has published new letters since then. In case you missed them, I've provided links in Notes, along with a 6 min video introduction.
Updates
FOIA is under-utilized by the general public. - Jason Leopold
In response to last week's essay, a reader observed that he'd no idea FOIA libraries had so many layers. Yes, FOIA is a multi-layered system. A useful metaphor: think of FOIA as a terrain, with you as the information hunter. Key things to know are: 1) the categories of exempted records, 2) how the different agencies process requests, and 3) the differences between federal and state FOIA laws. FOIA.gov is the one-stop shop for filing and understanding FOIA requests within the federal system.
Another reader asked: Isn't it a little too late to be writing about FOIA libraries? Many FOIA officers and other staff responsible for handling public records requests have already been fired such as the entire privacy team and FOIA request handlers at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). While the landscape may be shifting, raising awareness about these resources and using them is more important now than ever. We want to preserve the integrity of public records access and inspire ongoing improvements and advocacy for better (i.e. more open and transparent) systems.
The FOIA Request is a template.
FOIA can seem complicated and overwhelming but another reader, Professor McCook shared a helpful link: How to File Your Own Freedom of Information Requests: Interview with Allan Blutstein, who helps run a site (FOIA Advisor) that explains the ins and outs of filing FOIA requests which also I've included in Notes.
Now, for today's story.
The University FOIA Battleground:
Information Access, Power, and Personal Justice
Universities especially public ones, manage vast amounts of taxpayer money, make decisions that impact students, staff, faculty, and they conduct research that influences policy. FOIA requests can help uncover financial mismanagement, conflicts of interest, and policies that may infringe on students' rights. Many universities resist FOIA requests, delay responses, or heavily redact documents, making it difficult for the public to scrutinize their actions. This reluctance to share information undermines public trust in these taxpayer-supported institutions. In light of recent controversies, such as political pressures on universities, Sunshine Week also reinforces the importance of public vigilance and access to information. Without FOIA, we might never know the extent of administrative and faculty compliance with questionable policies or the true impact of institutional decisions.
FOIA requests are powerful tools and today, I share a personal story of how FOIA in a public state university setting failed. In the failure though there are powerful lessons.
Universities and FOIA Requests
We know journalists and media use FOIA as tools that lead to compelling news stories. Now, imagine these two very different scenarios:
Sarah, a student journalist, haunted by rumors of unsafe lab conditions in her university's science department. Whispers of mishandled chemicals and disregarded safety protocols swirled, but concrete evidence was elusive. Frustrated, Sarah turned to her university's FOIA office.
Marcus, a young man, a sophomore in college develops a crush on a girl who "pokes" him often on social media. She notices him in one of his large classes and on the last day of spring semester she invites him to her dorm room. When he arrives, he finds her with two girlfriends. Soon, she leaves the room and Marcus follows her into the corridor. He asks her if they can keep in touch over the summer but she runs back into the room, slams the door, and starts screaming, " Leave me alone. I'm calling the police." The police soon arrive and he is arrested on charges of battery and stalking. Can FOIA help Marcus?