In 1967, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was passed. In an effort to make the government more transparent and accountable, FOIA outlined a process for anyone from professional journalists to everyday citizens to request federal information and, hopefully, as the unofficial slogan says, “keep Americans in the know.”

Requesting open records is a vital practice for journalists. Especially in recent years, requesting information has helped student media organizations hold their administrations accountable nationwide.

But not only can FOIA requests help your publication editorially, they're also the perfect tool for projects like launching an email newsletter. This guide will provide everything you need to get started.

Can I request directory information at my school?

Keep in mind that each state is different and may have additional acts or protections for certain data, and some schools may have additional rules as to what is considered directory information. 

Getting started

Each state, and often each school, has its own process for making requests, but it’s typically either: 

• A designated online portal/form

• Emailing your request to the assigned FOIA office/officer

The National Freedom of Information Coalition has some great resources for first-time FOIA requesters on its website, including descriptions of each state's laws and a sample request letter for each.

How do I submit a FOIA request on my campus?

To find the designated portal, use your preferred search engine to look up “[School Name] Open Records Request” or “[School Name] Public Information Request.” This will lead you to the web page and accompanying form where you can drop your contact info, reasons for requesting, and the data points you’re seeking (for an e-newsletter, the basics are first name, last name, email address). 

If your school doesn’t have a portal, this same search will lead you to the university’s web page for the “Office of the Registrar” or “Office of the General Council." Since those offices manage information requests, there will usually be an email address and instructions listed for submitting requests directly.

The Student Press Law Center has an Open Records Request Letter Generator tool that makes crafting that email as easy as plugging in a few pieces of information

When crafting your request, it’s important to think about what is going to be the most helpful. If you’re building a newsletter audience, name and email address are the basics, but other information such as class year or major can be beneficial for launching more newsletters based on specific content, like a Welcome to Campus series for first-year students. You may also consider requesting phone numbers or mailing addresses for additional ways to reach your readers.

I submitted the request, now what?

You can expect to wait 2 to 4 weeks before hearing back. Don’t hesitate to follow up if it’s been longer.

What if my school says no?

When you hear back, it might be a straight-up no. 

Some schools may use FERPA as justification for denying a request, but note that FERPA does not protect directory data unless a student opts out. For a more in-depth guide on FERPA, explore the Society of Professional Journalist’s guide here.

Private colleges and universities are also not held to the same open records compliance standards, so you may not be as successful or find as streamlined a process for making requests.

This does not mean that all private schools will deny all requests, so it’s still worth a shot, especially if your publication doesn’t have any history of making attempts.

A “no” to a request does NOT mean no to launching an email newsletter. Although it may be more time-consuming, meeting with the appropriate parties in the administration to have a conversation about what you want to do, why you want to do it, and how it will benefit the campus community is a great next step with a private administration that is not as subject to particular laws/practices. 

There are also countless other ways of growing an email list outside of receiving addresses in bulk. In-person sign up sheets at tabling events, pop-up windows on your publication’s website, or using Instagram stories with subscription links are just a few of many low-lift options.

What if my school says yes?

Depending on the school and the data points requested, it will sometimes cost money to receive the data upon completion. Cost is based on the number of records requested.

The data is usually shared in a spreadsheet or a .csv file, so you’ll want to have a means of downloading, storing, and “cleaning” the data upon receipt (Excel or Google Sheets are the most common).

Storing and using the data

Maintain Organizational Context: Far too often, seniors graduate and take all of the organizational knowledge at their publication with them. To guarantee that these requests are not a waste of your time or money, agree on a specific and shared location for FOIA or “Directory” Information to live.

Pick an ESP: If your end goal is to launch an email newsletter, you need to decide which ESP (Email Service Provider) you want to use for distribution. Mailchimp is an example of an easy-to-use introductory ESP, that also accepts .csv or spreadsheet imports, which makes building your audience from a FOIA request a breeze.

Submit Requests Regularly: In a college setting where there’s constantly a batch of new students coming in, FOIA requests should not be one-and-done. Set a recurring time of year for your team to submit FOIA requests to guarantee that there’s a consistent flow contributing to your audience.

What’s next?

After this crash course in FOIA, you should have everything you need to get started submitting requests to your university. Whether you’re seeking a university budget for an investigative article or trying to add the incoming freshmen to your weekly newsletter audience, we want to hear about it. 

If you’re able to add every student to your email list through a FOIA request, be sure to update your account manager so they can reflect that campus reach back to national advertisers.