FOIA Request to Sonoma State University regarding Public University FY 2024 Employee Salaries on December 5, 2025.
Golden State Today, a media organization dedicated to delivering comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, has submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Sonoma State University. The request seeks detailed records of employee compensation for all individuals employed by the university during Fiscal Year 2024. This inquiry is made under the California Public Records Act § 6250 et seq., with a preference for receiving the information in electronic format.
The requested records include various data fields such as Fiscal Year, Employee Name, Gender, Age or Year of Birth, Date of Birth, Employer Name, Title or Position, Department, Hire Date, Compensation Amount (including base pay and any additional pay), Compensation Type (e.g., salary, hourly wage), and Employment Type (full-time or part-time). Golden State Today acknowledges that not all fields may be present in every record but requests that all responsive records be produced regardless. In cases where parts of a record are exempt from disclosure, they ask for the non-exempt portions to be released in redacted form.
Golden State Today emphasizes its role in gathering and reporting news to the public as part of its professional responsibilities. They argue that access to public records is crucial for holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency. As a media entity involved in disseminating information to the public, they believe they qualify for a fee waiver associated with this request.
Additionally, Golden State Today is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy—a non-profit organization that aids media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through Freedom of Information and Sunshine Laws. More information about this coalition can be found at https://stopsecrecy.org/about/.
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.
