FOIA Request to Western Oregon University regarding public university FY 2024 employee salaries on December 5, 2025.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted by Beaver State News to Western Oregon University seeking detailed records of employee compensation for the fiscal year 2024. The request aims to obtain comprehensive data on all individuals employed by the university during this period, as defined by the institution’s fiscal, payroll, or HR systems.
The requested information includes a variety of data fields such as fiscal year, employee name, gender, age or year of birth (if not exempt), date of birth (if not exempt or limited to month/year), employer name, title or position, department, hire date, compensation amount (including base pay and any additional pay), compensation type (e.g., salary, hourly wage, stipend, bonus), and employment type (full-time or part-time).
Beaver State News has requested that these records be provided in electronic format. The media organization has also indicated its understanding that not all fields may exist in every record and has asked for the production of all responsive records regardless of whether each field is present. In cases where parts of a record are deemed exempt from disclosure, they have requested that non-exempt portions be released in redacted form rather than withheld entirely.
As a member of the media committed to gathering and reporting news to the public while holding public institutions accountable and ensuring transparency, Beaver State News has sought a fee waiver for this request. They have also noted their affiliation with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy—a non-profit organization dedicated to investigating governmental agencies and promoting transparency through FOIA and Sunshine Laws.
We look forward to receiving this information in an electronic format as it will greatly aid in our reporting efforts. As always, we remain open for any questions or clarifications regarding this request.
