University of Illinois properly withheld police training curriculum as educational records under 7(1)(j)(iv)

This reading view follows the source PDF's positioned text blocks. Page headers, repeated office furniture, and lower-margin notes are kept out of the narrative; source notes are available below. Reconstruction is automatic and imperfect — the PDF is the authoritative version, and it's linked on this page.

Dear Mr. Stecklow:

This determination letter is issued pursuant to section 9. 5( c) of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).1 For the reasons set forth below, the Public Access Bureau concludes that no further inquiry is warranted in this matter.

On June 26, 2025, you submitted a FOIA request to the University of Illinois University) seeking copies of the curriculum, lesson plans, and slides of the University's Police Training Institute ( Institute) that "relate in any way to the use of Involuntary Commitment Petitions in mental health cases by law enforcement officers[,]" from January 1, 2019, to the present. 2 On July 11, 2025, after extending the time to respond by five additional business days pursuant to section 3( e) of FOIA,3 the University denied your request pursuant to sections 7( 1)( j)( iv) and 7( 1)( g) of FOIA. 4 On July 30, 2025, this office received your Request for Review contesting the denial. With respect to the University' s assertion of section 7( 1)( j)( iv), you argued that the police training instructors did not qualify as " faculty members" involved in " educational matters," and that the Institute is a training facility, not an educational institution.

In response to your request, the University stated that it classifies the Institute' s instructors as faculty ofthe University under certain provisions of the University's own statutes, as well as state and federal law. In particular, the University cited section 4( a) of Article IX, which defines the Institute' s instructors as members of the University' s academic staff.5 Additionally, section 3( a)( 2) of Article II of the University of Illinois Statutes provides that members of the Academic Staff having the title " Instructor," may be extended faculty privileges under the bylaws of the particular academic unit.6 Furthermore, as the University argued in its response, the Institute' s instructors are part of "[t]he teaching, research and extension faculties of' the University.? Black' s Law Dictionary defines " faculty" as the "[ t] eaching staff of a school." Black' s Law Dictionary 534 ( 5th ed. 1979). Although the Institute' s instructors are not tenured professors, they are nonetheless part of the University's " faculty."

The Institute is affiliated with the University, and it offers " specialty classes" in a variety of subjects relating to police training, in addition to a " basic law enforcement course. i8 It has an academic research division which it describes as focusing on "producing new and more effective teaching methods[.] i9 Moreover, the Institute' s website highlights its use of an " Adult Learning Model," which it describes as " a shift from military -style police academies to police training institutes based on adult learning principles. i10 In contrast to the basic training a police officer may receive on the job, or from superiors in their own police department, the Institute offers educational courses in its association with a university. Therefore, the materials used in those courses pertain to educational matters.

5Art. IX, Sec. 4(a), University of Illinois Statutes, as amended July 20, 2023, available at https:// www.bauillinois.edu/governance/ statutes.

matter.

This file is closed. If you have any questions, you may contact me at [email protected].

Very truly yours, MICHAEL J. KNIGHT Assistant Attorney General Public Access Bureau 88300 f no fi war univ cc: Via electronic mail Ms. Adrienne Nazon Vice President, External Relations and Communications Chief Records Officer University of Illinois foia- our@mx. uillinois. edu 11Because the requested records are exempt from disclosure under section 7( 1)( j)( iv), this office declines to address the applicability of section 7( 1)( g).