SE Valley Times

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to Arizona State University (ASU) by SE Valley Times, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs. The request, dated November 15, 2024, seeks access to specific employee information for the year 2023 under the Arizona Public Records Law § 39.101 et seq.

The requested data points include employees' first and last names, institution name, position held, department, pay rate, and year-to-date gross pay. As members of the media committed to transparency and accountability in public institutions, we at SE Valley Times believe that access to these records is crucial in fulfilling our professional responsibilities.

We have also requested a fee waiver as a media professional involved in gathering and reporting news to the public. This waiver would facilitate our mission of holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.

According to a press release, ASU has recently partnered with Argos Vision, a tech startup developing 'smart' traffic cameras aimed at improving safety. These cameras will passively capture, analyze and deliver droves of data during a one-year pilot program in select Phoenix locations. It remains unclear how this partnership might impact employee salaries or other institutional operations at ASU. We await ASU's response to our FOIA request for further clarity.