About Sunshine Week:

Sunshine Week, from March 15-21, is a “nationwide celebration of access to public information and what it means for you and your community,” according to www.sunshineweek.org. The first Sunshine Week occurred in 2002, and focuses on the importance of freedom of information, particularly in the context of an open and transparent government.

What can you do to access public information?

Request it! All public information is available upon request. In order to get this information, file a Freedom of Information Act request. For more information on how to make a FOIA request, visit www.foia.gov.

What should you be asking GVSU about?

There is a great deal of information you can request from the university. Some examples are: the university budget, the disposition of campus sexual assault investigations, inventory lists, contracts for administrators and more.

What kinds of sunshine laws does Michigan have?

Michigan has two sunshine laws. These are the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act.

Why does open government matter?

An open government that allows citizens access to documents and information about their goings-on makes for a more accountable government. The ability of citizens to check up on what a governing body is doing allows for those that are being governed to make sure their government is doing their job in an acceptable manner. This is not only important for reporters trying to find out the news, this is important for all citizens.