Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Monday 3 February 2020

Confusion over what data schools can provide for 2020 Census

By MIKE SCHNEIDER In 2010, more than a third
Associated Press of students in college hous-
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The ing were counted through
U.S. Census Bureau this administrative records pro-
week starts its process of vided by the university.
counting students living in "The data that comes from
college-run housing, but administrative records is
there's confusion over what never as accurate as in-
demographic information formation collected di-
university officials can share rectly from individuals and
with the agency. households," said Terri Ann
Two weeks ago, the U.S. Lowenthal, a consultant
Department of Education and former top congressio-
said in a memo to schools nal aide specializing in the
that they couldn't, if asked, census.
provide information about Students who live off-cam-
students' sex, race and His- pus can fill out the forms as
panic origin for the 2020 those in other households
Census. Now the depart- would.
ment says schools are able In a statement, the Census
to furnish such data if they Bureau said it expected to
strip away anything that get most of its information
could identify a student. about on-campus students
The department's new posi- In this Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020 photo, Leon Hayner, an associate dean of students at Rollins College from the "drop off/ pick up"
tion was issued last week in looks over requests from the U.S. Census Bureau in Winter Park, Fla. method.
a revision of a memo it sent Associated Press Counting college students
out last month to universi- in group housing is tricky.
ties about how students questions from universities At risk is getting a complete tendance. Directory infor- Students sometimes leave
living in college housing about the earlier memo. count of the students living mation doesn't include sex, campus as the school se-
should be counted. Much is at stake: the 2020 in college-run housing. Un- race or Hispanic origin, and mester winds down during
The 2020 Census form "asks count will help determine der the old version of the the school can't provide the count and students
for information about the the allocation of $1.5 trillion memo, a decades-old pri- any information about stu- often don't know if they
student's sex, Hispanic, La- in federal spending and vacy law would have pro- dents who have opted out should answer the form or
tino, or Spanish origin, and how many congressional hibited schools from provid- of sharing directory infor- let their parents do it back
race," said the original seats each state gets. ing the Census Bureau with mation. home. The Census Bu-
memo issued on Jan. 14. The last Census in 2010 information on students' The Census Bureau is giving reau says students should
"However, school officials found more than 2.5 mil- sex, race and Hispanic ori- campuses three ways to fill be counted where they
may not disclose this infor- lion students living in dorms gin, if the students didn't fill out the forms. A census tak- live, which in most cases is
mation, without prior writ- or on-campus fraternity of out the forms asking about er can drop off paper forms where the students go to
ten consent from the stu- sorority houses, the larg- those demographic details. to a university liaison to dis- school.
dent." est segment of what the The Family Educational tribute to students, and This is the first year the Cen-
The revised memo says Census Bureau refers to Rights and Privacy Act says then the students return sus Bureau is encouraging
schools can furnish the as "group quarters," which students need to provide them in sealed envelopes a majority of respondents
demographic information also include prisons, jails written consent before so the liaison can hand to answer the once-a-de-
provided "such data is de- and nursing homes. information from their re- them back to the census cade questionnaire online,
identified." And because of the diffi- cords can be shared, but taker. although they still can an-
The memo's author, Kala culty in counting students, an exception is made for A census taker can knock swer by telephone or by
Suprenant, acting director the Census Bureau will start what is called "directory in- on doors in the dorm or mailing in a paper form.
of the Student Privacy Poli- reaching out to college formation." house and personally in- But students living in col-
cy Office, and the agency's campuses this week to Directory information in- terview residents, the most lege housing, perhaps the
press office, didn't immedi- collect information about cludes facts often found costly method. Or, a univer- group most likely to answer
ately respond Sunday to student housing. The 2020 in student handbooks or sity representative can fill questions online, will be giv-
emails inquiring about the count started last month in yearbooks, such as names, out the form for everyone en paper forms. Cutbacks
reason for the change. The rural Alaska, and the rest of addresses, telephone living there using adminis- in research and testing for
revised memo noted that the nation won't begin par- numbers, dates of birth, trative records — t he most group quarters led to that
the office had received ticipating until mid-March. activities and dates of at- efficient method. decision, Lowenthal said.q