RIT
Human Resources

Changes to Data Collection and Reporting Related to Race and Ethnicity for Faculty and Staff
September 2010

Summary

RIT is required to provide information on the race and ethnicity of its employees to the US Department of Education (DOE) through the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), in a specified format and using specified codes.

  1. What are the new data collection categories?
    Due to the changes promulgated by the DOE, the current ethnicity/race categories used to collect and report ethnicity/race data have changed. Specifically, RIT must use the two-question format (detailed below) when COLLECTING ethnicity/race data from employees:

    First, individuals are asked to identify their ethnicity:
    • Are you Hispanic or Latino, Yes or No?
    A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.

    Second, regardless of your answer to Question 1, individuals are asked to identify their race by selecting one or more of the following categories that apply to you:
    • American Indian or Alaska Native A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community attachment.
    • Asian A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
    • Black or African American A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
    • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
    • White A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
  2. How will race and ethnicity data be REPORTED with the introduction of the new standards?
    For reporting aggregate data to the DOE, nine categories will be used for IPEDS. DOE's new requirements separate the category "Asian or Pacific Islander" into two separate categories, one for "Asian" and one for "Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander." Additionally, there is a new category for reporting two or more races. This results in seven categories for reporting aggregate racial/ethnic data: Hispanics of any race, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black not-Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, White not-Hispanic, and two or more races. The Department of Education's new requirements also allow IPEDS to continue to use the two categories for reporting non-resident aliens and for reporting counts when race/ethnicity is unknown, for the reasons given below.

    Non-resident aliens - IPEDS has traditionally collected data on non-resident aliens separately from U.S. citizens and resident aliens (no race data will be available for non-resident aliens); and

    Race/ethnicity unknown - this category has been used in IPEDS since 1990 to provide a mechanism for reporting U.S. citizens and resident aliens who do not designate a racial/ethnic category.

    The current and new race/ethnicity categories for reporting data to IPEDS are outlined below:
    Current IPEDS Reporting Categories New IPEDS Reporting Categories
    • Non-resident alien
    • Race and ethnicity unknown
    • Black, non-Hispanic
    • American Indian/Alaska Native
    • Asian/Pacific Islander
    • Hispanic,
    • White, non-Hispanic
    • Non-resident aliens
    • Race and ethnicity unknown
    • Hispanics of any race
    For non-Hispanics only:
    • American Indian or Alaska Native
    • Asian
    • Black or African American
    • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
    • White
    • Two or more races
  3. What are the consequences for non-compliance with IPEDS?
    The completion of all IPEDS surveys, in a timely and accurate manner has been mandated by the federal government for institutions that participate in, or are applicants for, any student financial aid program (such as Pell grants and federal student loans) authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 USC 1094, Section 487(a) (17) and 34 CFR 668.14(b)(19)). Penalties for non-compliance with completion of all surveys may include fines and temporary loss of Title IV funding.
  4. Are other agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) adopting the same categories?
    The recent guidelines only apply to the DOE. Other governmental agencies have adopted similar reporting standards in recent years. For information about other specific data collection efforts, the agency or organization conducting the data collection should be contacted directly.
  5. Is RIT required to report ethnicity and race data to other federal agencies?
    Yes. RIT, as a federal contractor, is required to maintain and analyze data on the gender, race and ethnicity of employees in compliance with the provision of Executive Order 11246 to the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), as required under the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 41, Part 60-2.
  6. What method does RIT use to collect and store ethnicity and race information for its employees?
    RIT collects race and ethnicity data from employees using the "Employee Personal Data Form" which individuals complete when their employment begins. This form allows individuals to voluntarily self-identify race and ethnicity, disabled status, and veteran status. This information is entered into the Oracle HR system for aggregate reporting purposes. The form is not filed in the individual's personnel folder.

    Updates or changes to an employee's ethnicity, race and veteran status can be completed online using RIT Human Resources Self-Service in Oracle at https://myinfo.rit.edu or by visiting the Human Resources Office on the 5th floor of the Eastman Building.
  7. Can RIT require employees to self-identify their ethnicity and race, or disclose their status as disabled individuals or veterans?
    No, federal guidance strongly encourages "self-identification" of race and ethnicity for postsecondary education, but identification is NOT required.
  8. How will RIT implement changes in the way it collects and stores ethnicity and race data for employees?
    Employees hired after August 15, 2010 should complete the revised version of the employee personal data form to self-identify race and ethnicity, disabled status, as well as veteran status.

    Current employees will be asked to provide race and ethnicity information using the new categories from late August 2010 through September 30, 2010. Employees can provide the information using Oracle Employee Self-Service or by completing a new personal data form and returning it to Human Resources.
  9. When individuals select more than one race on the form how are they reported to IPEDS?
    When individuals select the "Hispanic or Latino" ethnicity they will be reported as Hispanic or Latino regardless of the number of races they select. If they select "not Hispanic or Latino" and select two or more races, they will be reported in the "Two or more races" category.
  10. When individuals do not answer the "Hispanic or Latino" ethnicity question, but do answer the Race question, how are they reported to IPEDS?
    Individuals are reported based on their response to the race question, which by default assumes a "No" response to the "Hispanic or Latino" question.
  11. When individuals self-identify as "Hispanic or Latino" and self-identify in one or more of the five racial categories, will they be reported to IPEDS as "two or more races"?
    No. If individuals self-identify as "Hispanic or Latino", RIT will only report them as Hispanic or Latino, and will not report them in any of the five racial categories or the "two or more races" category.
  12. When individuals self-identify as "Non-Hispanic or Latino" and self-identify in two or more of the five racial categories, should those individuals be reported to IPEDS as "two or more races" only?
    Yes. Individuals who self identify as "Non-Hispanic or Latino" and self-identify in two or more of the five racial categories will be reported as "two or more races" only.
  13. Who can I contact if I have general questions?
    Contact the Human Resources Department at hr@rit.edu or call 585-475-2424

For additional federal guidance or more information please visit, http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-20613.pdf