IPEDS Race/Ethnicity Changes – what’s it all about? Alair Annual Conference April 3-4, 2008 Gayle Fink Director of Institutional Research University System of Maryland

Federal Changes - Background  Final guidance on Maintaining, Collecting, and Reporting Racial and Ethnic Data to the U.S. Dept of ED Published in Federal Register 10/19/07 For implementing 1997 OMB standards (new R/E categories)  NCES comment period for R/E implementation timeframe ended March 29 th a_Changes_to_1_29_2008.asp a_Changes_to_1_29_2008.asp  Covers 2 separate issues: Collection of R/E data by institutions Reporting of aggregate data to US Dept of ED

Federal Changes - Background  Original 1977 standards – single category  New 1997 standards - two question format, separate ethnicity, multiple races  federal studies on implementing  2000 federal provisional guidance  2007 federal final guidance

Collection of Race/Ethnicity Data  Covers students, faculty and staff  Encourages re-surveying all students and personnel to collect data in the new reporting format  IPEDS Mandatory Dates: FY 2011 Collection  Winter - fall 2010 human resources  Spring - fall 2010 enrollment FY 2012 Collection-  Fall – AY degrees and 12 month unduplicated headcount  Spring - graduation rate cohorts (years vary with segment)

Collecting New Race/Ethnicity Categories Two-question format REQUIRED: 1. Is respondent Hispanic/Latino? Y/N 2. Respondent selects one or more races: American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black or African American Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander White

New Race/Ethnicity Guidance  Non-resident alien (foreign) must be captured through separate citizenship question A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely.

Reporting New Race/Ethnicity Categories 1. Nonresident aliens 2. Race/ethnicity unknown 3. Hispanics of any race For non-Hispanics only: 4. American Indian or Alaska Native 5. Asian 6. Black or African American 7. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 8. White 9. 2 or more races

Reporting New Race/Ethnicity Categories

We know what the categories are but… How do we make it happen?

Suggested Approach  Campus Leadership support  Identify a Project Leader  Create Multiple teams: System Revision Team (technical) Points of Entry Team (process) Re-Surveying/Bridging Team Reporting Team  Approach needs to fit with institutional culture

Project Leader – Sample Tasks  Coordinate/liaison with work teams  Develop overall implementation calendar  In consultation with teams, develop training materials  Work with Public Relations to develop an educational campaign about the project

System Revision team – Sample Task  Vendor update coordination  Web interface updating  Data storage and retention  Support data collection efforts

“Points of Entry” Team – Sample Tasks  Identify all places where R/E information is entered Admissions Academic Departments Registration Human Resources Non-credit registration File uploads from outside sources  Identify all paper/electronic forms that need to be revised

“Points of Entry” Team  Working with other teams – develop approaches to capturing R/E information New students New faculty/staff Continuing students Current faculty/staff Returning students Part-time faculty Older GRS cohorts System Team? Re-Surveying or Bridging?

Re-Surveying/Bridging Team  Discuss the pros/cons of re- surveying and bridging  Suggest approaches to re-surveying As part of the registration process? As part of an alumni survey? As part of time-sheet/productivity reporting?  Recommend approaches to missing data/non-responses

Reporting Team  Discuss analysis approaches for multi-race reporting  Discuss whether to include multi-race in the reporting of minority  Work with other institutions/ associations/consortiums/ publications to determine their reporting requirements  Experiment with possible impact as part of an entering student survey or alumni survey

Concluding thoughts…  R/E is a costly enterprise  Dual maintenance of R/E data during transition  Process can not start early enough  DOE will be providing additional guidance in the next couple months on: Question wording (See URL for example) Non-Response Record retention

Questions? Comments? Gayle Fink Director of Institutional Research 3300 Metzerott Road Adelphi, Maryland