#14-1

Title: Follow up to Alert #14, Update on Federal Race and Ethnicity Reporting Changes

Summary

Although AIR Alert #6 and OMB's "Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity" indicated that January 1, 2003, was the date when federal collection and reporting of aggregate race/ethnicity data (including IPEDS) must comply with the new OMB standards, this deadline is no longer in effect. At this time we do not know when postsecondary institutions will need to implement the new requirements. Another Alert will be sent as soon as a decision is announced.

Current Status

Because of the delay in the decision about how to report race/ethnicity data for higher education, none of the new requirements will be going into effect any time soon. Although AIR Alert #6 and the OMB document on the new standards indicated that January 1, 2003, was the date when all current and new aggregate federal data collection and reporting must comply with the new OMB standards, this is no longer the case. At the time these documents were written (in 1998 and 1997, respectively), a decision about aggregate reporting was supposed to have been made by 2000. Unfortunately this decision has not been made, and, as indicated in AIR Alert #14, reporting for postsecondary institutions is currently "on hold."

Implications for Institutions

Once a definitive decision about aggregate reporting is made, we hope OMB will provide reasonable time to allow postsecondary institutions to set up their collection processes and databases (it takes several years of lead time to print new admissions forms, distribute them, and collect data before an entering class arrives). However, although OMB has stated that "time will be allowed to phase in any new categories," we do not yet have a decision about how long that lead-time will be.

At this point we continue to advise institutions that they should not make any changes in their systems or forms until they hear exactly what these changes will be (to avoid possibly having to make a second set of changes once the official announcement is made). However, they should be aware that changes in collection and aggregate reporting are coming so they can be prepared to act once these changes are announced.

Timeline

January 1, 2003 - Originally cited as deadline for compliance with the new OMB standards on race/ethnicity, but no longer in effect

Unknown - Date of a final decision on guidelines for IPEDS reporting and actual deadline for compliance with the new OMB standards on race/ethnicity

Author: Mary Sapp, Carol Fuller

Coordinated by the Higher Education Data Policy Committee. All opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Association for Institutional Research.