How do I know if a student or staff member refused to answer the race question, rather than just overlooking it?
For postsecondary institutions, the Department has indicated that presenting the data collection form to the respondent is sufficient to ensure that individuals have had the opportunity to respond to the race and ethnicity questions. It is not necessary to prompt the respondent to complete one or both questions if they have been left unanswered. (For elementary and secondary institutions, the criteria for this are more stringent, since they are not allowed to report race and ethnicity unknown.
Related Questions
- If a student or staff does not self-identify their race and ethnicity, can we identify their race and ethnicity on their behalf (third-party identification)?
- What should be done if it is believed that a student or staff member is of a different race or ethnicity than he/she claims to be?
- How do I know if a student or staff member refused to answer the race question, rather than just overlooking it?
