University of Hawaiʻi System

December 13, 2022

MEMORANDUM

TO:    Council of Chief Academic Affairs Officers
       Council of Senior Student Affairs Officers
       Systemwide IR Group

FROM:   Debora Halbert
       Vice President for Academic Strategy

SUBJECT:  Change to Ethnicity and Race Data Collection

In February 2022, the memorandum with subject Report on the Under-Represented Populations (URP) Committee Recommendations was distributed. A change has needed to be made to the recommendations related to URPs outlined in the February 2022 memo based on new information regarding the Liaison Admissions Application. The Liaison application provides a section for surveying applicants for their Hispanic or Latino ethnic origin. Since the University’s ten campuses are scheduled to be fully onboard with the Liaison application in April 2023, UH has the opportunity to take advantage of a feature already provided on the online Liaison form. Specifically, the Hispanic or Latino survey section of the Liaison application provides the following ethnicity options:

• Cuban
• Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano/Chicana
• Puerto Rican
• South or Central American
• Other Spanish Culture or Origin

This list differs slightly from the approved categories in the 2022 memo. The Liaison application adds Cuban and moves Spanish from being a separate category to incorporating it into the “Other Spanish Culture or Origin” category. We will alter our categories to align with those in the Liaison application.

The changes recommended by the 2022 memo on Pacific Islander categories will continue to be followed; namely, the addition of three new race options and the modification of an existing option. The race option Guamanian or Chamorro will be replaced by two separate options – one for Guamanian and one for Chamorro. The third race option to be added is Marshallese. Finally, the race option Micronesian (not GC) will be modified to Micronesian.

Coordinating instructions for all parties involved with collecting, analyzing and reporting ethnicity and race information are provided in the attachment. Please forward this memo to all relevant offices.

Attachment to memo re change to ethnicity and race data collection:

Coordinating Instructions for Changes to Collecting, Analyzing, and Reporting Ethnicity and Race

The proposed changes to collecting ethnicity and race information will significantly impact how the University collects, analyzes, and reports ethnicity and race.

The following table illustrates when each data collection object will change:

New ethnicity and race codes and modified race codes are as follows:

Ethnicity and Race Data Collection and Data Entry

Here are the guidelines for assisting students with ethnicity and race designations through SPAPERS:

• In December 2022 after changes have been made to GORRACE, it is permitted to use the following new ethnicity and race codes:
  • Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (code in parentheses) llowing new ethnicity and race codes:
    • Cuban (CU)
    • Mexican (MI)
    • Puerto Rican (PR)
    • South or Central American (SC)
    • Other Spanish Culture/Origin (OE)
  • New races (code in parentheses)
    • Chamorro (CM)
    • Guamanian (GU)
    • Marshallese (MR)
• If assigning a Hispanic or Latino ethnicity code at the direction of the student, also set the New Ethnicity value to Hispanic or Latino; check Ethnicity and Race Confirmed; and enter the Ethnicity and Race Confirmed Date.
• Do not use and do not assign the following race (code in parentheses)
  • Guamanian or Chamorro (GC)
• Do not delete existing student records with race Guamanian or Chamorro (GC). Doing so will violate the federal mandate of preserving students’ original ethnicity and race declarations for three years. The only exception to this guidance is when GC is accidentally added by an employee assisting a student.

The Banner Ethnicity / Race Survey (also known as Update My Ethnicity and Race Information) is a Banner product and is maintained by Ellucian. While it is possible to add and remove race options by adding or modifying race codes in GORRACE, it is not possible to display the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity codes as options. Ellucian must decide to update the survey application in order to provide the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity options to students. After April 2023, Hispanic or Latino students who wish to view or update their ethnicity options must seek assistance from an authorized University user of SPAPERS.

Ethnicity and Race Analysis and Reporting

Ethnicity and race analysis and reporting must follow federal guidelines for reporting to federal agencies; IPEDS guidelines for reporting to IPEDS; and the University of Hawaiʻi student race / ethnicity trumping order for internal reporting.

Special attention must be given for students who have Guamanian or Chamorro (GC) as a race in their records. Although the Liaison application will no longer include GC beginning in April 2023, GC will remain in records of students who declared it as one of their races before April 2023. The following table shows how to report students who have combinations of one or more of the Chamorro and / or Guamanian race codes.