The U.S. Department of Education has released new guidelines for collecting and reporting information on race and ethnicity. In recognition of demographic changes in the population, these guidelines allow individuals to select more than one race/ethnicity category to describe their background.
All students, faculty, and staff are being asked to take less than one minute to review and update their information to be sure it is reported as they would like. Faculty and staff can update their data starting July 1; students will be contacted when classes start in the fall. The information provided will be kept confidential and will not be used for any academic or employment decisions.
The University of Miami receives many requests to describe the racial/ethnic backgrounds of our students and employees, including from the Federal government, college guides, newspapers, and within our own UM community. We are proud of the high degree of diversity among our student body and workforce, but want to ensure that we are continuing to make progress in recruiting and hiring a diverse faculty. Updating myUM information not only fulfills a federal requirement but also helps us build an even stronger university.
The following are the major changes:
- Respondents are requested to provide data on both Hispanic ethnicity and one or more races that best identify their background.
- The selection of multiple races will be reported in a new category, “Two or More Races.”
- The current category, “Asian or Other Pacific Islander,” is now separated into two categories, “Asian” and “Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.”
To simplify the survey process, prior race/ethnicity selection is being rolled over. Everyone should review and if necessary update his/her data. Be aware that rolled-over data do not include multiple responses or the new Pacific Islander category; therefore, it is especially important that the following four groups update their information:
- All individuals who are “Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander” should select that category as their race (otherwise their race will be “Asian”).
- Individuals who wish to be identified as more than one race should select all relevant races.
- Hispanics are requested to select one or more races in addition to their “Hispanic” ethnicity, which has been rolled over.
- Individuals whose preliminary information shows “Unknown” are asked to provide their preferred race/ethnicity.
To update race/ethnicity data, log into myUM and follow the directions below:
- Go to “Personal & Biographical Info” and click on “Personal, Address and Emergency/Storm Information.”
- In the “Personal Information” section, click on “Update this section.”
- Complete both parts of the “Ethnicity and Race” question:
Do you consider yourself to be Hispanic/Latino?
Yes
No
In addition, select one or more of the following racial categories to describe yourself:
□ American Indian or Alaska Native
□ Asian
□ Black or African American
□ Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
□ White
If you are unsure how to classify yourself, the following federal definitions may be helpful:
Hispanic or Latino: A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
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.
Thank you for updating your race/ethnicity information. Doing so will ensure that your race/ethnicity data are accurately reflected in internal and governmental reporting. If faculty and staff have any questions, please contact r-esurvey@miami.edu. If students have questions, please contact Registrar@miami.edu.
