Purdue encourages students to participate in U.S. Census
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - University officials are encouraging all Purdue students to be counted during the 2010 U.S. Census this spring because an accurate count is essential to long-term planning and support for the area.
"There is a misperception that students should be counted in their hometowns, but students live here at least nine months out of the year, and an accurate count is critical to ensuring that future federal funding matches our local population," said Harry Brown, assistant dean of students and census coordinator at Purdue.
"Every student who is not counted means a loss of about $4,000 per year that goes toward road maintenance, bus services and other community resources. College and university students are key to increasing census participation because of their status as a hard-to-count group."
An information session for students will be 6:30 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 23) at Wetherill Laboratory of Chemistry, Room 172. The event is sponsored by the Purdue Public Relations Student Society.
The 2010 U.S. Census, which is considered the shortest census form in history, consists of 10 questions that includes name, gender, age, race and whether a person owns or rents. The forms will be mailed to individual addresses starting March 1. All students living at a particular off-campus address are considered part of one household, so only one form should be completed, and it should include information about all the people living at that address. Students residing in group housing, such as residence halls and sorority or fraternity houses, will receive census forms after April 1. Residential life and housing staff members will work with Census Bureau workers to make sure each student completes and returns a form.
Purdue is not conducting the census, but the university is working with local and regional census officials to promote the count.
"College students also benefit from accurate census data because accurate counts are good for business," Brown says. "Businesses use these numbers to determine adding new restaurants or stores to the area."
The Purdue Public Relations Student Society also will be promoting student participation through other activities and information sessions as well as the Facebook group Purdue U.S. Census 2010.
The U. S. Constitution requires that a national census be conducted every 10 years. Data shows state and national population counts, determines representation in the U.S. House of Representatives, and guides the annual distribution of more than $400 billion in federal funds to state, local and tribal governments.
The census also is an opportunity for part-time temporary student employment. More information is available at https://2010.census.gov/2010censusjobs/
Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu
Sources: Harry Brown, 765-496-2450, hebrown@purdue.edu
Ashley Elpers, student and administrative director for Purdue Public Relations Student Society, 812-455-2274, aelpers@purdue.edu