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.

Starting July 1, all faculty and staff are being asked to take less than one minute to review and update their information in myUM to be sure it is reported as they would like. The University of Miami wants to continue monitoring its progress toward recruiting and retaining a diverse student body, faculty, and staff. The information you provide will be used for federal reporting requirements, funding purposes, and to compare results with those of other institutions. This information will be kept confidential. It will not be used as a basis for any academic or employment decisions.

UM is proud of the high degree of diversity among its student body and workforce. Updating your myUM information not only fulfills a federal requirement but also helps build an even stronger university. The survey will be in a two-question format as follows:

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

To simplify the re-survey process, your prior race/ethnicity selection is being rolled over, so all you will need to do is update your data in myUM. 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.

If you have any questions, please read the Race/Ethnicity Resources website or contact [email protected].