UAlbany Students Pledge to be Counted in U.S. Census March 23

University partners with U.S. Census Bureau to reach its 18,000 students

 

ALBANY, N.Y. (March 12, 2010) -- University at Albany students will dip their hands in purple and gold paint and leave their Great Danes "paw prints" on the Lecture Center windows at 11 a.m. on March 23, to kick off UAlbany Census Day. The handprints signify students' commitment to be counted in the 2010 U.S. Census.

The event is being hosted by student groups to highlight the importance of being counted in the federal Census. "It's in Our Hands" is a key Census 2010 message.

The Census 2010 bus will also be visiting campus that day with census staff on hand to answer questions and distribute information.

"UAlbany is partnering with the U.S. Census Bureau and working in many ways to make Census 2010 a success, particularly by helping to reach our 18,000 students," said University at Albany President George M. Philip.

UAlbany students comprise the largest group to be counted in a five-county area that includes Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Columbia, and Greene counties.

UAlbany residence hall staff will hand-deliver census forms the week of April 12 to an estimated 7,500 students living in the dorms, and will collect completed forms. Students who live on campus are counted on campus, not at their parents' addresses.

Students living off campus are receiving their census forms in the mail this month, and need to return their completed questionnaires by mail.

"We have been reminding our students, both on and off campus, of the importance of their participation. Each person counted is worth about $1,600 a year in federal funding to a region. U.S. Census data is used to determine funding for education, health care, transportation and other important services,� said Philip.

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