April 1, 2010 is Census Day--no fooling!

The decennial census of the United States takes place this spring, and SUNY Geneseo is committed to helping everyone be counted.  Census information for off-campus households will be mailed in mid-March and should be filled in and mailed back right away.  Off-campus households receive one form per living unit; information about every member of the off-campus living unit should be entered on the form.  Each entry takes about two minutes to fill in--10 questions for the "first" member of the household (who checks boxes to describe what kind of dwelling it is) and 7 questions for every other household member.

Residential Students fill out a different form (also 7 questions), specially designed for college dormitories.  On-campus, each individual fills out a form (as opposed to one form per household).  Forms will be distributed in the residence halls on April 5 and will be picked up on April 7&8, 2010. 

Here's what a regular household form looks like.

Here's what an on-campus individual form looks like.

What happens if you do not fill out a form and return it?  A census worker will come to your door and assist you in filling out the form, whether you live on-campus or off-campus. 

Why shouldn't you wait for the census worker?  It costs the government tens of millions of dollars to send workers out to track people down and have them fill out a form.  About $85 million is saved for every one percent increase in mail participation.  So fill out your form right away and mail it in if you live off campus or return it to your RA if you live on campus.

Won't students be counted on their parents' forms? No!  The census requires you to fill out a form for the residence you occupy on April 1, 2010, the place where you live more than six months of the year. 

Why is it so important to participate in the census?  Because Geneseo students reside in Geneseo, Livingston County, NY the majority of the year, like all other residents of Geneseo they utilize Livingston County resources.  Accurate census data allow local, state, and federal government agencies to plan budgets and make allocations to serve everyone who lives in a particular area.  If you do research in Sociology, Political Science, or Business, you may want to work with Census data sets.

Is it confidential? Yes! Here's what the census website says: By law, the Census Bureau cannot share an individual's answers with anyone, including federal, state, and local agencies. 

Is this just for citizens?  No!  Everyone gets counted, no matter what citizenship or legal status.  No personal information can be shared with any government agency, including the INS.

What if you do not receive a census form?  If you live on campus and you do not receive a census form between April 5-8, contact an RA in your building.  If you live off-campus and a form is not delivered to your living unit (it should arrive in the mail during Geneseo's spring break), contact the Regional Census Center at 1-866-861-2010.  If you can't get through there, contact Dr. Easton, Geneseo's census liaison, and explain what you need.

Is the Census Bureau still looking for temporary workers?  Yes.  You must take a brief civil service test and pass an FBI background test to qualify.  The Census Bureau is trying to qualify a couple hundred more workers in Livingston County.  Click here for more information.

Do you want to know more about the 2010 decennial census?  Visit the site at: http://2010.census.gov.