Ouachita prepares for U.S. census

ARKADELPHIA, Ark.—Ouachita Baptist University will welcome a representative from the U.S. Census Bureau in April as part of the 2010 national census.

“Census information is important,” said Phil Hardin, OBU’s compliance officer and assistant to the president for administration. “Among other things, it is used to help determine representation in Congress and funding for school districts and other government services. Ouachita staff members will assist census representatives in achieving an accurate count of our students.”

The census requires that all students living in college housing facilities be counted in the city where their college is located rather than in their hometowns. The count will include citizens and non-citizen residents. It will have no effect on residency status of non-citizens, however.

When the representative arrives at Ouachita in April, the official forms will be distributed to students at each university housing facility. Each student will be asked to complete a form and return it as instructed. There are 10 questions on the questionnaire, and it should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete.

Census information is confidential and protected by law. No census data will be shared with any other individual or organization, even other government agencies.

For more information, contact Margaret Frazier, director of campus housing, at frazierm@obu.edu or (870) 245-5220; Judy Jones, registrar, at jonesj@obu.edu or (870) 245-4298; or Phil Hardin at hardinp@obu.edu or (870) 245-5400.