LGBT MIS Data Collection and Dissemination

Fall
2015
Resolution Number
07.01
 
Contact
Assigned to
Executive Committee
Category
Consultation with the Chancellor's Office
Status
Not Addressed
Status Report

Unless SACC has discussed this, I do not think we have done much with it yet.

Whereas, California law (AB 620, Block, 2011) requires the California community colleges (CCC) to collect aggregate demographic information regarding the sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression of students, and Education Code section 66271.2 communicates a concern for the obstacles uniquely faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students;

Whereas, AB 620 (Block, 2011) requests annual transmittal of summary demographic reporting to the Legislature and posting of each summary of information on the CCC Chancellor’s Office web site, and the Chancellor’s Office also currently collects Management Information Systems (MIS) data to support statewide equity work;

Whereas, The collection of MIS data related to AB 620 (Block, 2011) on CCCApply creates a confusing array of questions that obfuscates the data collected on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression by, for example, asking about gender identity in one spot and about being transgender in another spot and asking students to self-identify according to categories that have changed over time; and

Whereas, Specific data collected on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression intersects with the statewide equity work and could inform local decision-making processes such as identifying possible disproportionate impact, evaluating the efficacy of local work done to ameliorate obstacles unique to LGBT populations, assisting colleges to better serve LGBT students through accurate demographics, placement rates, course success and retention, 30-unit completion, degree and certificate achievement, and transfer rates, and this information could potentially be used to develop student programs that provide peer mentoring similar to Puente or Umoja models;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges urge the Chancellor's Office to change the MIS data elements to clarify response choices to gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation so that the data collected by CCCApply matches with the MIS database and yields significant and useful data on LGBT students;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges urge the Chancellor’s Office to continuously update nomenclature and regularly disseminate data collected on gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation to local community colleges to better serve LGBT students and to do so in a safe and secure manner in acknowledgement of the sensitive nature of the data; and

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges urge the full inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and other sexual-affectional and gender identities and expressions as a demographic group in all institutional Student Equity Plans across the state system.
MSC