Research Offices Ask for Extension on Admissions Survey

"Eighty-seven percent of institutional research officials say they'd benefit from more time to compile the seven years of admissions data that the federal government plans to use to look for unlawful race-based admissions practices. The Association for Institutional Research asked the Education Department to extend the deadline for the newly created Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) survey by three months-from March 18 to June 18."

"In August, Trump directed ED to collect years of disaggregated admissions data from colleges and universities-including the test scores, grade point averages, race, sex and income ranges of applied, admitted and enrolled students dating as far back as 2019-in order to verify that they aren't unlawfully considering race in admissions decisions after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled such practices unconstitutional in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard in 2023."

"Public comments submitted last fall showed widespread concern as higher education institutions and their advocates argued that the ACTS survey's data collection requirements were too vague, requested data institutions do not collect, could violate student privacy and would overburden institutional resource offices-including many with just one or two full-time employees."

The Association for Institutional Research surveyed 390 data professionals and found that 87% need more time to compile seven years of admissions data for a new federal survey. The Education Department's Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) requires institutions to submit disaggregated admissions data including test scores, GPAs, race, sex, and income information dating back to 2019. This collection effort stems from a Trump administration directive to verify compliance with the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling against race-conscious admissions. Institutional research offices face significant challenges including vague requirements, requests for data they don't collect, privacy concerns, and resource limitations. Many offices operate with minimal staff while the Education Department has reduced support through cuts to the National Center for Education Statistics.

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