Census hand delivered to SFU students in residence
Janet Flagel, 778.782.4535, jflagel@sfu.ca
Allison Lambert, SFU Residences, 778.782.3830, allison_lambert@sfu.ca
Carol Thorbes, PAMR, 778.782.3035, cthorbes@sfu.ca
Jan Flagel, SFU’s director of residence and housing, hopes that everyone in the university community, particularly students in residence, will keep their eye out for a yellow package in the mail. The 2011 census started going out May 2.
It gathers data on Canadians to inform federal government decisions on a wide range of services and programs, including schools, daycare, police services and fire protection. Stats Canada conducts the census every five years.
Everyone who receives the 2011 Census must fill it out. It contains 10 questions.
One in three Canadian households will also receive the new National Household Survey (NHS), a voluntary survey containing 50 to 60 questions. The NHS will collect the same information that was collected by the 2006 Census long-form questionnaire. The information collected from households will provide data needed by communities to plan and support family services, housing, roads and public transportation, and skills training for employment.
Flagel stresses it is important that all post-secondary recipients of the NHS complete it to help the government accurately profile the demand for higher education.
“We’re sending emails and letters to all students in residence to remind them to fill out the census, and delivering hardcopies of the questionnaire to everyone in residence,” says Flagel. During the spring and summer months, about 650 students live on campus.
Residence and housing has posted a 2011 Census button in the lower right hand corner of its web page. It takes viewers straight to the Stats Canada site where they can complete the census questionnaire and NHS.
Examples of information sought in the longer NHS are: the level of schooling completed; the major field of study for the highest level attained and the location of where the highest level was attained. The NHS also asks recipients whether they’ve attended a learning institution since September 2010 and the type of school attended.
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Ian
When I was in residence in 2006, we were sent an almost threatening email reminding us of our required attention to the census, and the illegality of failing to respond.
Hopefully the hand-delivery of the census to residents is accompanied by less heavy-handed encouragement this time around.