WCU partnering with Jackson County, Census Bureau for 2010 count

Western Carolina University is partnering with Jackson County government and the U.S. Census Bureau to promote the participation of local citizens – and especially WCU students – in the 2010 federal census.

A university committee headed by Melissa Wargo, assistant vice chancellor of institutional planning and effectiveness, is working to get information about the census out to the WCU community. It is important that everyone complete and turn in a census form because the federal government distributes more than $400 billion to state and local governments based on census numbers, and the data affects university tuition grant and loan programs, Wargo said.

WCU faculty and staff can expect to receive the 10-question census form by mail or hand delivery to their households in March. WCU students who live off-campus will receive forms in March, while students living on-campus will obtain forms from the residential living staff in mid-April.

It is not well-known, but college students who live away from home are not counted on their parents’ census form in their home counties, Wargo said. WCU students who live on-campus, or off-campus in Jackson County, should be counted as Jackson County residents.

Having an accurate count of WCU students and employees is especially crucial for Jackson County, as students, faculty and staff comprise about 25 percent of the total county population, she said.

Over the next two months, the university will begin a variety of “Be Counted” activities on campus, including poster campaigns; public service announcements on the campus radio and television stations; reminder e-mails to faculty, staff and students; and distribution of flyers to on- and off-campus residential complexes, Wargo said.

Any member of the university community who does not receive a census form can obtain one from one of several “Be Counted” sites that will be established on campus. Also, a Question Assistance Center that is staffed 15 hours per week will be set up in several locations to provide assistance for those having difficulty filling out the form, Wargo said.

Households that do not turn in census forms can expect to receive a visit from a census worker in the May through July timeframe, she said.

For more information about census activities on campus, contact Wargo at 828-227-3082 or by e-mail at wargo@wcu.edu. For more general information about the 2010 census, go to 2010census.gov on the Web.