Administration

University extends an invitation to update employee data

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State is encouraging all employees to update their demographic data. Having the most up-to-date employee data allows Penn State to better understand and serve its community and provide required demographic data to the federal government. All employees will be receiving an email from Penn State inviting them to update their demographic information. 

This data supports our ability to meet our obligation as a public institution receiving federal funds. Penn State also utilizes this data internally to monitor our employment practices, including analyzing hiring data, promotions, compensation, and separation from the University.

Penn State understands that some of our employees would prefer not to share personal demographic information. We want to assure you that this information is kept confidential and only utilized on a limited basis for appropriate Penn State initiatives. That said, we strongly encourage you to provide this information, as it will help the University collect and present more accurate data on our employees and continue to develop strategies to support and address areas of need.

“Accurate demographic information is a key tool in building and sustaining diversity-related efforts at the University. The first step in understanding the needs of the Penn State community is knowing who makes up that community,” said Lorraine Goffe, vice president for human resources and chief human resources officer. “Demographic information allows us to put in place the right policies, programs, services and benefits to meet the needs of our employees. When it comes to supporting the Penn State community, everyone counts.”

The data will help assess efforts to diversify the University’s employee population and promote equal opportunities for advancement. The ability to analyze the University’s data is an important tool for Penn State to adequately assess our annual progress, develop effective strategies to address areas of concern and identify needed resources.

Suzanne Adair, associate vice president for Affirmative Action, said, “Having accurate demographic data on our employees is critical to identifying and addressing any disparities within our employment practices. To gather more complete and accurate employee data, the University is exploring ways to enhance our data collection mechanisms. First steps in the University’s efforts are to identify areas within Workday where employees can provide or update their personal information regarding various demographic categories.

During the month of December, all employees will receive an email inviting them to voluntarily self-identify as needed, the following categories of information within Workday, to assist with this important effort. Step by step instructions on how to locate this information in Workday can be found in the Knowledge Base or directly following one of the below links.

Questions about the institutional efforts as well as Penn State’s affirmative action program, should be directed to the Affirmative Action Office at aao@psu.edu.

Last Updated December 8, 2020