Postsecondary institutions should be collecting data on LGBTQ+ groups: Opinion

Postsecondary institutions need to carefully collect data on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, writes Ken Chatoor, a senior researcher at the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario. The author explains that the data collected for LGBTQ+ students in the K-12 sector shows differences in educational success, but that the data that could be used to help improve success rates for LGBTQ+ students in PSE is either not collected or is not collected consistently and accurately. The article describes some of the challenges with terminology, including how terms like sex, gender, and trans/transgender can be used inconsistently or improperly. Chatoor calls for postsecondary institutions to collect more administrative data and to use available resources to structure questions meaningfully. HEQCO (National)