| Title: | Affirmative Action & Equal Employment Opportunity, Policy Statement: |
|---|---|
| Policy Owner: | President and Office of Institutional Equity |
| Applies to: | Faculty, Staff |
| Campus Applicability: | All University departments at all campuses except UConn Health |
| Effective Date: | October 3, 2022 |
| For More Information, Contact | Office of Institutional Equity |
| Contact Information: | (860) 486-2943 |
| Official Website: | http://www.equity.uconn.edu/ |
Equal Employment Opportunity
The University of Connecticut is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. In order to ensure that employees and job applicants are not subjected to unlawful discrimination, it is the University’s policy to comply with all State and Federal laws and regulations that prohibit employment discrimination and mandate specific actions for the purpose of eliminating the present effects of past discrimination. Equal employment opportunity is the purpose and goal of affirmative action. The University has established equal employment opportunity and affirmative action as immediate and necessary objectives because we are committed to its concepts, principles and goals.
At the University equal employment opportunity (EEO) means nondiscrimination in employment policies and practices. The University is committed to ensuring that individual employees and applicants are not excluded from participation in the employment process based on an individual’s legally protected status which includes race, color, ethnicity, religious creed, age, sex (including pregnancy and sexual harassment), marital status, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetic information, physical or mental disabilities (including learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, past/present history of a mental disorder), prior conviction of a crime (or similar characteristic), veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence, workplace hazards to reproductive systems, gender identity or expression, or other factors which cannot lawfully be the basis for employment actions, unless there is a bona fide occupational qualification.
Affirmative action is a positive program of purposeful activity undertaken with conviction and effort to overcome the present effects of past practices, policies and barriers to equal employment opportunity. Affirmative action plans and programs are designed to achieve the full and fair participation of all protected class members found to be underutilized in the workforce or adversely affected by past policies and practices.
Affirmative Action
Affirmative action plays a role at all stages of the employment process, including, but not limited to: recruitment, evaluation, interview, selection, hire, promotion, demotion, transfer, discipline, layoff, termination, benefits, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, selection for training, the use of all facilities, and participation in all University sponsored employee activities. Provisions in applicable laws providing for bona fide occupational qualifications, business necessity or age limitations will be adhered to by the University where appropriate. Accordingly, the University pledges to regularly reexamine all policies and procedures to identify and eliminate barriers to access, and to change practices that may have a discriminatory impact.
The University’s commitment to affirmative action requires that we make the good faith efforts that may be necessary in all aspects of personnel administration to ensure that the recruitment and hire of underrepresented individuals reflect their availability in the job market; that the causes of underutilization are identified and eliminated; that alternative approaches are explored when personnel practices have a negative impact on protected classes; and that the terms, conditions, and privileges of employment, including upward and lateral mobility, are equitably administered.
The University recognizes the employment difficulties experienced by individuals with disabilities and by many older persons. Therefore, the University will take necessary steps to identify and overcome areas of underutilization of such persons in the workforce and to achieve their full participation in all University programs, processes and services.
The University is committed to ensuring that all services and programs are provided in a fair and impartial manner and thus has established affirmative action and equal employment opportunity as immediate and necessary agency objectives.
As a Connecticut state agency, the University prepares its Affirmative Action Plan each year. The Plan is a detailed, results-oriented set of procedures, which blueprints a strategy to combat discrimination and implement affirmative action. The objectives of the Plan are to set both quantitative and non-quantitative goals, which promote affirmative action and/or eliminate any policy or employment practice that adversely affects protected class members.
A complete version of the University’s current Affirmative Action Plan is available at the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) and may also be found online on the OIE website.
Procedure
For more information and advice regarding rights and responsibilities under the Plan, the University’s Equal Employment Opportunity Officer can be contacted by telephone, email or in person during regular office hours. All comments are welcome.
Sarah Chipman
Interim Associate Vice President, Office of Institutional Equity
Director of Equity Response & Education, Deputy Title IX Coordinator
Wood Hall, Unit 4175
241 Glenbrook Road
Storrs, Connecticut 06269-4175
Sarah.Chipman@uconn.edu
860-486-2943
The University’s policies against discrimination and harassment are included in the Plan along with complaint procedures, Employees and others wishing to file complaints of discrimination or of affirmative action policy violations may do so by contacting the Office of Institutional Equity by telephone, email or in person during regular office hours:
Office of Institutional Equity
Wood Hall, First Floor
241 Glenbrook Road
Storrs, Connecticut 06279
860-486-2943
equity@uconn.edu
www.equity.uconn.edu
Employees and others shall not be subjected to harassment, intimidation or any type of retaliation because they have (1) filed a complaint; (2) assisted or participated in an investigation, compliance review, hearing or any other activity related to the administration of any federal, state or local law requiring equal employment opportunity; (3) opposed any act or practice made unlawful by any federal, state or local law requiring equal opportunity; (4) exercised any other legal right protected by federal, state or local law requiring equal opportunity.
Accountability
As President, I commit the University and myself to make every effort to implement an effective Affirmative Action Plan within timetables set forth in the Plan. I fully expect my managerial and supervisory staff to treat compliance with Federal and State of Connecticut affirmative action statutes as a top priority and take positive steps to ensure the successful implementation of the policies, procedures and objectives of affirmative action and equal opportunity at the University.
In issuing the University’s affirmative action policy, I reiterate the need for affirmative action and attest to the University’s determination to identify strengths and weaknesses in our employment system, resolve problems when they appear, recruit employees vigorously and affirmatively, and retain current employees while also helping them prepare for advancement.
Radenka Maric
President