UW Colleges Human Resources
Chancellor's Statement on Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
41 C.F.R. ï60.2.20
The University of Wisconsin Colleges is committed to a program of equal opportunity for all faculty, academic staff, classified staff, and students, and will actively carry out all federal and state regulations and executive orders. No person may be denied employment or related benefits or admission to the university or to any of its programs or activities, either academic or nonacademic, curricular or extracurricular, because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, marital status, age, disability, veterans status, national origin, sexual orientation, relationship to other employees, arrest or conviction records, political affiliation, religious practice, or memberships in the national guard, state defense force or any other reserve component of the military forces of the United States or the State of Wisconsin.
The University of Wisconsin Colleges" Affirmative Action Program of nondiscrimination imposes an obligation to eliminate all past and present effects of discrimination and to correct underutilization of women and minorities at all levels of employment and in all academic programs and activities within the university. Individuals with disabilities are protected under the appropriate laws and policies for equal opportunities. All employment policies, practices, and procedures for discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or physical handicap are periodically reviewed and remedial actions taken to correct such discrimination if found to exist. The university will take responsibility to enhance every campus member's awareness of the policy requiring equal compensation or credit for comparable work and for equal opportunities for merited advancement for all faculty, academic staff, classified staff, and students.
Equal employment opportunity is a legal, social, and economic necessity for the University of Wisconsin Colleges. Although ultimate responsibility for compliance rests with the Chancellor, affirmative action to implement this policy must be continuous and aggressive and requires personal commitments of all university administrators, faculty, and staff. Affirmative action progress will be included in evaluation of all managers and supervisory personnel. The Chancellor will annually report such progress to the UW System President and Wisconsin Division of Affirmative Action. Supplemental policies and procedures will be adopted as needed to ensure the success of the University's Affirmative Action Program, which is monitored by the Director of Human Resources and Affirmative Action, who reports directly to the Chancellor. The director should have an adequate budget and support staff to meet institutional needs.
Realistic goals for the hiring of minority individuals and women will be established annually, and every good faith effort will be made to achieve those goals. Recruitment and hiring will be monitored to determine that we make every good faith effort possible. The university also realizes the need to take affirmative action as necessary to achieve equal opportunity and affirmative action principles in all areas of employment practices, including but not limited to recruiting, interviewing, hiring, transfer, promotions, training, compensation, benefits, layoffs, terminations, retentions, certification, and testing. In response to an employee's request for religious accommodation and/or handicapped accommodation, efforts will be made to make reasonable accommodation where possible. For represented employees, such accommodation will conform to the current labor agreement. The university also seeks to further equal employment opportunity with those outside the university with whom we deal by use of equal opportunity clauses in all contracts.
Harassment by supervisors or co-workers because of race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability or other protected status is an unlawful employment practice prohibited by the university. Similarly, retaliation against a person who files a discrimination complaint is also a form of discrimination and is prohibited. Harassment based on any protected status in service delivery or instructor-student relationship is also prohibited. Therefore, the university will take every effort to prevent and eliminate harassment. In response to an employee's request, reasonable accommodation is provided for religious practices. The complaint procedures provide for bypassing the immediate supervisor if the supervisor is involved in the alleged discrimination or harassment.
The university, in accordance with Section 86.9 of the regulations implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, gives notice that it is the policy of the University of Wisconsin Colleges not to discriminate on the basis of gender in admission to any education program or activity administered by this institution. All university personnel responsible for any phase of advisement, counseling, guidance, or placement of students will refrain from the use of, or reference to, sex- or race-oriented stereotypes. This policy extends to employment as well as admission to programs and activities.
In accordance with Section 105 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and with Section 84.8 of the regulations implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the university gives notice that it is the policy of the University of Wisconsin Colleges not to discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be provided in accordance with our policy to ensure equal access to employment and benefits.
Any questions or complaints concerning possible noncompliance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Executive Order 11246 and Executive Order 28, or Chapter 230 of Wisconsin State Statutes, and all other applicable laws should be directed to Lyn Reigstad, Director of Human Resources and Affirmative Action. There are procedures for the complainant to bypass the immediate supervisor if the supervisor is involved in the alleged discrimination or harassment. A copy of complaint procedures is available from Lyn Reigstad.
Additionally, in accordance with the University of Wisconsin System Equal Employment Opportunity Policy, gives notice that it is committed to maintaining a written affirmative action plan available to the campus community, to making summaries available for distribution and publication; to preparing an affirmative action report at least yearly that includes analyses of progress and specific corrective actions necessary to meet goals and objectives of the plan; to establishing and maintaining an affirmative action committee and other relevant committees; to distributing the Affirmative Action Program and relevant policies throughout the university community.
While this statement of policy is derived partly from state, federal, and university system guidelines, its overriding emphasis is on the moral and social responsibility of this university for fair and equal treatment of all.
APPROVED: David Wilson, Chancellor
Presence of the Chancellor's signature on the original document located in the Office of Human Resources and Affirmative Action establishes the preceding as official University of Wisconsin Colleges policy.