Policy:             703 

Date Adopted:  05/01/94                                               

Last Revision:   04/15/02

References:      President's Statement of Policy:  Non-Discrimination Policy:  Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action; HRS Procedures

POLICY:

The University of Montana-Missoula rigorously pursues affirmative action to provide to all people the equal opportunity for education, employment, and participation in University activities without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital or family status, disability, or sexual orientation and seeks to employ and advance in employment qualified disabled veterans and veterans of the Vietnam Era.  Responsibility for effecting equal opportunity accrues to all University administrators, faculty, and staff.  This responsibility includes assurance that employment and admission decisions, personnel actions, and administration of benefits to students and employees rests exclusively upon criteria that adhere to the principle of Equal Opportunity.  The University will protect against retaliation any individual who participates in any way in any proceeding concerning alleged violations of laws, orders, or regulations requiring equal education and/or employment opportunity.

PROCEDURE:

The President or chancellor of each campus shall:

• assign the responsibility for monitoring and implementing equal opportunity regulations to a designated person or persons and insure that copies of appropriate laws and regulations are readily available to interested persons;
• establish a grievance procedure to consider complaints or actions brought against the campus under any applicable regulation and make the availability of the procedure known to all constituencies;
• establish a notification procedure to insure awareness of the campus’s non-discrimination policy and of the designated person to whom complaints or inquiries should be referred;
• assign the responsibility for development of an affirmative action plan consistent with state and federal regulations and establish an appropriate time frame for completion and implementation;
• evaluate current educational and employment practices to determine if there has been any discrimination and, where discrimination is discovered, institute a plan of action to alleviate such effects.

 2. The Commissioner of Higher Education shall:

• provide technical assistance or information as appropriate within the constraints of staff availability; 2. develop an affirmative action plan consistent with state and federal guidelines to cover employment practices in his office;
• maintain records related to equal opportunity and provide periodic assessments of units' affirmative action and equal opportunity efforts.

HISTORY:

Item 12-004-R0676 Policy on Non-discrimination, June 7, 1976; as revised February 1, 1991 and November 18, 1999 (Item 104-103R0999). Item 160-101-R0713 revised July 15, 2013.