Policies and Procedures
Affirmative Action Plan
2001
Policy Statement
The policy of the University of Maine System is to provide equal
opportunity in its role as an employer and educational institution. In
complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its
own goals of diversity, The University of Maine shall not discriminate
on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation,
national origin, or citizenship status, age, disability or veterans
status in any area of the University. This policy includes, but is not
limited to, the requirements of Executive Orders 11246 and 11375, as
amended; Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as
amended; and Section 402 of the Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Assistance
Act of 1974. In addition, in order to address the effects of past
discrimination and to meet its affirmative action obligations under
federal and state laws, The University of Maine will take affirmative
action to recruit and hire qualified women and minorities in selected
areas in accordance with the goals outlined in this Plan. The University
of Maine also regards freedom from sexual harassment as an individual
employee and student right which will be safeguarded as a matter of
policy.
Through its commitment to equal employment opportunity and affirmative
action, the University will benefit by developing and utilizing all
available human resources. All employment practices of The University of
Maine, including recruiting, hiring, training, promoting, and retaining
persons in all jobs, will comply with this policy. Affirmative action
will be taken to recruit qualified women, minorities, individuals with
disabilities, and veterans for all job openings. Personnel actions such
as compensation, benefits, transfers, layoffs, return from layoff,
University-sponsored training, educational programs, leaves, tuition
assistance, and social and recreational programs will be administered
without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation,
national origin or citizenship status, age, physical or mental
disability or veterans status. Employees who are members of protected
groups will be invited to identify themselves so that the University of
Maine can monitor all personnel action to ensure that it is able to meet
its EEO/AA responsibilities. In the selected areas designated for
affirmative action by the Plan, search committees will take all
necessary steps to create as large and diverse a pool of applicants as
possible and, when choosing among applicants with substantially equal
qualifications, will give special consideration to highly qualified
women and minority candidates.
All departments and all personnel are responsible for implementing and
following the policy within the scope of their individual job
responsibilities. The achievement of applicable University EEO goals is
the responsibility of each administrator and supervisor.
In order to ensure equal employment opportunity, the Director of Equal
Opportunity, who is responsible to the President, has been assigned the
responsibility of developing, implementing, coordinating, and monitoring
The University of Maine Affirmative Action Program. The Director of
Equal Opportunity is responsible for monitoring compliance with equal
opportunity and affirmative action laws and regulations, and for keeping
me informed of personnel actions and progress in this area. All
employees have access to informal and formal complaint procedures for
review of personnel actions that they believe are discriminatory.
Employees are encouraged to contact the Director of Equal Opportunity
for information about these procedures. Copies of the procedures are
also available at the Raymond H. Fogler Library. The Director of Equal
Opportunity is Evelyn Stern Silver, who is located at 101 North Stevens
Hall and can also be contacted by telephone and TDD at 581-1226.
This Affirmative Action Plan outlines goals for administrators, faculty
members, professional and classified staff, and methods of attaining
these goals at The University of Maine. The text of this Plan and
information about applicable EEO goals will be distributed to all
administrators. Representatives of the bargaining agents will also
receive the text of the Plan. This policy statement will be distributed
to all employees. The availability of the Plan will be announced
internally and externally. A copy of the Plan has been placed in Raymond
H. Fogler Library. The Plan will also be provided to employees and other
interested persons upon request. Requests should be directed to the
Director of Equal Opportunity, 101 North Stevens Hall.
As President of The University of Maine, I firmly support this policy.
It is my responsibility to ensure that equal opportunity and affirmative
action are realities. This Plan will assist the University in meeting
its responsibilities.
Peter S. Hoff
President
October 1, 2001
ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY
The President of The University of Maine has responsibility for ensuring
that affirmative action and equal opportunity policies, procedures, and
commitments are implemented. Responsibility for the coordination of The
University of Maine Affirmative Action Program has been delegated by the
President to the Director of Equal Opportunity. The responsibility of
nondiscriminatory employment practices and for meeting goals rests
primarily with administrators, search and review committees, and
supervisors who participate in screening and selecting candidates for
employment, and promotion and retention. Supervisors are expected to
make every reasonable effort to meet goals set for their area.
Supervisors shall make equal employment opportunity a continuing concern
by discussing EEO matters that relate to unit operations at staff
meetings, as appropriate. Supervisors' work performance should be
evaluated on their performance in carrying out the goals of the
Affirmative Action Plan as well as on other applicable evaluation
criteria. All employees of The University of Maine have responsibility
for the continuing success of affirmative action and for
nondiscriminatory practices within the scope of their individual job
responsibilities.
As coordinator of equal employment opportunity for The University of
Maine, the Director of Equal Opportunity, among other responsibilities,
shall:
1. Develop and coordinate
The University of Maine Affirmative Action Program and associated audit
and reporting systems. This includes collecting and analyzing employment
data, identifying problem areas, setting goals, monitoring progress
toward attainment of goals, developing corrective action programs to
remedy problem areas, and annually updating the Affirmative Action Plan.
2. Assist administrators and other supervisors directly responsible for
personnel actions to interpret and administer the Affirmative Action
Plan and otherwise comply with equal employment opportunity and
affirmative action laws and regulations.
3. Review personnel actions for compliance with the Affirmative Action
Plan.
4. Periodically review salaries, staffing patterns, recruiting patterns,
and other employment practices and policies. Recommend appropriate
changes in policy, procedure, or other remedial action to the President
or other appropriate administrators.
5. Develop and direct effective outreach efforts to recruit minority,
women, disabled, and veteran applicants.
6. Investigate employees' complaints or questions about possible
prohibited discrimination and resolve them, whenever possible, in an
informal manner, according to the facts of the case and in conformity
with applicable federal and state regulations prohibiting
discrimination. Advise employees of procedures for pursuing unresolved
complaints.
7. Direct dissemination of the Affirmative Action Plan.
8. Monitor compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
and the American with Disabilities Act, which states that programs or
activities receiving federal financial assistance are prohibited from
discriminating against any otherwise qualified individual with a
disability, on the basis of the disability.
9. Monitor implementation of Title IX of the Higher Education Act, which
prohibits sex discrimination against employees or students in
educational programs or activities which receive federal funds.
10. Serve as liaison between The University of Maine and compliance
agencies up to the stage of formal hearings, at which time all liaison
must be processed through University Counsel.
11. Serve as liaison between The University of Maine and community
organizations representing minority groups, women, individuals with
disabilities, and veterans.
12. Prepare required reports for submission to compliance agencies
authorized to require reports or data.
13. Keep the University administration informed of new developments and
requirements in equal employment opportunity and recommend appropriate
changes in policies and procedures.
DISSEMINATION OF EQUAL
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY/
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION POLICY
This Affirmative Action Plan will be distributed to and discussed with
University of Maine administrators and supervisors. The Director of
Equal Opportunity will distribute the policy statement to all current
employees. Supervisors will then be responsible for discussing the plan
with their staff. The equal employment opportunity policy will be
explained to new employees during employee orientation programs, and
they will receive the policy statement contained in this Plan at that
time. The availability of the complete Affirmative Action Plan will be
announced in internal publications and/or on employee bulletin boards,
and a copy will be provided to interested employees upon request. The
Director of Equal Opportunity will meet with new supervisors to review
EEO/AA program elements. The utilization analysis and goals will be
reviewed with administrators, supervisors, and other staff who are
involved in search screening, selection, promotion, or retention
processes within any job group that has been identified as
underutilizing women or minorities.
The policy statement and EEO posters will be posted on employee bulletin
boards and at locations where applicants for jobs are interviewed. A
copy(ies) of the Plan will be placed in the Raymond H. Fogler Library.
All collective bargaining agreements, which cover non-management,
non-supervisory staff, contain a nondiscrimination clause. The Plan will
also be distributed to and discussed with collective bargaining agents
by The University of Maine System Office of Human Resources.
The Affirmative Action Plan policy statement will be disseminated
externally to individuals and organizations that address the needs of
women, minority groups, individuals with disabilities and Vietnam-era or
disabled veterans. These and all other recruiting sources are requested
to actively recruit and refer women, minorities, and disabled and
veteran applicants for all positions for which the University of Maine
normally hires. The availability of the complete Affirmative Action Plan
will be announced externally, and interested individuals may obtain a
copy of the Plan upon request.
All external and internal advertisements and announcements for job
openings will be nondiscriminatory and will state that The University of
Maine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.
The existence of specific University programs that advance equal
opportunity and affirmative action will be communicated to employees
through internal publications, orientation programs, and other means to
familiarize them with, and enable them to benefit from, these programs.
AUDIT AND REPORTING SYSTEMS
An audit of the Affirmative Action Plan will occur each year based on
the September payroll. This audit will be conducted to determine the
degree of progress toward achieving affirmative action goals and will
identify areas where progress has, and has not, been made. This
information will be reported each year to the President and to the
President’s Cabinet.
In areas where hiring goals have been established, search committees
will be required to document (1) efforts to recruit women and minority
candidates, (2) the number of identifiable women and minority candidates
in the applicant pool, and (3) the number of women and minority
candidates who reach finalist status. Before an appointment is approved,
search committees in areas where women and/or minorities are
underutilized must submit the vita of the highest ranked women or
minority applicant to the Director of Equal Opportunity if the proposed
appointment would not move the department close to an affirmative action
goal. The Equal Opportunity Director will determine whether
nondiscrimination and affirmative action policies have been followed by
the search committee. If there is evidence that policies have not been
followed, the Director of Equal Opportunity will consult with the
appropriate administrator about reopening or suspending the search.
EEO COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
The University of Maine System is committed to protecting the rights of
each individual in the University community. Each University employee
has the right to fair, prompt, and impartial consideration of all
complaints related to equal opportunity in employment.
Any employee who believes that he or she has been discriminated against
because of sex (including sexual harassment and discrimination on the
basis of marital status or pregnancy), sexual orientation, race, color,
religion, national origin or citizenship status, age, physical or mental
disability, or status as a Vietnam-era or disabled veteran should
discuss the problem with an appropriate University official. An employee
may choose to:
1. Contact the Office of
Equal Opportunity. Many perceived or actual problems can be resolved
informally through discussion with or assistance from the Office of
Equal Opportunity. If informal resolution is not possible or appropriate
an employee may file a formal complaint with the Office of Equal
Opportunity, which will conduct an investigation. The procedure for
seeking informal resolution of a discrimination complaint or filing a
formal complaint is further described in Appendix 8. and/or,
2. Follow the appropriate grievance procedure, which is initiated by
informally discussing the problem with the supervisor or administrator
whose decision or action is being contested. All employees have access
to such procedures. Grievance procedures for employees who are members
of a bargaining unit are available in the collective bargaining
agreement; grievance procedures for non-represented employees are set
forth in the Non-Represented Faculty and Professional and Administrative
Staff Personnel Policies and are available from the campus Human
Resources office.
If an informal or formal
complaint has been filed with the Director of Equal Opportunity and has
not resulted in a satisfactory resolution, the employee may still file a
grievance as long as the time limits contained in the applicable
collective bargaining agreement or policy are observed. An employee's
attempts to resolve his or her complaint through the Equal Opportunity
Complaint Procedure do not excuse missed deadlines for filing of a
grievance under other available procedures. An employee who wishes to
pursue efforts to resolve the complaint through the Equal Opportunity
Complaint Procedure may request, and will ordinarily be granted, an
extension of the time limit for filing a grievance if the request is
made within the time limits set forth in the relevant grievance
procedure.
UTILIZATION ANALYSIS
A workforce analysis and availability study is a pre-requisite for goal
setting. For this analysis, the University of Maine workforce was
divided into four major groups:
Administrators
Faculty
Classified Staff
Professional Staff
Searches for most administrators and faculty at The University of Maine
are national in scope and require a terminal degree. These two factors
defined the appropriate labor market data for the availability studies.
The data used for availability for the faculty, for example, was the
National Research Council, Office of Scientific and Engineering
Personnel, Doctorate Records Project. Since the University of Maine
hires faculty primarily at the assistant professor level, most of our
faculty hires have received their doctorates within the last five years.
To determine availability, we have used the average number of doctoral
degrees awarded during the most recent five-year period for which we
have data. For those job groups that are multi-disciplinary, we have
used an average weighted by the representation of faculty in the
disciplines of the group. Searches for most professional staff are
national in scope and require a Bachelor’s or a graduate degree. The
data used for availability for this major job group include the most
recent U. S. Census Data available and the CUPA Administrative
Compensation Survey for the past five years. Searches for classified
staff are local and do not require college degrees; census data were
used to determine availability. The data used to determine availability
for administrator job groups came from two sources: CUPA Administrative
Compensation Survey and U. S. Census Data. Appendix 11 includes
Utilization Worksheets for each job group within the major groupings of
administrators, faculty, professional and classified staff.
GOALS
As provided by federal regulations, whenever there is under-utilization*
in a job group, the University must establish, and make good faith
efforts to achieve, hiring goals. Goals were identified for all three of
the job groups within the Administrator group: Principal Administrators,
Directors, and Chairs. Affirmative action goals for administrators
appear in Table 1.
Faculty were first divided into tenure eligible/tenured and non-tenure
eligible. The latter group was not further divided by college or
discipline. Tenure eligible/tenured faculty were grouped by the five
academic colleges and Cooperative Extension. Within three of the larger
colleges, further groupings were defined by discipline. Within
Cooperative Extension, two job groups were defined by work location.
Affirmative action goals for the faculty (tenure eligible/tenured)
appear in Table 2. Goals for non-tenure eligible faculty appear in Table
3.
Goals were identified for 15 of 25 job groups within the classified
staff. These job groups were already formed from the classification
system that defines position descriptions and salaries for classified
staff. Affirmative action goals for classified staff appear in Table 4.
Affirmative action goals were identified for all but one of the 15
groups within the professional staff. The professional staff groupings
were formed according to similarities in the job descriptions on file
with the Office of Human Resources. Table 5 lists the affirmative action
goals for the professional staff. The list of job titles included in
each of the 15 job groups appears in Appendix 10.
Each of the following tables includes the total number of University of
Maine employees in the job group, the total number of women and
minorities who were working in the group in February 2001, and the
affirmative action goals for women and for minorities. These goals are
based on the utilization analysis described previously and indicate the
number of additional women and minorities that would eliminate any
current under-utilization.
*Under-utilization exists any time that the University’s actual
employment of women or minorities in a job group is less than their
estimated availability in the relevant labor market.
TABLE 1
GOALS FOR ADMINISTRATORS |
| |
Total
Employees |
Total
Women |
Total
Minorities |
Goals
for Women |
Goals
for Minorities |
|
Principal Administrators |
16 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
|
Directors |
75 |
24 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
|
Department Chairs |
38 |
7 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
|
TABLE 2
GOALS FOR TENURE ELIGIBLE and TENURED FACULTY |
| |
Total
Employee |
Total
Women |
Total
Minorities |
Goals
for Women |
Goals
for
Minorities |
| College of
Education and Human Development |
35 |
16 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
| College of
Engineering |
51 |
6 |
5 |
3 |
7 |
| College of
Business, Public Policy and Health |
|
|
|
|
|
| Business & Public
Administration |
21 |
9 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
| Nursing and Social
Work |
16 |
14 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| College of Natural
Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture |
|
|
|
|
|
| Natural Sciences |
79 |
19 |
6 |
6 |
8 |
Biological Sciences
Biochemistry, Microbiology & Molecular Biology
Geological Sciences
Plant, Soil, & Environmental Sciences
School of Marine Sciences |
|
|
|
|
|
| Forestry and
Agriculture |
57 |
10 |
4 |
6 |
6 |
Cooperative Forestry
Research Unit
Forest Management Resource Economics & Policy
Biosystems Science & Engineering
Food Science & Human Nutrition
Wildlife Ecology Forest Ecosystem Science |
|
|
|
|
|
| College of Liberal
Arts & Sciences |
|
|
|
|
|
| Humanities |
72 |
27 |
2 |
8 |
6 |
Art
English
History
Intensive English Institute Modern Languages & Classics Philosophy
School of Performing Art |
|
|
|
|
|
| Social Sciences |
59 |
20 |
2 |
12 |
9 |
Anthropology
Communication Sciences & Disorders
Communication & Journalism Economics
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Special Studies |
|
|
|
|
|
| Sciences |
45 |
5 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
Chemistry
Computer Science Mathematics & Statistics Physics & Astronomy |
|
|
|
|
|
Cooperative
Extension
Campus Based |
22 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
Cooperative
Extension
County Based |
42 |
27 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
|
TABLE 2
GOALS FOR TENURE ELIGIBLE and TENURED FACULTY |
| |
Total
Employee |
Total
Women |
Total
Minorities |
Goals
for Women |
Goals
for
Minorities |
| College of
Education and Human Development |
35 |
16 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
| College of
Engineering |
51 |
6 |
5 |
3 |
7 |
| College of
Business, Public Policy and Health |
|
|
|
|
|
| Business & Public
Administration |
21 |
9 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
| Nursing and Social
Work |
16 |
14 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| College of Natural
Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture |
|
|
|
|
|
| Natural Sciences |
79 |
19 |
6 |
6 |
8 |
Biological Sciences
Biochemistry, Microbiology & Molecular Biology
Geological Sciences
Plant, Soil, & Environmental Sciences
School of Marine Sciences |
|
|
|
|
|
| Forestry and
Agriculture |
57 |
10 |
4 |
6 |
6 |
Cooperative Forestry
Research Unit
Forest Management Resource Economics & Policy
Biosystems Science & Engineering
Food Science & Human Nutrition
Wildlife Ecology Forest Ecosystem Science |
|
|
|
|
|
| College of Liberal
Arts & Sciences |
|
|
|
|
|
| Humanities |
72 |
27 |
2 |
8 |
6 |
Art
English
History
Intensive English Institute Modern Languages & Classics Philosophy
School of Performing Art |
|
|
|
|
|
| Social Sciences |
59 |
20 |
2 |
12 |
9 |
Anthropology
Communication Sciences & Disorders
Communication & Journalism Economics
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Special Studies |
|
|
|
|
|
| Sciences |
45 |
5 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
Chemistry
Computer Science Mathematics & Statistics Physics & Astronomy |
|
|
|
|
|
Cooperative
Extension
Campus Based |
22 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
Cooperative
Extension
County Based |
42 |
27 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
|
TABLE 3
GOALS FOR NON-TENURE ELIGIBLE FACULTY |
| |
Total
Employees |
Total
Women |
Total
Minorities |
Goals
for
Women |
Goals
for
Minorities |
Non-tenure
Eligible Faculty |
73 |
33 |
7 |
5 |
4 |
| *Includes
instructor, lecturer, assistant professor, assistant research
professor, associate professor, and associate research professor |
|
TABLE 4
GOALS FOR CLASSIFIED STAFF |
| |
Total
Employees |
Total
Women |
Total
Minorities |
Goals
for Women |
Goals
for Minorities |
| Clerical &
Secretarial--Entry |
12 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Clerical &
Secretary--Inter/Adv |
116 |
113 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
| Clerical & Secretarial
III--Supervisory |
222 |
213 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
| Library Services |
32 |
23 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
| Data Processing &
Analysis |
5 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
| Cashier & Sales |
22 |
21 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Accounting &
Recordkeeping Services |
19 |
19 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Miscellaneous Clerical |
13 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Laboratory, Research &
Engineering Techs. & Radio and Television Services |
34 |
21 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Institutional Support
Technicians & Paraprofessionals |
17 |
10 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Extension, Education &
Child Care Svcs. |
62 |
61 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
| Health & Exercise
Technicians |
5 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Printing Services |
14 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
| Steam Plant & Heating
Systems Services |
18 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Skilled Trades I
Nonsupervisory |
66 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
| Skilled Trades
II-Supervisory |
14 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Material & Equipment
Services |
17 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Custodial & Grounds
Nonsupervisory |
129 |
32 |
3 |
6 |
1 |
| Custodial & Grounds
III-Supervisory |
10 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Recreational and
Athletic & Maint. Services |
5 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
Food Services I
Unskilled & Semiskilled |
26 |
22 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
| Food Services
II-Skilled |
40 |
19 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
| Transportation
Services |
12 |
10 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Farm Services |
13 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
| Police and Security |
25 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
| |
Total Employees |
Total Women |
Total Minorities |
Goals for Women |
Goals for Minorities |
| Computer
Specialists |
40 |
7 |
2 |
5 |
4 |
| External -
Adult |
54 |
35 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
| Health
Services |
21 |
14 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
| Library
and Cultural Services |
29 |
15 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
|
Advancement |
49 |
27 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
| Athletics |
51 |
16 |
3 |
13 |
5 |
| Student
Services - Academic |
54 |
38 |
5 |
0 |
4 |
| Student
Services - Student Life |
38 |
19 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
| Support
Services - Administrative |
90 |
58 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
| Technical |
31 |
14 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
| Research -
Earth/Physical Sciences |
46 |
12 |
6 |
2 |
0 |
| Research -
Life Sciences |
44 |
17 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
| Research -
Engineering |
20 |
5 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
| Research -
Social Sciences |
26 |
16 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
| External -
Youth |
43 |
34 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
IDENTIFICATION OF
PROBLEM AREAS
An examination of the data on utilization and availability of women and
minorities at The University of Maine suggests the following problem
areas:
-
Women and minorities are
under-utilized as principal administrators, directors, and department
chairs.
-
Women are under-utilized
as tenure eligible/tenured faculty in the following discipline
“clusters”: engineering; business and public administration; natural
sciences; forestry and agriculture; humanities; social sciences;
sciences; and campus based cooperative extension positions. The social
sciences cluster within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences shows
the most significant under-utilization of women.
-
Minorities are
under-utilized as tenure eligible/tenured faculty in all colleges and
discipline clusters. Under-utilization is particularly high in the
College of Education and Human Development and the social sciences
cluster within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
-
Both women and minorities
are under-utilized as non-tenure eligible faculty.
-
Among classified
employees, women are under-utilized to some extent in 10 of 25 job
groups. Custodial and grounds I (nonsupervisory); skilled trades (nonsupervisory);
and printing services show the most under-utilization.
-
Among classified
employees, minorities are under-utilized to some extent in 9 of 25 job
groups. In these 9 groups, the goals for minorities are only 1 or 2,
reflecting the very small percentage of minorities in the local labor
force.
-
Minorities are
under-utilized in all but 2 professional job groups, most notably in
Administrative Support Services.
-
Women are under-utilized
in 6 professional job groups, most notably in Athletics.
Three factors make
progress toward affirmative action goals challenging:
-
Low turnover in some
categories has limited the opportunity to refill positions and make
progress toward goals.
-
Budget constraints
predicted for Fiscal Year 2003 are likely to limit the number of
searches that will be conducted during the current fiscal year.
-
An extremely small
minority population in the state and local labor market affects the
University’s ability to make progress toward goals, especially for
classified jobs and entry level professional jobs.
ACTION PLAN TO REMEDY
PROBLEM AREAS
The University of Maine’s Affirmative Action Plan is focused on
increasing the representation of women and minorities at each stage of
the search process to reflect the availability of women and minorities
for those jobs.
The Search and Selection Guide published by the Office of Equal
Opportunity for professional and faculty searches is a comprehensive
resource for search committees and includes policies and procedures
designed to fulfill the goals of this Plan.
Permission to begin a search must be obtained from the University
President or appropriate Vice President. The Office of Equal Opportunity
approves the job description, job announcement, and recruitment strategy
before a senior administrator is involved. The Diversity Resources and
Search Coordinator within the Office of Equal Opportunity works closely
with the hiring unit to insure that the job announcement is sufficiently
flexible to maximize the size and diversity of the applicant pool, and
the recruitment strategy includes special efforts to recruit
under-utilized groups.
Either the Director of Equal Opportunity or the Diversity Resources and
Search Coordinator briefs all search committees before applicant
screening begins. Affirmative action goals for the particular job
classification are reviewed at this screening.
During the selection process, Equal Opportunity staff provides guidance
to insure a fair search that complies with University equal opportunity
and affirmative action policies. The Chairs of faculty search committees
meet with a Dean to review the list of finalists before inviting
applicants to the campus for an interview. The University has set aside
funds to support the travel costs of additional, highly ranked, women
and minority finalists in units with affirmative action goals.
At the conclusion of the search, the committee submits a comparative
applicant rating sheet documenting the relative strengths and weaknesses
of candidates on job related criteria. The resume of the selected
candidate, as well as that of the highest ranked woman and minority
candidates (where these were not selected), is forwarded to Equal
Opportunity for review before a final employment offer is tendered. The
Director of Equal Opportunity also reviews the proposed salary for
equity purposes.
The Office of Equal Opportunity maintains a list of print and electronic
sites that are targeted to women and minority readership. This
Affirmative Action Resource List is available on the Equal Opportunity
web site, as is the Recruitment Guide.
ANNUAL PLAN UPDATE
The annual plan update will include a review of the progress toward the
previous year’s goals and an explanation of unmet goals; and will
describe activities such as training, outreach/recruitment, special plan
dissemination efforts, and new procedures/programs to improve equal
employment opportunity. The annual audit and subsequent plan update will
be based on an analysis of employees on the September payroll each year.
The following sections on
Compliance with Sex Discrimination Guidelines, Compliance with
Guidelines on Discrimination Because of Religion and National Origin,
and Affirmative Action Program for Individuals with Disabilities and for
Disabled/ Vietnam-era Veterans are incorporated in this Affirmative
Action Plan consistent with requirements about plan components.
COMPLIANCE WITH SEX DISCRIMINATION GUIDELINES
The University of Maine complies with applicable laws and regulations
prohibiting sex discrimination, including the Sex Discrimination
Guidelines for Government Contractors, the Equal Pay Act, the Pregnancy
Discrimination Amendment to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
and the Sexual Harassment Guidelines. Nondiscrimination on the basis of
sex is observed in the following areas:
Recruitment and Advertising
Advertising does not and will not express sex preference except
where sex is a bona fide occupational qualification.
Job Policies and Practices
University policy is that personnel actions including wages,
benefits, job classification, eligibility for leave, and other
conditions of employment are administered without regard to sex.
University leave policies, which vary by bargaining unit and according
to other employee categories, are applied in a nondiscriminatory manner.
Disability due to pregnancy is treated under the federal Family and
Medical Leave Act, the Maine Family Medical Leave Act, and policies
regarding disability leave like any other condition of illness or
injury. Requests for child rearing leave are treated consistent with the
federal Family and Medical Leave Act and under policies regarding
personal leave of absence in a manner that is consistent with requests
for other types of personal leave.
Seniority System
Where they exist, seniority lines and lists are developed without
reference to sex.
Wages
The wage and salary schedules and practices of the University of
Maine are not related to or based on the sex of employees.
Affirmative Action
The University of Maine will take affirmative action to recruit
women for those jobs where they have historically been underrepresented
and to provide female employees with equal access to training programs.
COMPLIANCE WITH GUIDELINES ON DISCRIMINATION
BECAUSE OF RELIGION AND NATIONAL ORIGIN
The University of Maine does not discriminate against applicants or
employees on the basis of religion or national origin. Recruitment,
advertising, and hiring policies and practices and wage structure
conform to the requirements of the OFCCP's Guidelines on Discrimination
Because of Religion and National Origin.
The University makes reasonable accommodations for the religious
observances and practices of employees and prospective employees.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAM
FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND FOR
DISABLED/VIETNAM-ERA VETERANS
Specific actions will be taken to fulfill The University of Maine
commitment to recruiting, employing, and promoting qualified individuals
with disabilities and disabled/Vietnam-era Veterans.
Nondiscriminatory Job Requirements
Required qualifications for jobs at The University of Maine shall be
related to the essential functions of the job, consistent with business
necessity, and necessary for the safe performance of the job. As
necessary, the Director of Equal Opportunity will review job
requirements to ensure that any which tend to screen out qualified
individuals with physical or mental disabilities or disabled veterans in
the selection of employees or applicants for employment are necessary to
perform the essential functions of the job and to do so safely.
Reasonable Accommodation
The University of Maine will make reasonable accommodations for the
known physical and mental limitations of otherwise qualified applicants
and employees, unless a reasonable accommodation does not exist, would
impose an undue hardship on the University of Maine, or poses a direct
threat to the health and safety of the individual or others. Reasonable
accommodations may include physical and environmental accommodations,
job restructuring, alternative work schedules, and promoting
understanding of the employee's disability among supervisors and other
staff. The University of Maine Procedure for Accommodating Individuals
with Disabilities appears in Appendix 7.
Access to Employment Procedures
Reasonable accommodations will be made to ensure that employment
processes, including the personnel office, University job posting
system, and other employment services, are accessible to applicants and
employees with disabilities.
Job Listing
The University of Maine lists all job openings, except for those
limited to internal applicants, with the local office of the Maine Job
Service. Additional affirmative recruitment efforts include sending
announcements of vacancies to agencies and organizations representing
the disabled and veterans (see list in Appendix 9).
ACTIVE SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAMS
The Center for Community Inclusion at the University of Maine is a
partnership bringing together the resources of the community and the
University to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities,
through interdisciplinary educational activities, applied research and
policy analyses, technical information and information dissemination.
The Center’s University Affiliated Program is part of a national network
sponsored by the Federal Administration on Developmental Disabilities,
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. Community outreach
education, family support, inclusive education, and employment are among
the Center’s primary responsibilities.
The University of Maine receives federal funds to operate TRIO programs.
The University supports these programs through in-kind contributions,
administrative support, and linkages with other University programs.
Women, Work and Community (WWC) is a statewide program offering training
and job placement assistance to low income women re-entering the labor
market after an absence, often due to child rearing or other family
responsibilities. Linkages with the Bangor Center insure that WWC
clients are aware of, and prepared for, appropriate job openings at the
University.
CONSIDERATION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES
NOT CURRENTLY IN THE WORK FORCE
The University of Maine recognizes that there are qualified individuals
who, for personal or professional reasons, are not currently in the work
force and who may not be able to accept full-time employment. The
University has many part-time employment opportunities.
Through the Division of Lifelong Learning, adults in the local community
come to campus for evening and weekend programs, including employment
skills training in areas like resume preparation. Other courses are
offered for distant learners through Instructional Television and
compressed video at satellite locations throughout the State. Through
these programs, many individuals not currently working are exposed to
the University and its employment opportunities.
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension is the major outreach and
public service arm of the institution. Through educational programs and
consultation, Cooperative Extension reaches out to homemakers and to
Maine’s indigenous minorities.
Announcements of University jobs are sent to regional tribal councils,
veterans groups, the Bureau of Rehabilitation, the NAACP, and other
local agencies.
APPENDICES
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