Policy Page
Affirmative Action

Indiana University of Pennsylvania is committed to provide leadership in taking affirmative action to assure equal education and employment rights for all persons without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veterans’ status.  We believe that respect for the individual in the academic community must not be abused.  Harassment or disregard of a person based on any of these characteristics is particularly intolerable on the university campus.

The university will take affirmative action to ensure the implementation of this policy in employment and admissions.  This policy and the obligation to provide equal opportunity include the following commitment:

1.                  To recruit, hire, train, and promote persons for all job classifications and to admit and educate students without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veterans’ status.

2.                  To base decisions on selection, employment practices, employee utilization, job training, career mobility, promotion, program operation, and services provided in observance of the principles of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action.

3.                  To assure that all other personnel actions, such as compensation, benefits, transfers, furloughs, returns from furlough, agency-sponsored training, educational benefits, tuition assistance, social and recreational programs, etc., are administered in keeping with the policy, strategies, objectives, goals, and timetables of the Equal Opportunity Act and the Affirmative Action Plan of the university.

4.                  To create and maintain a workplace and educational climate that is free from discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment, of any employee or student.

5.                  To make every effort to increase employment and educational opportunities for qualified disabled applicants and employees with disabilities.

6.                  To assure that in offering employment or promotion to persons with disabilities, no reduction in compensation would result because of disability income or other benefits.

7.                  To assure that reasonable accommodations will be made for the physical disabilities of an applicant or student.

As an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution, the IUP Affirmative Action Plan is applicable to employees/enrollees of Indiana University of Pennsylvania under provisions of federal and state laws including Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Civil Rights Act of 1991, as well as all federal and state executive orders.  This policy extends to disabled veterans and veterans of the Vietnam era.

The IUP Affirmative Action Plan supersedes the Affirmative Action Plan of 1995-96; the 1983 IUP Plan; the August 8, 1975, Affirmative Action Plan adopted by the Board of Trustees; and the March 31, 1982, Affirmative Action Plan submitted to the U.S. Office for Civil Rights.

Responsibility for the implementation of the IUP Affirmative Action Plan has been assigned to the Associate Vice President for Human Resources.

Any employee having suggestions, problems or complaints with regard to Equal Employment or Educational Opportunity or Affirmative Action is encouraged to contact the Assistant to the President for Social Equity, Sutton Hall G2A, or by calling (724) 357-2431.

Students with suggestions problems, or complaints should contact the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, 215 Sutton Hall, or by calling (724) 357-4040.

Employees having inquiries regarding accommodations for persons with disabilities should contact the Assistant to the President for Social Equity, Sutton Hall G2A, or by calling (724) 357-2431.

Students with inquiries regarding accommodations should contact the 504 Coordinator/ADA Student Concerns, 106 Pratt Hall, or by calling (724) 357-4067.

Specific inquiries regarding Title IX should be directed to the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, 215 Sutton Hall or by calling (724) 357-4040.

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