The Office of Affirmative Programs is responsible for monitoring policies, processes, and events on campus relative to their compliance with equal opportunity laws and regulations. These include federal and state laws and regulations prohibiting discriminatory practices.
In accordance with guidelines from federal and state auditing agencies, the Affirmative Action Officer at MTU develops and maintains an Affirmative Action Plan (AAP). The AAP describes the university's good faith efforts to assure fairness and foster inclusion for all persons in the educational and employment activities of our academic community. The AAP includes estimated goals for representation that consider current utilization analysis and data from government sources about available qualified candidates. The departments work with the officer regarding information about their needs. These factors help determine reasonable expectations for recruitment. The estimated goals are designed to be attainable yet challenging. A copy of the AAP is available in the Affirmative Programs Office as well as on reserve in the library.
Also, in accordance with the guidelines mentioned above, the AAO is responsible for maintaining records regarding hiring activities and applicant tracking. In the event of inquiries from outside agencies, auditors, or potential complainants, related information is on file in the AAO.
MTU policies are designed to comply with all discrimination laws, plus provide for an environment of mutual trust and respect. See section 3.1.2, "Discrimination."
The Affirmative Action Officer reviews and, when needed, investigates complaints from faculty, students, and staff as well as complaints from guests, visitors, vendors, etc. The officer strives for the most fair and effective resolutions, preferably at the most informal level. All efforts are made to deal with matters thoroughly, swiftly, and confidentially. If any person feels that there has been discriminatory activities perpetrated on the basis of a person's membership in a protected or minority group, he or she is encouraged to bring the issue to the Affirmative Action Officer for review. (Contact the AAO for copies of related complaint procedures.)
The AAO reports to the President and works closely with all levels of administration to devise workable and equitable resolutions. When and if discrimination problems are identified, corrective actions are taken at the relevant level, in conjunction with appropriate personnel.
The Director of Affirmative Programs serves as the Affirmative Action Officer as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator for the University. Inquiries and requests for accommodations may be directed to the AAO. Call for general information or copies of the law, policies, and related forms. See section 9.3, "Handicap/Disability Accommodation."
The Affirmative Programs Office provides training sessions and/or materials to campus members or groups regarding laws, regulations, and policies related to discrimination and problem-solving. To schedule, please call the office during regular business hours.