Policy Statements

Policy on Equal Opportunity /
Affirmative Action/ Non-Discrimination

Adopted by the Board of Trustees on June 6, 2003

Lehigh University strives to be an educational institution that welcomes faculty, staff, and students from diverse backgrounds and situations. Lehigh University is committed to provide all members of our community with equal access to relevant academic programs, social and recreational programs, services, and opportunities for participation, growth and promotion, and to promote and enhance the diversity of the university community. The purpose of this policy is to define a philosophy for the institution and to articulate mechanisms for the oversight of the policy.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY:
Lehigh University does not discriminate against any person based on age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status. For students, this applies to educational programs, residential environments, athletics and other co-curricular programs, social and recreational programs, and student services. For faculty, staff, and student employees, this applies to all employment decisions, including selection, benefits, compensation, tenure, training and educational programs, transfer, promotion/demotion, layoff, return from layoff, and termination.

Any Lehigh student or applicant for student status, faculty or staff member, or applicant for faculty or staff positions has the right to make a complaint of discrimination. In cases involving harassment, the complaint should be filed in accordance with Lehigh’s Policy on Harassment, which specifies procedures for both informal and formal resolution. Other complaints of discrimination should be made to any of the following people:

• A staff member in the Dean of Students Office or Human Resources;
• An academic department chair;
• An administrator (for the purposes of this policy, administrators include academic associate deans and deans of the four colleges, vice provosts, assistant and associate vice presidents, vice presidents, and the president);
• The Ombudsperson;
• The Provost;
• The Vice President for Finance and Administration

These people will be knowledgeable about this policy and can offer guidance in obtaining further assistance. Any general concerns about discrimination should be sent to the Provost (for faculty and students) and the Vice President for Finance and Administration (for staff) whose responsibilities include handling complaints and keeping Lehigh in compliance with this policy.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION:
Lehigh University firmly embraces the following principles and procedures of affirmative action to create an environment for equal opportunity:

1. In all searches, departments will employ pro-active recruitment and advertising techniques to attract serious applicants from under-represented groups. The Dean’s Office in each College will work with departments to develop these strategies for academic searches and the Associate Vice President for Human Resources and the Manager of Employee Relations and Training will work with hiring supervisors to develop these strategies for nonexempt and exempt staff searches.
2. The Provost will review all faculty searches and hiring decisions to ensure that the search was sufficiently inclusive and dynamic to attract and consider serious applicants from under-represented groups.
3. The Vice President for Finance and Administration will review all staff searches and hiring decisions to ensure that the search was sufficiently inclusive and dynamic to attract and consider serious applicants from under-represented groups.
4. The Provost and the Vice President for Finance and Administration will conduct an assessment, annually, of Lehigh’s workforce, including faculty and staff, to determine its composition and to determine areas where additional effort should be made to increase diversity.
5. Lehigh will make reasonable accommodation for qualified students and employees with disabilities.
6. Lehigh will provide professional development opportunities for all employees.
7. Lehigh will provide faculty and staff with training on equal opportunity issues and problems.
8. Lehigh will expect outside vendors of services and materials to be affirmative action/equal opportunity employers. The university will maintain a list of minority vendors and ensure that they receive a share of university business.
9. Lehigh will provide technical assistance to all colleges, departments, centers, and institutes for gathering and reporting data, hiring, and implementation of other aspects of this policy.

In compliance with federal regulations, Lehigh University will maintain a written Affirmative Action Plan to address utilization of women and other under-represented groups and inclusion of people with disabilities and Vietnam era veterans.

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT:
The following statement is to be used in all faculty, staff, and student handbooks, and in recruiting information for undergraduate and graduate students and special programs that the university offers.

Lehigh University seeks talented faculty, staff, and students from diverse backgrounds. Lehigh University does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, marital status, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status in any area , including: student admissions; scholarship or loan awards; athletic, co-curricular, recreational, or social programs; academic programs, policies, or activities; and employment and employment development. Questions and complaints about this policy should be directed to: The Provost or The Vice President for Finance and Administration, Alumni Memorial Building, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015.

In recruiting for employment, the following statement is to be used:

Lehigh University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

RESPONSIBLE PARTIES:
While equal opportunity and affirmative action are the responsibility of all members of the Lehigh community, the President has final responsibility for the overall implementation and monitoring of this policy. The daily working responsibility for equal opportunity/affirmative action is delegated to the Provost, Vice Presidents, Deans, Associate and Assistant Vice Presidents, Vice Provosts, and the Associate Vice President for Human Resources and the Manager of Employee Relations and Training. These individuals have responsibility for implementation of this policy, development of goals, oversight of the performance of departments that contribute to university equal opportunity policy and goals, and promulgation of the concept of equal opportunity/affirmative action.

November 11, 2002
Modified May 9, 2003