Affirmative Action Policy

A. Policy Statement

Juniata College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, ancestry, genetic information, ethnic origin, marital and parental status, veteran status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or because of any other protected status of an individual or that individual's associates or relatives. Consistent with this commitment, the College will take positive steps to increase the ethnic and gender diversity among its employees.

The purpose of the Affirmative Action Plan is to assure that management and employees comply with both the spirit and the intent of the College's strong commitment to provide equal opportunity through affirmative action and to adhere to government laws and regulations. Juniata College has adopted the following Equal Employment Opportunity Policy:

"It has been and will continue to be the policy of Juniata College to provide employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, ancestry, genetic information, ethnic origin, marital and parental status, veteran status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or because of any other protected status of an individual or that individual's associates or relatives.*

"The basic principle of the employment policy is that equal employment opportunities be available to all qualified individuals so that all decisions are based solely on their experience and ability, potential and willingness to support the total program and general aims of the College, and advancements be based on the individual's achievements in present positions and capacity to succeed in new positions. This policy emphasizes that all applicants for employment and all employees shall receive fair treatment in the initial employment and subsequent employment practices, including, but not limited to, hiring, firing, promotion, layoffs, transfers, and benefits.

"The College seeks to maintain highly productive and loyal employees by hiring qualified men and women and providing them with compensation and opportunities for advancement in accordance with this policy.

"The College advertises openings so that persons have an equal opportunity to learn about available positions. Advertising procedures are designed to reach an applicant pool which fairly reflects the relevant labor force profile. Advertisements will be specifically noted and documented with actual copies when possible, and are filed in the Office of Human Resources."

Because of the ethical commitment of the College, and in order to provide equal opportunity, it shall develop special efforts in the recruitment and employment of minority persons to overcome inequities that may have resulted from past inabilities to recruit or retain such persons on the faculty and staff of Juniata College.

The policy is to be implemented at all levels of the College by the President and other administrative personnel who carry responsibility for actions relative to this policy in the employment of faculty, administration and staff.

In determining goals and objectives for its affirmative action, the College shall neither eliminate nor dilute standards which are necessary for the successful achievement of the institution's mission.

B. Program Implementation

The President of the College shall be responsible for the total implementation of the Affirmative Action Policy in conjunction with the Administrative Officers.

*This policy does not apply where sex or age constitutes a bona fide occupational qualification.

The Director of Human Resources is designated as the Affirmative Action Officer and is responsible for the implementation of the plan aimed at employing and insuring equality in promotional opportunities for minority persons. S/he will review the effectiveness of the Affirmative Action Policy with the Senior Leadership Team annually and will revise the Plan as needed.

Personnel policies for faculty are outlined in the Faculty Manual and for Administrators and Support Staff in the Administrative and Support Staff Policy & Procedures Manual. The Facilities staff is a part of a bargaining unit which works under the terms of an agreement with IBEW Local 2099.

Recruitment
General methods of recruitment are:

  1. Advertisements in appropriate professional and placement literature, including minority publications or position postings
  2. Referrals and nominations from employees and friends of the College
  3. Notices of job openings at graduate institutions where minority enrollment is high. In addition, the College shall make known, in all recruitment, that it is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer
  4. Announcement of openings through the PA Career Link Office for supporting staff and facilities staff


For each position opening, a job description shall be available in writing for prospective applicants as well as for the general public. The job description must provide the basis for required qualifications for the job. Such descriptions shall not consist of any non job-related item which excludes applications on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, ancestry, genetic information, ethnic origin, marital and parental status, veteran status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or because of any other protected status of an individual or that individual's associates or relatives.

Selection Process
The selection process shall in no way be based on preconceived assumptions pertaining to the applicant's marital status or willingness to relocate, but only on the applicant's professional competence to carry out the responsibilities of the job as outlined in its description and the personnel manuals.

The College shall avoid clustering of male or female personnel and shall encourage an appropriate mix through the various departments.

Conditions of Employment
The specific terms and conditions of such appointments are stated in writing by the President of the College for faculty and administration and by the Vice President for Finance and Operation for supporting staff and facilities staff. These letters of appointment include the period of time covered by the appointment, salary, and rank and/or title. Benefits such as retirement and insurance plans are described in the respective personnel manuals.

Minority or female personnel shall be employed under the same regulations and benefits as male personnel.

The College shall not prohibit the employment of two or more persons from the same family unless there is a direct reporting relationship.

The College shall insure non-discrimination in all terms and conditions of employment, including work assignments, educational and training opportunities, and committee and decision-making assignments. Compensation shall be based on performance according to established guidelines for a particular position. The College shall not penalize any employee, regardless of marital status, because they may require time away from work for childbearing or child care. Such leaves shall conform with stated College policy Family Leave.

Promotions
Promotion from within shall be made on the basis of potential, related work experience, apparent aptitude for the type of work, motivation and record of reliability and good performance in previous positions; not on race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, ancestry, genetic information, ethnic origin, marital and parental status, veteran status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or because of any other protected status of an individual or that individual's associates or relatives.

Termination of Employment
Termination of employment shall be only for objective reasons unrelated to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, ancestry, genetic information, ethnic origin, marital and parental status, veteran status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or because of any other protected status of an individual or that individual's associates or relatives.  If conditions of termination are disputed, the grieved party has the option of following due process as set forth in the administrative hearing policies in the personnel manuals.

Internal Policy Dissemination

  1. The Affirmative Action Policy and hiring procedures for each group of employees are included in the respective employee personnel manuals.
  2. The phrase "Affirmative Action Employer\Equal Opportunity" will be included in all internal job announcements.
  3. Meetings will be held with supervisory staff members to explain the intent of the plan and to stress individual responsibility for its effective implementation.
  4. The Affirmative Action Policy will become a part of the employee orientation and policy training sessions.
  5. Information regarding the AA/EEO program, progress reports, promotions, and similar subjects pertaining to minority employment will be included in Campus.
  6. Affirmative Action\Equal Employment Opportunity notices will be posted on appropriate bulletin boards on campus.


External Policy Dissemination

  1. Juniata's non-discrimination policy will be included in all future official publications. The policy reads:

    "Juniata College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, ancestry, genetic information, ethnic origin, marital and parental status, veteran status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or because of any other protected status of an individual or that individual's associates or relatives."

    This non-discrimination policy refers to our admissions programs and to hiring of faculty, administration or staff, salary determination, advancement, retention, and all other personnel policies.
  2. Advertising procedures will be designed to actively reach an applicant pool which fully reflects the labor force profile including women and minorities. Advertisements of faculty and administrative positions will be placed in minority publications or distributed for posting.
  3. All employment advertisements will include the phrase "Affirmative Action\Equal Opportunity Employer."

 

C. Goals

It is our objective to increase the current underrepresented population of employees through expanded efforts in advertising and recruiting.

D. Complaints of Discrimination

Every effort will be made to resolve any conflict with regard to this policy through the applicable administrative hearing policies which are published in the personnel manuals. Anyone with a discrimination complaint should immediately notify the Director of Human Resources for affirmative action.

If a resolution cannot be achieved through the internal process, the following agencies may be contacted:

Bureau of Civil Rights Compliance
Department of Public Welfare
Room 412 Health and Welfare Building
PO Box 2675
Harrisburg, PA 17105

Office of Civil Rights
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services
Region III, PO Box 13716
Philadelphia, PA 19101

Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission
101 South Second Street
Suite 300
Harrisburg, PA 17105

Approved by President's Cabinet 3/21/95.