Administrative
Adopted: September 7, 1995
Supersedes: (see end of policy)

Subd. 1. Commitment of Purpose. Consistent with its academic mission and standards, the University of Minnesota is committed to achieving excellence through diversity. As a community of faculty, staff, and students engaged in research, scholarship, artistic activity, teaching and learning, or activities which support them, the University fosters an environment that is diverse, humane, and hospitable. As an institution, the University is a global enterprise which serves the state, the nation, and the world through its outreach and public service, and in partnership with community groups.

Subd. 2. Goals. The University shall seek to:

(1) provide equal access and opportunity to its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status or sexual orientation;

(2) advocate and practice affirmative action including the use of recruiting and search processes to enhance participation of racial minorities, women, persons with a disability, and Vietnam era veterans;

(3) establish and nurture an environment that actively acknowledges and values diversity and is free from racism, sexism, and other forms of prejudice, intolerance or harassment, for men and women, faculty, staff, and students from varying racial, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, and of varying sexual orientations, as well as people with disabilities; and

(4) provide equal educational access to members of under-represented groups, and develop affirmative action admission programs where appropriate to achieve this goal.

Subd. 3. Promotion and Support. The University will promote and support diversity through its academic programs, its employment policies and practices, and the purchase of goods, materials, and services for its programs and facilities from businesses of the diverse communities it serves.

Subd. 4. Performance Goals. Administrative officers are directed to set performance goals consistent with this policy and the law, and energetically continue to implement the necessary programs and affirmative action administrative procedures for the achievement of these goals; to remedy any discriminatory practice which deviates from this policy; and to assess and reward the performance of individuals and units using the University's critical measures for the diversity performance goals as part of the University's planning and budgeting process.

Supersedes: Policy Statement on Women Academic Employees dated July 13, 1990; Equal Educational Access and Opportunity dated November 8, 1991; Equal Opportunity: Facilities dated July 9, 1993; Equal Opportunity in Employment dated July 9, 1993; and Diversity dated July 9, 1993.