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IMPORTANT UPDATE: The NEW Equal Opportunity Poster is now available. Federal law requires the poster be displayed throughout the University and medical facilities.

To request a poster be sent to your department, please contact EOAA.

The NEW poster can be viewed below

Equal Opportunity Poster

Resources

The Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EOAA) supports the University’s compliance with the law and spirit of equal opportunity and affirmative action as it relates to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or status as a disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran, or other protected veterans.

EOAA oversees and manages the University’s affirmative action program; including the annual preparation of the federal affirmative action plan. EOAA is one of the institutional points of contact for federal and state agencies for equal opportunity and affirmative action compliance inquiries and compliance confirmation. 

Contacts

Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action
231 Gerberding Hall
Campus Box: 351240
E-mail: eoaa@u.washington.edu

Torrey Tiburzi
Director
E-mail
206-543-1830

 

 

Affirmative Action Policy

The University of Washington reaffirms its policy of equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or status as a disabled veteran or Vietnam era veteran. This policy applies to all programs and facilities, including, but not limited to, admissions, educational programs, employment, and patient and hospital services. Any discriminatory action can be a cause for disciplinary action. Discrimination is prohibited by Presidential Executive Order 11246 as amended, Washington State Gubernatorial Executive Orders 89-01 and 93-07, Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Washington State Law Against Discrimination RCW 49.60, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, State of Washington Gender Equity in Higher Education Act of 1989, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 as amended, Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1972 as amended, other federal and state statutes, regulations, and University policy. Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action compliance efforts at the University of Washington are coordinated by the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, University of Washington, 231 Gerberding Hall, Box 351240, Seattle, Washington, 98195-1237, telephone 206.543.1830 or email eoaa@u.washington.edu.

The University of Washington is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office preferably ten days in advance at:

 

Affirmative Action Plan

 

2011 Affirmative Action Plan

Narrative Section

Reports Section

Placement Goal Section

Any inquiries regarding earlier AAP's should be directed to:

Torrey Tiburzi
Director
E-mail
206-543-1830

The University of Washington Affirmative Action Plan in its entirety is available for review by staff, faculty, and members of the public at the office listed below during the hours 8:30 am - 5:00pm M-F:

Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action
231 Gerberding Hall
Campus Box: 351240

Forms

Forms for Employees

All post hire affirmative action information is collected via online applications. A paper form can be requested for special needs and circumstances by contacting EOAA.

Applicants and Search Forms

All information regarding Search and Hire procedures can be found at the following locations:

Search Waiver Request Form

All recruitment search waiver requests must be filed with the Office of Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action.

To make a request, complete the search waiver request form below.The request will be reviewed and, if needed, the requester will be contacted for more detailed information. Please allow for a minimum of five (5) business days for review and approval.

It should be emphasized that a search waiver is a distinct and separate action in the recruitment process and does not eliminate the reviews in place under the current hiring restrictions. In order to effectuate GOF/DOF-funded Academic Personnel hiring, there needs to be a Hiring Freeze Exemption (HFE) in addition to the approval for the search waiver.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is affirmative action?

  • Affirmative action is a program required of federal contractors to ensure equal employment opportunity. It requires a good faith effort to achieve and maintain a workforce in which minorities and women are represented at a level proportionate with their availability in the labor pool from which the employer can reasonably be expected to recruit. Affirmative action also includes good faith efforts towards covered veterans and individual with disabilities.

What affirmative action is NOT?

  • Affirmative action is not about quotas. Rather, goals serve as "targets reasonably attainable by means of applying every good faith effort to make all aspects of the entire affirmative action program work" and that goals "may not be rigid and inflexible quotas, which must be met."
  • Affirmative action is not "reverse discrimination". Regulations specifically state that goals "do not provide … a justification to extend a preference to any individual, select an individual, or adversely affect an individual's employment status, on the basis of that person's race, color, religion, sex or national origin." Affirmative action does mean taking affirmative steps to attract minorities and women for available employment opportunities and to ensure that candidates are evaluated fairly using non-biased job-related selection criteria.
  • Affirmative action does not reward race or sex in place of merit. It is intended to ensure that employers hire the most qualified people, including members of groups that previously have been subject to unlawful discrimination.

Isn't affirmative action illegal in Washington state with the passage of I-200?

  • Washington State law requires state agencies to collect and report the same data. Initiative 200, passed by the citizens of Washington State in 1998 and now incorporated into the Washington State Law Against Discrimination prohibits preferential treatment on the basis of race, color, national origin, and sex but does not prohibit action that must be taken to establish or maintain eligibility for any federal programs, if ineligibility would result in a loss of federal funds to the state.

Why does the University of Washington collect affirmative action information?

  • As a condition of receiving federal contracts, the University collects data and maintains an affirmative action plan regarding minorities and women. It also agrees to collect and report information on veterans and persons with disabilities. Failure to collect and report affirmative action data would result in the loss of eligibility for federal contracts.

What UW policies offer protection against discrimination?

What can I do if I believe I have been discriminated against?

What is discrimination under Title IX?

  • Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 protects people from discrimination, including sexual harassment based on sex in education programs or activities which receive Federal financial assistance. Title IX states, in part, that: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance, except [in certain enumerated limited situations].

Am I protected against retaliation for pursuing a discrimination/harassment complaint?

  • University policy prohibits retaliation against those reporting concerns regarding discrimination, cooperating with any investigation of discrimination, or participating in the complaint investigation process. An employee or student who is found to engage in retaliatory conduct is subject to appropriate disciplinary action, including dismissal.

Who has access to affirmative action information?

  • Affirmative action data are treated as confidential, are kept separate from personnel files, and are made available only to persons with a need to know. Summary level counts are included in required state and federal reports. The data reports for affirmative action can be seen on the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action's webpage under Affirmative Action Reports.

How can I find out more?