POLICY MEMORANDUM
ASSURANCE OF COMPLIANCE
THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

Pursuant to applicable federal and state laws, including Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, Executive Order 11246, as amended, Revised Order 4, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, and The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as such laws may be revised or amended, with their respective applicable implementing regulations, including Title 34, Subtitle B, Part 106 of the Code of Federal Regulations (collectively, "applicable laws") and to applicable policies ("policies") of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and the President of The University of Georgia ("UGA"), UGA continues its affirmative implementation of equal opportunity to employees, students, covered contractors and vendors, and applicants for employment, admission, or contractor or vendor status.  UGA will act in matters of employment, admissions, programs, services, and activities free of prohibited bias with regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, age, veteran status, genetic information and disability.  

Accordingly, UGA will not discriminate in employment, admissions, programs, services, or activities with regard to any position for which the applicant, employee, or student is qualified and will make reasonable accommodation for disabilities.  UGA provides this certification of equal employment opportunity as a federal fund recipient, contractor, and vendor or supplier to federal contractors and requires like certification from non-exempt vendors, suppliers, and sub­ contractors.

The Affirmative Action Plan implementing applicable law is administered by the undersigned. Telephone inquiries concerning this Plan may be directed to her office at (706) 542-7912.  

E.  Janyce Dawkins
Director
Equal Opportunity Office

Revised: November 2015

UGA Assurance of Compliance (PDF)

POLICY MEMORANDUM
PROTECTED VETERANS - FACULTY, STAFF AND JOB APPLICANTS

The University of Georgia ("UGA'') is a government contractor subject to Section 402 of the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment  Act of 1974 ("Act") that requires contractors to apply affirmative action guidelines to the employment and advancement of Vietnam era veterans and qualified disabled veterans.

The University of Georgia agrees to take affirmative action to employ and treat qualified veterans without discrimination based upon their disability or veteran’s status in all employment practices.  The University will ensure that all employment decisions are based only on valid job requirements without regard to disability or veteran status.

All University personnel policies and practices are reviewed in order to prevent the addition of qualification requirements that may eliminate consideration of persons with disabilities or qualified veterans.  All position qualifications are reviewed to ensure they are job-related or consistent with business necessity and the safe performance of the job.

The University prohibits retaliatory action against any employee or applicant for employment who identifies as a veteran or who makes a charge of employment discrimination or participates in an investigation or inquiry into an employment discrimination complaint.

E. Janyce Dawkins
Director
Equal Opportunity Office

Revised: August 2018

UGA Disabled Veteran and Vietnam Veteran Policy (PDF)

POLICY MEMORANDUM
EQUAL ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

The University of Georgia (“UGA”) commits to ensuring equal access to information and communication technology (“ICT”) by all, including those with disabilities in all its educational and administrative services, programs and activities in compliance with federal law. Equal access is met when individuals with disabilities are able to independently acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services in an equally effective and integrated manner as individuals without disabilities, with substantially equivalent ease of use, unless doing so creates an undue burden on the University. ICT refers to information technology and other equipment, systems, technologies, or processes, for which the principal function is the creation, manipulation, storage, display, receipt, or transmission of electronic data and information, as well as any associated content.  This policy statement is in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-336) (“ADA”), ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-325) (“ADAAA”), and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (“USG”) has determined that Section 508 and its regulations may apply to USG institutions as recipients of funds through the Assistive Technology Act.   (https://www.usg.edu/siteinfo/web_accessibility_and_persons_with_disabilities)  USG has endorsed Web accessibility guidelines as established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). (https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/ )

To ensure accessibility, University administrators, faculty, and staff must create, obtain, and maintain all ICT in compliance with these standards. The standards apply to anyone who is involved in the development, maintenance, procurement or utilization of electronic and information technology to include but not limited to:

• Academic Community (Faculty and their designates);
• Procurement Personnel;
• Website and Application Developers;
• Digital Media Designers;
• Instructional Technologists;
• IT Professionals;
• ….and more.  

ICT includes but is not limited to:

• Computers and peripheral equipment;
• Information kiosks and transaction machines;
• Telecommunications equipment;
• Customer premises equipment;
• Multifunction office machines;
• Software;
• Applications;
• Web sites;
• Videos; and
• Electronic documents.

Accordingly, all colleges, departments, and operation units must incorporate appropriate disability considerations into all new technology acquisitions, and must develop reasonable accommodations for the use of any existing technology in a timely manner after a disability-based limitation on such use is identified.  Some examples include:

• Using web page design standards that improve accessibility for all, including those with disabilities;
• Ensuring hardware and software products promote universal design and access; and
• Designing and implementing work and study environments that accommodate all users.

In practice, this requires every department at UGA to reasonably accommodate those limitations on technology access experienced by individuals due to disabilities either at the time of the adoption of the particular technology where such limitations can be anticipated or later at the time an otherwise unanticipated limitation is identified. 

Helpful Resources:

What is Section 508:  https://www.section508.gov/tools/playbooks/technology-accessibility-playbook/intro

Legal Background:  https://www.section508.gov/manage/laws-and-policies#508-policy

Introduction to Web Accessibility:  https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-intro/

USG Accessibility Tutorial:  https://www.usg.edu/siteinfo/accessibility_tutorial/why_accessibility

10 Tips for Creating Accessible Web Content:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwV3Uizl1Nk

Creating Accessible Word Documents:  https://www.section508.gov/create/documents

Creating Accessible pdfs: https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/making-files-accessible/index.html

For questions regarding this Policy Statement, please contact:

E. Janyce Dawkins
ADA/504 Compliance Officer

Revised: September 2018

UGA Accessibility Statement (PDF)

TO:                  Vice Presidents, Associate Provosts, Deans, Directors, Department Heads, Faculty, Business Managers

FROM:          E. Janyce Dawkins, Director, Equal Opportunity Office

RE:  Job Posting EEO/AA Tagline Changes Effective April 9, 2015

On December 9, 2014, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) published final rules (PDF) in the Federal Register related to the signing of Executive Order 13672 which amends Executive Order 11246.  EO 13672 adds gender identity and sexual orientation as protected against discrimination by federal contractors.    The rules are effective on April 9, 2015.

The new rules require all job postings to include language (tagline) stating that the Contractor is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation. These categories are in addition to the already protected categories.

The full recommended tagline would read: “The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or protected veteran status.” The full tagline, while not required, should be used whenever feasible.

Information currently available still requires reference to protected veterans and persons with disabilities in abbreviations such as:

“EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Institution”

“EEO/AA Institution. Protected veterans and individuals with disability encouraged to apply.”

“EEO/AA/M/F/Vet/Disability Employer”

These examples are not exhaustive. You are encouraged to begin including these categories immediately, as they are currently protected against discrimination and harassment under UGA’s Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment (NDAH) Policy.  Any posting on or after April 9, 2015 must include reference to gender identity and sexual orientation.  Similarly, any modifications to existing postings on or after April 9, 2015 must also include modifying the tagline to include the reference to the groups.

As your postings are reviewed, EOO will contact you with any required modifications. Please contact the EOO at 706-542-7912 if you have any questions. You may also visit the OFCCP website for additional information at:  http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/.

EEO/AA Tagline Changes (PDF)

Learn More...

POLICY MEMORANDUM
Notice of Non-Discrimination under Title IX
of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.

Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities operated by recipients of Federal financial assistance. The University of Georgia does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its education programs and activities. Prohibited sex discrimination covers sexual harassment, including sexual violence. “Sexual violence refers to physical sexual acts perpetrated against a person’s will or where a person is incapable of giving consent due to the victim’s use of drugs or alcohol, or due to an intellectual or other disability. Sexual violence includes rape, sexual assault, sexual battery and sexual coercion. All such acts of violence are forms of sexual harassment covered under Title IX.”

Title IX complaint procedures are found in the University of Georgia Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment (NDAH) Policy for complaints against non-students and the Student Sexual Misconduct Policy for complaints against students.

UGA Title IX Coordinator
E. Janyce Dawkins
278 Brooks Hall
310 Herty Drive
Athens, Georgia 30602-1622
Telephone (706) 542-7912
Fax (706) 542-2822
ugaeoo@uga.edu
www.eoo.uga.edu

Deputy Title IX Coordinator/Gender Equity in Athletics
Darrice Griffin
1 Selig Circle
Athens, GA  30602
(706) 542-8388
dgriffin@sports.uga.edu     

Deputy Title IX Coordinator/Gwinnett Campus
Dr.  Laura Crawley
University of Georgia Gwinnett Campus
2530 Sever Road
Lawrenceville, GA  30043
lcrawley@uga.edu  
(678) 985-6805

Deputy Title IX Coordinator/Griffin Campus
Chrystal McDowell
1109 Experiment St.
Flynt 126
Griffin, GA 30223
(770)229-3464
ccm16@uga.edu

Deputy Title IX Coordinator/Buckhead Campus
Rebekah McElwain
Terry Executive Education Center
3475 Lenox Road, NE Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30326
404-842-4849
rebekahm@uga.edu

Inquiries concerning the application of Title IX may be referred to the address below, or contact:

U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, (800) 421-3481 or ocr@ed.gov.

If you wish to fill out a complaint form online with the agency, you may do so at: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html

E. Janyce Dawkins
Title IX Coordinator

Revised:  May 2018

Notice of Non-Discrimination Under Title IX (PDF)

NOTICE OF PROVISION AND APPLICABILITY OF THE

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT AND THE REHABILITATION ACT

The University of Georgia (“UGA”) is required to comply with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, as well as the regulations implementing these laws (Collectively, “ADA” and “Rehab. Act”, respectively).  Renovations and additions to UGA facilities, as well as new construction since effective dates of the ADA and Rehab Act, have been carried out in accordance with the ADA and Rehab Act.

The ADA provides that no qualified individual with a disability shall, on the basis of the disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of a public entity, or be subjected to discrimination by any public entity.  The ADA also requires UGA to “make reasonable modifications in policies, practices, or procedures when the modifications are necessary to avoid discrimination on the basis of disability, unless the public entity can demonstrate that making the modifications would fundamentally alter the nature of the service, program, or activity.  These services are available through the Office for Faculty and Staff Relations.

UGA provides services and reasonable accommodations to currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate/professional students with disabilities through the Disability Resource Center. Our mission is to provide students with disabilities equal access to the services, programs and activities of the University so that they may, as independently as possible, meet the demands of University life.

If you are an individual with a disability who may require assistance or accommodation in order to participate in or receive the benefit of a service, program, or activity of UGA, or if you desire more information, you may contact the coordinator of the specific service, program or activity involved or the undersigned ADA Coordinator at the address and telephone number below.

Text telephone users may route inquiries through the Georgia Relay Center at 711.

E. Janyce Dawkins
ADA/504 Compliance Officer/UGA Disability Coordinator

Revised: August 2018

Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act (PDF)

POLICY MEMORANDUM
SEX DISCRMINATION

Consistent with the requirements of applicable federal and state law, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as such laws may be revised or amended, with their respective applicable implementing regulations, including Title 34, Subtitle B, Part 106 of the Code of Federal Regulations and with the Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policy of the University of Georgia ("UGA"), UGA does not discriminate on the basis of sex in employment, programs, services, or activities.

All recruitment is conducted without regard to sex except where sex is a bona fide occupational qualification ("BFOQ"). There are presently no positions at UGA for which sex is a BFOQ.  There are, however, positions having job-related physical requirements that are not sex-based and that are not used as a subterfuge for exclusion of females.  Both male and female applicants, students, employees, recipients of   programs and services, and participants in activities have an equal opportunity to apply and be considered for any available job, program, service, or activity for which they are qualified.

UGA does not make any distinction based upon sex, either in employment opportunities, wages, hours, and benefits, conditions of employment or as to the normal age of retirement.   Any conditions of employment or eligibility for programs, services, or activities related of marital status, parental status, or age shall apply regardless of sex.  UGA provides appropriate and comparable   physical facilities for both males and females.

Policy regarding leaves of absence applies equally to all employees regardless of sex.  Employees availing themselves of maternity leave are permitted to work as long as allowed by their health care providers and may return to work in like manner.  No mandatory time limits exist for maternity or any disability leave.  Disability due to pregnancy shall be considered as any other disability and appropriate sick leave provisions shall apply.

UGA does not restrict one sex to a certain classification.  Notification of all job opportunities is made available to all employees, regardless of sex, and all employees are encouraged   to apply, regardless of sex.  Both male and female employees within a job class have equal access to any training programs. Violations of the UGA policy on sexual harassment will be treated as a form of   discrimination   subject to the same level of vigilance, enforcement, and sanction as other forms of discrimination.

Sexual harassment policy is currently administered by the Equal Opportunity Office and may be reviewed on the Equal Opportunity Website.

The Title VII and Title IX Officer of the UGA is the Director of the Equal Opportunity Office, E. Janyce Dawkins.  Inquiries regarding this sex discrimination policy should be directed to the office of the undersigned at the address and telephone number below.

E. Janyce Dawkins
Director, Equal Opportunity Office

Revised: November 2015

Sex Discrimination Policy Memorandum (PDF)

POLICY MEMORANDUM
POSTING NOTICES IN A FORMAT ACCESSIBLE TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES

The University of Georgia (“UGA”) is required by law to post notices describing the Federal laws prohibiting job discrimination based on race, color, sex (including sexual harassment and pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity or national origin, religion, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status.

Posters, prepared by and available from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), summarize these laws and explain what action an employee or applicant can  take if he or she believes that he or she has been the victim of discrimination.  These posters are available online are routinely placed in conspicuous locations in the workplace where notices to applicants and employees are customarily posted.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) requires that notices of Federal laws prohibiting job discrimination be available in a location that is accessible to applicants and employees with disabilities that limit mobility.

Accordingly, printed notices should be made available in an accessible format, as needed, to persons with disabilities that limit their ability to see or read.  Notices can be read to applicants or employees with disabilities that limit seeing or reading ability.  Information regarding availability of notices in alternate format may be found on the Equal Opportunity Office Website.

The EEOC has "Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law" posters available at:

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Office of Communications and Legislative Affairs

1801 L Street, NW
Washington, D.C.  20507

(800) 669-EEOC or (800) 800-3302 (TDD) or (202) 663-4264

E. Janyce Dawkins
ADA Compliance Officer

Policy for Posting Notices (PDF)

Click Here For More Information

Click Here for More Information

Click Here for More Information

POLICY MEMORANDUM
UGA FACULTY, STAFF, AND JOB APPLICANTS WITH DISABILITIES

The University of Georgia ("UGA") is subject to provisions of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that require UGA to apply affirmative action guidelines to the employment and advancement of otherwise qualified persons who are disabled within the meaning of applicable laws.  UGA is also a covered entity under the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA"), which prohibits discrimination in employment, programs, services, and activities against an otherwise qualified individual with a disability on the basis of that disability.

Any person addressed in this memorandum who wishes to be considered under UGA's program of affirmative action may so notify UGA Human Resources Division (if a faculty member or applicant or a classified or administrative employee or applicant).  Submission of this information is voluntary and refusal to provide it will not subject the individual to any adverse action.   

Information  obtained  concerning covered  individuals shall  be kept confidential, except  that (1) supervisor and managers  may be informed  regarding restrictions on the work or duties of a disabled person and regarding necessary  reasonable accommodations; (2) first aid and safety  personnel  may be informed, when and to the extent appropriate, if the condition might require emergency treatment; and (3) government officials investigating compliance with federal  law shall be informed.   No use shall be made of such information that is inconsistent with applicable laws.

If an applicant informs anyone involved in the search/hiring process that they may need an ADA accommodation in order to participate in the interview/hiring process, please give that applicant the contact information for UGA Human Resources Faculty and Staff Relations at 706-542-9756. Additionally, if an applicant informs you or anyone else involved in the search/hiring process that they may need an ADA accommodation upon being hired; please direct them to the UGA Human Resources Faculty and Staff Relations.

Complaints involving this policy should be addressed in accordance with the provisions of UGA's Non­ Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy. Inquiries regarding this policy should be directed to the office of the undersigned at the address and telephone number below.

E. Janyce Dawkins
ADA/504 Compliance Officer/UGA Disabilities Coordinator

UGA Faculty, Staff and Job Applicants with Disabilities Policy (PDF)