Office for Equal Opportunity
North Carolina
State University

Location & Hours
1 Holladay Hall
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Monday - Friday

Mailing Address
Campus Box 7530
Raleigh, NC
27695-7530

Phone Numbers
Main: 919-515-3148
Fax: 919-513-1428
TTY: 919-515-9617

Equal_Op - May, 2002, Volume 2, #4

NC State Takes Daughters to Work

NC State celebrated national Take Our Daughters to Work Day on April 25, 2002. Over 120 girls participated. The day began with a welcome from Chancellor Marye Anne Fox and an inspiring address from Meg Scott Phipps, Commissioner of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Throughout the day, participants attended a variety of programs and activities geared toward our goal of providing programs that boost girls’ self-confidence and self-esteem and provide exposure to nontraditional careers.

Organizers provided campus tours and tours of the Cellular and Molecular Imaging Facility, Phytotron, Steam Plant, and College of Design, as well as a peek backstage at the Thompson Theater. There was also plenty to do in sessions titled "Create a Tower of Straw," "Exploring the Profession of Veterinary Medicine," "Raising Our Voice," "A Surfin’ Safari," and "Caution: This Picture May Explode." Girls already looking ahead attended an admissions information session or a workshop titled "So Many Career Choices... How Do I Decide?" We thank the coordinators of all 26 events for their creativity in providing these fun and interesting opportunities for our daughters.

The day ended with a reception that featured female NC State athletes. TODTWD 2002 was a great success due to the hard work of our college and unit contacts, dedicated presenters, and departmental sponsors. Check out the TODTWD website for more highlights.

Photo: "Hands-On Engineering" was a hair-raising success!

Affirmative Action: Goals, Timetables, and Good Faith Efforts

Several departments at NC State are currently working hard to update this year’s Affirmative Action Plan, a document that shows our hiring goals, timetables, and good faith efforts for eliminating discrimination in the workplace.

The Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) enforces Executive Order 11246 and various other laws that make up what we know as "affirmative action." These laws ban discrimination and require federal contractors to make good faith efforts to ensure that all individuals have an equal opportunity for employment, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or status as a military veteran. NC State has numerous contracts from federal agencies and is therefore obligated to follow the provisions of affirmative action. A contractor in violation of E.O. 11246 may have its contracts canceled, terminated, or suspended in whole or in part, and the contractor may be debarred, i.e., declared ineligible for future government contracts.

A large part of the affirmative action process is the setting of goals to increase the number of underrepresented groups in our workforce. The numerical goals are established based on the availability of qualified applicants in the job market or qualified candidates in the employer’s work force. These numerical goals do not create set-asides for specific groups, nor are they designed to achieve proportional representation or equal results. Rather, the goal-setting process in affirmative action planning is used to target and measure the effectiveness of affirmative action efforts to eradicate and prevent discrimination. Contractors are not penalized for not meeting goals, only for not making good faith efforts. Also, other regulations specifically prohibit quotas and preferential hiring and promotions under the guise of affirmative action.

Overall findings from a Department of Labor survey found that federal contractors have changed the corporate climate in ways that are not statistically measurable because of the requirements of Executive Order 11246. For example, it is now a common business practice to post job announcements and not rely solely on word of mouth recruitment. Affirmative action is necessary to prevent discrimination and to address stereotypical thinking and biases that still impede employment opportunity.

Note: Information in this article was adapted from the OFCCP website.

Racial Harassment: A Serious Issue

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination and harassment in areas of employment based on race, color and national origin (as well as religion and sex). The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces Title VII and addresses racial harassment in areas of employment. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination and harassment based on a student’s race, color and national origin (as well as religion and sex) in schools and colleges receiving federal funds.

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), racial harassment is on the rise. In 1992, the EEOC had 506 cases where there was reasonable cause to believe that discrimination occurred, based upon evidence obtained in the investigation. In 2001, the number of cases where there was reasonable cause to believe that racial discrimination had occurred rose to 2,397. In a period of nine years, the number of reasonable cause cases investigated by the EEOC more than quadrupled. According to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), harassment of students due to race, color and national origin is a disturbing phenomenon in elementary and secondary education as well as at colleges and universities, as shown by the growing number of complaints OCR receives on this issue. (At the time of this article, OCR had not published any statistics on their website). This type of harassment is a major concern due to the profound educational, emotional and physical consequences for the targeted students.

Racial harassment can come in many forms and can happen to anyone. Within the university setting, students, faculty and staff can be subjected to racial harassment; for example, when someone is bothering another person, threatening another person, or treating another person unfairly because of his or her race, color, or national origin. Examples of racially harassing behavior include racial slurs or jokes, ridiculing or insulting a person because of their racial identity, putting up cartoons or pictures that degrade persons of a particular racial group, or calling someone a name because of their race, color, citizenship, national origin, or ethnic background. A racially hostile environment may be created with written, graphic, or oral communication or by physical conduct that is related to a person’s race, color or national origin. This type of behavior or conduct, in order to be identified as harassment, must be sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive so as to interfere with or limit the ability of an individual to participate in or benefit from the targeted person’s education or work. In terms of education, OCR realizes that federal civil rights laws are intended to protect students from discrimination, not to regulate the content of speech. OCR is sensitive to First Amendment concerns that may arise in the course of addressing racial harassment complaints and takes special care to avoid actions that would impair First Amendment rights of an institution’s students and employees.

NC State takes the issue of racial discrimination and harassment very seriously. The university has both a Racial Harassment Policy and an Unlawful Harassment Policy. Both of these polices are enforced in both the working and learning environments. All members of the university community are protected by these policies and are responsible for abiding by these policies. If you believe you are subjected to discrimination or harassment due to your race, color, or national origin (or any of the other protected classes that are outlined in the Unlawful Harassment Policy), contact the Office for Equal Opportunity at 919-513-1234. There are both informal and formal resolution options available to address racial harassment. It is your right to learn and work in an environment free from harassment; educate yourself about these issues and seek help if you are experiencing unfair treatment or unwanted behavior.

Office for Equal Opportunity Nominated to Get a Piece of the PIE

Through its efforts to achieve equity for women in 2001-02, the Office for Equal Opportunity has been nominated for a Progress in Equity Award given by the American Association of University Women’s (AAUW) Legal Advocacy Fund. Three OEO initiatives included in the nomination are the faculty salary equity study, revision of the maternity leave policy (BOT policy 23.02), and development of pay equity guidelines.

Each year, the Progress in Equity Award recognizes a college or university program that advances equity for women on campus. Programs nominated for the Progress in Equity Award must meet these criteria: result in significant progress toward equity for female students, faculty, or staff; be innovative and exemplary; address the needs of diverse groups of women; and be replicable at other institutions. A stipend of up to $10,000 accompanies the award. The winners of the award will be announced in June, 2002. Good luck to OEO!

Staff Spotlight: LaKisha Simmons

LaKisha Simmons started in the Office for Equal Opportunity as a student employee in September of 1993. In May of 1998, she graduated from NC State with two Bachelor’s of Science degrees in Microbiology and Zoology. After graduating, she stayed on as a part of the OEO team in a records manager role. She became an Administrative Assistant in June of 1999. Recently, she was promoted to Executive Assistant under Vice Provost Joanne Woodard.

Anyone who works with or in OEO can tell you that Kisha is an indispensable member of the office. One of the main functions of OEO is to process, post, track, and analyze all NC State job openings that are Exempt from the Personnel Act (EPA). Kisha handles the details of this major responsibility for NC State on a day-to-day basis. In addition to her duties as Executive Assistant, Kisha serves as office manager for all of OEO, assisting the Equal Opportunity officers and support staff in doing their jobs at a high level of efficiency. Last Fall, Kisha oversaw the move of all of OEO’s offices and equipment to our new location in 1 Holladay Hall. Kisha’s capable and energetic nature adds a welcome spark to OEO.

Outside of the office, Kisha enjoys spending quality time with her young daughter. In her spare time, she enjoys shopping, listening to good music, and hanging out with her family and friends.

Programming Notes

Equal Opportunity Institute Graduation

In May, we will celebrate the achievements of the third graduating class of the Equal Opportunity Institute (EOI). Graduates attended 30 hours or more of programs designed to increase their knowledge of equal opportunity issues. EOI will begin its fourth year in August, 2002. Look for registration information in July on the EOI website.

"Girls on Track" Math and Computer Camp

NCSU’s fourth-year summer math and computer enrichment program for middle school girls, directed by Professor Sarah Berenson and the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education, will be held June 20-28, 2002. Funded by NSF, IBM, and Eisenhower; in collaboration with Professor Mladen Vouk of Computer Science; and coordinated by Laurie O. Cavey of the Center, this camp aims to keep talented girls in Wake County public schools on the fast math track through middle school, high school, and into college while boosting their interest in math-related careers. Exciting activities include Sports Algebra, a Raleigh Landfill trip, and creating web pages. For more information, visit the Girls on Track website, or call the Center at 919-515-2013 for a brochure and application.

Reminder

As you prepare training for your new staff this summer, be sure to include training in Unlawful Workplace Harassment. Contact Dr. Rhonda Sutton at 919-513-1234 for more information, or visit the Harassment Prevention & Resolution web page.

Challenge Question

How old do you have to be in order to be protected by the Age Discrimination Act of 1967?

Answer: 40 years of age or older.

If you have questions or comments regarding this newsletter, please contact Beverly Jones Williams at 919-513-3836 or by email.