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, 2006 - Volume 6, #4

NC State Web Page Accessibility Regulation Now Official

After four years of collaborative efforts, the NC State University Web Page Accessibility Regulation has been unanimously approved by the University’s Executive Officers and is now posted on the official Policies, Regulations, and Rules website.

Inaccessible web pages often exclude people with physical and sensory limitations. This is a violation of their civil rights. The purpose of the Regulation is to provide people with disabilities equitable access to all programs and services. The regulation covers all of the University’s official web pages and web content associated with administration, services, instructional programs, and activities. It also requires all web developers to use coding and design standards that enable the broadest range of people, including those with a disability, to access all information and services. The deadline to meet these standards is January, 2007.

“The Regulation has been crafted to foster both innovation and accessibility, as is appropriate to the highest goals of NC State,” said Sam Averitt, vice provost for information technology. “Having an official Web Page Accessibility Regulation will further advance our campus in this important but often neglected area of diversity and civil rights.”

The good news is that, over the past couple of years, the University has already invested in tools and training to help people retrofit their pages and implement accessible design practices. There is a growing amount of accessibility expertise on campus and, thanks to the cooperative efforts of many, the University has made excellent progress in achieving web accessibility for its major sites and online services.

A few examples of how accessibility is being integrated into the University’s web and technology-rich learning environment are Registration and Records’ Pack Tracks; the videos produced by the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Biomedical Communications; the new Virtual Computing Lab developed by the College of Engineering and High Performance Computing; and an online course titled “Managing Digital Markets” by Dr. Michael Rappa. NC State should be proud of the commitment of many to the field of accessibility and the leading-edge work being done by them.

For more information about web accessibility, including software tools, training opportunities, and tutorials contact Saroj Primlani (saroj_primlani@ncsu.edu).

OEO to Sponsor Sight, Sound & Motion Workshop

This summer the Office for Equal Opportunity will sponsor the Sight, Sound and Motion workshop. We will partner with the Center for Universal Design to offer this workshop to the campus community. Our target audience is administrators and campus leaders. 

The goal of the Sight, Sound and Motion workshop is to raise staff awareness of the personal impact of decisions on people with disabilities in the areas of architecture, products, and landscape. The program works to communicate how environments can sometimes be difficult and unsafe, effectively handicapping users, and to increase staff awareness of the existence of disabling conditions and the people who experience them. 

Our goal in offering this workshop to the campus is to impact our community in the following ways: 1) Awareness gained by individuals will add to their personal and professional development; 2) This new awareness will influence actions that will impact the campus environment; and 3) the NC State community will become a universally welcoming environment. If you would like information on how you can be a part of this program, contact Beverly Jones Williams at beverly_williams@ncsu.edu or 919-513-3836. The program is limited to twenty participants.

Programming Notes

Girls on Track 2006 to be Held June 19-23

Continuing in its eighth year, Girls on Track 2006 Summer Math and Science Camp for middle school girls will be held June 19-23, 2006 with an emphasis on math, science, and technology for young women. The camp is directed by Professor Sarah Berenson and Professor Glenda Carter of the NC State College of Education Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education, in collaboration with Professor Mladen Vouk of NC State Computer Science and Professor Virginia Knight of Meredith College. The program aims to keep talented girls in Wake and Johnston County schools on the fast track through middle school, high school, and into college, while boosting their interest in math and science related careers. Forty girls, rising 7th, 8th, and 9th graders, will be selected to participate. Exciting activities include Sports Algebra and a forensic study. For more information, you can visit the Girls on Track website at ontrack.ncsu.edu or call the Center at 919-515-2013 for a brochure and application.

Dialogue on Race to Be Offered for Alumni of B.A.S.I.C. Seminar

The Office for Equal Opportunity is sponsoring a dialogue on race for alumni of the B.A.S.I.C. Race Awareness Seminar. This will be the second time that the Office for Equal Opportunity has provided an opportunity to the alumni of the seminar to come together and continue to dialogue. The session, facilitated by Al Vivian, President of the Basic Action Strategies and Information Center (B.A.S.I.C.), will allow us time to look at where we are as a university community on the issue of race. The session will be held on May 24th from 10-3 in the African American Cultural Center. This event will have very limited seating. Contact LaKisha Simmons (kisha_simmons@ncsu.edu or 919-513-3250) by May 15, 2006. The two-day B.A.S.I.C. Race Awareness Seminar is held annually. For more information about how to participate, please see our website at www.ncsu.edu/equal_op/education/basic.html.

OEO’s Williams Recognized for Outstanding Diversity Work

The NC State Student Diversity Council recognized Beverly Jones Williams, Director of Outreach and Education for the Office for Equal Opportunity, on Thursday, April 20, 2006 at its awards banquet. Williams received the staff award in recognition of her outstanding efforts in promoting diversity at the University. Williams’s work in coordinating NCBI, Study Circles, and the Equal Opportunity Institute was cited as instrumental in fostering the cultural competence of hundreds of students, faculty, and staff. Others honored by the Student Diversity Council included Dr. Dan Solomon, Dean of the College of Physical & Mathematical Sciences; Dr. Brenda Alston-Mills, Assistant Dean, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences; student John Vance; and the Muslim Students Association.

Staff Spotlight: Rhonda Sutton Leaves OEO After Five Years of Service

Dr. Rhonda Sutton has separated from the Office for Equal Opportunity after nearly five years of outstanding service. Sutton formerly served as Assistant Vice Provost and Director of Harassment Prevention & Equity Programs. During her tenure in OEO, Sutton’s work helped to position the office to be a leader in the area of harassment prevention and resolution. All incoming students at NC State saw the video authored by Sutton entitled “Preventing Harassment on Campus” as part of new student orientation. Sutton also developed an administrator’s manual for resolving harassment complaints. In a given year, Sutton presented approximately one hundred workshops reaching thousands of faculty, staff, and students at NC State. The skill with which Sutton handled harassment complaints also helped to provide appropriate resolution for complainants and reduce the University’s liability.

Effective February 1, 2006, Dr. Sutton continued her employment at NC State in the newly created position of Clinical Counselor in the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). Sutton is a licensed counselor who completed her doctoral degree at NC State in the Department of Counselor Education in 1999. As CVM’s new Clinical Counselor, Sutton is responsible for providing counseling services to people whose animals are being treated at the CVM hospital, graduate students, and employees. Sutton expressed excitement at being able to shape a new position and to return to her area of specialty — counseling and mental health. However, she will miss her OEO colleagues and being a part of the work they do to make the NC State community better for all.

Study Circles Soars to New Heights in the College of Management

This spring, over 50 students participated in Study Circles on Race and Race Relations at NC State. Through a partnership with Dr. Jodi Barnes, professor in the College of Management, the Office for Equal Opportunity (OEO) facilitated six Study Circles. Students received extra credit from Dr. Barnes for their participation in this experience.

A study circle is a small, diverse group of 8 to 10 individuals who meet once a week for five weeks. Participants share individual stories, learn from others, and take action steps to improve race relations. The intent is to get people listening to others, which can lead to greater understanding and joint efforts of action.

Many of the students commented that they were glad to participate in this opportunity. They shared that they would not have signed up for it if they had not received credit. Although it is of interest to them, busy schedules make it difficult to take advantage of such opportunities. When such an opportunity is linked to an academic incentive, it provides additional support for participation.

OEO has also partnered with other faculty in the College of Management. Dr. Shannon Davis serves on the Advisory Board for the Equal Opportunity Institute and has worked to co-sponsor programs, as well as offer credit for OEO sponsored classes. Dr. Greg Young has also partnered with OEO by co-sponsoring programs and offering academic credit for participation. We applaud these efforts and are extremely pleased with our partnerships with the College of Management. We look forward to even greater student participation in the future!

OEO Resource Directory

Office for Equal Opportunity (OEO)
1 Holladay Hall
Campus Box 7530
919-515-3148
www.ncsu.edu/equal_op

Disability Services Office (DSO)
1900 Student Health Center
Campus Box 7509
919-515-7653
www.ncsu.edu/dso

Disability Hotline
To report a disability or accommodation issue or concern, send email to ADAHotline@ncsu.edu.

Discrimination or Harassment Complaints or Concerns
For help with a discrimination or harassment concern, contact Dr. Rhonda Sutton at 919-513-1234 or rhonda_sutton@ncsu.edu. [Update as of 11/2006: For help with a discrimination or harassment concern, contact Amy Circosta at 919-513-1234 or amy_circosta@ncsu.edu.] You can also submit a harassment complaint online at www.ncsu.edu/equal_op/harassment/
harassment_complaint_form.html, or send email to report_harassment@ncsu.edu.

Hiring Procedures & Search Committee Orientations
If you are beginning a new search for a position, OEO encourages you to call 919-515-3148 to schedule a search committee orientation.

Workshops & Course Offerings
For information about our workshops and course offerings, please see www.ncsu.edu/equal_op/education.html or contact Beverly Jones Williams at 919-513-3836.

Online Training
We offer online training versions of some of our workshops. See www.ncsu.edu/project/oeo-training.

Faculty Exit Interviews
If you are a departing faculty member, please contact Joanne G. Woodard at 919-515-4559 or joanne_woodard@ncsu.edu to schedule your exit interview. [Update as of 2/2007: For your exit interview, please contact Carson C. Cook at 919-513-2099 or carson_cook@ncsu.edu.]

About Equal_Op
This newsletter is published by the Office for Equal Opportunity at NC State University. It is available online at www.ncsu.edu/equal_op/pubs.html and in alternate formats upon request.

If you have questions or comments regarding this newsletter, please contact the Office for Equal Opportunity at 919-515-3148 or by email.