University at Buffalo: Reporter

Responsibilities at UB for affirmative action initiatives

The following description of responsibilities for affirmative action, equal opportunity, and diversity initiatives has been reviewed by a range of university officers, as well as the Faculty and Professional Staff Senates. It is being individually distributed, along with a set of detailed notes on each responsibility, to Vice Presidents, Deans, Directors, Chairs, Program and Unit Heads, and the Faculty and Professional Staff Senates.

Distribution of Affirmative Action Responsibilities

Responsibilities of the Affirmative Action Office
1. Assist in developing policy statements and affirmative action programs; provide guidance and support to university committees charged with addressing affirmative action issues.

2. Prepare and submit mandatory reports; respond to requests from other agencies; report to senior management on the status and progress of the university's affirmative action program; disseminate appropriate information to units.

3. Coordinate activities related to addressing discrepancies and findings identified in reports and complaints.

4. Design and implement an audit and report system that meets federal and state mandates and identify areas requiring correction.

5. Serve as a liaison between federal and state agencies and the university.

6. Assist in keeping the university community informed on developments in Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action and in securing feedback on what information units require.

7. Conduct audits consistent with the university's obligations and mandates.

Responsibilities of Senior Management
8. Take every appropriate occasion to provide on-going and visible leadership in forwarding equal opportunity and diversity initiatives among faculty, students and staff, insuring that the university community understands these to be important institutional objectives.

9. Assist deans, chairs and directors in identifying and solving issues related to recruitment and hiring of faculty and staff.

10. Provide leadership in fostering ties among and between organizations and the university to promote efforts at enhancing diversity.

11. Ensure the establishment of unit goals and objectives, and of a system of accountability for meeting them.

12. Encourage public service within senior manager's areas of responsibility to help promote increased involvement between women and minority organizations and the university.

13. Develop plans and strategies to prevent harassment.

Responsibilities of Deans, Chairs, Directors and Individual Faculty/Staff Members
14. Ensure that career development plans (not necessarily written) exist for all employees.

15. Ensure that annual reviews are conducted for all employees and that any diversity efforts and results on the part of the employee are included in the evaluation criteria.

16. Unit managers are best positioned to ensure that women and minorities are given full opportunities for transfer and advancement.

17. Develop and implement effective strategies for increasing the recruitment and hiring of minorities and women, and for retaining them once hired.

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