Affirmative Action

Refer to Rice University Policy No. 815-96

Affirmative Action is one aspect of the federal government's efforts to ensure equal employment opportunity for minorities, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. It encompasses:

  • Good faith efforts to remedy underutilization,
  • Widespread and diverse outreach in the recruitment process
  • Job-related criteria with minimal adverse or exclusionary impact, and
  • A fair evaluation of all job applicants.

As a federal contractor, Rice University develops and monitors a program to help eliminate the effects of past and present discrimination. Affirmative Action is a process in which employers identify potential areas of improvement, set goals, and take positive steps to advance opportunities for women, racial minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities. Affirmative Action focuses on hiring, training, and promoting qualified protected class members where they are underrepresented.

Rice University prepares annual Affirmative Action Plans in accordance with state and federal law. The university’s Affirmative Action Plans for individuals with a disability and for protected veterans can be accessed, pursuant to applicable law, by contacting AEEO.

Rice University seeks to attract qualified individuals of diverse backgrounds to its faculty, staff, and student body. In job categories where women and minorities are underrepresented, the university takes Affirmative Action in recruitment, hiring, and advancement. The university further seeks to employ, advance in employment, and otherwise treat qualified individuals with disabilities and covered veterans without discrimination based upon their physical or mental handicap.

The Director of EEOP/AA is responsible for:

  • Preparing annual Affirmative Action plans and programs as required by law
  • Monitoring the racial and gender composition of Rice Faculty and Staff
  • Developing and assessing the effectiveness of initiatives to recruit and retain women, minorities, and other targeted groups in job categories where they are underrepresented
  • Implementing, integrating, and coordinating university efforts for successful Affirmative Action programs and procedures
  • Advising departments on gender or minority targeted publications for advertising faculty or staff openings, and
  • Reviewing search plans and hiring decisions to ensure that the university's Affirmative Action guidelines have been followed.

EXIT PAGE