Equal Opportunity Programs
The Office of Academic Recruitment Services (OARS) is committed to academic excellence and diversity within the faculty, staff, and student body and manages several programs to promote academic diversity and equal opportunity at UC San Diego.
Academic Personnel Affirmative Action Program
The Office Academic Recruitment Services (OARS) is responsible for providing an annual review and update of the UCSD Academic Personnel Affirmative Action Program (AAP). The AAP contains the annual update of the Academic Affirmative Action Program for women, people of color, covered veterans, and people with disabilities, in compliance with applicable federal and state regulations.
It is a written document of UCSD's good faith efforts and programs for accomplishing federally mandated affirmative action objectives and serves to:
- Reaffirm the University's commitment to the equal employment opportunity/nondiscrimination policy and its responsibility for implementation
- Analyze UC San Diego's workforce composition
- Monitor UC San Diego's employment practices
- Identify job areas where women and people of color are underutilized and establishes placement goals
- Present action-oriented programs to remedy deficiencies
- Evaluate the program to determine if progress is being made to remedy deficiencies
The UCSD Academic AAP is available at the Geisel Libraries and through the Office of Academic Recruitment Services.
Governing Laws and Regulations
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VI and VII: Prohibits employers, employment agencies and unions from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. It is administered by the EEOC.
Executive Order 11246 (Revised Order #4): Seeks to promote and insure equal opportunity for all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex or national origin of employees or persons seeking employment with government contractors. The Order is administered by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program (OFCCP), United States Department of Labor. It is this order that mandates that Affirmative Action Programs be described in written plans, with specific goals and timetables for recruiting, hiring, and upgrading blacks, other minorities and women.
Califronia State Law Against Discrimination: California Constitution, Article 1, Section 31 as amended by California Proposition 209 (also known as the California Civil Rights Initiative or CCRI). The State shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.
California Fair Employment and Housing Act of 1959: The FEHA is the principal California statute prohibiting employment discrimination covering employers, labor organizations, employment agencies, apprenticeship programs and any person or entity who aids, abets, incites, compels, or coerces the doing of a discriminatory act. It prohibits employment discrimination based on race or color; religion; national origin or ancestry, physical disability; mental disability or medical condition; marital status; sex or sexual orientation; age, with respect to persons over the age of 40; and pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. The FEHA also prohibits retaliation against anyone for opposing any practice forbidden by the Act or for filing a complaint, testifying, or assisting in proceedings under the FEHA.
The National Labor Relations Act and Related Laws: Discrimination on the basis of race, religion or national origin may violate other rights under these laws. It may be unlawful for employers to participate with unions in a manner which gives rise to racial or other divisions among employees, to the detriment of organized union activity; or for unions to exclude individuals discriminatorily from union membership, thereby causing them to lose non-members in collective bargaining, processing of grievances, or to cause or attempt to cause employers to enter into discriminatory agreements.
The Equal Pay Act of 1963: Requires every employer to pay employees equal salaries for equal work. It is currently administered by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967: Prohibits employers from discriminating against persons 40 years of age and over in any area of employment because of age.
Title I of the Americans Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA): States that is unlawful to discriminate against qualified applicants or employees with a disability. The ADA is enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972: Prohibits sex discrimination in any educational institution that receives federal assistance. Title IX is administered by the Office of Civil Rights, United States Department of Education.
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Sections 503 and 504): Prohibits job discrimination on the basis of a physical or mental handicap, provided the applicant is otherwise qualified for the position. Also, employers are required to actively recruit qualified handicapped persons as part of an established affirmative action program. The Act is administered by the United States Department of Labor.
The Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended: Prohibits discrimination against any person because he or she is a disabled veteran of the Vietnam era. Employers are required to take affirmative action to enhance veteran's employment opportunities.
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978: This law amended Title VII to make it illegal to discriminate against a woman because of pregnancy, childbirth, or a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth. The law also makes it illegal to retaliate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit. It is currently administered by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986: Prohibits employers with more than three employees from discriminating based on citizenship or intending citizenship status and bars employers with more than three employees that aren't otherwise covered by Title VII from discriminating based on national origin. The Act is administered by the United States Department of Justice.
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA): This law makes it illegal to discriminate against employees or applicants because of genetic information. Genetic information includes information about an individual's genetic tests and the genetic tests of an individual's family members, as well as information about any disease, disorder or condition of an individual's family members (i.e. an individual's family medical history).
Equal Opportunity Programs
Faculty Career Development Program
OARS is responsible for implementing the Faculty Career Development Program(FCDP), which supports the research or creative activities of junior faculty in order to enhance their progress toward the Associate Professor (tenured) level. The program also recognizes and rewards individuals who have promoted diversity and equal opportunity.
The program is open to all Assistant Professors with Academic Senate membership (Ladder-Rank, In Residence, and Clinical X series), without regard to race, religion, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. For complete eligibility and application information, please click the link above.
Partner Opportunities ProgramUC San Diego recognizes that decisions about seeking, accepting, and maintaining employment often involve considerations concerning two careers, and that providing assistance in this area can help foster academic diversity. The Partner Opportunities Program (POP) provides assistance and support in the employment search to spouses or partners of General Campus ladder-rank faculty candidates and appointees, and of those in senior management positions who hold academic appointments.
Other UC San Diego Programs
UCSD's commitment to academic diversity and equal opportunity extends far beyond the OARS. Here are links to some UC San Diego programs that share the common goal of fostering academic diversity and equal opportunity.
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Academic Senate Committee on Diversity and Equity: OARS provides assistance and advice to the Academic Senate Committee on Diversity and Equity
Center for Faculty Diversity and Inclusion: The Center for Faculty Diversity and Inclusion (FDI) provides leadership and works collaboratively to cultivate an academic culture of inclusive excellence at UC San Diego, where all can succeed and advance. FDI is a unit of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
EDI Diversity Resources: See EDI's Diversity Resource page for information about UC San Diego and external diversity resources, centers, and programs.
Target of Excellence/Opportunity Hire: OARS works in close collaboration with the Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and the team of divisional Faculty Equity Advisors to assist faculty search committees in utilizing best-practice recruitment strategies to develop large, well-qualified, and diverse applicant pools. Faculty Equity Advisors provide advice, collaboration and information to advance faculty diversity and excellence at UCSD.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography Diversity Resources: See SIO Diversity Website page for information about Scripps Institution Oceanography resources and programs offered.