DA. Affirmative Action Plan (BP)

BOARD AND ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY STATEMENT

South Plains College prohibits discrimination against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or handicapping condition in recruitment, selection, promotion, or any other employment policies, practices, and procedures.  Furthermore, South Plains College shall initiate affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are considered during employment, without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or handicapping condition.  The affirmative action policies of South Plains College shall be designed to expand employment opportunities for women and minorities and to eliminate any policies and practices which have had the effect of excluding or limiting female and minority recruitment, employment or promotion.

The supervision, administration and direction of the Affirmative Action Plan at South Plains College are the primary responsibility of the President of the College. The Director of Human Resources has been assigned the responsibility for implementing the Affirmative Action Plan.

The President of South Plains College, as chief executive officer of the institution, commits himself and the college as a whole to strive in good faith to attain the following goals:

1. To employ proportions of women and minority faculty and administrators in positions not requiring the doctoral degree equal to, at least, the respective proportions of women and minority students graduating with master's degrees in the appropriate disciplines from institutions within the state system, or to the respective proportions of women and minorities in the relevant labor market whichever is greater.

2. To employ proportions of women and minority faculty and administrators in positions requiring the doctoral degree equal to, at least, the respective proportions of women and minorities in the relevant labor market.

3. To employ proportions of women and minorities in non-academic positions equal to, at least, the respective proportions of women and minorities in the relevant labor market.

4. Until the previous employment goals are achieved for faculty and administrative positions, the proportions of women and minorities hired shall, at least, equal the proportions of women and minorities in the relevant labor markets.

5. Numerical goals and timetables will reflect annual increases in the numbers and proportions of women and minorities employed in all positions where disparities exist until the previous employment goals have been achieved.

DISSEMINATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY

The internal dissemination of South Plains College affirmative action policies shall include but not be limited to:

1. Publication in the Faculty Handbook, Staff Handbook, Policy & Procedures Manual.

2. Discussion during scheduled meetings with executive management and supervisory personnel to explain policy intentions and individual responsibilities for effective implementation.

3. Orientation of the institution's new employees during in-service training to the objectives of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action.

4. Posting the Administrative Policy Statement on bulletin boards and other areas frequented by employees.

5. Communication at the departmental level of the institution's affirmative action policies to the extent necessary for all employees to avail themselves of the benefits of the policies.

The external dissemination of the college's Affirmative Action Program shall include but not be limited to:

1. Written stipulations that all recruiting sources actively recruit and refer minorities, women, and handicapped applicants for all positions listed as vacancies.

2. Incorporation of the statement, SPC reserves the right to extend the search or not offer position advertised. An equal opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer in all employment advertisements.

3. Communication to prospective employees of the provisions of the affirmative action policies.

4. Written notification of the college's affirmative action policies to minority and women's organizations, community agencies, community leaders and businessmen, and officials of secondary schools in the communities served by the college.

5. Utilization of minority and non-minority employees of both sexes to advertise position vacancies through various media presentations.

6. Communication of professional position openings to appropriate job markets which may include: (a) Job placement offices at colleges and universities in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico; (b) Job notices in local and regional newspapers such as News-Press, Lubbock Avalanche Journal, West Texas Hispanic, The Lubbock Digest, The El Editor, Lubbock, Texas. (c) Texas Workforce Commission, Stars & Stripes, VFW Magazine, American Legion Paper, and South Plains College Website Homepage.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR IMPLEMENTATION

The supervision, administration, and direction of the affirmative action plan at South Plains College is the primary responsibility of the President of the college. The Director of Human Resources has been assigned the responsibility for implementing the Affirmative Action Plan.

The responsibilities of the Director of Human Resources:

1. Supervising the recruitment, employment, training, and promotion in all position titles without regard to race, religion, color, gender, national origin, age, or disability.

2. Making employment decisions to further the principle of equal employment opportunity.

3. Reviewing all proposed employment and promotion actions to insure adherence to the affirmative action policies of the college.

4. Insuring that all personnel actions such as compensation, fringe benefits, transfers, and reductions in force, leave of absence, college training, education, and social and recreational programs are administered without regard to race, religion, gender, national origin, age, or disability.

5. Informing supervisors of their collective and individual responsibilities for implementing the affirmative action policies.

As affirmative action officer of the college, he will be responsible for:

1. Recommending policies and practices for internal and external communication of the equal employment and affirmative action policies.

2. Designing and recommending audit-reporting systems that will measure the effectiveness of the college's affirmative action policies accurately indicate needs for remedial and future action, and determine the degree to which the college's goals have been attained.

3. Assisting in the identification of problems and the determination of solutions to these problems.

4. Serving as a liaison between the college and enforcement agencies, minority organizations, and community action groups.

5. Informing management and the executive administration of the latest developments in the equal employment area.

6. Becoming actively involved with local minority organizations, women's organizations, and community action and service programs.

7. Reviewing applicant and employee qualifications to insure that minorities and women are provided equal opportunities for employment.

8. Satisfying federal, state, and local reporting requirements, as well as other technical phases of compliance.

MONITORING PROCEDURES

1. The Director of Human Resources will require written documentation for all referrals, placements, transfers, promotions, and terminations to insure that non-discrimination is being practiced at all levels.

2. Institutional affirmative action and equal employment policies, trends, and patterns will be discussed at Administrative Council meetings.

3. The Director of Human Resources will make specific recommendations to the President of South Plains College to remedy unsatisfactory progress toward the goals and objectives of the affirmative employment policies.

4. A periodic analysis of applicant flow by minority status and gender will be conducted to determine recruitment progress.

5. In order to insure equal opportunity for promotion, the Director of Human Resources will:

a. Post or announce (institution-wide) all promotional opportunities.
b. Inventory the qualifications of all current employees to ascertain their academic, skill, and experience levels.
c. Insure the implementation of a formal employee evaluation system that is objective in nature and free from ethnic or sexual bias.
d. Validate required position qualifications with position performance responsibilities.
e. Maintain all employment records.

MEASURES TO ATTAIN GOALS

1. Divisional Deans, and Directors have developed generalized position. Qualifications, descriptions, and titles which accurately reflect position responsibilities for the following categories supervised: departmental chairpersons, faculty, professional non-faculty, para-professional, classified, and unclassified. Divisional Deans will formulate the position's minimum specifications after considering the levels of education, experience, and skills, which are essential for the successful performance of the respective positions' responsibilities.

2. The college's procedures for employment have been revised to include a voluntary survey of the applicant's ethnic origin and the source of information by which the applicant became aware of the position vacancy. The survey information is being utilized to determine the effectiveness of the college's affirmative action recruiting procedures with respect to applicant flow. The survey information will not become a part of the official application and will not be identifiable by name to any supervisor involved in the current employment process.

3. The Director of Human Resources periodically conducts conferences to discuss the affirmative employment policies, goals, and specific reporting and monitoring procedures for all supervisors involved in the hiring process.

 

Amendment: Edit
Authorized by: Executive Council
Nature of Revision: Content
Date Issued: 11/97