Affirmative Action
A level playing field
The Affirmative Action Office is charged with ensuring that university policies and programs comply with applicable Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action laws. We support UW-Eau Claire's commitment to equity and diversity by developing and implementing the university's Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action policies and procedures. Our goal is to maintain a campus environment that is free of discrimination and harassment, and that is welcoming to all students, employees, and guests.
What does Affirmative Action mean to college students?
It may seem like the topic of affirmative action applies only to prospective or current students in terms of the ways in which the application process and enrollment decisions may be impacted by race, religion, or gender. But that's only a small part of the picture.
At UW-Eau Claire, the Affirmative Action Office is the place where all policies and programs on campus must "pass muster" in terms of being fair and equitable to all students and employees, with regard to race, gender, and religion. It is also the office that handles reports for violations of certain policies for consensual relationships, discrimination, or harassment. For students, this can mean incidents between students, an incident between a student and a faculty member, or a situation involving a coach or campus employee.
What sorts of policies might impact a student?
Title IX
Title IX of the U.S. Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination based on sex in educational programs and activities that receive financial support from the Federal government.
"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." 20 U.S.C § 1681(a).
Under Title IX, discrimination based on sex includes sexual harassment, sexual violence, and sexual assault. Title IX also prohibits retaliation against individuals who complain or participate in an investigation regarding an alleged Title IX violation.
At the college level, it is the application of Title IX to athletics that has gained the greatest public visibility. However, the law applies to every single aspect of education including course offerings, counseling and counseling materials, financial assistance, student health and insurance benefits and/or other services, housing, marital and parental status of students, physical education and athletics, education programs and activities, and employment.
UW-Eau Claire Title IX Policy
In compliance with Title IX, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire does not discriminate on the basis of sex in employment or in educational programs or activities. It is our goal to maintain an environment free from harassment and discrimination. We proactively address sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking and have established a system for the prompt and equitable resolution of complaints and grievances arising under Title IX.
Title IX Coordinator and Deputy Coordinator
Teresa O'Halloran, Affirmative Action Officer, is the Title IX Coordinator for UW-Eau Claire. She has primary responsibility for coordinating Title IX compliance efforts, including oversight of implementation and monitoring of Title IX policy; coordination of training, education, and communications; and administration of grievance procedures regarding sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual assault.
Ashley Fritz, Assistant Dean of Students, is the Deputy Title IX Coordinator responsible for receiving complaints against students.
Questions or concerns regarding Title IX
Please contact these on-campus resources:
Teresa O'Halloran, Affirmative Action Officer, Title IX Coordinator
715-836-2387 | ohallote@uwec.edu
212 Schofield Hall, 105 Garfield Ave., Eau Claire, WI, 54701
You may also directly contact:
Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education
500 W. Madison Street, Suite 1475
Chicago, IL 60661-4544
Telephone: 312-730-1560
FAX: 312-730-1576; TDD: 800-877-8339
Email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov
Consensual relationships
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the employment and academic environment is free from real or perceived conflicts of interest when UW-Eau Claire employees, students, and affiliated individuals, in positions of unequal power, are involved in consensual romantic or sexual relationships.
Where this policy applies to students is with regard to any relations of a romantic, physical, or sexual nature between a student and any employee of the university. This could be an instructor, coach, or supervising campus employer. In some cases this can also apply to a relationship between two students if one student is the employment supervisor in that situation.
Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action.
Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation
It is the policy of the UW-Eau Claire to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, discriminatory harassment, and retaliation for all students and employees. This policy applies to all programs and activities, and employment practices and operations; including the conduct of all students and employees arising out of their employment, educational or academic status, as well as to the conduct of all guests, visitors, vendors, contractors, subcontractors, and others who do business with UW-Eau Claire.
Prospective and current students, student organizations, job applicants and employees will be informed of policies and procedures regarding discrimination, discriminatory harassment, and retaliation.
Sexual Violence and Harassment
This policy prohibits acts of sexual violence and sexual harassment on university property, at university-sanctioned or university-affiliated events, and where off-campus conduct affects a member of the university community. This policy applies to all university students and employees.
The Affirmative Action Office will provide students with the resources to help identify, report and respond to incidents of sexual violence or harassment including sexual assault, stalking, and dating or domestic violence.
The Center for Awareness of Sexual Assault (CASA) is another resource for campus victims of assault.