Definitions
Equal Employment Opportunity: Employment practices under which no individuals are excluded from consideration, participation, promotion or benefits because of a protected class. EEO is achieved through Affirmative Action.
Affirmative Action: Results-oriented practices/programs that eliminate the effects of discrimination and ensure equal employment in hiring or recruitment, transfer, promotion, or training.
Protected Class: A protected class is a group of people who share a specific common identity or characteristic and are legally protected from discrimination and harassment on the basis of that characteristic. Protected classes are established by state and federal laws to ensure equal treatment in areas such as employment, education, and housing.
Protected Classes (State and Federal)
Age
Ancestry
Color
Covered Veteran
Criminal Record (in state employment and licensing)
Gender identity or expression
Genetic Information
Learning disability
Marital Status
Past or present history of a mental disability
Intellectual disability
National Origin
Physical disability
Prior protected activity
Race
Religion
Sex, including pregnancy and sexual harassment
Sexual Orientation
Workplace hazard to the reproductive system
Status as a Victim of Domestic Violence
Prior protected activity
Why Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity?
As a Connecticut state agency, the University must comply with state AA/EEO regulations in ensuring a non-discriminatory search and hire process. These regulations direct the University to engage in proactive recruitment strategies to identify a qualified applicant pool and qualification-based evaluation resulting in the hire of the most qualified candidates regardless of protected class. Further information on recruitment and Applicant Evaluation can be found on the Search Compliance and Recruitment page.
To demonstrate compliance, The University prepares the Affirmative Action Plan for Employment for both Storrs & Regional Campuses and UConn Health, which are submitted annually to the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO).
Additionally, as a federal contractor, the University must maintain compliance with federal anti-discrimination regulations. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) monitors contractors’ compliance with the legal requirement to not discriminate based on protected classes as well as enforcing VEVRAA1 and Section 5032.
- The Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) prohibits discrimination in employment against protected veterans, and requires employers to take affirmative action to recruit, hire, promote, and retain these veterans. As revised, the regulations strengthen the affirmative action provisions of the regulations to aid contractors in their efforts to recruit and hire protected veterans and improve job opportunities for protected veterans. ↩︎
- Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination in employment against individuals with disabilities (IWDs), and requires employers to take affirmative action to recruit, hire, promote, and retain these individuals. As revised, the regulations strengthen the affirmative action provisions to aid contractors in their efforts to recruit and hire IWDs, and provide income job opportunities for individuals with disabilities. ↩︎