Policies and Laws

Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Statement of Policy

It is the policy of Georgia State University not to discriminate or allow the harassment of employees or applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law with regard to any employment practices, including recruitment, advertising, job application procedures, hiring, upgrading, training, promotion, transfer, compensation, job assignments, benefits, and/or other terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, provided the individual is qualified, with or without reasonable accommodations, to perform the essential functions of the job. This policy applies to all jobs at the University. The University will continue to ensure that individuals are employed, and that employees are treated during employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law in all employment practices as follows:

Employment decisions at the University are based on legitimate job-related criteria. All personnel actions or programs that affect qualified individuals, such as employment, upgrading, demotion, transfer, recruitment, advertising, termination, rate of pay or other forms of compensation, and selection for training, are made without discrimination based upon the individual's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Employees may choose to voluntarily disclose their race, sex, national origin, disability, and protected veteran status at any time by contacting Human Resources. Such information will be maintained in a confidential manner and will not be used against an individual when making any employment decisions. Employees and applicants with disabilities and disabled veterans are encouraged to inform Human Resources if they need a reasonable accommodation to perform a job for which they are otherwise qualified. The University makes, and will continue to make, reasonable accommodations to the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified applicant or employee to promote the employment of qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans, unless such accommodations would impose an undue hardship on the operations of the University's business.

Georgia State University is fully committed to principals of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. As President, I support the successful implementation of the University's Affirmative Action Programs. I have appointed Kieran B. Morrow, Senior Director of Equity & Civil Rights Compliance, as Affirmative Action Officer for the University, with responsibility for implementation of the University's affirmative action activities. The Affirmative Action Officer has the full support of senior administration and the staff necessary to fully implement this Program. All managers and supervisors will take an active part in the University's Affirmative Action Programs to ensure that all qualified employees and prospective employees are considered and treated in a nondiscriminatory manner with respect to all employment decisions. Furthermore, Georgia State University will solicit the cooperation and support of all employees for the University's Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Policy.

Our Affirmative Action Programs include an audit and reporting system, which, among other things, uses metrics and other information to measure the effectiveness of our Programs. The Affirmative Action Officer has been assigned responsibility for periodically reviewing progress in the compliance and implementation of the policy of affirmative action. In accordance with public law, the University's program of affirmative action for qualified individuals with disabilities and the program of affirmative action for protected Veterans are available for inspection in the Human Resources Department, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. upon request.

In addition, employees and applicants will not be subjected to harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion, or discrimination because they have engaged in, or may have engaged in, filing a complaint, assisting or participating in an investigation, compliance review or hearing, or other activity related to the administration of Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veteran's Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, Executive Order 11246, all as amended, and/or any other federal, state, or local law or regulation regarding Equal Employment Opportunity, opposing any act or practice made unlawful, or exercising any other right protected by such laws or regulations. Georgia State University will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is {a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, {b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or {c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information.