OPP Diversity Information

Resources

Affirmative Action Office
The Affirmative Action Office is a service organization that supports and enhances the University's commitment to diversity, providing expert advice and leadership to colleges, departments, faculty and staff in their efforts to recruit and retain a diverse workforce and ensure an environment free from discrimination and harassment.

• Sexual Harassment
  Penn State University is committed to an open, sensitive, understanding, and responsive campus environment. The single most important key to opening the doors wider to all people is to create an environment in which everyone feels welcome. To do this, we must eliminate intolerance and harassment within what should be an enlightened community of faculty, staff and students.
  Sexual Harassment Resource People at Physical Plant

• University Access Committee
  The University Access Committee's (UAC) mission is to prioritize and fund barrier removal projects in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG).

Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equity (CLGBTE)
The Commission serves as an advisory group to the President of Penn State on matters affecting the climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members of the University community. Its purpose is to enhance a positive working and living environment for all members of the University community, regardless of sexual orientation. Members are appointed to serve three-year terms and include representation from all employee classifications, as well as graduate and undergraduate students.

Commission for Women (CFW)
The Commission for Women is actively seeking nominations for membership.
The Commission is a forum for exchanging ideas that can translate into improved practices to support women at Penn State. Its membership represents all Penn State women: faculty, exempt and non-exempt staff, technical service, administrator, graduate and undergraduate students. The University president appoints the members of the Commission as an advisory group to recommend policies and programs to enhance the University’s working and learning environments.

The purpose of the CFW Mentoring Program is to enhance professional and personal development among full-time faculty, staff (exempt and nonexempt), and technical-service workers by connecting them with others who can provide advice on a variety of work-related issues, including career planning, job skill enhancement, and University involvement. The program involves administrators, faculty, technical-service employees, longtime staff, and newcomers to Penn State. Full-time faculty, staff and technical-service employees can apply to be a mentor or protégé, depending on their needs and goals. Mentors can come from all levels of experience, while protégés do not need to be new to the workforce or the University.

Commission on Racial/Ethnic Diversity (CORED)
The Commission on Racial/Ethnic Diversity (CORED) was established in 1989 to serve as a University-wide advisory body to the President of Penn State in matters relating to racial and ethnic diversity. The Commission is dedicated to enhancing the University's climate for diversity at all its locations in the Commonwealth and advancing A Framework to Foster Diversity: 2004-2009, Penn State's diversity strategic plan. Full members are appointed by the President to serve a four-year term, or in the case of students, until graduation. Associate members are appointed to serve a one-year renewable term.

Office of Disability Services (ODS)
At every Penn State location, there is an office designated to provide services for students with disabilities. Each designated office requests and maintains disability-related documents; certifies eligibility for services; determines academic adjustments, auxiliary aids, and/or services; and develops plans for the provision of academic adjustments, auxiliary aids, and/or services as mandated under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
The Office for Disability Services (ODS) is the designated office that provides services to students with disabilities who are enrolled at the University Park location. At other Penn State locations, services are provided through the Disability Contact Liaisons.

The Race Relations Project (RRP)
The Race Relations Project (RRP) is a peer-facilitated diversity program that employs trained undergraduate students from Penn State to lead small group discussions on the topic of race relations. Because its mission is simply to expand the multicultural dialogue, the RRP does not teach or preach or tell anyone what they should think. Instead, the facilitators encourage each participant to uncover for themselves what they actually think. And our experience shows that this candid type of conversation helps participants to better understand their own views on race relations and, in turn, begins to create the foundation for a true sense of multicultural competence.