Emory University
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

https://equityandinclusion.emory.edu/about/resources/eoaa.html

Emory University is dedicated to providing equal opportunities and equal access to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, gender, genetic information, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and veteran's status. Emory University does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment on the basis of any factor stated above or prohibited under applicable law. Students, faculty, and staff are assured of participation in University programs and in the use of facilities without such discrimination. Emory University complies with Executive Order 11246, as amended, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veteran's Readjustment Assistance Act, and applicable executive orders, federal and state regulations regarding nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and affirmative action. Emory University is committed to achieving a diverse workforce through application of its affirmative action, equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policy in all aspects of employment including recruitment, hiring, promotions, transfers, discipline, terminations, wage and salary administration, benefits, and training. Inquiries regarding this policy should be directed to the Emory University Department of Equity and Inclusion, 201 Dowman Drive, Administration Building, Atlanta, GA 30322. Telephone: 404-727-9867 (V) | 404-712-2049 (TDD).

For job postings, please add the following sentences regarding reasonable accommodations: Emory University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request a reasonable accommodation, please contact the Department of Accessibility Services at 404-727-9877 (V) | 404-712-2049 (TDD). Please note that one week advance notice is preferred.

University Policy 1.3 is Emory University's Equal Opportunity and Discriminatory Harassment Policy, reflecting Emory's commitment to maintaining an environment that is free of unlawful harassment and discrimination. Pursuant to the University’s commitment to a fair and open campus environment and in accordance with federal law, Emory cannot and will not tolerate discrimination against or harassment of any individual or group based upon race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, gender, genetic information, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran’s status, or any factor that is a prohibited consideration under applicable law. Emory University welcomes and promotes an open and genuinely diverse environment.

The Department of Equity and Inclusion, in keeping with Emory University's Equal Opportunity and Discriminatory Harassment Policy (Policy 1.3), is responsible for conducting investigations into complaints of discrimination, discriminatory harassment and retaliation filed by students, faculty, and staff members against faculty or staff members. Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 protects people from sex discrimination in educational programs and activities at institutions that receive federal financial assistance. Emory University has two primary policies that prohibit conduct constituting sexual discrimination and sexual misconduct, Policy 1.3 - Equal Opportunity and Discriminatory Harassment Policy, and Policy 8.2 - Sex and Gender-Based Harassment and Discrimination Policy.

Emory encourages anyone who has knowledge of discrimination on campus to report alleged violations of this policy. Because discriminatory harassment interferes with the University’s educational mission and may be unlawful, anyone who becomes aware of discrimination or discriminatory harassment committed by member of the faculty, staff, administration, student body, a vendor, a contractor, guest or patron on campus, is encouraged to report the harassment to the Vice Provost and/or Compliance Director of The Office of Equity and Inclusion. The Vice Provost is also the University Title IX Coordinator.

Emory faculty, administrators and supervisors are required to immediately report any employment complaints they receive or incidents of discrimination or discriminatory harassment they witness, to their immediate supervisor or to the Office of Equity and Inclusion.

If a member of the Emory University community believes that he or she has been the victim of discrimination or discriminatory harassment or has information about discrimination/harassment in the university community, he or she may promptly report, without fear of reprisal, the facts of the incident and the name(s) of the individual(s) involved to the Office of Equity and Inclusion, located in Suite 305 of the Administration Building, or call the Office of Equity and Inclusion at (404) 727-9867. This report initiates a complaint.

The Office of Equity and Inclusion (or an alternate investigator, where appropriate) will promptly, fairly and thoroughly investigate all timely claims of harassment and discrimination, regardless of whether such complaints are reduced to writing. All complaints of discrimination and harassment will be treated in the strictest confidence possible under the particular circumstances.

Emory will not retaliate or take any adverse action against anyone for truthfully reporting conduct that he or she believes to be in violation of this Policy, or for participating in good faith in an investigation of alleged discrimination or harassment, or for participating in any proceeding or hearing relating to such complaints.

If OEI finds that there has been a violation of this policy and if the Dean or division head seeks advice as to the appropriate penalty, OEI may provide a recommendation as to the appropriate sanction. The Dean or division head will then be responsible for deciding upon and imposing disciplinary action as soon as reasonably possible, but within no more than one month after receiving the final determination and advice of OEI. The Dean or deciding official shall notify OEI of the penalty imposed, if any.

Sanctions imposed on those individuals who have been found to be in violation of the University’s Equal Opportunity Policy or its Discriminatory Harassment Policy shall be commensurate with the severity and/or frequency of the conduct, and shall be adequate and sufficient to prevent such conduct in the future. The sanctions may include, but are not limited to, an apology to the victim; a verbal or written reprimand; a requirement to attend remedial training; appropriate workplace restrictions; denial of a merit pay increase or other benefit; denial of promotion; or reassignment, suspension or separation from the University. Staff members who receive disciplinary penalties under this policy may consult Human Resources for information about the Grievance process, which may be used to challenge alleged violations, misinterpretations, or inequitable application of policies or procedures.

The community may contact the Emory Trust Line or Report through Bias Incidence Reporting on-line. In the event of a Title IX (Sexual Misconduct) complaint, all employees are mandated reporters and should report to a Title IX Coordinator, Deputy Coordinator or the University Title IX Coordinator.

The Office of Admissions begins in early October recruiting high-achieving, underrepresented students. Emory's Cultural Overnight Recruitment Experience (CORE) Fall visitation program is designed to support talented, high-achieving high school seniors who are from first generation and/or underrepresented cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. The program is held in October and includes a 2 night, 3 day visit. For more information on the CORE program, visit http://apply.emory.edu/core/.

Emory has a proud tradition of close partnerships with organizations that serve underprepresented students, such as QuestBridge, College Horizons, Strive for College, College Greenlight and Chicago Scholars. Our partnership with QuestBridge is so strong that in fall 2020 117 students -- almost 9% of Emory College’s enrolling first-year class -- applied via the QuestBridge application (instead of the general Common Application or Coalition Application).

Over the past two years Matriculate has identified over 100 students at both Emory and Oxford to assist promising high school students. We strive to help talented and high-achieving, low-income high school students who miss the chance to attend some of the top colleges simply because they do not apply. In addition to financial support of the program, members from the Admission and Aid Office work very closely with Matriculate staff members on the administration of the program on Emory’s campus.

For indigenous students, Emory participates in the College Horizons, which is a six-day pre-college workshop for American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian high school sophomores and juniors.

Emory also proudly hosts the annual Latino Youth Conference. In 2019, 2,300 students, parents and teachers attended the conference. The Latino Youth Leadership Conference, now in its 21st year, provides Latino students with the tools they need to access post-secondary education, develop leadership skills and explore careers.

Emory is one of the few universities in the nation that not only accepts undocumented students, but will pay for 100% of their tuition if they are accepted. https://studentaid.emory.edu/undergraduate/how-aid-works/undocumented.html

Emory offers educational programs on Unconscious Bias Training, has incorporated a guide to Best Practices for Hiring and has implemented a monitoring system for hiring. Emory publishes an Affirmative Action plan each year with hiring goals and action plans are implemented in various departments to achieve those goals. In addition, each College or School at Emory University develops individual student recruitment and retention plans for underrepresented groups.

Emory University has developed Best Practices for Hiring a Diverse and Excellent Faculty, which recommends that hiring committees include diverse perspectives. Diversity provides the most benefits when the committee is allowed to work through any differences in perspectives. Members of underrepresented groups must be encouraged to bring their whole selves into the process.include at least three members who come from an underrepresented group in order to overcome feelings of tokenism, isolation , and burnout. As part of educational training, faculty search committees receive Unconscious Bias Training and follow Best Practices monitored by the Office of Equity and Inclusion. http://www.equityandinclusion.emory.edu/diversity/faculty/best-practices-one.html

The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion works to:
• Foster an inclusive community that promotes a positive educational environment, fairness, and access, and
• Support compliance efforts as they relate to equal opportunities and affirmative action laws and regulations
Colleagues on our team work with faculty, staff, students, hospital employees, alumni, and visitors on related aspects that include:
• University Title IX
• Discrimination and harassment management
• Affirmative action plans and implementation
• Educational programming
• Best practices for searches and hires
• Access and disability services

The Committee on Class and Labor has its roots in conversations that began at Emory University in the spring of 2010, when students began raising awareness of their concerns about contract labor on campus. A number of faculty members also sought to deepen the community’s interest in these matters. These conversations and activities led to the creation of this committee. There are two Class and Labor reports, one on Staff and one on Faculty. A third Class and Labor study is expected on Students in the near future.

The University Senate Diversity Committee has the following objectives: (1) to provide a more comprehensive view of the University’s offices and initiatives responsible for strengthening diversity at Emory and to facilitate discussion and communication between offices and groups around these initiatives; (2) to encourage diversity considerations in the formation of all University Senate committees; and (3) to publicize events on campus that have a strong diversity component. http://www.senate.emory.edu/home/committees/Senate%20Diversity.html

Emory University’s Office of Global Strategy and Initiatives (GSI) is dedicated to the support, promotion, and expansion of Emory’s international engagement. Through the strategic internationalization of programs, curricula, and research, GSI supports creative global initiatives, fosters cross-unit collaboration, promotes a culturally vibrant and diverse campus, and coordinates Emory's international resources and partnerships. GSI leads the implementation of Emory’s global strategies, which it helped develop through a multi-year effort involving broad community input. The strategies provide a vision for the future of Emory's global engagement.

Emory Campus Life provides mentoring, counseling, peer support, academic support, and other programs designed specifically to support students from underrepresented groups. These supports are provided primarily through Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and Belonging and Community Justice, which houses the Office for Racial and Cultural Engagement (RACE), the Center for Women, LGBT Life, Social Justice Education, the 1915 Scholars Program (mentoring program for first-gen/low-income students) and the Mariposa Scholars Program (mentoring program for DACA and undocumented students). Current programs include:
• MORE Mentoring Program for first-year students of color
• Graduate Student Writing Groups for students of color, LGBT students, and women students
• Centro Latinx – programming and study space for Latinx students
• Emory Black Student Union – programming and study space for Black students
• RACE and CAPS “Doing the Work: Activism and Self Care” series, including sessions on racial battle fatigue and support for students with mixed-status families
• CAPS support and therapy groups, including groups for Black undergraduate student support, Black graduate student support, BIPOC student support, and gender and sexual diversity
• Center for Women’s Reunión (for Latina students) and Kitchen Table (for Black women students) weekly peer discussion groups
• LGBT Life weekly queer discussion groups (Trans-forming Gender, Queer Men, Queer Women, Queer Grads, Queer and Asian, BlackOUT, and Queer Trans Latinx) and QTSOC Community Series (monthly mixers for queer and trans students of color)
• Career panels and networking nights for students of color

The Office of Undergraduate Affairs in the Office of the Provost sponsors and collaborates with colleagues across campus to support students from underrepresented groups. Some examples include:
• First-Gen Faculty Committee This committee brings together faculty to identify areas where faculty can help support the first-gen community and to offer perspectives on students’ experience.
• Emory First-Gen and Low Income University Committee. This standing committee brings together faculty, students and staff supporting our FGLI students. It includes representatives from all parts of the campus. It was established in 2020.
• Emory First-Gen Office Hours--Regular office hours for first-gen students run by the Office of Undergraduate Affairs allowing students to connect with staff of the OUA for support, mentorship, and collaboration.
• American Talent Initiative (ATI) ATI brings top colleges and universities together with the philanthropy and research communities to expand access and opportunity for talented low- and moderate-income students. By 2025, ATI aims to attract, enroll, and graduate an additional 50,000 lower-income students at the 327 colleges and universities that consistently graduate at least 70 percent of their students in six years. Emory joined ATI in 2018, committing to attract, enroll and support more high-achieving, lower- and moderate-income students from before they arrive on campus to graduation and beyond.
• QuestBridge Breakfast--The OUA sponsors a breakfast during QuestBridge Scholars week to host current QSN students and interviewees and participates in regular QuestBridge scholar events.
• First-Gen Dinner--The OUA co-sponsors a dinner with first-generation undergraduates and coordinates first-generation staff and faculty to speak with students about their experiences.
• Emory First-Gen Week—Started in 2020: In conjunction with National First-Gen Day, Emory celebrates first-generation students during the week, this year from November 6-13. The Office of Undergraduate Affairs coordinates activities and initiatives across campus related to the first-gen experience. For 2020, the OUA sent out communications to all Emory students, faculty and staff asking them to self-identify as first-generation and has developed marketing materials to increase their visibility on campus. The OUA has also created t-shirts to give first-generation students and faculty and is working to scale this effort to include staff.
• Emory FLIP: First-Generation Low-Income Emory FLIP is dedicated to fostering a community for first-generation and/or low-income students at Emory. FLIP is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit established to promote equal opportunity for first-generation and low-income students in institutions of higher learning. Housed in Department of Sociology, with Professor Tim Dowd as faculty advisor.
• Emory Grad FLIP (EGFLIP) The EGFLIP is a new organization (summer 2020) that intends to work to promote equal opportunity for FLIP graduate students by collaborating with various units around the university to address the issues that first-generation and low-income students face. The group aims to build a community of FLI graduate students and alums from different departments to improve their educational, professional and lived experiences. EGFLIP also plans to partner with the Emory Undergraduate FLI chapter to mentor FLI undergraduate students to help promote and increase their enrollment in graduate and professional education.
• The 1915 Scholars Program provides informational, mentoring and social support to a cohort of first-generation and low-income students in order to alleviate some of the barriers they commonly encounter. The program involves peer, and alumni mentoring, specialized orientation programs, on-going academic workshops and community-building events through structured interactions with Campus Life, the Office of Undergraduate Education, the Alumni Association, and various support services. The program is newly situated (Fall 2020) in Belonging, Community, and Justice within Campus Life.
• Black Male Initiative offers a pre-orientation program providing support for Black male students who identify on the African Diaspora through academic and social support, access to campus resources, and professional development. There is also a Black Men's Initiative Immersion Community for first year students. http://college.emory.edu/orientation/orientation/pre-orientation/bmi.html https://housing.emory.edu/reslife/theme-immersion-communities.html
• OxFirst Oxford College’s first-generation student organization. The group holds events to help strengthen the first-generation and low-income community on campus and provide them with as many resources as possible.

The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program is a prestigious program offered to rising Juniors who come from underrepresented backgrounds who will “change the face of academia” by pursuing their PhD and eventually applying for a tenure-track position at a university. http://www.mellonmays.emory.edu/

The Emory Pipeline program is a very popular program for undergraduate students to promote careers in STEM for high school students from underrepresented groups in the metro-Atlanta area. In this student-run program, students from the Emory School of Medicine, Rollins School of Public Health and Laney Graduate School collaborate with Emory College undergraduates to mentor students from underrepresented schools, including South Atlanta, Booker T. Washington, Maynard Holbrook Jackson, The New Schools at Carver, and Frederick Douglass High Schools, to improve their academic skills by engaging the budding young scholars in hands-on exploration of medical sciences. This layering of mentoring, teaching, and service aims to produce socially conscious leaders with an interest in community involvement and a portfolio of educational skills. http://www.emorypipeline.org/

STEM Pathways is a pre-orientation program providing support to natural science and mathematics students who are the first generation in their families to attend college, or are in identity groups underrepresented in STEM fields. The STEM Pathways pre-orientation program provides an introduction to STEM opportunities and faculty at Emory, and seeks to create a supportive community among participants and peer mentors. http://college.emory.edu/orientation/orientation/pre-orientation/stem.html

Emory’s Initiative to Maximize Student Development (IMSD) is NIH-funded pipeline program aimed at connecting undergraduates from underrepresented groups who are pursuing careers in STEM fields with graduate students in order to pursue opportunities related to STEM in higher education. http://news.emory.edu/stories/2017/05/er_initative_maximize_student_development/campus.html

Emory's James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race and Difference offers fellowship opportunities for pre-doctoral, post-doctoral and advanced scholars in promoting diversity in academia. http://jamesweldonjohnson.emory.edu/home /

Publicly accessible inventory of gender neutral bathrooms on campus: http://www.lgbt.emory.edu/trans/bathrooms_facilities.html