Responsibilities

Investigating complaints of discrimination or harassment

The Office of Affirmative Action is responsible for assisting faculty, staff, and students who believe they have been harassed or discriminated against because they are a member of a protected group. The Office is charged with investigating complaints under MnSCU’s 1B.1 Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination Policy and 1B.1.1 Procedure; 1B.3 Sexual Violence Policy and 1B.3.1 Procedure as well as all Title IX sex discrimination complaints. The Office also provides assistance to Minnesota State Mankato administrators in their role as decisionmakers and communicators of the results of internal investigations.

Resources

1. MnSCU Policy: 1B.1 Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination in Employment and Education
2. MnSCU Policy: 1B.1.1 Report/Complaint of Discrimination/Harassment Investigation and Resolution
3. MSU Form: 1B.1 [PDF] Complaint Form (236 KiB)
4. MnSCU Policy: [PDF] 1B.3 Sexual Violence Policy (133 KiB)
5. MnSCU Policy: [PDF] 1B.3.1 Sexual Violence Procedure (166 KiB)
6. Federal Law: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

Monitoring the recruitment and employment process

The Affirmative Action Office is responsible for monitoring the recruitment and employment process for faculty, administrative staff, adjunct faculty and graduate assistants to ensure compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, as well as compliance with the Minnesota State University, Mankato mission and strategic plan regarding diversity and affirmative action.

Resources

1. Search Handbook
   MSU Handbook for Managing Searches for Faculty, Administrative Staff, Adjunct, and Graduate Assistants. This link contains useful information on the processes for conducting searches, compliance with state and federal laws, and MSU standard forms.

2. Search Process Checklist - a step-by-step summary of the search process.
3. MnSCU Policy: 1B.2 Affirmative Action in Employment
4. Search Process - Frequently Asked Questions

Development and Monitoring of the Affirmative Action Plan

The Affirmative Action Office is responsible for developing and monitoring the University's Affirmative Action Plan to ensure compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, as well as compliance with the Minnesota State University, Mankato mission and strategic plan regarding diversity and affirmative action.

HIPAA Compliance

The Office of Affirmative Action is responsible for administering the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) at Minnesota State Mankato. All questions and concerns should be directed to affirmative-action@mnsu.edu or 507-389-2986. 

Resources

HIPAA - MnSCU General Counsel Information Page