CC609 – Equal Opportunity Policy

  • Responsible Department: Compliance & Communications – Civil Rights & Title IX
  • Approving Body: Board of Regents
  • Effective Date: 12-AUG-1996
  • Review/Revision Date: 12-SEP-2024

PURPOSE: 

To ensure equal opportunity in educational programs and employment. 

POLICY: 

Western New Mexico University (WNMU) provides equal opportunity in education and employment for all qualified individuals. WNMU prohibits discrimination and harassment against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, spousal affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, veteran status or any other basis prohibited by federal and state law.  

Equal Employment Opportunity 

WNMU is committed to providing equal employment opportunity and forbids unlawful discrimination and harassment based on the list in section A, except where a bona fide occupational qualification exists, in regard to any position for which the employee or applicant is qualified.  Employment practices include, but are not limited to, the following: recruitment, hiring, promotion, demotion, transfer, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, job assignments, training, leaves of absence, fringe benefits, layoffs, and/or termination of employment.  

Equal Educational Opportunity 

The WNMU is committed to providing equal educational opportunity and forbids unlawful discrimination and harassment based on the list in section A.  This includes recruitment, admission, academic courses and activities, student support services, extracurricular programs and activities, facilities housing; financial assistance healthcare services that WNMU provides, and athletics.  

Reasonable Accommodation 

WNMU will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, religious practices, and medical conditions to include pregnancy or childbirth-related conditions in accordance with applicable law unless such accommodations have the end result of fundamentally altering a program, service, or essential functions of a job, or places an undue burden on the operations of the University 

Accommodation requests may be addressed to the following offices:  

Students:  

  • Mailing Address: 
  • Director of Student Accessibility 
  • PO Box 680,  
  • Silver City, NM 88062 
  • Telephone Number: (575) 538-6277 
  • Email: accessibility@wnmu.edu  

 

Employees and Student Workers:  

  • Mailing Address: 
  • Employee and Labor Relations 
  • PO Box 680 
  • Silver City, NM 88062  
  • Telephone: (575) 538-6201 
  • Email: elrelations@wnmu.edu  

Retaliation Prohibited 

This policy prohibits retaliation against a person who files a complaint of discrimination or harassment. This policy also prohibits retaliation against any person who assists someone with a complaint of discrimination or harassment or who participates in any manner in an investigation or resolution of a complaint of discrimination or harassment. 

Retaliation includes attempting to penalize or taking any form of adverse action against a person based on their part in a resolution of a complaint as listed above. Adverse action includes, but is not limited to, making threats, intimidation, coercion, or in any way discriminating against an individual or group because of their complaint or participation or any other adverse action relating to employment, academic, or institutional benefits. 

WNMU urges those who believe they have been discriminated against or retaliated against for reporting unlawful discriminatory conduct to file a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX:  

  • Mailing Address:  
  • Office of Civil Rights and Title IX 
  • P.O. Box 680  
  • Silver City, NM 88062  
  • Telephone Number: (575) 538- 6025 
  • Email:  CilviRights@wnmu.edu  
  • Website: TITLE IX 

CC609 – Equal Opportunity Policy

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