Glossary

Affirmative Action
Affirmative action includes actions, policies, and procedures to which a (federal) contractor commits itself and that are designed to achieve equal employment opportunity. The affirmative action obligation entails: (1) thorough, systematic efforts to prevent discrimination from occurring or to detect it and eliminate it as promptly as possible, and (2) recruitment and outreach measures.

The Department of Labor's Employment Standards Administration's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) enforces the Executive Order 11246, as amended; Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended and the affirmative action provisions (Section 4212) of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act, as amended. Taken together, these laws ban discrimination and require federal contractors and subcontractors to take affirmative action to ensure that all individuals have an equal opportunity for employment, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or status as a Vietnam-era or special disabled veteran.

Applicant
At The University of Iowa, an applicant is defined as a person who has expressed interest in a specific job vacancy at The University of Iowa by submitting a resume/curriculum vitae or application, either by mail, fax, or electronic processing in the manner designated by the University. All applicants for professional and scientific positions must be listed on the Pre-Interview Report and Search and Selection Summary.

Candidate
An applicant who has been selected for an interview by the search committee.

Discrimination
Discrimination refers to the process of illegally differentiating between people on the basis of group membership rather than individual merit. Systemic discrimination may be said to occur when unequal treatment results from "neutral" institutional practices that continue the effect of past discrimination (e.g., height requirements). Individual discrimination may result when a person is subjected to unequal treatment on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, disability, or status as a disabled or Vietnam-era veteran.

Diversity
The term “diversity” refers to U.S. populations that have been historically and presently denied full inclusion on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

In The University of Iowa’s strategic plan, The Iowa Promise, the term diversity refers to underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities and/or women, persons with disabilities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered persons; persons of disadvantaged socioeconomic status; and nontraditional and international students.

EEO/AA
Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action

Equal Employment Opportunity
The concept of equal employment opportunity involves the right of persons to apply and be evaluated for employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, disability, or status as a disabled or Vietnam-era veteran. It guarantees everyone the right to be considered solely on the basis of his or her ability to perform the duties of the job in question, with or without reasonable accommodations as appropriate.

Goal
An annual target selection rate for women or minorities in a job group or department that has been determined to be underrepresented for that group. A goal is not a quota, but rather a target which employers must demonstrate good faith efforts to attain.

Goals are determined originally on the basis of the number of expected hires for the academic year then adjusted to reflect the actual number of hires made. Goals are set when a department is underrepresented for women or minorities and is expected to have an opportunity to hire during the year.

The goal is calculated by multiplying the availability percentage for the department or job group by the number of hires expected (or made) during the year in the specified department or job group.

The Iowa Promise
The Iowa Promise : A Strategic Plan for The University of Iowa, 2005-2010

Racial/Ethnic Minority
A person belonging to a racial or ethnic group which historically has been disadvantaged and underrepresented in the workforce. Minority groups have been defined by the federal government to include American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Asians/Pacific Islanders, African Americans/Blacks, and Hispanics/Latinos. Definitions of these minority groups follow:

• American Indian/Alaskan Native : Persons having origins in any of the original peoples of North America and who maintain cultural identification through tribal affiliations or community recognition.
• Asian/Pacific Islander : Persons having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands. This area includes, for example, China, Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands, and Samoa.
• African American /Black, Not of Hispanic Origin: Persons having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.
• Hispanic/Latino : Persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.

OFCCP
The OFCCP (Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs) is a division of the United States Department of Labor, and is responsible for enforcing Executive Order 11246, as amended, (3 C.F.R. 341 (1964 - 1965 Compilation)), Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. S 793) and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (38 U.S.C. 2012). As a federal contractor, The University of Iowa is subject to these regulations and may be audited by the OFCCP for compliance.

Protected Class
A group of individuals who are covered by federal or state equal employment opportunity and/or affirmative action legislation entitling them to certain rights and benefits. Protected classes include: women; persons age 40 and above; persons with disabilities; members of racial/ethnic minority groups such as American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Asians/Pacific Islanders, African Americans/Blacks, and Hispanics/Latinos; disabled veterans; and veterans of the Vietnam era.

Underrepresentation (or Underutilization)
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) regulations define underrepresentation as "having materially fewer minorities or women in a particular job group than would reasonably be expected based upon their availability."

In order to determine whether a department or job group is underrepresented for women and/or minorities, the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity first determines the availability of women and minorities with requisite skills and education for that particular job category or department. The availability estimate is then compared to the actual percentage of women and minorities in the unit/job group. A department or job group is declared A underrepresented @ if the representation of women and/or minorities is lower than the availability estimate by two or more standard deviations. Hiring goals are set for the coming year if there is underutilization of women and/or minorities, and if recruitment is expected during the next academic year. As stated above in the definition of the term A goal @ , goals are not quotas, but rather targets which employers must demonstrate "good faith efforts" to attain.

Workflow
 Workflow is The University of Iowa’s electronic application for creating, routing, and approving various types of forms. Human Resources forms (e.g., appointment, change of status, Merit requisition, termination, etc.) and Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity forms (Requisition/Recruitment Plan, Pre-Interview Report, and Search and Selection Summary) are available online and can be processed through the Workflow system.

To access the Workflow System, log on to the Employee Self-Service Website using your HawkID and password.

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