Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action and Non-Discrimination The University of Southern California is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator and employer, proudly pluralistic and firmly committed to providing education and employment opportunities to outstanding, qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds and experience. The university strives to maintain a welcoming community in which all its members may live, work and learn in peace and dignity, be proud of who they are, and have equal opportunity to realize their full potential as individuals and members of society. To this end, the university places great emphasis on those values and virtues that bind us together as human beings and members of the Trojan Family. The university enthusiastically supports the principles of affirmative action and equal opportunity in their entirety, and expects that every person associated with the university will give continuing support to their implementation. The university is committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations—at all levels of government—that prohibit discrimination against, or mandate special consideration be given to, applicants for admission or employment, or current faculty, staff or students, on the basis of any protected characteristic. This commitment applies to all the university’s educational programs and activities—including admissions—as well as all employment actions, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, promotion, demotion, compensation, benefits, transfers, layoffs, return from layoff, provision of leaves, training, education, tuition assistance, and other programs. The university prohibits students, employees, contractors, volunteers, and visitors (collectively, “community members”) from engaging in discrimination and harassment based on any individual’s age, ancestry, citizenship, color, physical or mental disability, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable laws or regulations. The university also prohibits community members from engaging in sexual assault, non-consensual sexual contact, sexual misconduct, intimate partner violence, stalking, and violations of temporary administrative actions. Retaliation by university community members is also prohibited, including intimidation, threats, or coercion, where the retaliation is because any students, employees, or applicants for employment or academic admission have objected to discrimination, engaged or may engage in filing a complaint, assisted in a review, investigation, or hearing, or have otherwise sought to exercise their rights under any federal, state, or local equal employment opportunity law. The university makes good faith efforts towards compliance with all state and federal laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination in education or employment, even when relevant laws and regulations conflict with each other, or where obligations may be vague or otherwise unclear. Beyond mere compliance, the university strives to develop and implement best practices regarding non-discrimination and equal opportunity and access in both education and employment. All students, staff, faculty, vendors, and contractors associated with USC must adhere to this policy and are encouraged to assist the university’s efforts in support of non-discrimination and equal opportunity and access. Disability accommodations in employment Otherwise qualified individuals must not be denied admission, participation in educational programs and activities, or employment solely due to their disability. University policies and procedures ensure that employees and employment applicants with disabilities will be provided reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to employment opportunities, and in the performance of the essential functions of their work. Employees with questions or concerns about workplace accommodations should contact the Disability Accommodations Coordinator. If employees have questions about the adequacy or appropriateness of a provided accommodation, they should contact the ADA/504 Coordinator. Individuals who feel they have been improperly denied accommodations in employment should contact the Office of Equity and Diversity. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources. (See Resources section below for contact information.) Equal access for students with disabilities Otherwise qualified individuals must not be denied admission, participation in educational programs and activities, or employment due to their disability. University policies and procedures ensure that students and student applicants with disabilities will be provided full and equal access to and enjoyment of academic and co-curricular programs or activities, regardless of disability status, in an environment free from discrimination or harassment. The Office of Disability Services and Programs is the campus unit that reviews requests for and determines reasonable student accommodations and auxiliary aids and services for any student or student applicant with a disability. (See Resources section below for contact information.) Responsibility for equal opportunity and affirmative action USC provides employment equity for all persons without regard to any characteristic protected by university policy, as stated above. With the support and consensus of senior leadership, specifically including the President, the Office of Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX is responsible for implementing institutional affirmative action efforts to ensure the principle of equal employment opportunity is understood, followed, and a reality for our university. The university also implements an internal audit and reporting system to measure the effectiveness of our affirmative action plans. All members of management must be familiar with this policy, fully support it, and apply these principles in good faith. The Affirmative Action Plan for Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities is available for inspection in the Office of Equity and Diversity by any student, employee or applicant upon request, during normal business hours.