System Human Resource Services coordinates the System’s employment equity efforts, which includes the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) search initiatives at the Academic Professional level, in addition to Affirmative Action plans within all its offices. System Human Resource Services also serves as the hearing officer on behalf of the President of the University of Illinois System for system-level grievances.

What is Equal Employment Opportunity?

University of Illinois System is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and to compliance with all Federal, State and local laws regarding it. EEO is a set of standards that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and related conditions, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. The laws apply to all types of work situations, including recruiting, hiring, disciplinary actions, terminations, promotions, pay practices, training, wages, and benefits.

Employees of and applicants to University of Illinois System will not be subject to harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion, or discrimination because they have engaged or may engage in filing a complaint, assisting in a review, investigation, or hearing or have otherwise sought to obtain their legal rights related to any Federal, State, or local law regarding EEO for qualified individuals with disabilities or qualified protected veterans.

What is Affirmative Action?

Affirmative Action is the System’s legal obligation as a state and federally funded entity to recruit and advance qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans in employment. Affirmative Actions include training programs, outreach efforts, and other positive steps. An Affirmative Action plan must be designed to achieve the purposes of Title VII, which in simplest terms, aims to break down old patterns of segregation and hierarchy and to overcome the effects of past or present practices, policies, or other barriers to equal employment opportunity. The University of Illinois System implements a written Affirmative Action plan, which consists of training programs, outreach efforts, and other initiatives that are maintained, reviewed, and updated annually.