1. Civil Rights Policy Statement
Every customer/client and every employee must be treated fairly, equitably, with dignity and respect in employment and education. This policy applies to all customers/clients and employees — regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, including transgender status or gender expression, genetic information, citizenship status, and marital or family status.
Each UMaine Cooperative Extension employee has an important role in ensuring that our programs are open and accessible to all customer/clients in accordance with the goals of the program, and for maintaining a positive and equitable environment. The challenge, for each of us, is to make special efforts to seek out diversity. We are all responsible to recruit and retain people who are traditionally underrepresented in our programs and employee groups. We each become more effective in teaching and learning when we are open to a diversity of ideas, cultures, experiences, and backgrounds. Not only are our lives enriched, but we also build healthier communities for learning and living.
To support you in accomplishing these essential goals: Online Annual Civil Rights Training is available.
- Civil Rights coordinators facilitate a Civil Rights Annual Meeting in each county/unit to accomplish civil rights plans for the October 1 – September 30 program year.
- A Civil Rights Toolkit is available on Plugged In and contains all of the necessary Civil Rights forms and information.
Ongoing Civil Rights internal reviews are taking place to result in each county/unit receiving a review once every three years.
I am pleased to partner with you to achieve the important goals of equity and fairness to all. You may also contact Assistant Director Beth Hawkyard at 581.2892 or beth.hawkyard@maine.edu to ask questions about the tools and information listed above. Thank you for taking this aspect of your work with UMaine Extension very seriously.
Hannah Carter
Dean of Cooperative Extension