The CEO of Quinebaug Valley Community College, Dr. Karen Hynick, is the appointing authority for the institution. As such, she has ultimate responsibility for the development, implementation, and monitoring of QVCC’s Affirmative Action Plan. CEO Hynick has responsibility for the development, implementation, and monitoring of our Affirmative Action plan to QVCC’s Equal Employment Opportunity..
CEO Hynick ensure that employees are acquainted with QVCC’s Affirmative Action Plan, and their responsibilities thereunder, through a series of meetings each year. CEO Ellis reaffirms the College’s commitment to the principles of affirmative action and equal employment opportunity at staff meetings held at the beginning of each academic semester. Affirmative Action issues are also discussed at meetings of the President’s Advisory Council and the Cabinet. The subject matter discussed at these various meetings includes an overview of our Affirmative Action Plan; the legal authority for affirmative action and equal employment opportunity; the College’s commitment, and the President’s personal commitment, to the principles of affirmative action; how the College hiring process is designed to ensure nondiscriminatory employment practices. Difficulties encountered in meeting the goals of plan are also discussed along with training opportunities for employees.
Each year the President sends all employees electronic copies of the President’s Affirmative Action Statement, the College’s Affirmative Action Goals, and a description of the College’s Affirmative Action Grievance procedure.
CEO is the acting College’s Equal Employment Opportunity Officer. EEO related duties are developing, maintaining, and monitoring the QVCC Affirmative Action Plan; reaching out to recruiting sources and organizations that serve members of protected classes; updating the College on developments in affirmative action related laws and regulations; reviewing every step in the hiring process for each new hire to ensure that goal candidates are being properly considered; investigating all discrimination complaints and mitigating any discriminatory conduct discovered.
The entire senior management team is committed to the achievement of the College’s affirmative action goals. The President, The Dean of Academic and Student Affairs, and the Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness are all evaluated in part on their affirmative action and equal employment opportunity activities. A high level breakdown of their affirmative action responsibilities is listed below.
- Chief Executive Officer: Overall responsibility for affirmative action at QVCC. Communicates the College’s commitment to affirmative action and equal employment opportunity to students, staff, and the community. Has the final approval on all hiring decisions. Monitors upward mobility and promotion. Maintains professional networks. perating responsibility for the development, implementation, and monitoring of the College’s Affirmative Action Plan. Overall responsibility for the hiring process. Specific responsibility for the hiring of professional non-faculty, maintenance/service, paraprofessional, and clerical positions in the Administrative Services Division. Represents the College and BOR and State-wide meetings on affirmative action, equal employment opportunity, diversity, and Title IX issues. Maintains contacts with organizations serving protected classes and networks on a professional level.
- Dean of Academic Affairs and Student Services: Responsible for the recruitment and hiring of faculty, professional non-faculty, paraprofessional, and clerical positions in the Academic and Student Services Divisions. Works in tandem with the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer. Maintains personal contacts with protected class support agencies and networks on a professional level.
- Director for Institutional Research and Effectiveness: Responsible for the data collection and analysis required for the development and monitoring of our Affirmative Action Plan. Incorporates affirmative action and diversity issues in the College’s strategic plan. Represents the College at BOR and State-wide meetings on affirmative action and Title IX issues. Participates in Cabinet level discussions of affirmative action issues.
QVCC utilizes a team approach in the development and monitoring of our Affirmative Action plan. In addition to the Cabinet members listed above, members of our Human Resources and Finance staffs are also involved.
- Director of Finance: Overall responsibility for the College’s adherence to affirmative action related policies in the purchasing and finance areas. Participates in the review of new positions prior to the start of the hiring process.
- Fiscal Administrative Officer – Purchasing: Operating responsibility for the College’s adherence to affirmative action related policies in the purchasing area. Specific responsibility for the Minority Business Enterprise purchasing program.
- Fiscal Administrative Officer – Contracting: Operating responsibility for the College’s adherence to the affirmative action and non-discrimination aspects of the contracting process. Assists in the data collection and analysis required for the development of our Affirmative Action Plan.
- Human Resources Assistant: Administers the hiring process including job posting creation and placement, affirmative action record keeping, interview scheduling, and candidate communications. Assists in the data collection and analysis required for the development of our Affirmative Action Plan. Assists the EEO with the affirmative action review of each step of the hiring process.
- Associate Director of Human Resources: Oversees the process for hiring classified employees to ensure that DAS procedures are properly followed. Ensures affirmative action goals are properly considered within the framework of the DAS process. Ensures that bargaining unit contractual issues are properly handled in the hiring process.
The College strictly forbids the coercion, intimidation, or retaliation against anyone for performing their duties as discussed in this section.
QVCC understands our responsibility to review our progress toward the goals of our affirmative action plan. At the beginning of every hiring process we review the goals set for the appropriate category and inform all involved as to the goal candidate(s) for the position. We report on the status of goal candidates at each step of the process.