INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

Arizona State University (ASU) is a prime federal contractor, has more than 50 employees, and federal contracts in excess of $50,000.  Contracts with the federal government vary from small contracts for educational services to multi-million dollar contracts for research.  As a result of these contracts, ASU develops and disseminates an annual affirmative action plan.

 

The Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) contains the University's equal opportunity and affirmative action policies, data on all employment activity during 2005, utilization analyses, and hiring goals for 2006.  The data for 2005 demonstrates increases in hires from competitive searches as well as increases in hires through waivers of recruitment.  The need for flexibility due to program expansions and/or reorganizations and extramural funding requirements are some of the reasons for increased hiring through waivers.

 

During 2005, ASU’s President continued to reorganize the University as well as continue discussions about reorganization of academic programs within and among campuses.  One new vice presidential area, Intercollegiate Athletics, was created during 2005 and the name of the East campus was changed to the Polytechnic campus.  The vice presidential area formerly called Administration and Finance is now Business and Finance. The College of Nursing from the Tempe campus was added to the Downtown Phoenix campus.   This AAP contains the first year of employment activity data for the Downtown Phoenix campus and for the vice presidential areas of University Administration/General Counsel and University Undergraduate Initiatives.  Base data for the Intercollegiate Athletics vice presidential area for 2006 is also included; 2005 data for this area remains in the President’s area for this Plan.  Job groups were added, deleted, or given a new name to reflect the many changes in academic programs across campuses. 

 

The University is hopeful the 2006 budget allocations from the state, along with increased extramural funding awarded to the University will produce more opportunities to diversify the workforce.  The pilot phase of a new on-line application process for classified and service professional positions was initiated during 2005.  The on-line application process was not used by the majority of ASU departments so no substantive impact, positive or negative, can be determined regarding diversity of applicant pools and hiring. The EO/AA Office continues to revise educational programs and information to meet the needs of departments to engage in affirmative action to assure equal opportunity.  In late 2005, the EO/AA Office was informed by university administration that the three stage recruitment monitoring process must be changed.  The change in monitoring efforts will require changes in how ASU takes affirmative action to assure equal opportunity. 

 

During 2006, the EO/AA Office will focus on the development of new methods of promoting equal opportunity through affirmative action as well as identify alternate data collection methods due to the reduction in monitoring activity.  ASU continues to assess employment policies and procedures to assure equal opportunity through affirmative action.  Efforts also continue toward a workforce that is reflective of the diversity of the communities served by the University.