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Civil Rights Compliance Reviews

1. Internal Reviews
   Regional Directors conduct regular "desk audits" based on reports submitted by ICES personnel. From time to time, University of Illinois Extension may conduct an internal, on-site review of compliance with state and federal regulations. Such a review is held on-site so that supporting records and documentation can be reviewed. This review may also help staff identify potential problem areas and correct them. Internal reviews may be conducted by regional directors and/or others within the University of Illinois Extension system.
2. External Reviews
   Periodically, compliance with state and federal regulations is reviewed by external agencies. This may include reviews by the Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service of USDA. During an external review, documentation is subject to inspection.

See: Civil Rights Compliance report 2005 http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/intranet/ifiles/commteamres/Civil_Rights.pdf

And also: University of Illinois Extension response to Equal Opportunity compliance report 2004 http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/intranet/ifiles/commteamres/AffirmativeResponse.doc

Personnel Procedures

1. Position Description
   A statement regarding compliance with affirmative/EEO policies and guidelines in all aspects of University of Illinois Extension work must be included in all position descriptions.
2. Performance Appraisal
   The performance appraisal process includes evaluating individuals in areas related to affirmative action. Sample appraisal items include:
   • Marketing: Seeking new audiences for University of Illinois Extension programs.
   • Networking: Developing effective working relationships with a diversity of individuals or groups, whether they are volunteers, other professionals, or clients.
   • Marketing/public relations: Keeping University of Illinois Extension programs in front of a diverse public through public presentations, brochures/news releases, or other methods suited to the assigned geographic area.
   • Program planning and developing: Helping plan upcoming programming to meet a diversity of community and statewide needs.
   • Program delivery and evaluation: Showing sensitivity, creativity, and a willingness to adapt to diverse audiences by using a range of educational technologies.
   • Program planning and development: Making sure programs respond to the needs and expectations of diverse program audiences.
   • Staff supervision: Demonstrating supervisory compliance with affirmative action requirements.
   • Staff management: Demonstrating administrative direction in compliance with affirmative action requirements.
   Any of these areas could be considered to include aspects of compliance with the spirit and letter of state and federal regulations, particularly as they relate to reaching "nontraditional" or "minority" audiences in a nondiscriminatory fashion. Certainly every effort staff makes to comply with the state and federal regulations will assist in complying with the performance appraisal critical skills.
3. Awards
   Success in meeting affirmative action objectives are among the criteria for ICES programming awards:
   1. Sustained Excellence in Extension Programming: Takes into account the efforts the individual has made to reach diverse audiences. Examples of educational methods used to reach minorities, disabled, at-risk, or other audiences on a gender neutral basis must be given.
   2. Outstanding or Innovative Program: Criteria include a description of the efforts made to reach diverse audiences, including identification of audience needs, definition of objectives, involvement of diverse audiences in planning and development of the program, and adaptation of teaching materials or program content to meet audience needs; and description of the strategies used to market or publicize the program, including reaching diverse audiences.
   3. Unit Award: Successful recipient must explain how a program reached new and diverse audiences, and the extent to which minorities, the disabled, and gender-neutral audiences were involved in program development and design of appropriate teaching materials.
4. Promotion and Rank
   The criteria for promotion and rank of University of Illinois Extension field-staff academic professionals include:
   • program accomplishments
   • professional leadership
   • teamwork
   • organizational support

Specific descriptions of the criteria within each of these areas are listed in Recommendations for the Promotion and Rank of Field Academic Professionals in the Illinois Cooperative Extension Service, available on the IDEA system (under Administration, Personnel Matters, Promotion/Rank).

For example, within Program Accomplishments, information about number of programs, attendance, client satisfaction, needs assessment, and practice change are listed among the criteria. Information about reaching clientele in a nondiscriminatory manner and representing the diversity within Illinois may assist staff in preparing files for promotion.