Protected Characteristics

The following protected characteristics are legally protected from prohibited harassment and discrimination either by law or Michigan Tech policy.

Everyone is protected from race and color discrimination. Whites, Blacks, Asians, Latinos, Arabs, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, persons of more than one race, and all other persons, whatever their race, color, or ethnicity.

Under the Michigan Constitution additional assurances of equal opportunity in education, employment and contracting are provided by its prohibition of any discrimination against, or granting preferential treatment to, any individual on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin.

Worker Fact Sheets provided by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) explain employee and applicant rights under the laws they enforce.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) minimum categories for race and ethnicity 

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the business division of the Executive Office of the President of the United States that administers the United States federal budget and oversees the performance of federal agencies. Michigan Tech is required to use the following race and ethnicity categories for federal reporting as a Federal Contractor.

American Indian or Alaska Native – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.

Asian – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Black or African American (not of Hispanic Origin) – A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.

Hispanic or Latino – A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

White – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

Protected Veterans

Michigan Technological University is a Government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended by the Jobs for Veterans Act of 2002, 38 U.S.C. 4212 (VEVRAA), which requires Government contractors to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment: (1) disabled veterans; (2) recently separated veterans; (3) active duty wartime or campaign badge veterans; and (4) Armed Forces service medal veterans. These classifications are defined as follows:

A “disabled veteran” is one of the following:

• a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or
• a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran” means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran’s discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An “active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran” means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war*, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

*Period of War Dates: Korean Conflict June 27, 1950 – January 31, 1955; Vietnam Era February 28, 1961 – May 7, 1975 for veterans serving in the Republic of Vietnam or August 5, 1964 – May 7, 1975 for all other cases; Persian Gulf War August 2, 1990 – current. Those who served since August 2, 1990 are protected even if no campaign badge was issued.

An “Armed forces service medal veteran” means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Infographic: Am I a Protected Veteran?

Religious Accommodation Procedure for Employees

Michigan Technological University may provide a reasonable accommodation based on a person’s sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance, where accommodating the request would not result in undue hardship on the University. An employee who would like to request a reasonable religious accommodation should visit one of the following linked Michigan Tech Human Resources' web pages. The procedure is the same for all employees:

• Union Staff Resources
• Non-Union Staff Resources
• Faculty Resources