The Office of the President initiated systemwide review by employees and employee organizations of proposed changes to the University of California Nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action Policy Regarding Academic and Staff Employment and parallel policies in the Personnel Policies for Staff Members and the Academic Personnel Manual. 

The proposed revisions pertaining to nondiscrimination would expand the "covered veterans" protected category to include all veterans with "service in the uniformed services."  This change is needed for consistency between University policy and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).  USERRA prohibits discrimination against persons because of their service in the Armed Forces Reserve, the National Guard, or other uniformed services. 

In addition, the proposed revisions pertaining to nondiscrimination would prohibit retaliation against any employee or person seeking employment for filing a complaint of discrimination or harassment pursuant to the University's nondiscrimination in employment policies.

The proposed revisions pertaining to affirmative action would:

• Expand the special disabled veterans category to include all veterans with service-related disabilities.  It is proposed that the term "disabled veterans" replace the term "special disabled veterans."

• Add a new category of covered veterans (Armed Forces Service Medal veterans) 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.

These two revisions are needed to provide consistency with the recently published regulations that implement the Jobs for Veterans Act of 2002.

Links to the proposed policies may be found on the At Your Service website