CAHNRS Faculty and Staff > Civil Rights Compliance Resources

Civil Rights Compliance Resources

Quick Resources

Extension Civil Rights Plan
Guidelines for Establishing Extension Advisory Boards
WSU Extension Language Access Plan
WSU Extension Civil Rights Checklist

CONTACTS
ADA/Accommodations – Local County and Tribal Director or Program Director/Chair, extension@wsu.edu, or ccr@wsu.edu
Formal Complaints: ccr@wsu.edu
General Questions: extension@wsu.edu

Requirements and Guidelines

The following training is provided by the US Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) as the primary guideline to a civil rights review.  If you would like the presentation slides, please contact Kenitra.Keeney@wsu.edu.

NIFA Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights – Compliance Review Process Training – YouTube

Compliance Tools

County Civil Rights Teams Site

The Team site is used as a storage location for individual Civil Rights files electronically. Please see the Civil Rights checklist for the filing protocols this is in the shared file (0. Civil Rights Checklist). If you are having difficulty accessing the folder or need permissions, please contact Kenitra.Keeney@wsu.edu. Below is a list of items which will be stored on Teams. There are some existing resources and others are being developed, you find this information below as well.

0. Civil Rights Checklist

This template is located on Teams. Directors should use this checklist to lead faculty and staff through annual internal reviews. More information on all the items listed below can be found on the Civil Rights checklist. Historically, each numbered item had an associated folder, this is still acceptable. However, you can also use a simplified labeling system, please see the checklist for more details.

1a. Civil Rights Plan Examples 1 & 2

On Teams you will find two examples of civil rights plans which should be present in a civil rights plan. Each location is unique, and the civil rights plan should reflect this. More examples will be added to this location later.

1b. Advisory Data Collection Template

On Teams this is a sample tool to capture race, ethnicity, and gender data for internal and external advisory board members

2. Public Notification

For this item, please see the checklists for storage and labeling. Provide a few samples of each type of your advertisement and outreach efforts. This includes social media snapshots, publications, flyers, and other promotions of educational events open to the public. Please ensure the reasonable accommodation statement is present, along with the statement of nondiscrimination. Visually verify your “And Justice for All” posters are current and legible.

3a. Reporting Contacts

This template is on Teams which assist with capturing race, ethnicity, and gender (REG) data for the use of conducting a parity analysis. Data is collected in various locations and different formats for the purpose of the review REG data is the minimum which should be collected and reported. The purpose for using the Excel contact sheet is to aid Extension with uniform data collection, analysis, and parity goals. This process will be refined later.

3b. LEP Needs Assessment and Language Access Plan

A sample Language Access Plan (LAP) will be located later on Teams. Key components should include a needs assessment, language services, public notification, training, and evaluation. WSU Extension will collaborate with other higher education institutions and NIFA to develop a Language Access Plan in spring 2023.

 3c. WSU Extension Office ADA Compliant

On Teams you will find an ADA checklist, please complete one for each program location. If a location is not accessible, please include this information in your civil rights plan. Also include who is responsible for accommodations.

3d. Special Accommodation Requests

This item is a placeholder and is only required if you have been asked to provide accommodations. This data will help leadership and administrators better understand the level of support needed in the counties.

4a. Training Plan

An Extension civil rights training program is under development. These resources will be located on the WSU Extension website. The goal is to have initial, annual, and on-boarding training. In the meantime, please use the checklist for minimum training requirements.

4b. Training Records

Training records should be stored in a folder based on the abundance and various types of transcripts, please label the folder 4b. Training Records. Please note, meeting agendas along with attendance, conference attendance, and presentations surrounding civil rights compliance can enhance a training plan, as long as the minimum content is covered.

4c. Periodic Compliance Reviews

The civil rights plan and associated materials should be reviewed annually, please place documentation of the review in this location. In addition, the counties have been placed into five groups, one group per year will receive a review, the results of the review will be placed here.

Group 1: Adams, Colville Reservation, Ferry, Grant, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens

Group 2: Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Franklin, Garfield, Walla Walla, and Whitman

Group 3: Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Lewis, Pacific, Skamania, Wahkiakum, and Yakima

Group 4: Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason, Pierce, and Thurston

Group 5: Chelan, Douglas, Island, King, Kittitas, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom

Complaint Procedures

Faculty, staff, and volunteers must know and understand WSU and WSU’s Extension procedures for civil right compliant and for filing employment discrimination and sexual harassment complaints, please use these available resources Compliance and Civil Rights, File a Report. Please contact the office of Compliance and Civil Rights for additional information at ccr@wsu.edu, 509-335-8288 or

French Administration Building, Room 225
PO BOX 641022
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164

Trainings

This section is under development. If there are unique training requirements or topics that would be beneficial, please reach out to your Extension County Relations Coordinator at Kenitra.keeney@wsu.edu.

CAHNRS/Extension Civil Rights Onboard Training

NIFA Civil Rights Compliance

Collecting REG Data and Parity Analysis

Barrier Analysis

  • Coming Soon

Relevant State and Federal Laws

WSU complies with state and federal civil rights laws, (WSU policies may be subject to periodic updates to reflect changes in these laws) including, but not limited to the following:

  • The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 (pdf) – Created the Cooperative Extension Service through the USDA and Land Grant Universities;
  • Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – Prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, and religion;
  • Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 – Prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs receiving federal financial assistance;
  • Americans with Disabilities Act – Prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, State and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation;
  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 – Prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability and requires reasonable accommodation for individuals with a disability under programs receiving federal financial assistance;
  • Age Discrimination in Employment Act – Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of age against persons age 40 and above;
  • 1st amendment to the U.S. Constitution – Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
  • 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution – No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws; and
  • Washington Law Against Discrimination (RCW 49.60) – The right to be free from discrimination because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability is recognized as and declared to be a civil right.

For assistance or more information, please contact Kenitra.Keeney@wsu.edu or 509-335-2521

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, and American Sign Language) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which can be obtained online at https://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/ad-3027, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by: (1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or (2) Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or (3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov. This institution is an equal opportunity provider or report violations through your local Extension office.