Dear Colleagues,

As you may know, on July 29 the U.S. Department of Justice issued a memo from the Attorney General to recipients of federal funding, including colleges and universities.

The memo discusses federal laws related to discrimination including Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity that receives federal support and prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; as well as Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs that receive federal funding.

The letter goes on to describe “best practices” and examples of programs, policies, rules, or practices that the Department of Justice is likely to interpret as being in violation of applicable federal anti-discrimination laws.

In general, the message is that – except in rare circumstances – consideration of race, sex, national origin, religion, or other protected identity when providing a benefit or opportunity is unlawful. It notes such benefits and opportunities include but are not limited to things like admission into a school, program, or club; scholarships or other financial opportunities or resource allocations; and employment positions. Similarly, no one should be disadvantaged based on their protected identity or identities.

As always, UConn continually works to ensure we are in compliance with all relevant state and federal laws, including those outlined above. Please also refer to the community-wide message sent from University leaders on March 6 which also speaks to these issues. In addition, UConn also has a Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment, and Related Interpersonal Violence.

If you have questions or would like to discuss a UConn program, policy, rule, or practice that you administer or are otherwise responsible for as it relates to  its compliance with anti-discrimination laws, please contact UConn General Counsel Nicole Gelston at generalcounsel@uconn.edu.

Sincerely,

Anne D’Alleva
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Jeffrey Hines
Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion

Pamir Alpay
Vice President for Research