Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity

Defining Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action

Equal Opportunity is a term used to describe policies that prohibit specific forms of discrimination. “It is the policy of Old Dominion University to provide equal employment, educational and social opportunities for all persons, without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, veteran status, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation or genetic information.”

Affirmative Action is a term used to describe special efforts to recruit and employ groups (minorities and women) who may have been discriminated against in the past. Affirmative action is designed to correct underutilization of qualified women and minorities; it is not designed to prefer them to the exclusion of other groups.

Affirmative Action should not be confused with "reverse discrimination." Discrimination based on protected factors, such as race and sex is illegal. Affirmative Action strategies are used to recruit and select qualified individuals from an underutilized applicant pool. For instance, Affirmative Action may be used to hire a qualified white male, if an employer finds that white males are underutilized in his or her department. Indeed, any form of discrimination is an abuse of affirmative action and conflicts with the intent of the program.
This University is committed to implementing equal opportunity and affirmative action policies in order to create a culture of diversity, while eradicating discrimination.
For additional information regarding the concept and goals of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, please contact the Institutional Equity and Diversity Office at 757.683.3141.

Note: Definition is based upon information from Understanding Personnel Law, Council On Education in Management, Co. 1996.