According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contract Compliance’s Revised Order No.4, “underutilization is defined as having fewer women or minorities in a particular job classification than would reasonably be expected by their availability.”  When underutilization exists, goals for new hires are set for The University of Tennessee at Martin.  These goals are set by considering the following factors:  (1) the comparison of work force analysis and availability statistics; (2) the accomplishments to be made by pursuing good faith efforts; (3) the fact that goals are targets, not inflexible quotas; and (4) the anticipated turnover in the current work force.

In performing the utilization analysis, a comparison is made between availability rates and the current UTM work force to determine if females and minorities are employed in the same proportion as they are available in the appropriate labor market.  If females, total minorities, or African Americans are underutilized in a job group at a level less than their respective availability, and one or more persons would be required to remedy the difference, then, the 80% Rule is applied to identify areas of underutilization.  If the percentage of females, total minorities, or African Americans is less than 80 percent of their respective job availability, and one or more persons would be required to remedy the difference, then underutilization is said to exist.  It is then necessary to set goals to remedy the underutilization and to intensify efforts in placing females, total minorities, or African Americans in the underutilized group.

Goals have been set to correct underutilization for the following EEO-6 categories:

01, Executive/Administrative/Managerial (female, minorities and African Americans)

02, Faculty for specific areas of academic affairs for females, minorities, and African Americans

03, Other Professional (females)

04, Clerical (Grade 02 and up) for minorities and African Americans

05, Technical/Paraprofessional (females, minorities, and African Americans)

06, Skilled Crafts (Non-supervisors) for females.

Goals are listed for some of the EEO-6 job groups which are underutilized in the Utilization Analysis.

For other job groups where underutilization exists, the goal will be to correct underutilization.  In other words, departments and divisions have been targeted where women, minorities, and African Americans are either underrepresented or underutilized; and, assertive efforts will continue to be made to identify topnotch women, minorities, and African Americans for academic departments and other units where under-representation or underutilization exists.

The Equity and Diversity Officer, Dr. Ann Duncan, will continue to work assertively with Provost/Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Chancellor, Academic Deans/Directors, to correct underutilization in the six EEO-6 categories listed previously. (See Utilization Summary Tables.) 

The students, both Caucasian and African American, are the beneficiaries of diversity among our faculty, staff, and administrators.  Although the number of African-American faculty, staff, and administrators continues to be small, the quality is second to none.  The University shall continue to identify and recruit topnotch faculty, staff, and administrators (Caucasian males and females, African American males and females, and other minority males and females) in the six EEO-6 categories where underutilization exists.

It is difficult to determine the exact date (academic year) underutilization will be corrected in the six EEO-6 categories listed.  However, every effort will continue to be made to correct underutilization by the earliest date possible through the implementation of the action-oriented programs/activities listed in Section 11. 

In correcting underutilization in the six EEO-6 categories, preferential treatment will not be given to women or any minority group.  That will be accomplished by continuing to identify and recruit female and minority faculty members and non-faculty members whose academic qualifications and professional experiences equal or exceed that of the other applicants in the pool for all advertised positions.