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Anti-Discrimination Guidance for Unit Activities

Northwestern is strongly committed to promoting a culture of respect and community that is free from discrimination and furthers engagement and the free flow of ideas. As part of that commitment, all faculty, staff, students, units and departments must comply with applicable anti-discrimination laws and University policies.

Northwestern requires members of our community to avoid discriminatory practices in administering activities and programming for or involving students, faculty and staff, including in admissions, financial aid, services and support, all recruitment-related activities, hiring and promotion practices, benefits, training, fundraising, celebrations or appreciation events, housing, affinity groups, professional development opportunities, and others. Individuals who believe they have experienced discrimination are encouraged to file a report with the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance.

Report Discrimination or Harassment

Fundamentally, individuals, or groups of individuals, cannot be treated differently because of their actual or perceived protected characteristics. 

This means:

  • Programs and activities must not be offered differentially on the basis of a protected characteristic.  
  • Programs and activities must not provide a benefit to, or create a burden for, one group / individual over another on the basis of a protected characteristic. 
  • Protected characteristics must not be considered when making decisions about people in recruiting-related activities, hiring, promotion, eligibility or membership criteria, or other Northwestern activities.

Additional guidance is offered below, and in subsequent sections. For questions about the application of this guidance to specific circumstances, please contact ad-faqs@northwestern.edu. 

What anti-discrimination laws apply to Northwestern?

The anti-discrimination laws that apply to Northwestern include Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and several others as described in this Overview of Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws. There are also state and local statutes that overlap with federal anti-discrimination laws and, in some cases, provide additional protections. 

What are “protected characteristics”?

Different laws provide protections against discrimination for different characteristics. For compliance purposes, Northwestern’s Policy on Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct defines protected characteristics as “race, color, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry), ethnicity, caste, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, marital status, age, disability, citizenship status, veteran status, genetic information, reproductive health decision making, height, and weight, or any other classification protected by law.” 

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