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Southwest District CES Civil Rights Plan

Plan Goal

Civil Rights compliance by New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service is mandated by federal laws and is directly tied to Extension's receipt of federal funding

Situation Statement

The New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service (CES), as the state’s 1862 land-grant university recognizes the importance of diversity and inclusion in the development and implementation of Extension programs. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that no person on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex or national origin will be excluded from participation in or benefits of any program receiving federal funding. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that no person on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex or national origin will be excluded from selection, trainings, advancement, and other benefits of employment. New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service has the responsibility to provide programming to all residents of New Mexico. These Extension programs must be handled in a manner that treats every customer and employee with fairness, equality, and respect. This applies to all aspects of Extension programs including identifying needs, setting priorities, allocating resources, selecting and assigning staff, conducting programs, and receiving feedback. Every person who works for the New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service is responsible for civil rights efforts.

Who sees this as an issue:
Each county Extension Office is on a state five year cycle for civil rights reviews. The review consists of an examination of office civil rights files, discussions on successes and problems in carrying out civil rights compliance and reviewing the importance of the task. Furthermore, each state across the nation is on a five year cycle with Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service(CSREES) for federal civil rights reviews. Counties within states selected for federal civil rights reviews are chosen based on varying reasons determined by the CSREES civil rights department.

What are the documents that surround the issue:
In accordance with United States Department of Agriculture civil rights regulations 7 CFR 15 any recipient of federal financial assistance, regardless of the amount, is subject to civil rights reviews. Further, the primary recipient of federal financial assistance is responsible for civil rights administration where the primary recipient has extended the financial assistance to another recipient. The USDA Civil Rights regulations require CSREES to determine whether or not recipient institutions are in compliance with the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity provisions contained herein. A complete list of statutes and Departmental regulations can be found at http:www.usda.gov/da/directives.htm.

What are the implications of ignoring the issue:
Civil Rights program reviews conducted by New Mexico State University CES are intended as part of a proactive effort to determine how well Extension programs and operations are being done on an equal opportunity basis as recipients of federal dollars in compliance with Federal civil rights laws, rules and regulations. If it is determined by the Federal partner that New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service is not in compliance federal dollars may be withdrawn from the program. Ultimately, ignoring civil rights laws can result in stagnant programs.

What work has been done in the past on the issue:
Reviews are planned and organized jointly between the New Mexico State University CES state office and the CES county offices on a rotational basis. Every year a cycle of reviews is organized by a state specialist. Training is offered to all offices coming up for review and guidelines for the review are published.

What are the potential solutions proposed for the future:
Civil rights compliance is an ongoing effort for New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service. The needs of the residents of New Mexico are ever-changing as well as the demographic make-up of our counties. To aid counties to continuously reach out to underserved audiences and meet their changing needs many tools have been created. A civil rights Web site has been established (http://cahe.nmsu.edu/civilrights/)
that contains all the information and forms needed to prepare for successfully completing a civil rights review and to establish files for permanent record keeping. It is recommended that offices devise a ‘standard operating procedure’ that works for that office that complies with all civil rights laws and regulations. Tip sheets, which can be found on the civil rights Web site, have been designed to help counties establish methods to continously meet civil rights requirements. Two sets of mock civil rights files are available for counties to check out for training purposes and to view examples of what should be in the county files. During the review process counties establish goals to meet during the next five year period for their civil rights efforts. At the state and county level plans to meet the needs of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) individuals will be established. A civil rights newsletter will begin to bring suggestions and important issues to the attention of all county offices.

How will progress be made:
Progress on this effort is ongoing. For new faculty and staff, training on compliance strategies is always needed. A CES new hire civil rights training packet has been created to help with this effort. A Centra program has been archived as one training tool (eplace.com) and can also be used as an office review tool. Establishing strategies in each office to ensure compliance is an opportunity to measure progress in the area of civil rights. Every employee of CES must understand their responsibilities in civil rights compliance. Everyday compliance must be handled in a manner that treats every customer and employee with fairness, equality, and respect.

Target Audience and Actions

What will happen:
Civil rights compliance work is ongoing. Compliance includes plans of work and program participation data that continues throughout the year to ensure nondiscrimination in program delivery, conducting educational programs for faculty and staff on civil rights topics, the delivery of innovative programs and the corrective action taken when discrimination occurs or noncompliance is documented. The District Department Head will support county faculty and staff in using civil rights artifacts collected, such as county demographic data, the public notification steps of programs, and data of who attends the programming, to determine gaps in outreach efforts and potential needs of underserved audiences.

Who will be reached:
The target audiences are the faculty and staff in county Extension offices. For county agents and staff target audiences will be all residents of their geographic area with specific attention paid to under-served and under-represented audiences.

Short-Term Objectives

The Southwest District Department Head will communicate, facilitate and support activities of faculty and staff to ensure compliance of Civil Rights laws including:

1. Within the first six months on the job, new agents and/or staff will be able to explain to another person the importance of Extension Service civil rights compliance and will be able to place compliance records in appropriate files.
2. County faculty and staff will participate in equal opportunity/diversity training. Agents will be able to report the significance of training in their annual performance evaluation document.
3. County Directors will quarterly hold staff meeting discussions regarding civil rights compliance and civil rights planning. Staff meeting minutes will reflect those discussion topics.
4. Program methods and content are planned to reach potential Limited English Proficiency (LEP) persons for participation in Extension programs.
5. All reasonable efforts are carried out to ensure equal access and integration of clubs.
6. Within the first six months of employement all CES employees will be able to explain what parity is.
7. Within the first six months of employment all CES employees will be able to define "all reasonable efforts" and cite examples.

Medium-Term Objectives

1. County internal and external advisory boards and committees will be diverse with respect to gender, ethnicity, and community representation and will be representative of the population in the geographic areas being served.
2. Plans to solicit diverse nominations for committees and advisory boards will be established and practiced.
3. Agents and staff will know where to locate procedures for handling program and employment complaints from clientele and office personnel.
4. Published program and employment complaint procedures will be available to all employees, volunteers, and to the public. All staff members and volunteers will receive training in program complaint concerns.
5. Agents and staff will understand the complaint process and those issues of compliance and noncompliance.
6. Agents, staff and volunteers will understand the basis on which program discrimination is prohibited in Extension programs.
7. The USDA “…And Justice for All” poster showing the nondiscrimination policy statement and how to file a civil rights complaint will be prominently displayed in office areas visited by the public.
8. Office entrances, routing of clients will be such that discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability does not occur.
9. Secretarial help and other support resources will be available on a nondiscriminatory basis.
10. All reasonable efforts will be carried out to ensure equal access and integration of clubs.
Where program delivery methods are by club:
a. In cooperation with Extension staff members, clubs are responsible for their own public notification efforts, i.e., existence of the club, dates, time, and location of organizational meetings.
b. In cooperation with Extension staff members, clubs are responsible for inviting all potential members without regard to race, ethnicity, or gender.
c. Extension staff members have communication with club members, officers, leaders, and volunteers regarding the value of diversity and the expectations for equal opportunity requirements.
d. Equal opportunity requirements will apply to any setting where clubs meet collectively within a county, region, state, or nationally.
e. Club officers and volunteer leaders are provided training and written guidelines on civil rights and equal opportunity requirements. Volunteers are expected to affirm and note an assurance statement of nondiscrimination.
f. The membership of all clubs operating in interracial and non-interracial communities are open to all individuals regardless of race and gender.
g. Geographic boundaries established for program planning and implementation are done in a nondiscriminatory manner.
h. Membership in all clubs is open to both males and females.
i. 4H recruitment committees are diverse by race and gender.
11. Work facilities are consistent with rehabilitation regulations and are fully accessible to people with disabilities.
12. Work facilities and programs are accessible to employees, volunteers, customers, clients, and visitors with disabilities.
13. Formulated Civil Rights/Equal Opportunity plans ensure that Extension education benefits are provided to the citizens of the State on a nondiscriminatory basis.
14. Data collection system provides for the identification of eligible population and ensures delivery of program benefits to minority and non- minority customers.
15. A system for collecting and reporting data on potential and actual clientele participation in Extension programs will be established and maintained.
16. A public notification policy will be in use informing the public, particularly underrepresented/underserved audiences of all Extension program benefits and of the protection against discrimination.
17. A nondiscrimination statement will be used on Extension printed publications, including bulletins, leaflets, circulars, fact sheets, program announcements, and miscellaneous publications.
18. A public notification policy informing the public of the availability of reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities will be established.
19. Established written instructions to guide staff members on the maintenance, protection and use of clientele mailing lists will be established and maintained.
20. The mailing lists will be representative of the diverse population in the geographic areas being served.
21. Extension programs, methods, content, and places of services are implemented in a manner that ensures nondiscrimination on the basis of sex for all participants in compliance with Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Long-Term Objectives

1. A county civil rights plan will identify the frequency of conducting internal civil rights reviews with all program units, including plans for taking appropriate corrective measures, and Extension’s recognition of staff members’ successes for addressing equal opportunity issues.
2. County Director's will receive administrative support and direction sufficient enough to maintain a high level of visibility for compliance with civil rights laws, rules, and regulations.
3. Where and when appropriate, educational materials will be published in a language other than English.
4. Established procedures will be in place to guide staff in ensuring that education assistance is not provided to any organization or group that excludes individuals because of their race, ethnicity or gender.
5. There will be equality, fairness, and respect in the use of Extension work facilities, including support for educators, paraprofessionals, secretarial and support staff.
6. Office quarters and related facilities, supplies, educational materials, electronic technology (computers, telephone, etc.) will be assigned and available to all staff on a nondiscriminatory basis.
7. Procedures will be in place to mainstream participants into other Extension programs to ensure total inclusion.
8. Internal civil rights review plans will be in place for assuring program compliance by Extension staff members, on an equal opportunity basis.
9. All CES employees will understand the NMSU CES file guide system

Evaluation Plan

Every five years each county Extension office is required to conduct a civil rights review. Civil rights program efforts will be reviewed by a team of trained reviewers representing different program areas and areas of expertise. The evaluation will consist of an examination of the completeness of office civil rights compliance files, discussions on successes and problems in carrying out civil rights compliance and reviewing the importance of the task. Counties, as a team, will establish five-year goals for outreach to underserved audiences within their communities.

If compliance is not complete, recommendations will be made that will outline corrective actions needed. A timeline for completion of those corrective actions will be established and a follow-up examination of those corrective steps will take place with the civil rights specialist.