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Southwest District CES Civil Rights Plan (Luna County)

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. Non-compliance may lead to loss of funding from our federal partner.

Situation Statement

Luna County Extension service recognizes the importance of diversity and inclusion in the development 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. Luna County Extension Service recognizes its' responsibility to provide programming to all residents of of Luna County. 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. There were no agents in the county for an extended period of time.Luna County is compliant in certain aspects of civil rights. Corrective action is needed in other areas.

Target Audience and Actions

Civil rights compliance work is ongoing. All county residents will have equal access to the programs available through the extension service. Program participation will be paid to under-served and under-represented audiences

Short-Term Objectives

County faculty and staff will participate in equal opportunity/diversity training. Program methods and content are planned to reach potential Limited English Proficiency (LEP) persons for participation in Extension programs. Agent 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.

Medium-Term Objectives

Plans to solicit diverse nominations for committees and advisory boards will be established and practiced. 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. 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. A nondiscrimination statement will be used on Extension printed publications, including bulletins, leaflets, circulars, fact sheets, program announcements, and miscellaneous publications. A public notification policy informing the public of the availability of reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities will be established. Data collection system provides for the identification of eligible population and ensures delivery of program benefits to minority and non- minority customers. A system for collecting and reporting data on potential and actual clientele participation in Extension programs will be established and maintained.

Long-Term Objectives

Where and when appropriate, educational materials will be published in a language other than English. Procedures will be in place to mainstream participants into other Extension programs to ensure total inclusion.the county agent 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.