Wayne State
University
Office of Equal
Opportunity
Volume 5 Issue 1
Summer 2015
OEO Register
Supreme Court Ruling Makes SameSex Marriage a Right Nationwide
On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell
Inside
v. Hodges that the Constitution guarantees a right to
same-sex marriage. The Court has recognized the right
2014 Affirmative Action
Status Report
to marry as a fundamental right for many years. In a five-
The Report highlights data on
the employment of academic
and non-academic staff.
to-four decision, the Court explained that all of the
2
New Report on the Workforce
in America
The EEOC has released a report of
the changes to the demographics of
the workforce in America since the
3
EEOC began in 1965
principles that have supported cases involving oppositesex couples also apply equally to same-sex marriage and
the recognition of out-of-state same–sex marriages. The
ruling means that same-sex couples have the same right
to marry as opposite-sex couples throughout the
country. The full opinion can be found at
http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/14-
1
2014 Affirmative Action Status Report
The Affirmative Action Status Report for
2014 (Report) was presented at the
meeting of the WSU Board of Governors
on June 26, 2015.
The Report highlights data on the
employment of academic and nonacademic staff (with an emphasis on the
representation of women and minorities),
processing of discrimination and
harassment complaints, and the
university’s efforts at supplier diversity.
The majority of WSU employees are
women and over 40% of employees
identify themselves as minorities.
2
During 2014, there were 25 formal
complaints filed with the OEO, which
include complaints filed with the OEO
under the WSU non-discrimination and
harassment policies and complaints filed
with outside agencies. Of the 17 formal
complaints that were closed in 2014, 16
of the complaints were closed without a
finding of a violation of University policy
or federal/state law.
The Report also contains a section
comparing WSU and other Michigan
Public Universities and peer
institutions. The Report is available on
the OEO website
at http://oeo.wayne.edu/resources/report
s.php.
New Report on the Workforce in
America
As part of the celebration of its 50th Anniversary, the EEOC
has released a report of the changes to the demographics
of the workforce in America since the EEOC began in
1965. In American Experiences versus American
Expectations, the EEOC reviews changes in participation
between 1966 and 2013 for African-Americans, Hispanic,
Asian-Americans, American Indians/Alaskan Natives and
women in nine job categories. Some notable items from
the report include the following:
U.S. Equal
Employment
Opportunity
Commission
The Federal Laws enforced by
EEOC include:

Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964

The Equal Pay Act of
1963

The Age Discrimination
1967

Title I of the Americans
with Disabilities Act of
1990

Sections 501 and 505 of
the Rehabilitation Act of
1973

The Pregnancy
Discrimination Act

In 1966, African-Americans, Hispanics, and AsianAmericans each made up less than 1 percent of
senior-level positions. Since then, the participation
rates for all three groups have increased by five to
seven times.

The participation rate of women in the
Professionals category has skyrocketed from
roughly 14 percent in 1966 to more than 53
percent in 2013.

Women and minorities remain concentrated, or
segregated, in lower paying positions. For example,
in 2013:
Hispanics composed 20.5 percent of Service
Workers and 29.2 percent of Laborers, yet
they were only 5.7 percent of Professionals
and 7.4 percent of Officials and Managers.
African-Americans composed 23.3 percent
of Service Workers and 18.7 percent of
Laborers, yet they were only 7.6 percent of
Professionals and 6.8 percent of Officials and
Managers.
The report is available at
http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/statistics/reports/american_expe
riences/.
3
The Office of Equal Opportunity is the Wayne State University
office that is responsible for the implementation of the University's NonDiscrimination / Affirmative Action policies, procedures and practices to
ensure that no person is discriminated against in employment,
educational programs and activities on the basis of race, color, sex
(Including gender identity), national origin, sexual orientation, marital
status, height, weight, disability or veteran status.
Services that OEO provide to the University community include, but are
not limited to:
Affirmative action and equal opportunity program planning
Americans with Disabilities Act monitoring and compliance
Veterans Administration reporting
Search committee liaisons and employment search committee training
University employment action monitoring
Conflict resolution and mediation
Anti-discrimination, diversity and sexual harassment seminars
The Office of Equal Opportunity is also the department that develops and
monitors the WSU Supplier Diversity Program which promotes the University's
commitment to doing business with minority and women entrepreneurs and
small businesses.
Historical News
Wayne State University
Office of Equal Opportunity
656 W. Kirby Ste. 4321 F/AB
Detroit MI 48202
Phone: 313 - 577-2280
Fax: 313-577-7738
On July 2, 1964, U.S.
President Lyndon B.
Johnson signed into law
the historic Civil Rights
Act in a nationally
televised ceremony at
the White House.
In the landmark 1954
case Brown v. Board of
Education, the U.S.
Supreme Court ruled that
racial segregation in
schools was
unconstitutional. The 10
years that followed saw
great strides for the
African-American civil
rights movement, as nonviolent demonstrations
won thousands of
supporters to the cause.
As the strength of the
civil rights movement
grew, John F. Kennedy
made passage of a new
civil rights bill one of the
platforms of his
successful 1960
presidential campaign.
As Kennedy’s vice
president, Johnson
served as chairman of
the President’s
Committee on Equal
Employment
Opportunities. After
Kennedy was
assassinated in
November 1963,
Johnson vowed to carry
out his proposals for
civil rights reform.
The Civil Rights Act
fought tough opposition
in the House and a
lengthy, heated debate
in the Senate before being
approved in July 1964.
The most sweeping civil
rights legislation passed
by Congress since the
post-Civil War
Reconstruction era, the
Civil Rights Act prohibited
racial discrimination in
employment and
education and outlawed
racial segregation in public
places such as schools,
buses, parks and
swimming pools. In
addition, the bill laid
important groundwork for
a number of other pieces
of legislation–including
the Voting Rights Act of
1965, which set strict rules
for protecting the right of
African Americans to vote.