Skip to Main

Employment Equity

UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to equal opportunity in employment for all individuals.

UT Southwestern’s affirmative action program creates and implements a set of positive steps to promote equal employment opportunity and to eliminate unlawful discrimination. It includes expanded outreach, recruitment, mentoring, training, management development, and other programs designed to help UTSW hire, retain, and advance qualified workers from all backgrounds.  

The University prohibits discrimination and/or harassment in recruitment, employment, promotion, compensation, benefits, or training on any basis prohibited by applicable federal or state law, including:

  • Race
  • Color
  • Relation
  • Sex
  • Sexual orientation
  • Gender identify
  • Gender expression
  • Age
  • National origin
  • Citizenship
  • Veteran status
  • Disability
  • Genetic information

Affirmative Action Plan

UT Southwestern has a comprehensive Affirmative Action Plan that sets forth programs and goals for increasing the representation of historically excluded groups. The University endorses the goals of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action as stated by its published Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Statement.

The University also takes affirmative steps to ensure that qualified applicants are hired, and during any aspects of employment, all employees are treated in a nondiscriminatory manner. UT Southwestern maintains and annually updates its Affirmative Action Plan and makes good-faith efforts to achieve established goals to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Why is UT Southwestern an Affirmative Action Employer?

    UT Southwestern is a research institution that receives federal funding through federal contracts, thereby making UTSW a federal contractor. As such, the University has developed Affirmative Action Plan(s) (AAP) pursuant to federal law.

  • What is Affirmative Action?

    Affirmative action is a practice that must be taken by covered employers to identify conspicuous imbalances in their workforce and take positive steps to correct and prevent any underrepresentation of protected classes. It is an action to recruit and advance all people, including qualified minorities, women, people with disabilities, and covered veterans. – Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Department of Labor

    Affirmative action comes from Executive Order 11246, as amended, which prohibits federal contractors and federally-assisted construction contractors and subcontractors, who do over $10,000 in government business in one year, from discriminating in employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The executive order also requires government contractors to take affirmative action to ensure that equal opportunity is provided in all aspects of their employment, including recruitment, selection, appointment, promotion, training, and related employment areas. – the Department of Labor

  • What is an Affirmative Action Program?

    An affirmative action program is a written management tool designed to ensure equal employment opportunity. Affirmative action programs contain a diagnostic component that includes a number of quantitative analyses designed to evaluate the composition of the workforce and compare it with the composition of the relevant labor pools. Affirmative action programs also include action-oriented goals. –Department of Labor

  • Is an Affirmative Action Program another name for reverse discrimination?

    No. UT Southwestern does not permit individuals to receive favorable treatment or preference in employment decisions based on their race or sex. That would be unlawful discrimination.

    • Affirmative Action does not allow the use of quotas. Quotas are illegal.
    • Affirmative Action is not a requirement to lower employment standards nor to hire unqualified job seekers.
    • Instead, Affirmative Action efforts are designed to evaluate our practices and to remove any barriers that may have limited fair competition between individuals for opportunities on our campus. Our goal is to ensure that all individuals have equal access to employment opportunities and that the most qualified person is always selected.
  • Who benefits from Affirmative Action Programs?

    Everyone benefits from affirmative action programs. UT Southwestern’s Affirmative Action Program evaluates our employment decisions and practices to ensure that every employee and applicant is treated fairly and equitably.

Education & Training

The following links provide information and resources for supervisors and managers on key work areas where Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative Action (AA) apply.

The Recruitment Process

At UT Southwestern, we believe in providing equal opportunities for all employees and qualified applicants using a fair, consistent, and nondiscriminatory process.

In our highly selective recruitment program, we seek the best candidates in each field. Below is information that may assist you with the hiring process. For further assistance, contact a member of the Talent Acquisition Team.

General Resources for the Recruitment Process

Invitation to Self-Identify

UT Southwestern is proud of the many cultures and diverse backgrounds that make up our UTSW community. Federal law requires UT Southwestern to invite each faculty and staff member (all employees) to voluntarily self-identify.  Please follow these steps to update your personal information:

  1. Log in to PeopleSoft 9.2 with your UT Southwestern ID and password

  2. Click “Personal Details” in Employee Self Service

  3. Update “Ethnic Groups”

  4. Update “Disability”

  5. Update “Veteran Status”

If you have already self-identified, we also invite employees to ensure that correct information has been entered for their race, ethnicity, and protected veteran status. Please consider completing this invitation to voluntarily self-identify to help us fulfill our commitments to equal opportunity and affirmative action and to meet our obligations as a government contractor.

In conjunction with the Department of Labor’s celebration of  National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the agency has posted a short video titled “Disability Inclusion Starts With You.” Encouraging applicants and employees with disabilities to voluntarily self-identify, this public-service video explains the key role that self-identification plays in measuring contractors’ progress toward achieving equal employment opportunity for people with disabilities.

Posters & Notices

The Department of Labor offers posters in a variety of languages about EEO and Pay Transparency:

Back-to top