University at Buffalo (UB) 
News Center
News CenterOfficial news and information from UB, New York's flagship university
News CenterUpdated August 27, 2019
As one of the nation’s leading public research universities, the University at Buffalo is committed to achieving inclusive excellence by leveraging our research expertise, expansive curriculum, and campus diversity. Recognizing that a diverse, equitable and inclusive community is an essential foundation for achieving excellence and success, UB has long been committed to fostering diversity and inclusivity on campus, and we aspire to be a national leader in advancing diversity-related scholarship and education.
UB is dedicated to bringing the benefits of its research, scholarship and creative activity and educational excellence to global and local communities in ways that impact and positively change the world. We view the three traditional pillars of the public higher education mission—research, education and service—as interdependent endeavors that continually enrich and inform each other. Groundbreaking research, transformative educational experiences and deeply engaged service to its communities define UB's mission as a premier, research-intensive public university.
Pursuant to university policy, UB is committed to ensuring equal employment, educational opportunity and equal access to services, programs and activities without regard to an individual's race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, gender, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, predisposing genetic characteristics, marital status, veteran status, military status, domestic violence victim status or criminal conviction status. Employees, students, applicants or other members of the university community (including but not limited to vendors, visitors and guests) may not be subjected to harassment that is prohibited by law or treated adversely based upon a protected characteristic.
The university’s policy is in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination and harassment. These laws include the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as Amended by the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 and the New York State Human Rights Law. These laws prohibit discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment and sexual violence.
UB is committed to ensuring equal employment opportunity to all qualified individuals and that appropriately representative applicant pools are achieved in all searches. The University believes a diverse workforce will enhance its ability to fulfill the mission of education, research and public service. It is expected that all positions will be filled through a competitive search, unless there exists a compelling reason for a recruitment exception, in accordance with the Recruitment Policy and Recruitment Exceptions Policy.
UB encourages proactive initiatives to increase diversity and provide equal opportunity to all applicants and employees. A competitive recruitment process includes the sourcing, screening and selection of employees and promotes equal opportunity by informing potential applicants of job vacancies within the university.
UB is committed to Supplier Diversity, promoting the use of Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) vendors in construction projects and other business opportunities with the university, particularly for UB’s growth downtown. MWBE participation in major UB construction projects has been significant, and has typically exceeded SUNY’s goals. MWBE participation in commodities and operations has also been significant -- about 36 percent of New York State eligible funding for commodities and operations was spent on MWBEs for FY2012-2013 and FY2013-2014, exceeding SUNY’s goals.
UB is committed to providing equal employment opportunity, educational opportunity and equal access to services, programs and activities for persons with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to qualified employees with disabilities to enable performance of the essential functions of the positions for which they are applying and in which they are employed. Academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids will be provided to qualified students with disabilities when necessary to ensure equality of opportunity to complete academic requirements. The university’s programs and activities will be accessible to all individuals, including both physical access and access to electronic media, such as software and Web-based applications.
Anyone with an accessibility concern is encouraged to report the situation to the University’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. More information about UB’s commitment to physical and web accessibility is available at www.buffalo.edu/access.
UB is committed to ensuring equal educational opportunity without regard to an individual's race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, gender, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, predisposing genetic characteristics, marital status, veteran status, military status, domestic violence victim status or ex-offender status.
As our students continue forward in a diverse and interconnected world, it is our mission to provide them with the tools they need so they can best prepare to meet new and often unfamiliar challenges on a daily basis. The University at Buffalo believes that diversity—of ethnicity, race, socioeconomic background, gender, experience and other factors—substantially increases the quality and value of education for all students, as well as the contributions that higher education can make to the nation and the world.
As we seek to prepare students for the opportunities and challenges of life, citizenship and leadership in the 21st century, the educational value of students of all backgrounds learning together and from each other is more important, not less. UB believes building and sustaining a diverse and inclusive community is an essential foundation for achieving excellence and success. Responsibility for a climate that is supportive for all members of the UB community — faculty, students, staff and administrators — rests in every office and individual at the university.