NIU’s Affirmative Action Program received 30 discrimination complaints as of June this year.

Affirmative Action Director Marilyn Monteiro said 17 of the complaints were received between August 1987 and January 1988, while 13 were recorded by her office between February 1988 and June 1988. These complaints included:

Two of age discrimination

Four of racial discrimination

Six of national origin discrimination

Two of national origin and racial discrimination

Two of handicap discrimination

Six of sexual harassment

One of sexual discrimination

One of sex and race discrimination

Because there were no figures for the previous year, she said she could not discuss the quality of work at her office. Monteiro said there must be at least a two – to three-year study conducted to determine whether her office was successful at resolving complaints.

Monteiro said she accumulated information from a variety of sources to determine the genuineness of a complaint. She said several of the complaints were resolved, while others were referred to different bodies for resolution, such as the NIU ombudsman, legal counsel, or civil service. A referral could be a solution in itself to an individual’s complaint, Monteiro said. She said none of the complaints brought to her office was frivolous.

Monteiro said, “A good number of complainants have legitimate grievances and don’t come to this office. There are also those with legitimate grievances (who) will not come as quickly as they should when a violation of policies occur.”

Monteiro said individuals might delay coming to report discrimination for a variety of reasons. She said, “They fear retaliation, they feel it’s their fault, that they are misunderstanding what’s going on.”

Monteiro said activities of the Affirmative Action Office are publicized in a report to the University Council, the university president, and other bodies interested in the affairs of the office.

“We do plan to have a newsletter,” Monteiro said. “In the newsletter, we will be conducting periodic discussions on various aspects of the office.” She did not say how soon the newsletter will be out.

Monteiro said she lacked an adequate number of staff members to cope with the various activities of her office. Aside from investigating discrimination complaints, her office is involved with the hiring of university staff.

She therefore has to visit various departments to discuss with any recruitment problems.

She said her office was engaged in conducting training workshops, and developing policies and advertising positions at NIU. Monteiro said she will be working on increasing staff at the Affirmative Action office to cope with her work, but lamented that budgetary constraints were hampering this effort.