(1) Lake Washington Institute of Technology is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal opportunity and nondiscrimination to employment applicants and employees without regard to race or ethnicity, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, age, religion, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or whether a disabled veteran or Vietnam era veteran (hereinafter, protected group status). The college is equally committed to take affirmative action to increase the numbers of protected group members such as Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, women, persons between the ages of forty and seventy, persons of disability, disabled veterans and Vietnam era veterans in positions where it is determined they are under-represented. The college will make every effort to eliminate barriers to equal employment opportunity encountered by these protected group members and to improve employment opportunities available to under-represented groups.

(2) The college will recruit, hire, train, and promote individuals in all job classifications solely upon their qualifications and ability or potential ability to do the job, and shall consider protected group status only when such is a bona fide occupational qualification.

(3) All other personnel actions such as compensation, benefits, layoffs, return from layoffs, terminations, college-sponsored training, education, tuition assistance, and social and recreational programs will be administered without regard to protected group status.

(4) Numerical goals will be set in areas where protected classes are determined to be under-represented based upon the district's demographics. The college will make every effort to meet such goals within the timetables established for such goals.

(5) The president is charged with the overall responsibility for assuring that the equal employment opportunity/affirmative action policy is administered effectively, and is granted the authority to exercise that responsibility. It is incumbent upon each member of the Lake Washington Institute of Technology faculty, administration, and staff to make a good faith effort in the execution of this policy. Failure to do so may be grounds for disciplinary action.