Why am I being asked to fill out this form? 

  • Federal law requires that CU Boulder periodically remind employees of their ability to self-identify their demographic information or update their demographic information. 

What if I have already self-identified?

  • Even if you have self-identified your demographic information previously, either as an applicant or as an employee, please take a moment to review and update your information as necessary. One’s chosen identity can change over time and CU Boulder provides employees the opportunity to change their self-identification at any time. Doing so ensures that we have the most up-to-date and accurate information.

Where will this information be stored? Is the information confidential?

  • The self-reported demographic information is maintained completely separate from any personnel file information. All individual level personal data shall be kept strictly confidential and used only for federal reporting purposes, except for governmental officials in the event of a federal audit. Supervisors and managers will not have access to any demographic information when making personnel decisions such as hiring, promotions, discipline, and terminations. Current federal law places additional protections on veteran and disability information, which cannot be disclosed at the individual level. Demographic information on veterans and individuals with a disability will only be reported at the aggregate level.

What if I have concerns about disclosing a disability?

  • You are not required to disclose information about your disability. Please be assured, however, that if you do disclose this information, your information will be kept confidential and will not be shared with your supervisor, manager, or others within your department. Additionally, no one at CU Boulder can treat you adversely or take any action against you for having a disability. Instead, this information will help CU Boulder measure its efforts at hiring and providing equal opportunity to qualified individuals. Completing this form is completely voluntary, but we hope that you feel comfortable providing information regarding any disability may have.

What if my disability does not impact my work and does not require an accommodation?

  • The self-reported disability information is completely separate from the accommodation process that CU Boulder provides to its employees. As long as you believe that you have a condition that meets the definition of a disability, you may choose to self-identify as having a disability. Doing so does not trigger the accommodation process, which must be requested separately through the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance. 

Who determined the options for self-identifying gender/sex and race/ethnicity?

  • For civil rights monitoring and enforcement purposes only, all gender/sex and race/ethnicity information will be collected and reported in the two gender categories and the seven race/ethnicity categories as required and defined by the federal government. The federal government is currently exploring options to report gender/sex beyond the gender binary but has not updated its mandatory data collection requirements at this time. You can select the option that most closely aligns with your current self-identification, but if you do not feel comfortable with any option, you may choose not to select any option.

How do I change my gender marker at CU Boulder?

  • The gender marker in University of Colorado personnel information is tied to your insurance and benefits, so it cannot be changed by the employee alone. If you are comfortable working with your department's HR liaison, they can assist you in changing your gender marker. However, if you would prefer not to go through your PPL for this matter, you can contact Human Resources (303-492-6893) or hr@colorado.edu to assist you. Currently, there is no official form to fill out to change your gender marker. However, you must provide a legally recognized piece of identification that states your new gender.

Acceptable forms of identification include:

  • Driver’s License
  • Passport
  • Revised Birth Certificate

Only one of these documents is necessary. Once provided with the documentation, your PPL or HR liaison will change your gender marker in the HCM system.

*Please Note: Your PPL or the HR liaison must contact the Benefits Office (303-860-4200, option 3) to notify them of the gender marker change. The Benefits Office will then work with your insurance provider to ensure that your gender marker is changed appropriately in their records.*

Why are there only certain types of veterans of the military asked about?

  • ​CU Boulder is a federal contractor and is thus subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended by the Jobs for Veterans Act of 2002, 38 U.S.C. 4212 (VEVRAA). VEVRAA requires Government contractors to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment-protected veterans. The federal government defined the term “protected veteran” and which categories of veterans for which CU must report information. “Protected” veterans include the following categories: (1) disabled veterans; (2) recently separated veterans; (3) active duty wartime or campaign badge veterans; and (4) Armed Forces service medal veterans. These categories are defined below.
    • A “disabled veteran” is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.
    • A “recently separated veteran” means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service. This is why the military discharge date is requested.
    • An “active duty" wartime or campaign badge veteran” means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.
    • An “Armed forces service medal veteran” means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

 

For more information about EEO or AA, visit the Affirmative Action website or contact David Pacheco, Affirmative Action Officer, at aao@colorado.edu.