WELCOME

Missouri Western State University actively follows a policy of nondiscrimination in its employment practices and educational programs/activities with respect to age, race, color, religion, sex, sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy or parental status, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, disability, and all other legally protected classes. This policy applies to employment practices as well as educational programs and activities including athletics, instruction, grading, awarding of student financial aid, recruitment, admission, employment, housing, placement and retention of students, faculty and staff. Missouri Western pledges continued compliance with all relevant state and federal laws and cooperation with governmental organizations in ensuring equal employment and educational opportunity. Please review the Nondiscrimination / Equal Opportunity Policy. 

Members of the Missouri Western community cannot thrive unless each is accepted as an autonomous individual and is treated without regard to characteristics irrelevant to participation in the life of the University. The equal opportunity programs and campus resources listed below provide leadership and support to our campus community in specific areas that support this mission, including efforts to address sexual misconduct and discriminatory harassment, ensuring accessibility, institutional access and inclusivity, and coordinating efforts to provide equal employment opportunities.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND INSTITUTIONAL ACCESS RESOURCES

Missouri Western is committed to full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as amended, making it unlawful to discriminate in employment, programs, or services against qualified individuals with a disability. The Accessibility Resource Center leads the campus community in its commitment to recognizing disability as a valued aspect of diversity, to embracing access as a matter of social justice, and to designing more welcoming and inclusive environments. Students seeking an academic adjustment or auxiliary aid, or an accommodation for a disability should contact the Accessibility Resource Coordinator.

Adaptive Technology provides equipment, software, and training to assist students and faculty with functional limitations (e.g., visual and auditory limitations). Additional information about the types of adaptive technology and services available to students is available at the Adaptive Technology Services webpage. To initiate services from Adaptive Technology, students should first contact the Accessibility Resource Center.

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion supports Missouri Western’s Diversity Statement by educating the campus and the St. Joseph Community by creating diversity & inclusion initiatives to support and advocate for marginalized populations of students, faculty, and staff. Additional information about the services provided by the center is available at the Center for Diversity and Inclusion webpage.

Any employee or student who needs a lactation accommodation during the work or school day may contact the University Title IX Coordinator to make arrangements for access to an identified lactation room or a suitable private, secure, sanitary location to be used to accommodate the individual’s needs.

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion is dedicated to serving students of diverse genders and/or sexualities (LGBTQIA+) and creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for Missouri Western queer and transgender students.  The Center for Diversity and Inclusion provides education, resources and support for all students, faculty, and staff. Please contact the Director of Diversity and Inclusion or visit the Center for Diversity and Inclusion webpage.

Missouri Western is committed to creating and maintaining a learning community dedicated to the advancement and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors, where all individuals who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in an atmosphere of respect, tolerance, and freedom. The University is further committed to addressing and eliminating all forms of discrimination and harassment. For Nondiscrimination/Equal Opportunity related questions please contact: 

Director of Human Resources/Equal Opportunity 

Human Resources Office Room 117

Popplewell Hall 

Tel: (816) 271-4587

Individuals seeking to file a complaint should review the University’s Nondiscrimination / Equal Opportunity Policy Procedures for Reporting and Investigating Complaints. The procedures outlined in that policy pertain to reports of unfair treatment on the basis of age, race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, marital status, veteran status, handicap/disability or genetic information related to employment, education, or public accommodation and apply to all University administrators, faculty, staff and students.

The Preferred Name Policy at Missouri Western allows students to change their first names in most university information systems without pursuing a legal name change. The University hopes to give students an empowering, safe and nondiscriminatory university experience. Reasons for name changes may include transgender or gender nonconforming identities, international students or other students who wish to adopt an English language name, students known by names that are different from their legal names, etc. Questions regarding this preferred name policy may be directed to the Division of Student Affairs at 816-271-4432 or the Registrar’s Office at 816-271-4211.

Missouri Western is committed to creating and maintaining a community where all individuals enjoy freedom from discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of sex, as mandated by Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972. Sex discrimination, which can include discrimination based on pregnancy, marital status, or parental status, is prohibited and illegal in admissions, educational programs and activities. Missouri Western State University hereby establishes a Pregnant and Parenting Students Accommodation Policy and procedures for ensuring the protection and equal treatment of pregnant persons, individuals with pregnancy-related conditions, and new parents. Individuals seeking additional information about pregnancy and parenting accommodations should contact the Title IX Coordinator.

Missouri Western is committed to providing an academic and work environment that is respectful of the religious beliefs of its students, employees, visitors and community members. As part of this commitment, the University will make good faith efforts to accommodate a campus community member’s sincerely held religious practices or beliefs when in conflict with a University policy, procedure, or other academic or employment requirement unless such an accommodation would create an undue hardship or would fundamentally alter our work or otherwise interfere with a student’s ability to achieve relevant learning outcomes. Individuals seeking a religious accommodation should complete the Request for Religious Accommodation form available at [link to the Request for Religious Accommodation Dynamic Form.] Additional information about the process for requesting a religious accommodation. NOTE: Individuals seeking an exemption to immunization or vaccination requirements for religious or medical reasons should complete the Request for Exemption from Immunization or Vaccination for Religious or Medical Reason.

Missouri Western is committed to providing a learning, working, and living environment that promotes personal integrity, civility, and mutual respect in an environment free of discrimination on the basis of sex. Missouri Western considers sex discrimination in all its forms to be a serious offense. Sex discrimination constitutes a violation of this policy, is unacceptable, and will not be tolerated. Sex discrimination includes discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Sexual harassment, whether verbal, physical, or visual, that is based on sex is a form of prohibited sex discrimination. Sexual harassment also includes sexual violence. The specific definitions of sexual harassment and sexual violence, including examples of such conduct, are available in the Missouri Western State University Sexual Harassment Policy & Complaint Resolution Procedures. Individuals seeking additional information about the University Title IX program or wishing to file a complaint should contact the Title IX Coordinator.