The Office of Affirmative Action (OAA) monitors the University's Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action policies and programs. The OAA also assists the University in becoming more accessible to people with disabilities. The Office coordinates resources and reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities; and helps faculty and staff to resolve accessibility concerns in areas such as transportation, housing, and academic scheduling.

Also, the OAA investigates and attempts to resolve complaints or grievances that involve issues of unlawful discrimination on the basis of race (including racial harassment), sex (including sexual
harassment), sexual orientation, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, or status as a Vietnam Era or disabled veteran.

Career Services

20 McNeil Building
3718 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6209
215-898-7530
http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/

Career Services offers an extensive array of services for graduate and professional students including:

Meetings with advisors familiar with graduate and professional students' career concerns and with both academic and professional job searches
Assistance in resume and C.V. preparation
Seminars and career conferences
Practice interviews
Alumni career advisors and employer contacts
Funding information
A credentials service for storing and mailing reference letters
On-campus recruiting and career fairs
Listing of internships and permanent positions
An extensive library of career and funding resources
For doctoral students, The Academic Job Search Handbook

Much of our information is accessible through our website. Check out the main menu and then find your school under the link "Programs and Services by School." There you will also find instructions for adding yourself to the distribution lists, which bring career information straight to your e-mail account. We encourage you to sign up as soon as you begin at Penn. To find out how, go to www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/schoolmenus_grad.html.

Funding
Career Services receives many announcements of funding opportunities and literature from funding agencies. These are available for browsing in the Career Services Library, where a copier is available. The Career Services funding website (http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/funding/funding.html) includes links to many sources of funding information, including a database of the funding materials in the Career Services library, excellent on-line source, The Grant Advisor, and other sources of funding information on campus.

Chaplain's Office

3643 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6230
215-898-8456
http://www.upenn.edu/chaplain

Reverend William Gipson, the University Chaplain, is always available to discuss religious and spiritual concerns and to help plan special programs designed to enrich life at the University.

Counseling and Psychological Services

133 South 36th Street 2nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3246
Front Desk: 215-898-7021
http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/caps/

CAPS provides professional psychological and psychiatric services to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who are having personal problems involving social, emotional, academic, and career issues. The most frequent concerns presented by clients are poor academic performance, stress management, low self-esteem, eating problems, drug and alcohol abuse, racial/ethnic identity issues, relationship conflicts, sexual identity concerns, career conflicts and indecisiveness, loss/grief, and depression. In addition, CAPS also offers a support group for graduate women.

The majority of students utilize time-limited individual or group counseling/psychotherapy. Other services include career development counseling, interventions in crisis situations, structured workshops, staff and paraprofessional training, and consultations. A walk-in emergency/urgency service is available every weekday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. These services are made available to the University community free of charge.

The unique circumstances and concerns of graduate and professional students are recognized and addressed by CAPS staff in individual and group workshop sessions. A dissertation support group and groups addressing interpersonal relationships and sexual orientation are regularly attended by graduate/professional students.

The staff consists of a multicultural group of psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers who have expertise and extensive experience in working with students. All services are confidential and aim to assist students with meeting their academic goals and developing greater self-awareness, understanding of others, independence, and initiative. Brochures and workshop flyers are available at the office and at various locations on campus. Appointments can be made by phone or in person.

Ombudsman

113 Duhring Wing
34th and Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6303
215-898-8261
http://www.upenn.edu/ombudsman/

The Office of the Ombudsman is staffed by a tenured faculty member and an assistant. It is accessible to all members of the University community with the exception of unionized workers at Penn and the employees of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania since the two groups have their own grievance mechanisms. Students, faculty, staff, and administrators come in with a variety of problems ranging from academic disputes and problems of campus life to those that are interpersonal and work-related.

The office is concerned with safeguarding individual rights and promoting better channels of communication throughout the University. It is independent of all administration offices. The Ombudsman is not an advocate for any one individual or group but for fairness, adherence to University regulations, due process, and personal responsibility.

Reach-A-Peer (R.A.P.) Help Line

215-573-2RAP
http://www.upenn.edu/rap-online

The R.A.P. Line is a peer-support service founded and run by Penn student volunteers. It provides information, support, and referrals to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Call to talk anonymously and confidentially with trained volunteer listeners about your problems and concerns. The R.A.P. Line is open seven nights a week from 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.

Interested in becoming a listener yourself? Contact the Office of Health Education at 215-573-3525.

Office of Student Disabilities Services

See Student Disabilities Services under “Academic Resources”

Student Grievance Procedures

Federal law requires the University to designate an employee to coordinate its compliance, including the investigation of complaints with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education amendments of 1972, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In addition, the University is required to have procedures for the resolution of student and employee grievances alleging violations of these laws.

Any student in the University who feels that he or she has been discriminated against by an individual or office acting for the University or that the University is not complying with the requirements of Title VI, Title IX, or the Rehabilitation Act, has a right to register a complaint and seek redress of his or her grievance. The student may take his/her complaint to the following University offices:

Office of Affirmative Action

In addition to the description of duties given earlier, the Office of Affirmative Action is also responsible for coordinating complaints with non-discrimination laws, including investigating complaints and coordinating programs for the disabled. The OAA staff is available to consult with faculty, staff, students, and members of the community who have questions or concerns regarding the application or possible violation of these policies, Title VI or Title IX.

Other Grievance Procedures

Academic Grievances

Schools and academic departments within the University have established procedures for the resolution of student grievances concerning academic matters. Students should contact the Dean's Office of the particular school for a copy of the appropriate procedures and for guidance regarding the grievance process. A student who wishes to register a grievance regarding the evaluation of his/her academic work should follow the academic grievance procedure applicable in the school or department in which the academic work was performed.

Administrative and Employment Grievances

Students with administrative grievances should contact the Office of the Vice Provost for University Life, 3611 Locust Walk, 215-898-6081. Students with a grievance related to employment should consult the Deputy Provost or the Office of Human Resources, 3401 Walnut Street, 215-898-6093.

Vice Provost for University Life

3611 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6222
215-898-6081
http://www.vpul.upenn.edu

As the chief student affairs officer of the University, the Vice Provost advises the President and Provost on policy matters relating to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students and provides leadership and direction to an extensive array of student services including College Houses and Academic Programs, Student Life, Student Health Services, Academic Support Programs, Career Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, Civic House, Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center, Student Performing Arts, Greenfield Intercultural Center, La Casa Latina, Pan Asian American Community House, Perelman Quadrangle, University Life Facilities Technology and Information Services, the Penn Women's Center, and a variety of educational programs that span the University's twelve schools. The chief mission of the Vice Provost for University Life is to extend educational opportunities outside the classroom by bringing faculty and students together in many different settings. In addition, the Vice Provost serves as the primary administrative partner for student needs and issues on campus.