The establishment of the Office of Equity & Diversity (OED) in 1974 as the Affirmative Action Office was a direct response to significant pieces of legislation, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

The UT System office works with campuses and institutes across the UT System to create a culture that is committed to embracing our One UT values.

 

Vision

To be an active system-wide resource for all efforts involving inclusion, diversity, and engagement.

Mission

We will actively support, foster and enhance environments of inclusion where the diversity of all faculty, staff, and students are connected to fully engage in fair, respectful, and equitable campus experiences throughout the University of Tennessee community.