Post to ensure equal employment compliance
Expect efforts to ensure consistent universitywide compliance with all federal, state and local laws and regulations governing non-discrimination and affirmative action in employment to receive renewed attention with the recent appointment of Wallace T. Bonaparte, director of equal employment opportunity/affirmative action compliance.
Wallace
T. Bonaparte
The newly created position, which answers to the MUSC Office of the President, was carved out of the Office of Diversity to write or review all employment policies and practices established by human resources management, the provost and by individual departments and to provide guidance respecting the compliance of those documents with the various laws and regulations.
The office is also responsible for the preparation and mandatory updates of affirmative action programs and reports required by both the federal and state governments. In addition, the office will advise all appropriate managers regarding record-keeping and retention requirements along with providing timely audits of employment-related selection decisions including applicants, hires, promotions or transfers, reclassifications and compensation.
Similarly, the office shall be responsible for the investigation of complaints by employees or applicants alleging discrimination in employment actions. The director of the office of EEO/AA compliance shall also be responsible for the representation of the university in any administrative proceeding before any federal, state or local authority.
“I’m also responsible for training at the university on compliance issues—training the faculty and staff how to be compliant in equal employment opportunity and affirmative action matters,” Bonaparte said. He added that he has found a willing attitude among administrators and faculty to comply with requirements, but many are at a loss as to how to implement them.
For years, the university’s Office of Diversity has dealt with a full range of minority affairs matters, spreading the diversity program so thin, little attention could be given to regulation compliance or development of a liaison relationship with regulators, said MUSC Office of Diversity and Minority Affairs Director Thaddeus J. Bell, M.D.
The Office of Diversity will “... focus its efforts on issues related to the predominant minorities in South Carolina. Currently this is primarily African-Americans, but also includes the growing Hispanic and American Indian population,” Bell said.
Referring to a recently released priorities statement, Bell said the office will continue to be a resource on diversity strategy to the colleges, provide sensitivity and cultural training, assist with recruitment of faculty and students, provide support for students needing counseling, and/or financial loans and assist with the resolution of discrimination concerns.
The office will sponsor cultural programs, and provide periodic updates to the dean’s council on diversity-related activities, progress in increasing the number of minority faculty and staff, and on cultural climate issues that need addressing.
Bonaparte said that the increased recruitment of minorities and women into the health care professions will yield substantial returns in improved levels of health often among the very populations they represent. A long-term goal is to actually achieve a level of diversity among health care professionals in South Carolina that closely matches the state’s diverse population.
He said that the university is legally and morally committed to achieving this goal and that this effort is supported at the very highest level of the organization. To be truly successful, however, Bonaparte said he will need the concern, support and cooperation of all members of the MUSC family. He is certain that the goals will be met, for “it is the right thing to do.”
Wallace T. Bonaparte
Recently appointed Director of Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative
Action Compliance Wallace T. Bonaparte comes to MUSC from Michigan, where
for more than three years he was human resources manager for the City of
Detroit. There he was responsible for planning, administering and managing
the activities of the city’s Recruitment and Selection Division.
For eight years prior to that, he was director of employment services at Wayne State University.
For more than 15 years, Bonaparte has assisted client companies as a human resources consultant with Bonaparte and Associates. His focus is to advise them with the resolution of various problems and in meeting their human resources objectives.
Bonaparte brings with him more than 35 years of experience in social
services and human resources in academic, industrial health care and municipal
arenas and is a member of numerous professional human resources and personnel
management organizations.