As Northern’s new equal opportunity specialist, Cathy Dehlin (Human Resources) will help the university comply with civil rights, equal opportunity and affirmative action requirements. She will also monitor related legal developments, including an initiative to let state voters decide the fate of affirmative action in the November 2006 election. The ballot language – as proposed by the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative – calls for an amendment to the state constitution that would prohibit universities and other entities from “discriminating or granting preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin.”
Dehlin will report to President Les Wong on equal opportunity issues. She will receive, investigate, and resolve or refer internal civil rights inquiries. Dehlin will also function as training and special projects coordinator for Human Resources.
“I look forward to developing a university-wide training program in conjunction with Human Resources and Public Safety,” Dehlin said. “I am particularly interested in focusing on training in the equal opportunity area.”
Dehlin previously worked in private law practice for 15 years in Phoenix and Washington, D.C., with a specialization in employment defense, mediation and litigation. A Michigan native, she holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a juris doctorate from the Georgetown University Law Center. Prior to Dehlin's arrival, Kristen Portale had been overseeing the equal opportunity and affirmative action duties in the wake of Sue Mennhenick's retirement. |
Dehlin Hired as Equal Opportunity Specialist
