STATEMENT ON DIVERSITY AND NONDISCRIMINATION

Oak Valley College is uniquely situated within a geographic region of great diversity in language, culture, ethnicity, and socio-economic status for the purpose of fulfilling its mission of biblically centered education and service.

Within this cultural milieu, Oak Valley is called, not only to respect this diversity, but to reflect it as well, for Christ intends his Church to be a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-national body of believers.

We believe it is our purpose, therefore, to create an environment in which all believers, regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, age, economic status, or physical ability, can pursue knowledge and personal development as they strive to become all God intends them to be.

In order to maximize the learning of students and expose them to the diversity that exists in the culture at large, we seek to foster an understanding and appreciation of those elements in every culture, which enhances human dignity and is consistent with scriptural teaching.

We are dedicated to expanding opportunities for Christians of all cultures and ethnic backgrounds to attend Oak Valley College, to be employed here, and to participate in the fellowship and mission to which we are called, always keeping in mind our desire to pursue excellence in all we do.

We are committed to working for the establishment of a community composed of believers from every race, culture, and class who are united in their devotion to Jesus Christ, their obedience to His Word, and in their willingness to serve one another.

Oak Valley College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic group identification, gender, age, socio-economic status, or physical or mental disability. However, as a private religious institution, Oak Valley reserves the right to exercise preference on the basis of Christian orthodoxy in its employment practices, student admissions decisions, and conduct within the campus community.

We believe that all men and women are created in the image of God, resulting in a foundational unity, and that our racial, cultural, gender, linguistic, and socio-economic diversity reflects the intent and imaginative design of our Creator (Gen. 1:27; Acts 17:26-28), as well as the consequences of the fall.

We believe that God is redeeming some from “every nation, tribe, people, and language” and that we, in our diverse identities, will add our unique contributions to His eternal praise (Rev. 5:9-10; 7:9-10; 21:23-26).

We also believe that today, through faith in Christ, God is creating a “new person”—a new citizenship that transcends but does not erase our individual ethnic, social, and gender distinctions. This new faith-citizenship is named in recognition of the love relationship we have with our Savior—we are “Christians” (Eph. 2:14-22; Col. 3:10-11; Gal. 3:26-28; Acts 11:19-26).

As Christians, therefore, we will imitate our Savior who crossed all social, racial, and gender boundaries to share God’s redeeming love (Matt. 9:9-13; Mark 7:24-30; Luke 17:11-19; John 4:4-42). We will imitate the early believers who yielded their cultural prerogatives in order to gather all nations, peoples, and classes into a community that demonstrated the unifying power of their faith (I Cor. 9:19-23; Acts 6:1-7, 13:1-3, 18:26; Rom. 16:1-2).

We believe, finally, that our diversities in background, thought, and practice will continue to enrich our personal lives as we submit them to be critiqued and evaluated by the authoritative words of Scripture. We are convinced of the words of our Lord: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32).

STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION

Oak Valley College operates in compliance with all applicable federal and state non-discrimination laws and regulations in conducting its programs and activities and in its employment decisions. Such laws and regulations include:

1. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in the programs and activities of the college.  This policy of non-discrimination also complies with Internal Revenue Service Revenue Ruling 71-447 required for maintaining Oak Valley’s tax-exempt status.

2. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on sex, race, religion, color, or national origin.

3. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in the recruitment and admission of students, the recruitment and employment of faculty and staff, and the operation of its programs and activities.

4. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-336), the purpose of which is to afford the disabled equal opportunity and full participation in life activities and to prohibit discrimination based on disability in employment, public service, public accommodations, telecommunications, and transportation.

5. The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in programs and activities of Oak Valley.

6. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, which prohibits discrimination against persons aged 40 and over regarding employment decisions.

7. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits all forms of discrimination on the basis of sex (including sexual harassment and sexual assault) in programs and activities of Oak Valley, except where Oak Valley has been granted exemptions based on its religious tenets.

8. The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (20 USC §1092(f)) (“Clery Act”) which requires colleges and universities to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses. This includes recent amendments to the Clery Act under the Campus SaVE Act and Violence Against Women Act, which deals with incidents of sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, and stalking.

As a religious institution, Oak Valley is exempted from certain provisions of the above laws and regulations relating to discrimination on the basis of religion.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES REGARDING DISCRIMINATION, SEXUAL MISCONDUCT, DOMESTIC & DATING VIOLENCE, AND STALKING (“POLICY”)

I. NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

The College deplores the unfair treatment of individuals based on race, color, national origin, gender, socio-economic status, age, disability, or cultural differences regardless whether such treatment is intentional or resulting from careless or insensitive behavior. Rather, employees and members of the student body should embrace the expectation of Scripture to love God with all their being and their neighbors as themselves. In cases involving discrimination, or alleged discrimination, individuals should contact a senior administrator (President, Vice President, or Dean) to file a complaint or discuss the matter to determine whether a violation of a College policy has been made. In cases involving unlawful discrimination, complainants should notify local law enforcement and/or a senior administrator to determine an appropriate course of action.

II. SEXUAL MISCONDUCT POLICY (SEE TITLE IX - SEXUAL MISCONDUCT POLICY)

Oak Valley College seeks to maintain a Christian community that provides a place for spiritual growth, work, and study free of all forms of sexual intimidation and exploitation.  All students, staff, and faculty should be aware that the college is prepared to take action to prevent such intimidation and exploitation and that individuals who engage in such behavior are subject to discipline. See Title IX Policy for information regarding sexual misconduct.

Adapted from Biola University