Climate Survey 2021

Questions include:

1. Do you self-identify as Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual?

2. Do you self-identify as transgender or any other gender identity?

3. What are your preferred pronouns (optional)?

Annual attendance, relationship building and employee recruitment at the Lavender Law Conference & Career Fair, the country’s largest LGBTQ+ legal conference that draws approximately 1,700 attendees attending annually.

Family and Medical Leave
The university provides time off to eligible university employees consistent with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, 29 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq. (FMLA) and Tennessee Parental Leave Act, Tennessee Code Annotated § 4-21-408 (TPLA) for the following reasons:

Childbirth;
Adoption;
Foster care placement;
Serious health condition of the employee;
Serious health condition of the employee’s family member;
To provide care for a family member injured while on active military duty; or
Qualifying exigent circumstances arising from a family member’s military service.
To learn more about the FML process, contact Human Resources at 865-974-6642 or FamilyMedicalLeave@utk.edu.

Employees must meet the FMLA guidelines as outlined in Policy HR0338 Family and Medical Leave.

The 12-month period during which FMLA benefits are calculated begins on the first day of the employee’s first FMLA leave period of the year. For example, if an employee commences FMLA leave on February 1 and exhausts his or her leave, he or she will not be entitled to FMLA leave until February 1 of the following year. Upon return from FMLA leave, the employee will be restored to his or her position or to an equivalent position with equivalent pay, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment.

Maternity and Paternity Leave
Eligible employees are entitled to the following leave in regard to childbirth, adoption, and foster care placement.

Foster Care Placement
FMLA provides up to 12 weeks for foster care placement. Leave in advance of the placement of the child can be taken if the leave is necessary for the placement to proceed. Otherwise, the leave must be taken within 12 months after foster care placement of the child. With the approval of the department and Human Resources, a portion of this leave may be taken to establish a reduced schedule for the purpose of transitioning back to full-time employment. If both spouses are employees of the university, their combined total of available leave is 12 weeks.

Childbirth and Adoption
The State of Tennessee provides up to four months of leave for pregnancy, childbirth and adoption for full-time employees who have been employed at least 12 consecutive months. In the case of an adoption, leave begins at the time the parents receive custody of the child. This leave runs concurrently with the 12 weeks provided by the federal FMLA (i.e., eligible employees are entitled to four months total leave). If both spouses are employees of the university, their combined total of available leave is four months. With the approval of the department and Human Resources, a portion of this leave may be taken to establish a reduced schedule for the purpose of transitioning back to full-time employment.

Insurance
For questions about insurance payments while on FML or to inquire about adding a child to your existing insurance, contact our Insurance Office at 865-974-5251.

Basic Group Insurance
While an employee is on paid medical leave, the university will continue to pay the employer’s share of the premium up to 12 weeks as required by federal law. If the employee is on unpaid medical leave and wishes to continue the medical insurance, the employee must pay in advance a monthly or quarterly sum equal to his or her share of the premium to the campus insurance office or the Office of the Treasurer. If the employee does not return from such leave of absence, the university may, with the approval of the chief financial officer, require the employee to reimburse the university’s share of the premiums paid.

If the employee does not pay premiums while on medical leave, coverage will lapse. Upon return from leave, the employee will have 30 days to reinstate prior coverage without providing evidence of insurability. Such coverage will apply to pre-existing conditions. 

Optional Insurance Plans
During medical leave without pay, membership may be continued in any of the group optional insurance plans to which the employee belongs prior to the leave. To do so, the employee must pay in advance a monthly or quarterly sum equal to the total of the premiums due on the plans that he or she wishes to maintain in force to the campus insurance office or the Office of the Treasurer.

Employees on medical leave who allow coverage to lapse due to nonpayment of premiums have 30 days from the leave return date to initiate reinstatement of coverage without evidence of insurability.

Lactation Rooms
Visit the Facilities Services site for a list of family restrooms and wellness/lactation rooms.

There are currently no reservations required to use the lactation rooms. To use the room in TRECS, you must be buzzed in by the front desk staff. Women are expected to bring their own breast pumps.

Additional lactation rooms are being planned.

Policy is detailed here.

Policy is detailed here.

The Counseling Center website details the following about its commitment to care, which suggests training for specific needs of patients.

Caring for All Vols
The Student Counseling Center is committed to providing high-quality care and services to all UT students. Regardless of your race, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, physical ability, personal creeds or spiritual beliefs, national origin, or socioeconomic status, we pledge to create an affirming and welcoming environment. We achieve this by providing culturally responsive counseling services, specialized training for our staff, participation in community events that promote diversity and inclusion, and exemplifying a welcoming, compassionate presence within the Volunteer community.

An all-gender restroom was created on the ground level of the college last year. There are two stalls in the restroom. The signage shows a male, female and wheelchair symbol. The restroom is accessible to people with disabilities with use of elevator to ground floor.

Information regarding the availability of the restroom was emailed to all faculty, staff and students after the completion. In addition, it is listed on college directories throughout the building.

Law 863 – Sex, Gender & Justice

The College of Law has hosted events with the Matthew Shepard Foundation and provides support for travel to networking events for the LAMBDA Law student organization.

The University of Tennessee Division of Student Life and Division of Diversity and Engagement provide a number of university-wide initiatives including the SafeZone educational workshop series and the Office of Multi-cultural Student Life programs and workshops.