In November, 1999 Arun Basu filed a discrimination complaint on behalf of himself and other Asian/Pacific Islander employees of USDA. Under the leadership of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, a settlement agreement was reached. The settlement agreement was approved by Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in December 2004.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, USDA will establish a Development Opportunity Placement Program, a Graduate Scholarship Program, and a Department-wide job fair. USDA will also review, update and issue Department-wide Affirmative Employment Plans, and ensure that all Asian/Pacific Islander employees, grade 7 and above, have current, up-to-date Individual Development Plans. A Departmental Liaison, working under the supervision of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, has been appointed to monitor the implementation of the settlement agreement. For more information, read the Notice of Settlement.
Development Opportunity Placement Program
The Development Opportunity Placement Program provides opportunities for eligible and qualified USDA employees to serve on details, receive temporary promotions, or participate in developmental assignments where there may be staffing shortages in headquarters and field office locations.
The Development Opportunity Placement Program is sponsored by Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; Agricultural Research Service; Farm Service Agency; Food Safety and Inspection Service; Natural Resources Conservation Service; and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. Each of the agencies will sponsor a minimum of two opportunities annually for a total of six opportunities over the three-year period of the Settlement Agreement.
The Development Opportunity Placement Program is open to USDA employees. Qualification requirements may differ according to the opportunities and will be listed in the opportunity announcements. Twelve opportunities will be available in Fiscal Year 2006. Information about opportunities under this program will be posted on the ASCR Web page for Career and Training Opportunities as they become available.
The Graduate Scholarship Program provides funding for graduate school as
preparation for a career in government service. The program is designed to recruit
individuals to work for USDA after completion of graduate course work in particular
disciplines. Each applicant must meet all of the following eligibility requirements:
Be a U.S. citizen;
Possess a Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, or be a graduating senior, with at
least a cumulative 3.0 grade point average based on a 4.0 scale;
Be accepted into or enrolled in an accredited institution as a graduate student, seeking a
Master's or Ph.D. degree in a field as defined above;
Have a strong interest in a career in public service with USDA; and
Not a current USDA employee.
In 2006, twelve scholarships will be awarded to students enrolled in Master's or Ph.D.
programs. Generally, a maximum of two (2) years of funding will be provided for a Master's
degree and four (4) years of funding will be provided for a Ph.D. degree. The awards include
the following:
Full-tuition scholarships: tuition, mandatory university fees and books;
Paid internship (minimum 640 hours) leading to permanent employment;
Employee benefits; and
Mentoring, career development, and leadership training.
Recipients of the scholarships enter into an agreement with USDA and receive full-tuition scholarships. Prior to graduation, recipients intern at USDA for a minimum of 640 hours. The internships are paid in addition to the scholarship funds. After graduation, recipients are required to work for USDA one year for every year of financial assistance received from USDA.
The scholarships are sponsored by 8 USDA agencies, specifically, Agricultural Marketing Service, Forest Service, Farm Service Agency, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, National Agriculture Statistics Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Office of Chief Information Officer, and Rural Housing Service.
For information about the Basu v. Veneman settlement, contact
Basu v. Veneman Departmental Liaison
Office of Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20250, Mail Stop 9410
Telephone number: (202) 720-5212
E-mail: cr@usda.gov
