IPA Forms and Procedures

Program Participant Information Collection

Relevant Forms

Demographic Collection Self-Identification Card
This card (provided in English) should be used to collect anonymous demographic information on all individuals who participate in any of AGNR's programs and/or activities. Self-identification cards in Maryland's top seven LEP languages can be found below and under "Language Access." Educators are required to explain the data collection requirements to program participants and make them aware of the importance of such anonymous and voluntary disclosures at every UME program and/or activity. The voiceovers below can be used to assist educators with this task.

Self-Identification Card with Step-by-Step Explanatory Voiceover
To aid educators with the explanation of the self-identification cards, we have created a step-by-step voiceover walkthrough of each section of the self-ID cards in English and Maryland's top seven LEP languages. These videos can be added to your online registration forms prior to the demographic information questions, displayed at events (for in-person registration), or shared with program participants who would like to know more about why they are being asked to share this information. Most events have online registration where anonymous, demographic information is collected in alignment with the AGNR policy so including a link or embedding the video into the registration page may be helpful.

Data Participant Contact Sheet (for internal use)
For the collection of program participants' contact information and documenting effective outreach.

Mailing List Log (for internal use)
Aids the organization in documenting outreach efforts for all reasonable efforts

Reasonable Accommodations Tracking Template - Programs (for internal use)
This excel sheet can be used for tracking the relevant information related to a program participant's request for a reasonable accommodation, including any requests for language services.

Program Participant Request for Reasonable Accommodation
This document is the form to document a program participant's request for a reasonable accommodation in AGNR programs.

Program Participant Denial for Reasonable Accommodation
This document is the form to document a program participant's denial of a provided reasonable accommodation in AGNR programs.

Relevant Procedures

Demographic Data through Election Forms for Program Assurances and Demographic Data Collection Requirements
AGNR's procedure for collecting anonymous demographic information on all individuals who participate in any of AGNR's programs and/or activities when registering individuals via election forms such as Zoom, EventBrite, and Google Forms.

AGNR's Data Collection Procedure
AGNR's procedure on data collection applies to all operating units within AGNR including, but not limited to, Academic Units, the University of Maryland Extension (UME), and Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES).

AGNR’s Position Statement: Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Program Access
AGNR, as a recipient of Federal financial assistance, to take every effort to ensure program participants, potential and eligible beneficiaries, and sub-recipients have meaningful access to our programs, services, employment, educational programs, and extend full consideration to all individuals, including those identified as Limited English Proficient Persons (LEP).

Public Policy Notification – Program Rights, Reporting and Responsibilities
Describes implementation on all communication channels and educational material regarding public education, public distribution and public notification of AGNR federally assisted programs.

Social Media Policy – Public Notification
This directive establishes a path forward for continuous notification to the public and to the citizens of Maryland regarding AGNR’s equal opportunity and access to federally assisted programs and activities.

Relevant Resources

"And Justice For All" Script for Programs/Activities
Recipients of federally assisted programs, such as land-grant institutions, are required to display “And Justice For All” (AJFA) civil rights posters (1) in their facilities (owned, leased, and/or rented) where it can be viewed by customers and (2) while conducting program delivery and/or activities (including volunteer programs like Master Gardener). This script is meant to assist educators with presenting the AJFA posters to their program participants.

Signing, Language, and Interpreting Services Directory
This document lists Interpreters and/or Translators consistent with our mission as a Land-grant University providing equality and accessibility in regards to any and all programs, events, and/or activities supported in whole or in part by federal financial assistance.

Demographic Data Entry and Processing Decision Tree for AGNR Civil Rights Compliance Purposes
This slide from the "Preparing for 2025 Reporting | UMERS Data Collection & Data Entry Updates" breaks down the difference in reporting data as "not collected" versus "Chose Not to Self-Identify" in UMERS. It is important to distinguish between "Not Collected" and "Chose Not to Self-Identify" because if "Not Collected" are reported as "Chose Not to Self-Identify," then their value is assumed to be a default demographic (as detailed in the document), which is essentially creating data where it doesn’t exist (i.e. data integrity concerns).

"Am I a Protected Veteran?" Infographic
The Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA), as amended (38 U.S.C. § 4212), prohibits discrimination against protected veterans. Under VEVRAA, a veteran may be classified as a ‘‘disabled veteran,’’ ‘‘recently separated veteran,’’ ‘‘active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran,’’ or ‘‘Armed Forces service medal veteran.’’ For additional information, please visit the Department of Labor's website: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ofccp/vevraa.

Internal Program Assessment Process & Relevant Documents

IPA Review Schedules

2024-2025 AGNR/UME Civil Rights Training Schedule
This schedule provides the civil rights trainings delivered from 2024-2025.

2023 Internal Program Assessment Review Schedule (formerly known as Internal Compliance Review (ICR))
This document provides the review schedule for UME's 2023 IPA.

UME Compliance Checklist and Faculty and Staff Self-Assessment Questionnaire

Am I in Compliance? Checklist
The “Am I in Compliance?” checklist is a tool that should be used to ensure you are meeting your civil rights compliance obligations per the expectations of AGNR’s federal grantor. The checklist provides the following sections: Compliance Task/Requirement, Purpose or Use of the Document, the Responsible Parties for completion of the task, the Suggested Frequency of Updates, whether the task was completed for the year, an explanation section for why not (if applicable), and any notes you may have that provide context for your completion of the task. Items in red should be edited to reflect the county/city/program and year of the checklist being completed.

UME - Internal Program Assessment Self-Assessment Questionnaire (formerly ICR Self-Assessment Questionnaire)
This Self-Assessment Questionnaire should be completed by every faculty and staff member as it pertains to their respective program area, preferably at the beginning of each calendar year.

All Reasonable Efforts Analysis

UME All Reasonable Efforts Template (for internal use)
This excel sheet will automatically calculate percentages and whether or not the numbers entered reflect all reasonable efforts for that location based on your program data as compared to Maryland State Census data.

Preventative Action Plan For Barrier Analysis (for internal use)
The barrier analysis is used to identify the deficiencies, the department, program, or location’s correction action, a timeline for completing that corrective action and a plan for preventing the deficiencies recurrence in the future.

All Reasonable Efforts to Increase REG Program Participation Template (for internal use)
For documenting "All Reasonable Efforts" to expand all Extension educational programs conducted in geographical areas. "All Reasonable Efforts" means that AGNR/UME and its programs have used intentional methods for marketing to and reaching populations who are underrepresented in its programming based on the program or location's reported data. Examples of this are personal contacts, mailings/newsletters and mailing lists, posting and sharing UME materials at a location that is frequented by the potential audience, working with partners within the community, etc.

Collection of EAC Member Information

EAC or Other Related Committee Meetings (formerly ICR Forms Listing - Form AA-AF- 8 - EAC Committee & for internal use)
This document is for the collection of EAC Members' Contact and Area of Interest Information not demographic information.

EAC or Other Related Committee Meetings Demographic Collection Annual Reporting (for internal use)
This document is for aggregating the collection of EAC Members' anonymous demographic information.

EAC Invitation to Self Identify Form (English) (for internal use)
As an organization who partners with federal, state and local governments, we are required to collect anonymous demographic information on all individuals who participate in any of our programs and/or activities. This form is voluntary, but we hope you take a moment to identify who you are and help us measure the effectiveness of our inclusive outreach efforts. The information you provide will be kept confidential and for the sole purposes of reporting program attendance and does not require any personal identifiers.

Template for UME Local Webpages' EAC Section (for internal use)
Please use this language for any new or existing webpages detailing your Extension Advisory Committees in order to ensure consistency across UME.

EAC Member Release Form (for internal use)
The "Authorization to Release Information for Extension Advisory Council Members" is a fillable pdf form for requesting EAC members' permission to release the included information.

Partnering Agreement and Documentation

Partnering Agreement (also known as the Assurance Agreement)
The Partnering Agreement should be completed and signed when collaborating with external parties (nonfederal entities/nonpublic funded). Please replace the university letterhead with your county/city/extension letterhead.

Partnering Organizations – Partnering Agreements Documentation Template (for internal use)
This excel sheet is meant to assist with the collection and maintenance of pertinent information regarding each location or program’s partnering agreements.

Sample IPA Documents for Internal Reviews

Sample IPA Scheduling Letter (for reference only)
The Scheduling Letter serves as official notification that an assessment is being conducted and the date of that assessment.

Sample IPA Document and Data Request (for reference only)
The Document and Data Request provides a list of requested data, documentation, and other records for the eleven areas of review relevant to the IPA process. These eleven areas correspond to the eleven folders each program and location should have within their Civil Rights Administrative File.

Sample Letter of Internal Program Assessment Findings (formerly ICR Forms Listing - AA-AF-1 - Internal Compliance Review Response Plan & for reference only)
The IPA Summary of Findings identifies areas of sufficiency and areas of deficiency and provides recommendations based on the findings

Sample Letter of Compliance (for reference only)
The Letter of Compliance is the final step of the IPA process and closes out the assessment cycle for the reviewed program and/or location. The Letter of Compliance confirms that the reviewed program and/or location is in full compliance after engaging in the IPA process and with AGNR’s civil rights obligations.

Sample Organizational Chart (for internal use)
This is a template for structuring AGNR organizational charts to meet civil rights compliance standards.

Training Log Sign-In (formerly ICR Forms Listing - Form AA-AF-15 - Training Log & for internal use)
This word version of the training log document can be used for training where faculty and staff will be signing in via pen and paper.

Training Log Sign-In (formerly ICR Forms Listing - Form AA-AF-15 - Training Log & for internal use)
This fillable pdf version of the training log document can be used for training where faculty and staff will be signing in electronically.

Helpful Materials for Programming

Program Assurance Statements & College-Level Reasonable Accommodation Statement in English and MD's Seven LEP Languages
This document has the assurance and reasonable accommodation statements for English and Maryland's seven LEP languages in one place.

AGNR Communications’ Section 508 Compliant PowerPoint Templates
UME Fearlessly Forward Template (Dark)
UME Fearlessly Forward Template (Light)
These templates are the official UME templates and include the AJFA posters. They should be used for programming.