Skip to content

Office of Access Compliance and Education

About Us

Who We Are

L. Jerry Knighton JR., MPA
Associate Vice President and EEO Officer and 
Executive Director of Procurement Inclusion
knightl@clemson.edu

Alesia Smith, MS
Assistant Vice President for Equity Compliance and Title IX Coordinator
alesias@clemson.edu

Priscilla Harrison, MBA, PHR, SHRM-CP
Director of ADA Services and Compliance and ADA Coordinator
priscih@clemson.edu

Megan Fallon, MA
Interpersonal Violence Prevention Coordinator
mrfallo@clemson.edu

Paula A. Porter, MBA
Program Coordinator
pporter@clemson.edu

Monique Harmon
Associate Director for Equity Compliance and Deputy Title IX Coordinator
mharmo3@clemson.edu

Sherry T. Williams
Procurement Inclusion Manager
sherryw@clemson.edu


What We Do

The Office of Access Compliance and Education ensures University compliance with the following federal and state laws:

  • Age Discrimination Act of 1975.
  • Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended.
  • Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
  • Equal Pay Act of 1963.
  • Executive Order 11246, as amended.
  • Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008.
  • Nondiscrimination Act of 2008.
  • Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) of 1978
  • Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) of 2023
  • Revised Order No. 4.
  • Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
  • South Carolina Human Affairs Law.
  • South Carolina Interpreters Act of 2024.
  • South Carolina Lactation Support Act of 2020
  • South Carolina Pregnancy Accommodations Act of 2020.
  • Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
  • Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.
  • Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Higher Education Act).
  • Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974.
  • Violence Against Women Act.

These laws protect individuals from discrimination on the basis of protected classes. The University has developed policies and procedures to ensure compliance with these laws.

The University has designated persons to be responsible for ensuring that Clemson University faculty, staff and students adhere to policies regarding non-discrimination and equal opportunity. The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.

Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employment

The Office of Access Compliance and Education is responsible for developing and implementing the affirmative action plan each year based on the University's utilization of minority resources. This plan contains goals for future utilization levels in areas where significant underutilization has been reported in the University.

This information can be found in the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission (SHAC) report, The Status of Equal Employment in South Carolina State Government. "This report addresses the status of affirmative action in South Carolina state government agencies. To understand the report, one must understand what affirmative action is and is not, and what the Human Affairs Commission can and cannot do to implement affirmative action in state government" (according to their website).